[Article] Korean tradition foods rising by Bae Yong Joon.

[Article] Korean tradition foods rising by Bae Yong Joon.

Roytavan : Writer
Original : http://twssg.blogspot.com/


"Korean food has such huge growth potential in overseas markets, as huge as the variety of cooking methods used for it," said Kim Mi-hoe, manager of Gosire Korean restaurant.

Owned and run by Bae Yong-joon, who is affectionately called "Yonsama" by Japanese fans, the restaurant located in Tokyo's Shirogane area is said to be a "must see" among Japanese celebrities.

Its VIP room "Sarangchae" is fully booked for many months to come and the price of its luxury Korean courses are from 20,000 yen to 30,000 yen (up to 50,000 yen for special orders).

"It is pretty expensive, but considering the quality of food and service, I think the price is reasonable," Kazuko Yamamoto, a 56-year-old regular customer of the restaurant, said. "I first came here as a fan of Yonsama, but these days I come here to enjoy authentic Korean-style dishes more than anything else. My only complaint about Korean food is that it is much harder to see smiles on the faces of employees at Korean restaurants than other ethnic restaurants in Tokyo."

First lady Kim Yoon-ok talks with Hallyu Star Bae Yong-joon at Blue House.

Last year,First Lady Kim Yoon-ok invited actor Bae Yong-joon, Korea's major heartthrob to the presidential residence Cheong Wa Dae to exchange opinions on the promotion of Korean food. After he attended the launching ceremony for the government's steering committee for the globalization of Hansik (Korean traditional food) last May. The First Lady was named as the honorary chairwoman of the committee.

“I was a homemaker for 38 years, so although I may not know much about complex, traditional food I'm well acquainted with regular meals,” she said. “I'm interested in how to promote these dishes abroad.”

“Deciding on which foods to promote is very important,” Kim said as she retold her episodes on serving Korean dishes to leaders from overseas. “The guests all liked sinseollo (hot pot with vegetables and meat). The president of Bulgaria, for one, had sinseollo with rice and kimchi, too. I heard that U.S. President Obama had japchae (stir-fried glass noodles) and bulgogi (marinated beef) when he was in Hawaii and I'm thinking hard about what to serve him.” Kim expounded more on her ideas about Hansik, such as developing a set menu, since most people take side dishes for granted.

Meanwhile, Bae Yong-joon recalled an article relating an encounter between Kim and Hatoyama. “I read that when Ms. Hatoyama came to Korea, she asked for a bowl of rice after trying some kimchi – in Korean,” he said, complimenting the First Lady on her efforts to promote Korean food and culture.

Bae also told her about his Korean restaurant “Goshirae” operating in Tokyo, Japan. “Although I wanted to introduce young Korean chefs there, the existing law limits the visa issuance to only those with at least 10 years of experience,” Bae said. “Those young and with quick sense can prepare many stylish dishes, yet it is so hard to invite them overseas.” On hearing this, the First Lady promised to seek ways to improve the regulations.

Bibimbap, above, was one of the six main dishes served
to South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and U.S. President Barack Obama
at their summit 20th November 2009.

From the topic of their conversation was food, specifically, the globalization of hansik (traditional Korean cuisine). It was a natural conversation for both figures, who are avid promoters of Korean culture. It was also the perfect opportunity for Kim to solicit Bae’s advice on which dishes should be served for U.S. President Barack Obama’s luncheon with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak in Seoul.Food can be used as a form of diplomacy, and officials say they used the recent summit as an opportunity to promote Korean food.

The dishes that were eventually selected for the first and only luncheon Obama attended during his less than 24-hour stay in Seoul must have been a hit with the U.S. president, because he was heard to have said throughout the meal that it was “delicious.”

The menu for the full-course traditional Korean meal served to the 20 South Korean and U.S. officials who attended the luncheon that day was extravagant and presented in the Korean tradition.

US.President Barack Obama shows off his tae kwon do skills as President Lee Myung-Bak
looks approving at Blue House on 20th November 2009

The main courses were: fresh seafood and ginseng served in mustard sauce; sinseollo (a hot pot with seafood and vegetables); bulgogi (marinated beef) made with hanwoo (Korean beef from Andong, North Gyeongsang); barbecued beef made with U.S. beef; bibimbap (mixed rice and vegetables) and bukeo dubu tang (dried pollack and tofu soup).

These were accompanied by six side dishes: kimchi, mulkimchi (water kimchi); spinach; tangpyungchae (seasoned herb with mung bean starch jelly); beef jangjorim (beef brisket marinated and pickled in sweet soy sauce and ginger); and fried kelp.

Dessert included pears, soft persimmons, peanut ice cream and green tea from Boseong, South Jeolla. Foreign Ministry and Blue House officials participated in creating the menu, and the final selections were made by President Lee and First Lady Kim.

Of the dishes served, Obama seemed especially fond of the assorted spinach and the peanut ice cream, Chun Duk-sang, head chef at Mugunghwa, the Lotte Hotel’s Korean restaurant, said. Chun is one of the chefs from the hotel’s culinary team that created the final menu under the direction of Lee Byung-woo, the hotel’s executive chef.

Chun Duk-sang, Head Chef Mugunghwa, Lotte Hotel
‘Preparing for the recent summit was one of our most important events ever.’

“It was a relatively short lunch, but the tastes will linger for a long time,” the chef said, recalling last week’s lunch, for which he and the culinary team started work at 4 in the morning.

Chun and his team began by going to Noryangjin Fish Market, Korea’s largest fisheries wholesale market, located in Seoul, to select fresh seafood such as lobster and scallops, which sources said were foods Obama likes. Then the team packed up the cooking utensils and other ingredients and put them in the 10-ton truck that eventually took them to the Blue House.

“We often prepare banquets for important events or summits like the recent one,” the chef said. “There is only a refrigerator and a gas range at the Blue House, so we have to take the rest, including knives and napkins, to the Blue House with us.”

The culinary team usually brings its own china and serving dishes as well, but the Blue House decided to use its own traditional dishes.

“Preparing for the recent summit was one of our most important events ever,” Chun said, noting that they only used the best ingredients.

“At most summits, it is rare for leaders to ask for a second serving of a particular dish, but this time they asked for more bulgogi,” the chef said. “It was so popular that we almost ran out of it.”
Fortunately, the team had prepared double the amount necessary, just in case. The chef also said he used mild vegetables to make the bibimbap, such as gosari (fern brake), while avoiding vegetables with a strong flavor. Sinseollo, which according to the chef was one of the dishes the first lady had selected that morning, was also popular among the assembled guests.

At first, the team hadn’t considered serving the dish but the weather was chilly that morning and the first lady said it would be better to serve the guests something warm. They had considered serving japchae, but there was a risk that the noodles would turn cold during the meal. Lest Michelle Obama feel left out, First Lady Kim sent her counterpart a cookbook titled “A Book of Korean Recipes” compiled by the Institute of Traditional Korean Food.

Source : korea.net , joongangdaily.joins51 , asianewsnet.net