Tag Archive: Korean Food

Korean Ingredient Finds in Brisbane

March 29, 2007 Category: Kitchen Talk
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I did some Korean ingredient hunting yesterday in the Sunnybank area, where lots of Asian immigrants live. It is not where I live nor close to where I live. I like to get ingredients there because I used to live close to Sunnybank in the past. I used to shop there most of the time and there are lots of free car parks available compared to the Valley area.

I only visited two Korean grocery shops, one is called Kim’s market and the other one is called Kimchi store.

Kim’s market is fairly big and well organized with a larger variety of Korean ingredients than Kimchi store. However some items such as Gochujang, Kimchi etc in Kimchi store are slightly cheaper than Kim’s market.

Here are some good things and some bad things I found about getting Korean ingredients:

Korean Ingredients Finds in Brisbane 2

Yay~!

  • I found some fresh rice cakes, with which I can make yummy ddeokbokki. I believe fresh rice cakes make 10 times better ddeokbokki. Also even better! They are cheaper than in Korea.

Yay? or Nay?

  • My Korean grocery shopping time is very shortened. I don’t need to hesitate anymore to choose a product. They only have one brand per item. If they have two, then I am lucky.
  • Enoki mushrooms, Shiitake mushrooms, King oyster mushrooms are available but those are 4 to 9 times more expensive than Korea, depending on the species. Should I just be happy about that? At least I know that if I really want them I can get them.

Nay~!

  • Both shops sell fish cakes and crab sticks but they were frozen. I’ve never bought frozen fish cakes nor crab sticks in Korea. Have you ever bought frozen crab sticks or fish cakes? I don’t think they are supposed to be frozen. What do you think? Whether they were frozen or not, there were no traces of expiry dates on either item. So I decided to not to buy them unless they show me the expiry date.
  • I haven’t seen any perilla leaves (aka sesame leaves) yet. However Kimchi store even had a label “Precious perilla leaves available” in the fridge, but there weren’t any actual product in it. I asked a lady at Kim’s market if she sells them and she said it is hard to get nowadays because it is out of season. Whaaat? I got them all year around in Korea! I guess the farmer must grow them in an open field not a green house.

With a big disappointment, I came home and made this Dakgalbi. I didn’t have many ingredients so it was really simple but good enough to make me feel comforted.

Korean Ingredients Finds in Brisbane 1

Address

  • Kim’s market – 158 Station Rd, Sunnybank, QLD 4109, (07) 3345 1400
  • Kimchi store – 6 Zamiz St, Sunnybank, QLD, 4109, (07) 3423 8989

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Korean Buffet at Milky Way

March 25, 2007 Category: Restaurants (In Korea)
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Lunch Buffet at Milky Way10

If you go to Korea for a short visit and you want to taste authentic Korean cuisine without taking any risk, you can try this “Milky Way” restaurant. The restaurant is called “Eunhasu” in Korean (which means milky way) and I think it is the best place to taste a collection of authentic Korean food. They have over 100 different Korean dishes and of course I didn’t get to try even half of them. Their menus change from time to time as seasons change or if there is a special Korean holiday or something.

The pictures below are what I had. All the food was professionally prepared and cooked. No effort was spared!

Lunch Buffet at Milky Way1

(Japchae, Bulgogi, Shrimp and mushrooms in starch sauce )

Lunch Buffet at Milky Way2

(Mild energy boosting abalone porridge – Jeonbok Juk)

My top pick is by far LA Galbi! Charcoal grilled Galbi cooked at the right temperature for just the right time was marvelous. I reckon that was the best Galbi I have ever had in my life.

Lunch Buffet at Milky Way3

(Tender and mouth melting Galbi, Nutritious glutinous rice in bamboo, and Salmon)

I would love to eat more LA Galbi but I could feel my tummy was getting full. So I moved on to the next dish.

Lunch Buffet at Milky Way4

(Kimbap, Cucumber pickles and Sushi)

Lunch Buffet at Milky Way5

(Korean traditional snacks)

Lunch Buffet at Milky Way6

(Persimmon punch – Sujeonggwa)

I didn’t like the Korean traditional snacks and persimmon punch much, because it was a bit bitter. On the other hand, I thought what they served us might be more authentic and healthier than what I used to buy from the shops.

Lunch Buffet at Milky Way7

(Frozen soft persimmon – A popular dessert since 2005 in Korea)

Lunch Buffet at Milky Way8

(Non Korean menu – Haagen dazs ice cream : Vanila, Chocolate, and Green tea flavour)

Lunch Buffet at Milky Way9

  • Location :Second floor of Sejong Hotel (four star)
  • Address : 61-3, Choongmuro 2 ga, Chungu, Seoul
  • How to get there : Subway line 4, Myongdong station Exit No. 10
  • Open : Lunch – 12:00~14:30 , Dinner – 18:00~21:30
  • Price : Lunch – 37, 000 won (Adult), 21,000 won (Child) /Dinner – 43, 000 won (adult), 23,000 won (Child) (VAT and Service fees are included in the price)
  • Information and reservation : (82) 02-3705-9141
  • Booking is not essential but preferable

Related Posts

Ddeok (Korean Rice Cake) Cafe – Jilsiru

When Soybean Paste Meets Art

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When Soybean Paste Meets Art

March 20, 2007 Category: Restaurants (In Korea)
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When Soybean Paste Meets Art3

After a 5 hour long journey from down south, Gwangyang, we arrived at East Seoul bus terminal. We were barely able to move because our bodies were completely surrounded by heavy suitcases and backpacks. Although my tummy was badly rumbling like a small cannon, we couldn’t really stop for a break until we unloaded our luggage at the hotel first. After 30 minutes on the subway and 20 minutes of direction confused walking, our bodies were finally able to be free from our heavy belongings, and we hunted out for a late lunch.

When Soybean Paste Meets Art8

It was our first time being in Insadong. Everything was intriguing but also confusing. There were a lot of restaurants, but we didn’t know which restaurant to give our trust. While we were wondering around every small street of Insadong, I found a restaurant that was on my visiting list. Hurray! I was so happy that I finally got to eat something after a couple of hours of starvation.

The restaurant is called Toetmarujjip (House with wooden verandah) Doenjang Yesul (soybean paste art). I thought it was a kind of weird name, because I never pictured soybean paste being artistic.

When Soybean Paste Meets Art1

This is the entrance. They have two floors, one in the underground floor and the other one upstairs on the first floor (second floor in Korea). I went to the first floor to get a better light for my photos (Apparently the underground floor is floor seating and the opstairs floor is bench seating).

When Soybean Paste Meets Art7

According to my homework, their specialty was soybean paste bibimbap. So without hesitation, I ordered it and this is what they served in less than 5 minutes.

When Soybean Paste Meets Art6

When Soybean Paste Meets Art5

  • Steamed rice with bean and barley in a big bowl
  • Thick soybean paste stew (Gang doenjang) – includes tofu, spicy chili, shallots, and some pieces of meat
  • 4 side dishes (Jangjorim, Stir fried anchovies, Young radish Kimchi, Seasoned sea lettuce)
  • Dried pollack soup
  • Green chilies (not spicy), chopped garlic chives and endives in a basket
  • Soybean paste (dipping sauce for chili)

I added a little bit of garlic chives, endives and thick soybean paste stew in a bowl and mixed them like bibimbap. Thick soybean paste stew itself is quite salty but as a mixing sauce with rice, they compliment each other well. I didn’t think the bibimbap was spicy, though if you feel spiciness you can drink a spoonful of dried pollack soup to dilute the taste.

When Soybean Paste Meets Art4

  • Price for Doenjang Bibimbap (된장비빔밥) : 6000 won (US $8)
  • Location : follow the second picture from the top, Insadong, Seoul
  • Tel : (02) 739-5683
  • Merit : You can enjoy a Korean country style simple meal.
  • Demerit : The bowl of rice wasn’t enough for my hungry tummy. I should have ordered an extra bowl of rice, but I was a bit ashamed to do so. :)

Korean food from Seoul

Ddeok (Korean Rice Cake) Cafe – Jilsiru

Korean Buffet at Milky Way

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Steamed Kimchi Dumplings (Jjin Kimchi Mandu)

February 15, 2007 Category: Side Dishes (Banchan)
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Steamed Kimchi Dumplings (Jjin Kimchi Mandu in Korean)1

It’s been just over 2 months since I made my failed Kimchi mandu (김치만두). Do you remember that post? I learnt a lot of lessons that day. I read my chronicle on How to make “successful” mandu two times thoroughly just before I gave it a second try. My second time trying it turned out really well. I shared the work with my two sisters, so it made it a lot easier but I still spent half of my day on making these.

The main point of making good mandu is

  • Squeezing dry the ingredients completely if it is possible.
  • Spreading enough flour on the board where you roll the dough each time and the dish where you put the mandu, so it is easy to separate.

Steamed Kimchi Dumplings (Jjin Kimchi Mandu in Korean)3

Unfortunately, I got a lot less mandu than last time. I used a similar amount of ingredients but I got half less mandu. I think hand made mandu needs more stuffing than the ones made with a mandu shaper (You need to fill them fairly well to make cute looking mandu for hand made ones, but if you add too much stuffing for mandu shaper ones, it won’t close properly).

Ingredients for 25 dumplings

-Dumpling skinsSteamed Kimchi Dumplings (Jjin Kimchi Mandu in Korean)st1

  • All purpose white flour – 3 cups
  • Warm water – 1 cup

-Dumpling stuffing

  • Kimchi- 1⅔ cups
  • 1/2 an onion
  • Mung bean sprouts – 200 g
  • Tofu – 275 g
  • Minced pork – 130 g
  • 1 egg
  • Minced garlic – 1/2 tsp
  • Salt – 1 tsp
  • Sesame oil – 1 tsp
  • Pepper – 3 sprinkles

Preparation (You can click the picture to see the bigger image)Steamed Kimchi Dumplings (Jjin Kimchi Mandu in Korean)st2

  1. Sieve the flour, add the water, then knead it (my sister kneaded it for nearly 30 minutes).
  2. Finely chop the Kimchi, onion, tofu, and pork.
  3. Par boil the green bean sprouts and chop them finely too.
  4. Squeeze the bean sprouts, tofu, onion, meat, and Kimchi, separately in a straining cloth.
  5. Mix all the squeezed ingredients in a big bowl and season it with the garlic, salt, sesame oil, and pepper.
  6. Add the eggs and mix them well.

My sister worked so hard being a hand model for this recipe, especially squeezing all those ingredients. It is quite hard work if you want to do it properly. Thanks again Hyunji!

StepsSteamed Kimchi Dumplings (Jjin Kimchi Mandu in Korean)st3

  1. Spread some flour onto the board and plate.
  2. Slice a dough piece off.
  3. Roll the dough into round shapes, not too thin not too thick.
  4. Put the rolled pastry on one hand and add filling on top (you need to fill it with an adequate amount of the stuffing to make a good looking mandu).
  5. Seal the pastry then place it on a plate (You can seal it into whatever shape you want, I fold it in half then wrap the ends round to touch each other)
  6. Repeat steps 1 to 5 until you use up all the ingredients.
  7. Put some kind of cloth on a steamer and put the mandu on top.
  8. Steam it for 5-10 minutes.
  9. Serve it on a plate with dipping sauce (a mix of; soy sauce – 1 tbsp, sugar – 1/2 tsp, chili powder 1/4 tsp, a dash of vinegar and a dash of sesame oil).

I also made some mandu soup (만두국) with the rest of the mandu (the ones that I didn’t steam), but steamed mandu tasted better.

Steamed Kimchi Dumplings (Jjin Kimchi Mandu in Korean)2

Related Posts

My Failed Kimchi Dumplings (Kimchi Mandu in Korean) and What I have learnt

Dumpling Pastry Pizza (Mandupy Pizza in Korean)

Rice Cake and Instant Dumpling Soup (Ddeok Mandu Guk in Korean)

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Pork Belly BBQ (Samgyeopsal Gui)

January 24, 2007 Category: Red Meat
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Pork Belly BBQ (Samgyeopsal Gui) 1

I was having spicy seasoned pork the other day for dinner, but strangely I had a huge craving for Samgyeopsal BBQ (삼겹살 구이). What is this? Am I becoming like a hobbit? Do you have a similar experience like this? I was quite satisfied with the meal I was having, but some parts of my stomach obviously weren’t satisfied. So the next day, I bought some Samgyeopsal meat to meet the requirement of my tummy.

This time I just bought 800g of the meat for 4 people (last time I bought 1.4 kg) I wished I had bought more meat, but it is better to eat less than get sick later, right?

There aren’t many things you need to prepare to enjoy Samgyeopsal BBQ and below are what I prepared for our dinner.

What I baked with

You can bake pretty much anything you want. These are pictures of what I baked on the grill with Samgyeopsal. (Green chili, Sliced garlic, Enoki mushrooms, Kimchi)

Pork Belly BBQ (Samgyeopsal Gui) mushrooms

Pork Belly BBQ (Samgyeopsal Gui) kimchi

I personally think they are the must have items to enjoy Samgyeopsal BBQ properly. Especially, golden crispy baked mushrooms taste super ultra best. :)
Some restaurants serve tofu, bean sprouts, or onions to bake as well.

What I wrapped with

Some lettuce, Perilla leaves (known as sesame leaves, ggaennip), Thin sliced pickled white radish

Pork Belly BBQ (Samgyeopsal Gui) lettuces

Pork Belly BBQ (Samgyeopsal Gui) pickled radish

Pork Belly BBQ (Samgyeopsal Gui) wraped with lettuce

Pork Belly BBQ (Samgyeopsal Gui) wraped with radish

I haven’t made pickled white radish myself yet but I am going to make it in the future. In the meantime, it is available at the supermarket in Korea. Hopefully you can find them where you live too. :) Pickled white radish has a slightly sweet and sour taste. So it gives an extra flavour to the wrap when you eat them together.

What else I enjoyed with it

Seasoned garlic chives (부추 무침 – recipe will follow near the end of this post, though it wasn’t as good as I hoped. I need to develop it more), Ssamjang (dipping sauce for lettuce), Cucumber

Pork Belly BBQ (Samgyeopsal Gui) seasoned leek2

Seasoned garlic chives are a small companion for the meat. When you eat the meat, it gives a nice flavour, supposedly sweet and sour taste plus onion fragrance. Most Korean restaurants serve thinly sliced spring onions instead of the garlic chives, but I thought it is easier to deal with the garlic chives than thin slicing spring onions, since I don’t have the proper equipment.

What I did before I start baking

Pork Belly BBQ (Samgyeopsal Gui) rubbing

Pork Belly BBQ (Samgyeopsal Gui) 2

My sister thinks that it is important to spread some oil by rubbing one piece of pork on the grill before you add the rest of the meat. That way the meat doesn’t stick to the plate.

Seasoned Garlic Chives

Pork Belly BBQ (Samgyeopsal Gui) seasoned leek1- Ingredients for 4 servings

  • Garlic chives – one fistful
  • 1/2 a small onion

Sauce (mix these in a bowl)

  • Soy sauce – 1 tsp
  • Refined rice wine – 1 tsp
  • Anchovy sauce – 1/2 tsp
  • Dark brown sugar – 1/2 tsp
  • Chili powder – 1/2 tsp
  • Apple vinegar – 1/2 tsp
  • Sesame oil – 1/2 tsp
  • Minced garlic – 1/4 tsp
  • Parched sesame – 1/4 tsp

-Steps

    1. Rinse the garlic chives in cold water.
    2. Divide them into 3 portions and thin slice the onion.
    3. Put the garlic chives and onion into a big bowl.
    4. Just before you serve it add the sauce and mix them well. If you mix them too earlier the garlic chives go soggy.
    5. Serve it on the plate.

      As I said earlier, seasoned garlic chives wasn’t as good as I hoped. I think I had more garlic chives than the sauce, relatively, so I need to make more sauce next time to give it the proper taste.

      Related Posts

      Pork Belly (Samgyeopsal in Korean) Party

      BBQ Grill Plate

      Garlic Chives and Baked Garlic Salad

      Vegetables Wrapped with Pickled Radish (Mussammari in Korean)

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