In October of last year, my wife, in-laws, and I traveled to South Korea. After the longest plane ride of my life, we arrived in Seoul, eager for our first authentic Korean meal.
Korean cuisine centers around rice, vegetables, seafood, and meats, with its most famous dish being kimchi—a traditional side dish of salted and fermented vegetables, typically napa cabbage or Korean radish. It’s flavored with seasonings like gochugaru (Korean chili powder), garlic, ginger, and salted seafood.
Traditional Korean meals feature a variety of side dishes, known as banchan, such as kimchi, namul (marinated or stir-fried vegetables), Korean-style potato salad, and pickled radish. The number of banchan served can signify the meal’s formality, with the elaborate 12-dish setting reserved for royal cuisine. Every restaurant we visited offered a unique banchan selection, rarely repeating the same variations.
Korean barbecue is a popular cooking method in Korean cuisine, where meats like beef, pork, and seafood are grilled at the table. We enjoyed several meals at Korean BBQ restaurants, trying a variety of meats. My favorite spot was a hidden gem in a Seoul alley, where Korean businessmen drank beer and soju, surrounded by billowing smoke and eating fatty, caramelized meats. My wife and I grilled our own meats over a hardwood charcoal grill right at our table, paired with a few cold beers—a truly unforgettable experience.
After a few days in Seoul, we took a train three hours south to Yeosu, a coastal fishing city between the Yellow Sea and the Gulf of Japan. Known for its beaches and fish markets, Yeosu is a popular summer destination for Koreans. While there, we enjoyed a seafood boil with crab, shrimp, clams, and octopus, but the standout meal was dolsot bibimbap (hot stone pot bibimbap). The term bibim means “to mix,” and bap refers to cooked rice. There are four variations of bibimbap, but we had the most popular: dolsot bibimbap. This dish features leftover kimchi, vegetables, and meats over crunchy rice, topped with a fried egg and mixed with gochujang. What made it even more special was the local gat-kimchi (mustard greens kimchi), a Yeosu specialty.
Returning to Seoul, we reunited with my wife’s aunt, cousin, and second cousins, some of whom she hadn’t seen in 40 years. We celebrated with an incredible Korean BBQ feast, featuring pork jowl, beef short ribs, and more banchan than I’d ever seen at one meal. With two barbecues cooking at the same time, the table was filled with sizzling meats and smoky aromas that made for an unforgettable feast.
This trip was truly unforgettable. To honor the experience, I’ll be offering Korean-inspired cooking classes in 2025. Check our website for details and join me to learn how to make traditional Korean recipes. Below are a couple of recipes to whet your appetite.
~Chef Mike Frank, CEC
Cucumber Kimchi
Ingredients
• 2 English cucumbers, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon hot pepper powder
Preparation
Mix all ingredients and let sit for 30 minutes before serving.
Korean Kalbi Short Ribs with Scallion Salad
Ingredients
• 8 garlic cloves
• 1 medium Asian pear, peeled, cored, and cut into large chunks
• 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
• ½ cup mirin
• ½ cup soy sauce
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup toasted sesame oil
• ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons ssamjang seasoned soybean paste
• 2½ lb. ¼"–½"-thick crosscut boneless beef short ribs
Scallion Salad
• 2 bunches scallions, cut into 3-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon mirin
• 1 teaspoon gochugaru
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• Kosher salt
Preparation
Blitz garlic, Asian pear, and ginger to a smooth purée in a food processor or blender. Transfer purée to a medium bowl. Whisk in mirin, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, black pepper, and ½ cup water until sugar is dissolved.
Arrange short ribs in a resealable plastic bag or baking dish. Pour marinade over and turn ribs to coat. Seal or cover and chill for at least 4 hours and up to 12 hours.
Slice scallion pieces lengthwise into thin strips. Soak in a mesh strainer set inside a large bowl of ice water for 10 minutes to remove some sharp bite and allow time to curl slightly. Drain well and pat dry. Return scallions to the bowl.
Whisk vinegar, mirin, gochugaru, and sugar in a small bowl until sugar is dissolved; season with salt. Add dressing to scallions and toss to coat.
Prepare a grill for medium-high heat. Remove short ribs from marinade and grill about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter and let rest for 5 minutes, then cut meat into bite-size pieces with kitchen shears. Serve with scallion salad on top.
