Havana Seoul

February 28, 2015

Working in downtown Manhattan exposed to me a hodgepodge of cuisines I'd previously only vaguely heard. My coworkers had their fingers on the pulse down tight, and during my first summer they led me to all their key spots, including Cafe Habana in Soho and the Sophie's Cuban Cuisine on Chambers Street. Cuban food hits a lot of the same notes I love about Korean food – it's comforting, hearty, spicy, low-key and best of all, cheap!

And a few from the pop-up attendees! Thanks guys!

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"COREANO CUBANOS"
coffee-laced carnitas, fried Spam, gruyere & pepper jack cheese, gochuchang aioli, kimchi pickle, My Friend's Mustard on toasted Cuban bread

My first thick, crunchy, pork-stuffed Cubano at Cafe Habana was a revelation in sandwiches, and we'd walk half an hour to sit in the blistering sun and get our foreheads and shoulders burnt while dipping the sandwiches in El Yucateco (best with both red and green!). Coffee is commonly used in Korean preparations of pork (especially the bossam-style) to offset funkiness, and Spam is a long-standing holdover from the war. And I mean, c'mon. SPAM FOR THE WIN!

"POST-COMMIE" OXTAIL SOUP
~ a comforting nuclear fusion of kkori gomtang & rabo encendido ~
braised oxtail, onion, pepper, carrot, tomato, beef bone broth

The oxtail at Sophie's Cuban Cuisine was the first place I saw oxtail being used outside of Korean kkori gomtang, and since I'm a sucker for slow-cooked off-cuts, I would trudge down to the bowels of downtown whenever requested for it. Also, RIP the long-lived NY Gomtang House in Manhattan. It was one of the few remaining specialized places, and I loved how comforting and well-priced their gomtangs and sullongtangs were. My parents used to frequent this place when I was a baby, which probably explains my affinity for anything weird meats and broth.

DMZ TOSTONES
fried green plantains, grilled kimchi, cheese, gochuchang aioli, scallions

Tostones initially weren't my favorite, but when I was in Chicago last, my friend Joe directed us to get jibaritos, actually a Puerto Rican specialty where they use the flattened fried green plantains as the bread of the sandwich. I think we walked over a mile to get them, and the rest of the day reeking of that amazing garlic mayo that was smothered on them.

SWEET PICKLED RADISH

Noodle Party

January 31, 2015

The new year is an important time, not only for Koreans but for most cultures, as it represents fresh starts, forgiving of debts, and a time to get together with the whole family and exchange bows for cash money. Traditionally, we eat "ddukguk" (Korean rice cake soup, usually with added dumplings), but for this month's (first!) pop-up, I wanted to explore some new takes on classic Korean noodles. Noodles often signify longevity and good luck, which makes them perfect for the new year.

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Noodles
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"SHIN" RAMYUN
~ a modern take on the classic Korean instant ramen ~
ramen with cheese & Benton's ham dashi, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, chili

Every Korean has a huge box of Nongshim's Shin Ramyum hidden somewhere in the pantry. When you're hungover, homesick, or just plain lazy, this is the go-to. Boil some water, toss in the freeze-dried noodles and packaged seasonings, and when the time is right, drop in an egg and throw on a Kraft single. Best eaten straight from the pot. It's like a big warm hug and a punch in the face wrapped in one steamy, spicy bowl.

"KALGUKSU" – KOREAN HAND CUT KNIFE NOODLES
~ not your halmoni / grandma's chicken noodle soup ~
fresh noodles, roasted duck and chicken bone broth, garlicky chicken, cilantro, lime

Kalguksu is traditionally enjoyed in the summertime, when Koreans like to eat super-hot food so they can sweat out all the "toxins" and cool down from the outside-in (see: Korean saunas). Its thick, slurpy noodles are usually paired perfectly with spicy, fresh kimchi and a side of dumplings. Watch me waddle out now.

Banchan
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SOY BEAN SPROUTS
with lime & cilantro

SEAWEED SALAD
with apple & perilla (sesame leaves

CUCUMBER KIMCHI
with buchu (garlic chives) & cracked coriander seed

"LIL FISHIES"
(pan-fried baby anchovies) with tomato, parsley & shisito pepper

Benton's Ham Party

December 17, 2014

Our company's corporate offices are located in Tennessee, and when we went down there last summer, the photo team squeezed in a trip to say hi to Allan Benton and his legendary smokehouse. We walked away with stacks of bacon, and when those eventually dwindled away we had to place another order. On the Benton's site, they also sell a whole hickory smoked country ham for only $70. Naturally, HAM PARTY.

Note: everything Benton's touches smells like liquid gold (if gold to you is really really smoky porky ham).

Everyone contributed to the insane smorgasbord, so here's what I made:

Green eggs & Benton's ham

This one started as a joke, but turned into a sickass, bright-green concoction with peas and parsley that would've slayed Sam-I-Am.

Potato & Benton's ham duck-broth soup with Benton's ham & Parmesan palmiers

I won't take credit for the soup, but the duck broth part is all me. Palmiers are French, usually sweet pastries also known as "elephant ears". These are the easiest things to make if you know some children's basics origami. Like all Asian children should.

Kimchi grilled cheese with Benton's ham on challah

Kick up my previous kimchi grilled cheese with caramelized onions mixed with grilled kimchi and diced tomatoes, squished between buttery challah bread. I'm pretty sure if you threw an egg in this, you could make a hungover New Yorker cry.

Benton's ham and melon ice cream

Ham and melon go together like hair metal and the 80's, and putting them together in ice cream is super easy. The flavor of Benton's is so powerful it doesn't take much to perfume the cream, mixed with some cantaloupe "milk" and icy melon chunks.

Cajun Korean Xmas

December 15, 2014

I've spent some time visiting New Orleans, and from my first taste of crawfish étouffée to my last bite of fried oyster po'boy (dressed, naturally), I was hooked on an entire culture's cuisine for the first time. I seriously dreamed butter roux and mirepoix for months after. When the holidays came around, all I wanted was big pots of Cajun food, and why not mix it up with some Korean twists?!