The first time I knew for sure that I wanted to make a trip through South Korea, was at the airport of the capital Seoul, where we spent hours for a switch from Okinawa home. We took a seat in a restaurant, ordered a noodle soup, I took a bite, was delighted by the loei hot but very tasty taste and knew: I want more of this. A summer later we ate our way through Seoul and again a year later, this year, I spent two intensive periods for a documentary series with the Leiden professor of Korea studies Remco Breuker.
What struck me these last trips is the heart -warming hospitality, the excess of food and the generosity of people reminiscent of Morocco and other Arab countries. I also saw similarities in the rituals and the click I had with people felt just as familiar. I find that moving how, despite thousands of kilometers, you can feel a natural connection with people who look different and speak a different language. Or as Remco said to me: you don’t understand each other, but understand each other.
That mutual understanding also took place on the board; My stomach and senses were regularly so delighted that I just didn’t get saturated. The Korean cuisine is temperamental, with expressive flavors. Tables are always full: if you order one dish, it often comes with a range of side dishes. I regularly think back to it with light melancholy. For a short period of time the country was an important part of my life and now I have to do with the memories.
But luckily more and more Korean restaurants are being added in the Netherlands. Maybe a little too much in a short time – I am always a bit wary of hypes. Chef Yunho Lee opened Bapboss Korean Cuisine Restaurant in Rotterdam in 2017, a small, atmospheric restaurant that attracts a large audience on Saturday evening.
Just right
Of course we order Kimchi, which should not be missing from Korean meal. The very nice waitress points out that there are two types: ‘normal’ kimchi in a small bowl or the fresh, which is a larger portion. We go for fresh, because we are here for the real flavors. And that is very good. The cabbage is crispy, spicy, but not too spicy, so the flavors are nicely balanced, and the emphasis of sesame seeds works well.
Another dish with which Korean cuisine has become famous is the fried chicken. It is not well -baked. The ‘Sweet & Spicy’ comes with a correct amount of sticky sauce (not so much that the chicken swims in, but also not too economical – just right so that every piece of chicken is covered). The chicken is well baked, not greasy, the dough is crispy and a bit chewy.
Also Chewy, or rather a bit tough, is a generous dish for two with Babyoctopus in a rich, spicy Gochujangsaus with crispy cabbage. Gochujang is a chili paste of red peppers and fermented soybeans. Normally I would be inexorable, but in Korea I learned that raw fish, unlike in Japan, is eaten tough. You should chew well. Now I am more a melt-on-tong type, but I have learned to eat, although I still prefer to prefer butter-lavish seafood. Apart from this, it is a fragrant and warming dish that drives back every cold because of the spicy peppers and brings the nose back to life.
One of the dishes I like to ate in Korea was a savory pancake that comes in all kinds of variations; Vegetarian, with seafood. I actually object to call everything a pancake, but ahead, the Korean name is ‘Pajeon’. A busy rainy day we ended in the evening in a restaurant near our hotel where we got such a ‘pancake’. I cannot immediately catch the taste – a beautiful, harmonious combination of savory, spicy and soft – in words, but the feeling that I got from it: that of security.
I don’t get that feeling with the Haemul Pajeon (pancake with seafood) that comes on the table. I find the bottom somewhat greasy and the taste initially pale, but gradually our appreciation grows for it thanks to the fine bite through the seafood. The taste can certainly richer and spicy, especially forest or spring onion would give it a welcome kick, but it can go through.
Bingsu is the popular Schaafijs that comes from Korea. The first time I was in Seoul, I had ordered an extravagant coupe in the restaurant of our hotel with an excess of velvety, honey -sweet mango. It was so expensive that I converted the price several times, because I could not believe that I had to tap 65 euros. But: it was an excellent haircut.
The Bingsu at Bapboss comes in two successful variations: a traditional with sweet red beans, and one with Dalgona candy and espresso, a Korean variant of the Italian Affogato (ice cream with espresso). Dalgona candy has the structure of Brosse honeycomb (such as the crunchie bar from Cadbury) and tastes like the Hague hops.
This is a great evening. My melancholy to Korea is not softened, but it is a good start.