ZenKimchi Korean Food Journal

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Articles: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

?Keep the Ssangyong, Pass the Ssamjang?
2008-02-09 15:29:00
Korea blogger Fencerider has some choice words about how Korean cuisine can compete in the world: Open up a National Culinary Institute and make the faculty come from some of the best known restaurants from all over Korea. Have the courses all taught in English (yes, I see the problem here but keep reading anyway) Bring over ...
More About: Pass , Ssangyong

BBQ?s Chicken Nuggets and Cola in the Same Cup
2008-02-06 03:08:00
Serious Eats has just profiled BBQ’s “technology” of serving beverage and chicken in the same container.  I’ve seen these around for a while. I also just found out, belatedly, that BBQ has finally branched out into the American market (Ed Levine reviews).  That is some seriously good chicken, and I wish I had opened a franchise ...
More About: Chicken , Cola , Junk

The Panic Over Kimuchi
2008-02-06 02:20:00
This started out as a blip, but I have seen more and more articles popping up like it’s a big scandal.  The Chosun Ilbo reported recently that a Japanese chain restaurant named Gyu-Kaku is passing off Korean dishes such as Bibimbap, Galbi and Kimchi as Japanese food with Japanese names (Bibimba, Karubi and Kimuchi). A over ...
More About: Panic

SEOUL Magazine: 8 Ways to Get Your Seafood Fix
2008-02-04 02:48:00
My latest article for SEOUL Magazine has been released.  If you can’t get a hard copy, which I find as convenient resources when making a foray into town, a PDF of the magazine is available. -- ZKFJ
More About: Seafood , Seoul

?I Think Kimchi is on the Verge of Becoming the Next Salsa?
2008-01-31 00:31:00
The San Francisco Chronicle has an article about kimchi catching on in the States. -- ZKFJ
More About: Kimchi , Salsa

Annalog?s Korean Food Videos
2008-01-30 01:44:00
Blogger Annalog has been posting food videos of her experiences in Korea.  I’d repost them here, but she uses jumpcut, and I haven’t figured how to repost them yet. French Food in Jeongja Chinese Noodles in Chungmuro -- ZKFJ
More About: Video , Videos , Korean , Korean food

New KH Article: Mardi Gras in Korea
2008-01-29 04:56:00
My new article for The Korea Herald about how to have your own little Mardi Gras celebration in Korea has been published. [Double posted on the ZK Front Page] -- ZKFJ
More About: Article

The First Korean Fast Food Chain in America
2008-01-28 01:31:00
Asian Week reports that Sorabol, a family-owned Korean fast food chain, currently has 15 stores in California, Nevada and the Philippines while looking into opening locations in Seattle, New York City and Washington, D.C.  As of now, they’re concentrating on the food court market, dominated by Sbarro and Panda Express.  The difference is that they’re not America nizing their food.  According to them, they serve authentic Korean BBQ, noodles and soups, including Yukejang 육게장.  And if their stores typically look like the ones on the web site, they look kick ass. I’d say it’s a welcome healthier alternative to the usual food court findings and proof that you don’t have to drench everything in grease to make it fast food. NOTE: They have a little section on their web site where you can tell them your location if there is not a Sorabol restaurant in your area.  Don’t know how seriously they’d take it, but I’m sure some good respon...
More About: Food , Fast Food , Fast

NYT Does Korean in Manhattan
2008-01-25 01:21:00
Seth Kugel of The New York Times tells New Yorkers where they can get their Korean fixes on the island.  I read a lot of articles about Korean food, and it’s funny how the writers have to introduce Korean dishes to the public.  Seth shares my exhaustion: It is here that many New Yorkers and visitors ...
More About: Out There , Manhattan

Hite Stout in Pitcher Form
2008-01-24 04:16:00
I had heard a fabled legend that years ago Hite Stout, what many Korean beer haters consider the only drinkable Korean beer (even though it is hardly a stout), was briefly in the big-ass pitcher bottle.  It was discontinued because the Korean market hadn’t developed a taste for a beer with taste. I guess the market’s ...
More About: Drink , Form , Pitcher

Deep Fried Beer
2008-01-19 12:38:00
Yep, I did it. I kept warning people I’d do it. Did it. As soon as you say this is ridiculous, let me point out that Yahoo! recently featured a deep-fried burger made of bacon meat. The whole “let’s see what we can deep fry trend” officially hit surreality when the Texas State Fair had ...
More About: Beer , Deep , Fried

Sesame Leaf Pesto
2008-01-19 05:43:00
  Here is the original article I turned in to The Korea Herald without the editors’ touches: Living in a culture that?s not your own is exciting and alienating.  My philosophy has always been to experience a culture as authentically as I can.  It is hard to respect anyone who travels across the world and only eats ...
More About: Fusion , Sesame , Leaf , Pesto

First ZenKimchi Dining Article Published in Korea Herald
2008-01-15 16:03:00
Quick!  Before it’s gone! My first little piece (Sesame Leaf Pesto), under my real name, Joe McPherson, in The Korea Herald is up.  It’ll only be online for a little while, so you might as well get a hardcopy.  While you’re at it, you should also read the pieces by The Marmot (Robert Koehler on the ...
More About: Article , Published , Dining

Big Hominid Does Brasilia
2008-01-15 02:21:00
(Photo from Big Hominid’s Hairy Chasms) Der Gross Hominid recently tried Brasilia’s (obviously a Brazilian restaurant) 25,000 won all-you-can-eat beef.  He had six steaks but says he’s not a steak man.  Yet we all know Big Hominid is a man who likes the beef, right? -- ZKFJ
More About: Restaurant

Potato Octopus
2008-01-14 01:11:00
I feel a new Korean dish coming. [original article] -- ZKFJ
More About: Potato , Octopus

Microwavable Bibimbap
2008-01-13 02:48:00
Okay, here are some Frankenfoods for you . I came across this microwavable Jeonju Bibimbap at E-Mart.  It’s not just bibimbap.  It’s Jeonju Bibimbap, which is supposed to be the best.  Number one. Opening the box revealed (clockwise from top left) Bibimbap Sauce, Sesame Oil, a container of Rice, a package of vegetables and a small ...

Epicourageous Featured in Serious Eats
2008-01-11 00:53:00
Daniel’s notorious pic of the spaghetti in a waffle cone recently got the attention of mega-food site Serious Eats. -- ZKFJ
More About: Featured

We Can All Rest Easy Now
2008-01-10 15:04:00
The two-year trade dispute between China and South Korea over Chinese-made kimchi has been resolved.  Supposedly the inspections in China to prevent parasitic eggs in their kimchi has been brought up to Korean standards. Someone please correct me here.  Aren’t the kimchi factories in China mostly owned by Koreans? -- ZKFJ
More About: News , Rest , Easy

Naengi - A Mysterious Winter Herb
2008-01-10 03:36:00
I’ve tasted a new flavor this winter.  Eun Jeong was making dinner and asked me to go to the store to get some naengi ??.  I’d never heard of it before nor noticed it at the store. “It only comes in winter,” Eun Jeong said, “It’s on the fields after all the vegetables are gone.” I went ...
More About: Winter , Ingredients , Mysterious , Herb

LA Times Does Bibimbap
2008-01-09 15:12:00
A short little piece about bibimbap written by Serena Kim in The Los Angeles Times has popped up today. -- ZKFJ

NPR Nods to the Korean Food Trend
2008-01-08 15:09:00
Articles and articles have been passing through my mailbox highlighting Korean food in their lists of 2008 food trends.  Yet I had to specifically point out that National Public Radio has also mentioned it. -- ZKFJ
More About: Food , Trend , Korean food

How to Make Korean Pizza
2008-01-08 02:29:00
Karl from Seoul Survivors shows us how to make a classic authentic Korean pizza. What’s funny is the You Tube comments taking this video seriously. -- ZKFJ
More About: Video , Pizza , Make

KMK Doesn?t Like On the Border
2008-01-08 02:25:00
It’s not really an in-depth review from our friend Phoenix Storm at Kiss My Kimchi, but it’s an impression I expected.  A lot of folks have been getting excited about the “Mexican” restaurant On the Border opening in Korea.  On a positive note, it may be a hopeful trend of Mexican-inspired cuisine actually sticking in ...
More About: Restaurant , On The Border

Weblog Awards
2008-01-03 14:01:00
This is a public service announcement, um, announcing, that the Weblog Awards have opened nominations. Hmm, I wonder who could qualify for “Best Asian Weblog.” -- ZKFJ
More About: Weblog Awards

Avocado Sighting!
2008-01-03 10:58:00
I was picking up some dalk galbi and other things at E-Mart when I spied avocados in the fruit section–and not 10,000 a piece, either!  I got me a pack of three for under 4,000 won. Has anyone else seen avocados this cheap in Korea (Costco and PX don’t count). -- ZKFJ

Christmas Cakes Abound
2007-12-24 15:58:00
As the Feetman Seoul states, Christmas is a romantic holiday in Korea and Japan. The music you hear everywhere is not Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas.” It’s more likely “Last Christmas (I Gave You My Heart)” and other post-1980 Christmas pop songs that have love themes to them. I remember hearing that KFC had successfully promoted ...
More About: Cakes

The Dick Stick
2007-12-24 06:04:00
This amusing Engrish is brought you by the good folks at Epicourageous. -- ZKFJ
More About: Dick , Stick , Tick

Upgrading
2007-12-22 03:57:00
Hold on, please… -- ZKFJ

Bourdain and Ripert in the Kitchen?
2007-12-21 02:08:00
Claudia at Profumo Profondo was lucky enough to go to Les Halles in New York, where Tony Bourdain was back at his old sautee station with none other than Eric Ripert manning the grill for an episode of “No Reservations.” They cooked for a whole service–not just for the cameras. She has the pics to ...
More About: Kitchen , Pert

A Short History of Western Food in Korea
2007-12-20 12:36:00
Prof. Andrei Lankov of Kookmin University in Seoul has published in The Korea Times a small rundown of western food’s slow acceptance in Korea. -- ZKFJ
More About: Food , History , Western , Short