It’s been a while since I wrote about food halls. The last one was about Denver Central Market a few years ago, which I enjoyed but have only visited once since. That’s mainly because living in Golden isn’t conducive to frequent trips to Denver – it’s not because the food at the Central Market is not worthwhile. But I plan to go to at least two over the next few months, starting with this intriguing place, Coark Collective Food Hall, in Centennial.
An explanation: Aurora and adjacent Centennial are even further from our home than Denver, but they arguably offer the most diverse ethnic food in the metro area. You can find whatever you can’t find in Denver and not in the suburbs in this sprawling enclave. I would probably dine out more if we lived closer, simply because of all the fabulous eateries available here. And I’m sure RAS, who can be notoriously frugal with restaurant meals, would be more inclined to do so, since he adores most Asian cuisine.
Coark is just one of the latest Asian food halls in this area, emphasizing Korean dishes. It looks like it was once an American buffet place, with its existing self-serve counters and cavernous dining areas. You order at a front counter for all the stands, then pick up your dishes from one number on a board for each place. So, here’s what you can find here (I couldn’t go to all of them, so I will have to return here to try other foods in the future).
Seoul Food
No other Korean food has made inroads into American diners’ hearts as fried chicken, which is not entirely surprising. This stand specializes in that beloved dish. The Korean version is slightly better than ours because frying methods create a light crust and coat the chicken with a spicy, irresistible sauce. This stand also serves tteokbokki, a chewy rice cake that resembles mochi or gnocchi.
Up Bob
At this stand, you can get rice bowls and rice balls made with octopus. I decided to try fried tofu pockets—small, hollowed dumplings filled with meat and veggies. JRS and I ordered three: beef bulgogi, marinated chicken and kimchi. Other than the soggy tofu exterior, these pockets were savory and satisfying. My bulgogi bowl was adequate, and I wish I had gotten bibimbap from another stand.
Mad Toast
Gilgeori toast has all the flavors that make a dish complete. It’s sweet, spicy, sour and crispy, with unexpected ingredients combined into two slices of generously buttered grilled bread. The main filling has egg and vegetables and is slathered with ham, cheddar cheese, ketchup and mayonnaise. At this stand, you can get different levels of heat: mad (the spiciest), mild, gentle and baby. I’d love to sample one of these sandwiches at some point.
Soup & Stew
JRS ordered meat-filled mandoo (pan-fried dumplings) from this stand. I tried to convince her to get the snowflake kind, but she thought they would taste strange and declined. The "snowflake" is a light batter that forms a crispy, lacy topping. That might have been a welcome textural addition because the plain variety was somewhat chewy and soft. However, the filling was flavorful and slightly spicy.
Bibim House
Bibimbap is my favorite Korean dish. It starts with panfried rice that forms a crispy base for meat and vegetables artfully and separately arranged with a gochujang sauce, then topped with a fried egg. Sometimes, it includes glass yam noodles, which I always love. I probably should have ordered this instead of the beef bowl, but I was a bit overwhelmed at the ordering counter and felt I had to make a quick decision. I will probably try this on my next visit.
The other places are Poke Island, Momo Bing, Croffle Haven and 3456 Tea. I suggest trying Momo Bing, an irresistible dessert called bingsu, a shaved ice treat with condensed milk and fruit, syrup and red bean toppings.
