Eating Korean

Of all the hole in the wall restaurants I’ve been to in my life (and in my profession I have been to many), this was the most “hole in the wall” place I’ve ever been to.

In the shopping district in Gangneung, there’s a Baskin Robbins on the main drag. If you turn into a tiny alley to the right of the ice cream shop, you have to walk single file because it’s so narrow only one person can squeeze through at a time.

In this dark alley that even a bicycle can’t fit through, there is a shack, an old, old house that they run a restaurant out of. It’s called Geum-ak Kalgooksu.

You step inside the run-down old place and you have to call into the kitchen so that they know you’re there. There’s no menu; all they make is kalgooksu (handmade noodles). They tell you to go inside and have a seat and the room took be back to my childhood growing up in Korea in the 1970s.

I don’t think the room has been renovated since the 70s. It looks just like the room my siblings and I used to sleep in behind my mom’s beauty salon. There were only 3 tables inside and plain brown wrap wallpaper that had been written on by people who’ve frequented the place.

There’s just a little sign on the wall that has also been graffitied letting you know that a bowl of rice will cost you an extra W1000.

The handmade “knife” noodles arrives swimming in a spicy broth, that tastes like 1975, too. It had an anchovy-based broth with bits of gim (dried seaweed) and ggae (sesame seeds) generously sprinkled on top.

It was served with a side of kimchi. That was it.

For W6000 I got to taste my childhood again. I think for that price, it was a bargain.

Tags: gangneung, gangneung kalgooksu restaurant, handmade knife noodles, handmade korean noodles, hole in the wall restaurant, kal gooksu, kalgooksu, korean noodles

I arrived in Korea just in time to peel pounds of garlic and julienne piles and piles of Asian radish (mu) in preparation for the annual gimjang. Thank goodness for sharp knives and mandolins!

The radish starts as white as snow and we mix spices, seafood, seasoning and other vegetables.

My great aunt bought a giant jar of salted brine shrimp (jeotgal).

And put in a generous amount of it into the mix. She also added fish sauce I brought from America, as well as actual coarse sea salt (since the sea salt helps to keep the cabbage crisp during fermentation).

She made a flavor mix out of chile powder (gochu galu), garlic, cooked rice and sea salt.

And we added generous amounts of miced garlic (Kimchi wouldn’t be Korea’s national dish without it, I think.).

Tubs full of thin green onions (pa) and mustard greens (got) get added to the filling.

My aunt grates Asian pear (bae) and onion (yangpa).

Some ginger gets grated into it too and then it all gets added to the filling.

My great aunt puts in some sweet plum (meshil) tea that she had prepared beforehand (in lieu of sugar), as well as some cooled fish broth from boiling dried fish. After mixing and mixing, the filling is finally ready (Notice how nice and red it is!).

Now for the napa cabbage (baechu). In the old days, we used to sprinkle the cabbage leaves, one by one with sea salt and soak the baechu overnight. Now, in the cities, you can order your baechu, pre-brined, pliable and ready for filling.

The labor intensive part is the stuffing of the cabbages, one by one, with a bit of filling between each leaf.

Then the large outer leaf is used to wrap each 1/2 head. One by one until all the cabbage is stuffed.

Once all the cabbages are filled, they can put into containers. In the old days, they were put into large clay pots and buried in the snow. Now they go into giant tupperware containers and get neatly packed into kimchi refrigerators ready for a year’s worth of kimchi eating!

Tags: annual kimchi, baechu gimchi, bulk kimchi, gimchi, gimjang, kimchi, kimchi making, napa cabbage, napa cabbage kimchi, spicy kimchi

Exciting news! I’m teaching a hands-on cooking class on how to make kimchi on

Saturday, November 12th at 2pm
in the catering kitchen of Jennie Cook at

3048 Fletcher Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90065
(just a couple of doors down from the fire station)

We’ll also put on a pot of cranberries so you can take a jar home for your Thanksgiving dinner.

I will be teaching the class at the Glassell Park kitchens of Los Angeles caterer, Jennie Cook. Everyone will go home with a jar of cranberry chutney and jars of kimchi. AND if Jennie gets her pressure cooker in time, she’ll even do a demonstration on how to can tuna at home (something she picked up from the Master Canners).

Did I mention, I’ll also share my family’s kimchi stuffing recipe?

Class size is limited (to those we can squeeze into the industrial kitchen), so reserve a spot soon!

RSVP with jenniecooks@jenniecooks.com or 323-982-0052. Only $65 per person, which includes all the supplies and trimmings.

Tags: canning, class, cooking, cooking class, cranberries, cranberry chutney, hands on, hands on cooking class, jennie cooks, kimchi, kimchi stuffing, preserving

I just moderated a panel at the Korea Society in New York, called “Korean Food in the Digital Age.” It was odd to be speaking to everyone via Skype, but I think that’s apropos for the topic at hand and what the theme of the night was about.

The guests were Debbie Lee (who was a finalist on the third season of ” The Next Food Network Star”), Steve Porto (the chef-owner of New York’s popular Asia Dog) and Edward Song of Korilla BBQ (who was on “The Great Food Truck Race).

Here is a description of the program:

Rising culinary entrepreneurs—Food Network finalist Debbie Lee, Edward “3d” Song of Korilla BBQ, and Steve Porto from Asiadog—discuss the unique demands of food-trucks and mobile kitchens, new-generation customers, and inspirations found in Korean culinary culture. Fostering a multicultural palate by combining traditional and new ingredients—and employing the latest digital and social media—these young chefs and restaurateurs introduce fresh approaches to Korean cuisine, adapt start-ups in a fast-changing marketplace, and share Korean culture with new audiences. Guests will enjoy a sampling of these chefs’ signature dishes.

It was an interesting discussion about Korean cuisine, mobile food, Korean culture and the trials and tribulations of running a restaurant in contemporary times.

You can see more info on the Korea Society’s site.

Tags: ahn-joo, asia dog, asiadog, debbie lee, digital age, eddie song, food truck, korean food, korean fusion, korilla, new york, new york korea society, steve port

The best things about Korean department stores are the food courts found in the basement levels. Not only can you get an affordable meal, but you can also pick up a variety of grocery items.

Since they are always on the basement level, you can just catch the subway home.

One of my favorites is the Shinsegae Department Store in Gangnam. Not only because it’s stylish, but you can also get really good cheeses and even prosciutto here, at a price, of course.

I especially love the baked goods sections.

And as you can see, the cupcake craze has also hit Korea.

Korean bakers make some of the best looking cakes. And in the past few years as better flours and European ingredients have been imported into the country, the cakes taste much better than they used to.

There are plenty of inexpensive places to get a meal – everything from pizza and pastas to hot steaming bowls of kalgooksu and steamed dumplings.

The top levels of Korean department stores may have clothes, jewelery, makeup, accessories and other goodies. But for me, the basement is where the action happens!

Tags: baked goods and bread at the Shinsegae department store in Seoul, bakery in Korea, food court, korean cakes and cupcakes, korean department store, korean department store basement, korean department store food court, seoul department store, shinsegae department store

Sorry for being offline for a couple of weeks. Changing ISPs shouldn’t be so painful, but getting rid of my old company was worse than trying to break up with a bad boyfriend!

I will post more fun and deliciousness soon!

Hope you’re enjoying the last of the long days of summer!

I had the privilege to speak at a Korean food academic conference at the University of Toronto last month. One of the highlights of the day was the pre-lunch demonstration by Executive Chef Jeong Chanbu, of Bulgogi Brothers. He used to be a chef in the Blue House (the Korean equivalent of the American White House) cooking for the president and his family.

He did a cooking demonstration of Gujeolpan – which literally translates from hanja to “nine section plate,” which is always touted by the Korean government as one of the most beautiful and colorful examples of Korean cuisine.

It was invented during the 14th century as a dish to serve the kings and queens of the Joseon Dynasty. Even now, it’s an elaborate dish that takes hours of preparation.

Here is Chef Jeong peeling the cucumber so very thin. He said it was the knife that was so sharp that it was doing all the work for him, but look at his skills.

You can see how thinly he’s cutting all of the vegetables.

It really is a beautiful presentation, here it is on a brass plate for consumption.

And here it is with a “royal” presentation in the traditional wooden 9-sectioned plate. Each of the sections contains a different vegetable or meat, like beef, leeks, radishes, carrots, cucumber, mushrooms, eggs, etc., with the middle section reserved for the “miljeonbyeong” the thin pancakes used to wrap everything inside. Chef Jeong even made his pancakes fancy by adding a bit of natural color to them.

If you’re inspired to try and make this dish at home, here’s a pretty good recipe from chow.com. It takes probably about 2 hours to make it (although you can prepare much of it in advance if you’re planning on impressing your friends for a dinner party).

For those of you, who have no intention of trying this at home, there are plenty of restaurants in Seoul that make royal cuisine and can offer this delicacy, for a price of course.

Most of you probably missed the National Restaurant Association (NRA) Show in Chicago last week. This 4-day show is open only to culinary professionals and students, showcasing everything from latte machines to microgreens and everything you can imagine that has anything and everything to do with delivering the food that comes to you at a restaurant.

I was there to represent Korea and cook and talk about Korean cuisine for the duration of the show. My cohorts were Chef Walter Neuhold, who has cooked for years at some of Seoul and Busan’s finest hotels, and Chef Youngsun Lee, who owns the Kimchi Taco Truck in New York.

We started the morning serving bindaeddeok (Korean flatcakes made from mungbeans and rice).

Bindaeddeok Recipe
(courtesy of Chef Walter Neuhold)

2 cups dried mung beans, peeled and split
6 tablespoons short grain rice (or basmati or sweet brown rice)
1 zucchini, julienned
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
3 spring onion, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
handful of perilla leaves, sliced

Combine mung beans and rice and add enough cold water to cover. Soak for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Sprinkle a teaspoon of sea salt on julienned zucchini, let sit for one hour, then squeeze our the moisture.

Strain soaked beans and rice, then transfer to a strong blender. Add 1¾ cups of water to the beans and rice, along with a teaspoon of sea salt. Blend until you have a consistency of pancake batter. Add chopped onion and blend until smooth.

Transfer to a bowl and gently fold in the rest of the vegetables. (You can store this batter in an airtight container for up to a few days in the refrigerator)

Heat a little vegetable oil in a nonstick pan. Place pancake‚Äêsized dollops of batter to the pan. When bubbles rise to the surface, flip and cook for another couple of minutes. Press down with spatula for a few seconds to make sure the batter and vegetables are cooked through.

Serve immediately with a side of seasoned soy sauce.

***

Later in the afternoon we also served kimchi and kimchi arancini, a fun fusion take on an Italian favorite.

Kimchi Arancini Recipe
(courtesy of Chef Youngsun Lee)

2 cups kimchi puree
2 cups kimchi juice
1‚ÅÑ2 cup gochujang (Korean chile paste)
1 cup sriracha sauce
1 1‚ÅÑ2 lb. Queso Hebra (Oaxaca), grated
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
6 quarts arborio rice, cooked
2 – 3 medium egg yolk, beaten
4 medium egg white, beaten
1 cup panko
1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumb

Combine the kimchi puree, kimchi juice, sriracha sauce, cheeses, and egg yolk. Gently fold in the rice to the mixture. (It’s easiest to wear gloves and mix with your hands.) Slowely add in the beaten yolk, one at a time to get a thick consistency, like cookie dough.

Roll mixture into a small ball, about 1 inch in diameter.

Combine the panko and breadcrumbs.

Roll the rice ball in the breadcrumbs until completely covered.

Heat a medium saucepan full of hot oil until oil reaches 350 to 375 degrees F. Fry the test arancini to make sure it stays together. If the ball falls apart, add an additional egg yolk to the rice mixture and make all of the dough into bite-sized balls. Roll in the breadcrumb mixture and fry until golden brown.

***

During the lunch hour, we also served bulgoggi wrapped in red leaf and topped with a bit of seasoned dwenjang (fermented soybean paste), microgreens and sesame seeds.

We also served some of Chef Youngsun’s take on Ddeokbokgi, Gingseng Tofu Mousse with a bit of dried dates (jujubes) and some omijacha (Magnolia Berry Tea) and soojeonggwa (Ginger Cinnamon Tea).

Delicious!

I will be one of the culinary presenters at the National Restaurant Association (NRA) Show in Chicago May 21st-24th! Top Korean food companies will be showcasing their classic and new products. There will be plenty of food samples as we show you modern and creative uses of Korean flavors and ingredients.

We will be presenting a seminar series throughout the 4-day show. And you’ll also have a chance to win an autographed copy of one of my books.

I will be presenting and cooking with Chef Walter Neuhold and Chef Youngsun Lee

Here is the culinary class and tasting schedule:

10:00 Building Blocks for Korean Cuisine
Tasting: Bindaeddeok (Korean Pancake)

11:00 Rice – The Long and Short of It
Tasting: Ddeokbokgi (Korean Spicy Rice Cake)
Makgeolli (Korean Fermented Rice Wine)

12:00 The Many Facets of Bulgogi
Tasting: Bulgogi Classic style (lettuce leaf with fermented soybean paste)
Bulgogi Amuse bouche-style (on Crispbread with pickled cucumber)

1:30 Kimchi- The New Pickle?
Tasting: Kimchi Arancini

2:30 Cooking with Ginseng
Tasting: Ginseng Tofu Mousse

3:30 Korean Tapas
Tasting: Soojong Gwa (Cinnamon-Ginger Tea) or
Ohmija cha (Magnolia Tea with honey)
Book Signing

Get a certificate and a chance to win an autographed copy of one of my books when you attend any of these daily seminars.

For more information, visit KoreanCuisineDeconstructed.com

All you chefs and restaurateurs, hope to see you there!

I had snuck over some Korean seeds a couple of years ago. I planted some seeds last year and didn’t have much luck. But then all of a sudden, my geundae (Korean chard) just started to grow, 6 months after I had put the seeds in the ground!

I harvested the tender leaves all winter and spring and now it’s starting to send up shoots and starting to seed. I’ll save the seeds and propagate them in the autumn.

So, this spring, I decided to give these babies another chance. I had really good luck with my green and red leaf lettuce (sangchu) seeds!

They’ll be ready for ssambap soon. A meal of rice and seasonal vegetables with plenty of leafy lettuce, perilla leaves (ggaetnip) to wrap them in. Although my perilla plants got eaten by an animal, my green leaf lettuce is thriving.

My mom also gave me some Korean pumpkin (hobak) seeds. I planted 6 thinking that they wouldn’t all grow, but now I have 6 plants and will have more pumpkin than even my 15-year-old nephew can eat!

Once the leaves get large enough, I can steam them for ssambap, too. Can’t wait!