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Basically, the article states that Japanese and other Asian ethnic restaurants are “stealing” Korean culinary delights and are making a profit. Whomever wrote this article is quite the moron….especially when he fails to take note that Koreans make a “stealing” by selling Japanese, Vietnamese, and Chinese food as well. He or she needs to come to Los Angeles and see how Koreans can smell a cash cow when it comes to selling foreign food.

Amid a cluster of offices on Third Avenue sits a Japanese restaurant whose signboard greets diners with the words “Gyu-Kaku, Japanese BBQ Dining.” As you enter, waiters and waitresses of various ethnic backgrounds African-Americans, Indonesians, Thais and Tibetans shout “Iratshaimase!” (”welcome” in Japan). By 12:30 p.m. all 100 seats are filled. “It’s not easy to find empty seats during lunchtime or evening peak time,” says a Tibetan employee…

At the same hour, a Korean restaurant run by Koreans on 32nd Avenue in Manhattan is full of only Korean customers — Korean-Americans, representatives of Korean companies and tourists. Worldwide, the popularity of Korean food is growing due to people’s perception that it is healthy and to the spread of the Korean Wave. But it is Japanese restaurants that reap the profits.

Experts say Gyu-Kaku has succeeded in marketing Korean foods worldwide thanks to packaging. Korea lags behind Japan in marketing, including how to serve food, create a customer-friendly atmosphere and serve seasonings and condiments palatable to local customers.

Japan is not the only country that is “stealing” Korean traditions. Singapore is a city state where all kinds of foods from around the world are fiercely competing with each other. A total of 212 restaurants were last year rated Singapore’s Top Restaurants. Only one Korean was on the list — Crystal Jade Korean Ginseng Chicken & BBQ” Unfortunately, it is run not by a Korean but by a large Singaporean restaurant chain…

The number of restaurants selling “Korean” food is growing. But it is foreigners who make the money.(Chosun)

What’s so “unfortunately” about it? He should take it as a compliment and take pride in the fact that others do find value in Korean recipes. I guess I can understand why the writer would feel embarrassed that foreign owned Korean restaurants do better business than Korean owned ones…but he/she should know there is balance to the world. Kabuki Sushi restaurant is a popular Korean owned chain that I’m sure does more business than a Japanese owned one down the street.

The funny thing about Korean food in general, all you really need is red chili paste or flakes and you can make anything. Add it as an ingredient and it’ll make the food seem Korean no matter what’s in it, whether it be chocolate, durian fruit, or coconut crab. Even if you don’t know how to cook Korean food, you can improvise and pretty much figure out what’s in it just by looking and tasting it.

So, haemul tang is pretty much like gamja tang. It’s the same thing, the only difference is that you use fish stock and ….well, fish. I prefer monk fish, which used to be the poor man’s lobster…even though lobster used to be considered the poor man’s big mac. It’s just a great meaty fish.

Ingredients:

2.5 lbs of Monk Fish with the bones still on or separated by the fish monger. You’ll need it for the fish stock and if you want to keep the head, you can if it’s still attached, but it’s one ugly mother….

1 tlbsp of ginger, chopped up.

4 cloves of Garlic, chopped up.

2-3 tlbsp of Red Chili Paste

1 small Korea Radish, peeled and sliced up into medallions.

2 bushels of chrysanthemum leaves

1 medium size spud if you want, I prefer it since the starchiness thickens the soup. Peel and slice it up like the Korean radish.

1 Jalapeño Pepper

2 stock leeks sliced up.

Half a block of tofu, sliced up.

2 Pots

With one of the pots, put some water into it and fill it halfway up. Next, place it on the stove and let it boil.

Since I have no formal culinary training, separating the monk fish from it’s bones was hard as hell. Not only did I almost gag touching the slimy leathery skin, the membrane would just not separate easily. So be very careful, when you use a knife to slice through. From what I figured out by trial, just cut along the bone to separate the flesh from it. Good luck if you didn’t ask the fish monger to do it for you.

Once you finally manage to get all the meat off, cut them into chunks, place them into a non-metallic bowl, cover it up, and set it in the fridge. The stuff leftover, like the skin and bones, put them into the boiling water and let it simmer. This will be your fish stock and will take about 30 minutes to come together.

In the mean time, you can start preparing the other ingredients. Clean, slice them up, and put them away for later use. With the jalapeño, cut it in half and take out the seeds. You don’t need the extra heat, unless you want it. The sliced medallions, put them into cold water so they don’t brown up.

With the 2nd pot, heat up some oil and start sweating the garlic and ginger. Once you get a nice aroma, add the sliced leeks and let it soften up. Once the leeks start to get translucent, using a measuring cup, start pouring the fish stock into the 2nd pot. Add about 3-4 cups and just in case, have an extra bowl around to take soup out it if it starts to boil over. After it starts to boil, lower the heat and let it simmer while you add the red chili paste, jalapeño, potato, and radish slices. Once the potato and radish start to soften up, add one bushel of chopped chrysanthemum leaves, the monk fish, and tofu.

At this point, it should not take too long for the fish to cook and just before you serve it, add the 2nd bushel of chrysanthemum. Pair it up with some white rice and soju and you got yourself a meal!

Sannakji again at Man San, which is on 2851 W.Olympic in Koreatown.

ha! Made that with Windows Movie Maker…

A thing you should not do when you eat this stuff is just let it squirm around in your mouth.  It pretty much pinches your tongue and it kind of hurts.  After that dish, we had boshitang afterwards! j/k.

How can you tell the difference between a Sushi joint that’s owned by chameleons or actual Japanese people? First off, the waiters serve you edamame as soon as you sit down at your table. I’ve yet to see a Japanese sushi house do that. 2nd, the place isn’t named after the sushi chef like Nobu or Yamashiro. It’s either called Sushi Factory, Fusion Sushi, or Happy Joy Joy Sushi House with a cartoon looking thing for a logo. Lastly, the most telling clue is that they serve Korean soju instead of the Japanese version, Shochu.

I would have to say that Koreans are quite the chameleons when it comes to running a Sushi restaurant. They are able to trick the average American into thinking they are Japanese simply by screaming “irasshai” as new customers come in. Maybe that’s the reason why so many Koreans are able to play Japanese roles in Hollywood.

My boss used to think a Korean owned sushi restaurant chain, Kabuki, was owned by Japanese people until I pointed out the differences. When I went there with him once, the only Japanese guy in there was our waiter who was half-white but had Takumi on his name tag. Every other waiter was named Andrew, John, or Ben and common Christian names used by many Koreans.

There’s nothing wrong with it and I’m simply making an observation that’s humorous to me. Even more so since I know that in the Kitchen are the Mexicans who are making the delicious food, hot. So, there could always be a Kai Sushi Sports Bar owned by someone Japanese that serves edamame right away…but when I went to it, it wasn’t. They do have great lunch deals though and I’d recommend the Kai Chef special which is only like 15 bucks.

There’s sushi, sashimi, teriyaki chicken, tempura, eggroll…and other goodies….in there. If there’s one thing I would like to see Koreans do instead of pretend to be Japanese…it’s actually be themselves and sell the whole fresh from the fish tank sashimi angle.

It’s been raining for the last two days and I was craving something soupy and I remembered an episode of Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservation when he went to Korea and had this red colored pork shoulder soup. To me it looked like Gamjatang (potato soup), so I decided to make it for the first time…and I have to say I did a good job considering I just guessed what to put in it.

Ingredients:

• 2 cans of chicken broth.
• 4 pork chops with the bones still on.
• 2 stocks of leeks
• a tbsp of chopped ginger
• 2 spoonfuls of chopped garlic pre-minced. You can buy it at Korean markets, packaged.
• Chrysanthemum leaves
• some oil
• 2 big spoonfuls of Korean chili paste
• 1 Potato - peeled and chopped.

• Deep pot

Just heat up the oil in the pot and sweat the chopped ginger a bit. Don’t let it burn, just let the aroma get more intense. Next, pour in the chicken stock and let it boil. After the soup starts bubbling, add the chopped up leeks, garlic, chili paste, potato, and pork chops and just let it simmer. With the leeks though, make sure you clean it good because dirt hides rather well behind each leaflet. It took a hour for everything to come together…but it was soooooo good. Oh yeah, maybe 5 minutes before serving, add the Chrysanthemum leaves so they soften up a bit, then eat it with white rice.

It actually went well with some pinot noir. I wish I had soju at the time, but red wine and spicy pork potato stew is a pretty good pairing.

Budaechigae

Budaechigae or “army soup” is a spicy dish popularized during the famine conditions of the 1950-53 Korean War. The ingredients, which include C-ration leftovers, were traditionally gleaned from the garbage outside American bases. The soup is a cultural hybrid and a marker of disparity, which evokes both sentimental feelings and disturbing memories. Kim’s and Johnson’s work evolves from a representation of this default historical relationship. (pj)

I consider Budaechigae to be Korea’s stone soup and I love it. I usually go to Toe Bang in Korea-town for my fix and it costs about 20 bucks an order. For me, it’s kind of a Zen thing when I eat this communal hot pot because I need the environment to be perfect in order to get a nice atmosphere.

I first started going to Toe Bang at an age where I should have been carded, but never was. The joint used to be all about green lawn chairs and metallic mesh patio tables. Now it has wood furnishing all over with heat lamps keeping customers warm due to the main seating area being outdoors, and outside is where you want to be. Add some Korean Euro-trash techno music, soju, and some red faced Korean lightweights yapping in the background…and you have the perfect Budaechigae atmosphere.

However, things has changed at Toe Bang a little bit too much. Instead of being able to cook the Budaechigae at your own table with your own little gas powered hot pot, they cook it before hand and just serve it to you…and that just kills the fun.

So now, I just cook it at home and with my friends….but it certainly isn’t the same as going out and having it in Korea-town where people still smoke inside pubs.

My Budaechigae version

• 2-3 cans of Swanson’s chicken stock
• half an onion sliced up
• some sliced up spam
• some hotdogs sliced up
• some burger patties rolled up into tiny balls the size of your thumb
• green onions sliced up
• bean sprouts
• Sliced rice cakes
• Korean Red Chili Paste
• Chrysanthemum leaves which is a must. They come in bundles.
• A portable Hot Pot, electric or gas powered. The bigger, the better.
• Nong Shim Neoguri Udon - Ramen with some thick ass noodles.
• and Soju!

It’s not really rocket science as to how you bring it all together. There’s no set amount of ingredients because after all, it’s a military stew. You just start heating up the hot pot, pour in some chicken stock and add the sliced onions. When it starts getting hot, take 2 spoonfuls of red chili paste and stir it into the pot until it’s thick with red. Then after it starts to boil, that’s when you add the mystery meats, green onions, Chrysanthemum leaves, and ramen noodles. Serve it with rice, kimchee, and shot glasses…and you’re set to go.

Probably the best part of making it yourself at home is that if the broth starts getting shallow, just pour some more into it and add the necessary ingredients to even things out.

And if you can, eat it outdoors in the evening with some tikki heat torches to keep you warm.

…instant naeng myun. You just can’t go wrong with any brand you pick that has it’s own packaged broth and can be found in the fridge section. It’s just about finding the right soup that fits your palette and making sure that the noodles don’t get overcooked so it loses it’s elasticity.

I don’t know why I love this national dish so much but it certainly is cold, savory, and refreshing. My mom tells me that her own mother would eat this chilled soupy noodles during winter in Korea. Maybe I got it from my grandmother…since I don’t care what the weather is like and will eat it if I know it’s good at the place I’m eating at.

The brand below is the one of the products I prefer. The package only has 2 servings and it’s pretty expensive for something instant, but I think it’s worth it. There’s another brand that has a bluer packaging, but I don’t know what it’s called….but it is tastier and harder to find. Each serving does pack a lot of calories and even though it feels healthy eating it, don’t be a fool like me and think everyday is a good thing.

mykoreankitchen for more info

Just think of all the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon combinations they can come up with now. Sangyupsal, korean bbq meat lovers, Bosam.LT salad, curry, and banchan pizzas….I’m sure they won’t do stuff like that but it would be kind of funny if they did.

Oddly enough, Koreans order a pizza from Dominos with onions, bacon, mushrooms, corn, pepperoni, extra cheese and …..mayonnaise? Sounds like something the movie Pulp Fiction could make fun of. And the most popular pizza is the “potato pizza?” But I have to admit, even though Dominos is rather disgusting pizza in the USA…the Korean Thai Pizza looks mighty good.

image source - hankooki

cause work today is slow and all I can think about is my…

SANGYUPSAL RITUAL…

image credit

the Process:

1 grilled chunk of pork belly

1 grilled nappa kimchee leaflet

1 dap of denjang/redchili/garlic paste

1 slice of RAW garlic

all neatly stacked on top of each other…

engulf it in one bite…

and chase it down with chamisul….not old enough to drink? well, kind of sucks to be you because then you can’t enjoy the full experience of this ritual. Can’t stand soju?….still sucks to be you.

There’s nothing more Korean, when you’re not really old school to begin with, than sitting around a grill amongst friends making each other take shots and enjoying luxuries that should blow your heart out. Budaechige and haemultang are also both great dishes to enjoy as you share kooties with your friends by dipping your spoons into the same pot. mmm…Budaechigae with rice cakes, burger patties, what they advertise as sausages, and ramen noodles swimming in a red hot herby Korean broth.

And if you’re ever in LA Koreatown and you want some good dalk dong jip (deep friend chicken ass…mmmm)….Dan Sung Sah on the Corner of 6th and Berendo…is the best place I go to since it’s the only place I go to, but regardless, it has the best dalk dong jip. It’s fried hard with generous chunks of garlic along side with it…which makes it extra garlicy. It also comes with a side of green onion salad that’s refreshing…..and all for just 10 bucks. I took my latin friend there last week and we ended up eating 2 plates and I think a third….after a 3rd bottle of soju. I don’t really remember though…….since he drove me home. Oh yeah…their dukbokgi, daeji galbee, and makkoli are also worth the trip. mmmmm…..korean pub food.

So, after finally finding someone to try “it” with me….I went to Man San, which is on 2851 W.Olympic in Koreatown. It is an old school Korean restaurant where the waitresses are encouraging by saying things like “it gives you stamina” and “good for strength,” as you make an order. But the only reason to even go there is to have fresh seafood, so forget the bbq, shrimp tempura, or anything else that’s been dead for more than a hour…and dive into something worth 25 bucks a sacrifice.

We basically had some Sannakji…which is…

The flavor was very neutral and without a hint fishiness. It actually tasted like fatty tuna to me, if you would believe it. I don’t think it was as stimulating as some people led me to believe, but it was rather bizarre to see the chopped up arms play dead..and then all of sudden pulsate when you poke at it. It did taste good with the soy sauce and wasabi, and soju…of course.

The arms are actually hard to pluck off the plate at times because the surface is easier for the suction cups to hold onto, but that’s why it’s a good dish to kill time with. Time kind of flies when you’re fishing for arms and sipping on alcohol, talking to a fellow food adverturess.

I just wish we had more dipping sauces to play with.