‘I’m so hungry!’: How Portland’s The Korean Mama becomes online sensation for Pacific Northwest cuisine

OPB “All Things Considered” hosts Crystal Ligori and Geoff Norcross sat down with Jane Kim and her son Ed over lunch to talk about their rise to foodie fame. You can hear that conversation at the link below:

Jane Kim became an unexpected internet celebrity when her son Ed started filming her reactions as they went out to eat. Now, under the handle “The Korean Mama,” the duo explores the Pacific Northwest food scene with Jane’s signature catchphrase: “I’m so hungry!”

The pair have always been close, but once Ed was in school out-of-state, they were limited in how much time they could spend together.

“I could only really talk to her on the phone,” he said. “When I moved back into town, we decided to go grab lunch or dinner instead of our weekly phone calls.”

At the same time, Ed was hearing a lot about the social media platform TikTok and thought his mother’s reactions to some of the new foods she was trying could be a fun thing to share with a wider audience. When Ed floated the idea to his mom, she just had one question: “What is a tik tok?’”

He asked if she knew about YouTube. That did the trick.

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Jane agreed to be filmed for the platform saying, “OK, if you want, but I don’t know what you’re going to do.” She agreed to just eat and enjoy herself.

Even by her own admission, Jane is a somewhat unlikely candidate for a food reviewer, saying she lives a simple life and that her usual food choices lean more McDonald’s than the Michelin-starred. And she admits she was a picky eater growing up, preferring more familiar foods.

“Anything with a unique smell or fragrance, she didn’t really try,” Ed said. “She didn’t want to explore that as much, kind of stayed within her own comfort zone.”

But their weekly outings around the Portland metro area have expanded Jane’s palate, thanks to her son’s urging.

“He really wants me to try… ‘Mom, this is not a small world. You should know the different taste, you’re going to like later.’” Jane said. “So, OK, I try and then maybe [after] a couple of times, ‘Oh, I like this.’”

While their online presence has generated some revenue for the duo, Ed said that none of the restaurants they visit pay to be on their channel. And as far as the restaurants go, anything is fair game — reviews of Golden Corral and Red Lobster are interspersed with outings at upscale spots like Kann and Han Oak. But there are still a lot more cuisines they want to explore.

“I really would like to take mom to one of those super high-end fancy sushi places,” Ed said, before his mother cut him off to exclaim, “Oh, I love that!”

“I think she would have a really great time,” he finished with a laugh. “And this kind of reaction from her … she loves sushi, and I think having nice sushi versus conveyor-belt sushi or more casual sushi that we’ve had before, she would enjoy something like that.”

“Oh yes,” Jane said. “I didn’t even think you’d think of that.”

But it is not just their restaurant experiences that Jane and Ed share with their more than one million followers between TikTok and Instagram. Last December, Jane reunited with her first son, Brian, who she had not seen in nearly 40 years. The decision to film and post the experience was not one they took lightly.

Jane explained that she wanted to share her story because it was one she thought others could identify with. “Some women, especially Korean women, once they divorce they have a lot of similar story.” she said.

Jane said her eldest son was just a toddler when she was cut out of his life. Convinced by family that Brian would have a better life with his father’s more wealthy family, Jane assumed she would still be able to see her son after the divorce. Instead, Brian was taken to Korea and contact with him was blocked by his father’s side of the family. On their social media post about the reunion, they explained it was only after Jane’s ex-husband died that a relative felt comfortable reaching out to connect her and Brian.

“I keep that story in my heart. He was young, two and a half years old, and then never ever heard any news, anything.” she said. “And then when I heard ‘I can see my son,’ I really, I don’t know what to do with this.”

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Shortly after reconnecting, Ed made an executive decision to cancel a planned trip he and his mom had to Palm Springs, California, and instead fly to Los Angeles to see Brian.

“It was a little uncomfortable to film such an intimate moment, but I figured this doesn’t happen every day,” Ed said. “I’m glad I did, and I’m grateful that mom and Brian were both wanting and willing to share the story. And ever since posting it, we’ve had a lot of families, kids, who have had similar stories reach out through DMs and say, ‘We’ve had very similar experiences’ or ‘I’m still searching for my birth parents.’ I was nervous about sharing something like that, but it definitely has helped us connect with our audience.

For now, Ed says they’ll continue “The Korean Mama” as long as Jane is still having fun.

“So far she’s enjoying it and loving it, and everyone’s been really kind.” he said. “It’s one thing to see the number of people who follow you, and then when we actually run into them, meet them and talk to them, it’s a good reminder that what mom’s doing and sharing with everyone has touched a lot of people.”