A restaurant that’s been reputed among locals
Fort Bragg, located in Fayetteville, North Carolina, is the largest military base in the United States, serving tens of thousands of soldiers. They wander around the best restaurants in Fayetteville and share their own restaurant information with each other. That’s why the house where soldiers are frequent, it is very likely that the house, which is known among the soldiers for its food, is a real restaurant with a high value for money.
SAPPORO, which is explored today, is a Korean & Japanese hot place with many local regulars and soldiers.
With a wide range of Korean and Japanese menus and Korean buffet with more than 15 different menus from 11 am to 2 pm for price of $9.99 (Mon – Fri), anyone can enjoy a delicious meal. In addition, in summer, the seasonal menu adds cool water noodles making it even more varied.
Famous taste in Hyoja-dong, Jeonju, South Korea
SAPPORO’s Korean menu includes six kinds of side dishes, each of which is fresh and hearty. When I asked the owner why she put sesame seeds in spicy cucumber salad, she replied that this is a traditional Jeonju (Jeonju is very famous for Korean traditional and tasty food) style Korean food. The third sister, who inherited the genes of her mother who is known for her delicious taste in Hyoja-dong, Jeonju, is in charge of the Korean kitchen and is said to be making Korean dishes.
Owner said that she always keeps side dishes fresh because she makes new dishes every morning, and when they are short, she makes them on the fly.
When asked what is the most popular Korean menu in SAPPORO, bulgogi and bibimbap are the most popular, and Korean customers are looking for Jajangmyeon, Jampong and cool water noodles.
We decided to try Jajangmyeon and cool water noodles. SAPPORO’s Jajangmyeon is made by roasting the sauce immediately on the fly, so it has a fresh taste and visual that is quite different from the pre-made sauce. The cool water noodles are made by hand without the use of commercially available broth, so I felt like eating home-cooked meals.
One thing to note is that the kitchen is busy until 2pm serving Korean buffet, so you can order Korean food a la carte menu after 2pm.
Sushi, Hibachi Best
In the sushi bar, the sushi master was working hard to make sushi and rolls. When I asked him what is the most popular sushi menu, he recommended Salmon Special and Fire Train. I tasted them too, taste and size transfer thumbs up! I couldn’t stop chopsticks for more foods even though I had emptied all the cool water noodles. Sushi master said that because many of the customers are soldiers, he started making sushi bigger. Wow! The customer is more than happy because it is large!
When I asked him if there was a particularly delicious reason for SAPPORO’s sushi and rolls, he said freshness and special sauces. To maintain the freshness of the fish at its best, the fish is brought in twice to three times a week, and it is served with SAPPORO’s special sauces to enhance its original flavor. Thanks to this, Japanese people who have eaten sushi since childhood, and soldiers who have worked in Japan, become the regulars by saying that the sushis are the best fit for their tastes. Also, the sushi master said that he continues to work on the development of new menus, and Fire Train is developed by SAPPORO originally.
Hibachi is also one of the most popular menus in SAPPORO, and to-go orders are particularly popular. Hibachi at the table next to us looked really tasty, so I thought I should try it next time. The customers praise SAPPORO’s hibachi for their different taste, so I wonder what it tastes like when served with SAPPORO’s white sauce.
Family atmosphere
Since SAPPORO is run by President Yong-Sook Kim and her brother and sisters, the atmosphere itself is actually very family. It was very special that the first among the brother and sisters, President Yong-Sook Kim, her second and third sister, and her sushi master brother, who had been running this restaurant together for a long time, still maintained a good, friendly sibling relationship.
In the meantime, they treated the customers like a real family. When a couple with a baby comes to eat, they babysit the baby so that the couple can eat comfortably. The warmth of Koreans naturally comes to mind beyond the kindness for their customers. Thanks to this, they become famous among locals and many soldiers greet them when they meet on the street.
Recently, when I looked at SAPPORO’s ratings and reviews on the internet, the reviewers gave high score for the taste of SAPPORO and the kindness of the staff.
Due to the advantages of enjoying Korean and Japanese cuisine together, I will drop by SAPPORO when I go to Fayetteville.
SAPPORO
649 N Reilly Rd, Fayetteville, NC 28303