[Edaily Reporter KWON HYE-ME ] At the U.S. Open, the final tennis tournament of the season being held in New York City, Korean-style bulgogi gimbap—priced at $28 (approximately 37,400 won) per roll—is proving popular among visitors.

According to the U.S. entertainment media outlet Page Six on the 24th (local time), ahead of the U.S. Open—which opens on the 31st and runs through the 13th of next month—the organizers set up a large-scale fan zone in front of Arthur Ashe Stadium, the tournament venue, starting on the 23rd. The kimbap sold at the food stands there is becoming a hot topic among tennis fans.

These kimbap rolls were created through a collaboration between Simon Kim (46), CEO of Gracious Hospitality and a New York-based restaurateur, and Chef Park Eun-jo, known as the “godmother of kimbap.” Kim is the man behind the successive successes of “Kkot,” a restaurant that blends Korean barbecue with an American steakhouse concept, and “Kkokkodak,” a fried chicken specialty shop.

The renowned U.S. food publication Bon Appétit spotlighted the gimbap stand ahead of the U.S. Open. The publication reported, “Restaurant owner Simon Kim vividly remembers the colorful gimbap that mothers would bring as packed lunches during school sports days.” It continued, “While some kimbap rolls were filled with Spam, fish cakes, and spinach wrapped in rice and seaweed, the ones his mother made—stuffed with thinly sliced bulgogi, crisp carrots, and sweet pickled radish—were by far the best.”

In a video posted on his Instagram, Kim also said, “Ahead of the U.S. Open, we need to prepare something fresh. The U.S. Open is just like a school sports day. When I was a kid, I always ate kimbap.” After coming up with the idea, he immediately called Chef Park Eun-jo to ask for her help.

Chef Park is a Korean-American who honed his skills at New York’s three-Michelin-starred French restaurant “Perce” and the two-star American restaurant “Momofuku Ko,” among others. The gimbap he created features marinated bulgogi, carrots, pickled radish, kale, and burdock root.

Meanwhile, “Kkokkodak,” run by CEO Kim during the U.S. Open, is also attracting attention with its own booth. There, they are selling premium chicken nuggets topped with caviar for $100 (approximately 138,300 won).