The wildly popular pop-up Egg King returns to the Des Moines metro on Jan. 11 with its Korean‑inspired, over-the‑top egg sandwiches served on Texas toast. The Egg King’s tight, flavor-packed menu makes it a buzzing, must‑try breakfast experience.
Brothers Andrew and Arthur Sayasane founded the company in August 2020 with their partner Curt Wang, who combined their Laotian, Chinese and Korean food backgrounds to launch the brand during the pandemic. What began as a few socially distanced pop-up events quickly evolved into a local weekend staple, appearing at farmers markets, festivals, restaurants and other retail venues.
The brothers took some time off from Egg King as their families grew and Andrew, who also has Winn Pizza in Norwalk, received a kidney transplant in 2023. The Sayasane family is behind Winn & Sara’s Kitchen in Indianola, which won Best New Fair Food accolades for the past two years with their egg rolls at the Iowa State Fair.
Where to find Egg King
Egg King takes over the Culinary Annex in historic Valley Junction with some of its OG sandwiches on Jan. 11.
“We’re eggcited to get back in there to also help bring some more traffic to the Culinary Annex and chef Cass (Spence). She’s awesome,” Andrew Sayasane said.
What to order at Egg King
Only three dishes will be on the menu. The EggOGi sandwich features fresh scrambled eggs, Korean marinated bulgogi steak, American cheese and King sauce topped with a sunny-side-up egg. Diners can opt for the Egg King smoky hot sauce that brings a heat level of four on a scale of 10.
The Bacon King comes with a soft, folded scrambled egg on fresh Texas toast with crispy bacon and American cheese.
Egg King also has gluten-free Egg Bowls that come with tater tots topped with American cheese and a choice of bulgogi beef or bacon.
All three dishes are available from 10 a.m. to noon, or until they run out.
The experience can lead to long lines, but in the past, fans likened it to a “nightclub-like breakfast experience,” complete with booming music and waits of up to two hours.
Where to find Egg King
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Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor and dining reporter at The Des Moines Register. You can reach out to her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, or drop her a line at sstapleton@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Des Moines’ Egg King pop-up returns with flavor-packed menu
Reporting by Susan Stapleton, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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