This is the latest in a summer series about food trucks in Central Massachusetts – with a look at the people behind the wheel and in the window.
Name: Sun Kim Bop
Owner: Sun Kim from Petersham
The best part is in the name: The South Korean version of sushi rolls – Kim Bop – is the focus of Sun Kim’s menu, with variations ranging from chicken and tuna to purely vegetarian options.
“Bop,” the anglicized spelling of the Korean word for rice, fits well with Kim’s play on words in the food truck’s name.
Rolling was not always easy: Kim started her food truck in 2013 and, as she says, decided to do what she had the most “confidence” in.
But before that, the food industry had never been a target.
Kim moved to the United States in 2003 to study English, hoping to later teach in Seoul, where she was born and raised.
When she met her future husband, a Petersham local, teaching English became a difficult endeavor as her only option was to teach English to second language speakers, which was difficult for Petersham – an area where “newcomers are rare”.
Eventually, she decided to take a completely new direction, even though she was already familiar with South Korean cuisine.
“I’ve always had a good taste bud when it comes to cooking,” said 64-year-old Kim. “I have a great tongue for it.”
Although cooking was not a passion of hers before 2013, she learned it quickly because she had “a great talent for it” after years of enjoying the food of her mother, Young-Ryun Kim, who passed away this summer at the age of 86.
“She was a great cook,” Kim said.
When Kim is asked about her food truck now, she says she is “glad” to have started it.
But when she left her house in Petersham in 2013, she regretted her decision.
“I asked myself, ‘Why did I start doing this? It’s too much work,'” Kim said. “All my muscles would be working.”
As difficult as it was, the increasing demand for her food truck at festivals and catering events made her realize that there was a demand in Central Massachusetts for her food, which she describes as different from other East Asian cuisines.
The menu features just three main dishes: Kim Bop, also known as the Korean version of sushi; Toppoki, which Kim described as sweet and spicy rice cakes – a flavorful vegetarian option; and dumplings.
Over time, Kim even managed to open a restaurant, and in 2017 he opened a Sun Kim Bop store on Main Street in Springfield.
Although the restaurant was well received in its first three years, the success was short-lived as she had to close the restaurant permanently due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
When Kim returned to South Korea this summer to spend her mother’s final days with her, she brought with her a new addition to her food truck – a Kim Bop rolling machine that she said can produce up to 200 rolls per hour.
“I’m still getting used to it, but it’s really incredible,” Kim said.
How to roll with the Bop: Kim said they can be found at most food truck festivals in central and western Massachusetts.
When looking for their orange food truck, look for the logo with the smiley face and the satisfied lip licking.
