The most popular ZenKimchi picture on Flickr this year
For the past few years the soothsayers have predicted Korean food’s popularity, and now it is starting to come true. It hasn’t hit the world in the way the big promoters intended, but it’s happening. People are eating kimchi because they’ve developed a taste for it–not purely for its supposed health properties. Makkoli hasn’t hit it big outside of Japan, but soju is picking up, along with the dark horse bokbunja. More “big” Korean restaurants are popping up, and young chefs are modernizing the cuisine for the fine and casual dining public. And let’s not forget that Korean tacos led the way to this year’s biggest movement–gourmet food trucks.
At ZenKimchi, we’ve been following the trends, keeping up with print articles as well as web sites and even Twitter buzz. There has been a significant pick up this year. Let’s break it down, along with what’s happened in a very good year for Team ZenKimchi.
January
- Our New York based editor shinshine starts the year off strongly with Crispy Bibimbap and Carrot Cake in a Rice Cooker, the first in many innovative updated Korean dishes
- Kogi Taco’s Roy Choi is featured in The Wall Street Journal
- Maangchi is on Korea’s KBS
- The Washington Post writes about kimchi
- Some Korean foods make Saveur’s annual 100 List
- The “experts” tell us what foreigners’ favorite Korean dishes are
- We finally get our hands in the flour to experiment with Korean fried chicken (one of our most popular posts this year)
February
- First full moon–you need some Energy Ddeok
- Speaking of which, how about Tammy’s Twelve Days of Tteokbokki?
- A few of us are in the JoongAng Daily
- Trouble with Seoul’s Filipino market
- Taco Bell starts construction in Itaewon
- Government officials harass street vendors in California
- I’m on KBS World Radio with Matt Kelley
- The government decides makkoli is a trend, funds makkoli producers–and feels it’s important to come up with an official glass?
- Nasty convenience store sausages double as iPhone styli
- The only Korean challenger on the original Iron Chef opens a restaurant in California
- All ZenKimchi websites become smartphone capable
March
- Black Pork Samgyeopsal wins Korean Food March Madness 2010
- I do a TEDx Seoul talk on Korean food globalization and a KOTESOL lecture on cooking foreign foods in Korea on back-to-back days (video of TED talk)
- A very unfunny internet “comedy” site starts a small series of predictably unfunny Korean dog-as-food jokes
- Pernod Ricard announces they’ll produce a Park Ji Sung whiskey
- Government is embarrassed that most makkoli is made from imported rice–demands country of origin labeling
- SF Weekly reports on kimchi and Korean ingredients being incorporated into American junk food
- The Korean Cuisine (Hansik) Foundation is founded
- South Korea’s mad cow risk rating gets improved
- A big consulting firm reports that Americans’ tastes for Korean food are in line with what ZenKimchi has been saying for years
- Maangchi makes Saveur’s nominations for blog awards
April
- Dr. Chef
- Soju makes a good household cleaner
- The Korean new love for north Indian cuisine reaches the supermarkets
- Fatman Seoul returns–again
- Recipe: Yuja Chicken
- The Red & White Burger–one of Lotteria’s many abominations
- Food bloggers in the Weekly Chosun (translation here)
- Riesling and pajeon
May
- DRUNKEN RICE!!!
- PETA vs. San Nakji (the favorite post of some of our stranger visitors)
- Kimchi Warrior, the most highly self-promotional web cartoon (don’t follow it on Twitter)
- Greg Boone’s Globalizing Korea: A rhetoric of food
- Some events delayed because of the sinking of the Cheonan
- Bi-bi-go opens, which prompts this popular guest post
June
- Featured on SBS
- And… no more Drunken Rice
- Homebrew Korea’s 1st SMaSH-off
- Antonio’s does some high end martinis
- Annie Chun’s products spread through the U.S.
- News that Jamba Juice is coming to Korea
- The Park Hyatt’s World Cup Bento Boxes
- 10 Ways to Survive a Korean Summer
- I get to check out the British embassy pub
- Recipe: Saeng Cream Cake
- That disappointing chicken festival
- Where to eat bibimbap in Jeonju
- Insa-dong HoDdeok
- Japchae Bread starts spreading on the streets of Seoul
- The Worst Korean Restaurants are the Expensive Ones
- Recipe: Create-your-own Bibim Guksu
- Debbie Lee starts her own food truck, called Ahn-Joo
July
- Pubs popular in Pyongyang
- KoreaTaste.org premieres, part of a string of government “we can do it better” efforts
- Taco Bell opens
- Poll: Readers don’t like Jongno’s standardized food carts
- Mama O’s Premium Kimchi
- Suji’s really sells that corned beef and pastrami
- Was Mochi Ice Cream a bit of a trend this year?
- Shin’s Versatile Chicken – Korean Way series
- A small dog meat article and another light bulb to attract the net mosquitoes
- Tammy does two versions of Korean tacos
- We do a public service in charting the Korean pig
August
- L.A.’s 2nd Annual Korean BBQ Cook-off
- Interview with Chef Eddie Huang
- Korean-Uzbek cuisine in New York Cafe at Your Mother-in-law–recently on the NYT list of Best Inexpensive Restaurants
- ZenKimchi becomes available on the Kindle
- New York’s Central Park has a Korea Day
- Chef Paul Schenk has a cool looking TV show on Arirang
- I’m in Harper’s Bazaar
- Interview with award-winning cookbook writer “Stir-fry Grace” Young
- Making tofu and soy milk at home
- Interview: Joe DiStefano of World’s Fare
- Zenkimchi on Arirang’s “Today’s Blog”
- Interview: Chef Akira Back
- The Wall Street Journal starts its love affair with the food in Seoul
- Japan beats Korea in trademarking a Korean traditional product
- Kimchi ice cream exists
- The first lady flew chefs to Wisconsin to cook Korean food for Korean LPGA participants
- David Liebovitz falls for Kyochon Chicken
- Steamy Kitchen makes a Beef Rice Bowl — “rice bowl” is becoming the pseudonym of bibimbap
September
- Interview: Chef Youngsun Lee, who later opens a food truck in New York
- ZenKimchi in New York — with the Buddhist Temple Cuisine event there
- Korean cuisine at the Eat Real Festival in San Fran
- Chef David Chang in Vogue
- Interview: Delilah Snell of Project Small
- ZenKimchi in Travel + Leisure
- Korean Cuisine can Own the Food World
- The 1st Asian Feastival in Queens
- Hite d “Dry Finish” beer comes out–some love it, most hate it
- Shin’s Chuseok post
- The New York Times does Korean charcoal saunas
- Korean BBQ Cheesesteak!!
- Smashburger announces its plan to come to Korea in 2011
- Del Seoul Korean fast food in Chicago
October
- The cabbage shortage that almost was
- Another rant on Korean restaurant service
- Ch’ilantro food truck in Austin
- Cupcakes continue in Seoul. I hope the coming pie trend comes here from America.
- Deli meats really start becoming a trend in Seoul
- Poll: Defying what the “experts” say, readers prefer more side dishes
- Miele Guide announces this year’s top 5 restaurants in Korea
- The government announces its plan to open a restaurant in New York, part of a string of government “we can do it better” efforts
- Busan’s “International” Food Expo
- In preparation for the G20 summit, Korean hotels start liking Korean food again
- Korean pears make a push in the U.S.
November
- Lots of beer stuff happened this year that didn’t involve Hite, Cass or OB
- The Quarter Pounder comes to Korea, officially making it a 1st world nation. Michael Hurt smiles.
- Poll: Almond wins as readers’ favorite Pepero flavor
- Eat Your Kimchi does a great video of Busan’s Jagalchi Fish Market
- Matt Kelley writes about buckwheat dishes for Wallpaper*
- Recipe: Biji Cookies
- I place 2nd in the CJ Gochujang Cooking Competition and right after that…
- Jian is born!
- Recipe: Bulgogi Quesadillas with Smoky Gochujang Aioli and Korean Pear Salsa
- A few of us are on the popular Korean TV show Running Man
December
- The big PBS documentary series on Korean food, “Kimchi Chronicles,” wraps up shooting
- ZenKimchi’s in WSJ Asia’s article on foods foodies can’t live without
- Plate Magazine starts is writing on Korean food in preparation for its big Korean food edition coming out soon
- A Korean restaurant chain wants to sell bulgogi tacos back to Americans
- A Korean embassy worker in China writes a book on globalizing Korean food
- Poll: Readers would eat a Christmas meal at home
- Recipe: Black Sesame Chestnut Scones
- North Dakota may be Korea’s new big source for beef
- Making kimchi with Californian ingredients
- We’re on KBS
- We’re on TVN
Memorable Meals and Drinks (in general)
THE BEST
- 11 Madison Park (New York)
- Foie gras cookie
- Smoked trout custard
- Duke’s Martini
- The soft pork belly with a crispy roof of skin
- Best service ANYWHERE
- Wishing the Koreans at the next table a happy Chuseok in Korean
- Namu (W Hotel)
- Omakase sushi and that look on EJ’s mouth when she understood why we love food so much
- Mystery Italian restaurant (New York)
- The cheese plate with the illegal cheeses–my tongue still tingles, Elaine!
The Rest
- O Kitchen 2
- Seafood appetizer of avant garde sashimi
- Baru
- Sweet and Sour Mushrooms
- Berlin
- The sauce that comes with the samosas
- Burger B
- Limited edition blue cheese burger
- Chin Chin
- World Cup makkoli
- Churassco
- The caipirinhas
- Club Espresso
- The Holy Grill
- Meatloaf
- Breakfast burrito
- Jina and Franco Trattoria
- Bolognese sauce
- Saffron
- Amazing olive oil
- The Spice
- Stellar service
In New York
- 10 Downing
- Roasted bone marrow
- Bleecker St. Pizza
- PDT
- That bacon infused whiskey cocktail
- Gray’s Papaya
- I need that hot dog again
- L’Ecole
- By-the-book classic French and so satisfying
- M. Wells Diner
- Pickled pork tongue with mustard
- Cuban sandwich
- ma peche
- Duck terrine banh mi
- Ploy Thai
- Intensely flavored–that dish that’s posted on their wall
- The Pony Bar
- Superfriends beer–so much hops it was like drinking a Christmas tree
- Elaine’s observation: “Good looking people don’t really go to beer bars, do they?”
- Ray’s Pizza next to Katz’s Deli
- My savior on a drunken walk home
And elsewhere
- Bob Gibson’s Bar-B-Q
- Chicken
- Pulled pork sandwich
- Dot’s Soul Food Diner]
- Pinto beans
- Macaroni n Cheese
- Fried green tomatoes
- Waffle House
- Ate there twice–Chicken melt plate; hashbrowns scattered, smothered, covered, topped and peppered; waffle
Deceased Restaurants
Smith 先生