Do: Korean barbecue
Korean barbecue is becoming increasingly popular, and we think we know why: it’s similar to gourmetten, and the Dutch love that, right? We actually find the Korean version just a little bit tastier. Think juicy meat, fermented vegetables and bold flavours.
Food to share
You have Korean barbecue indoors. Gather around the table with a grill in the middle that runs on charcoal or gas. In traditional restaurants, the grill is often built into the table, but these days there are also sets that you can simply place on the table. Think of a kind of gourmet set, but without the little pans. Ideal for BBQ lovers who dread the rain.
Meat love
On the grill, you cook juicy meat such as marinated beef (bulgogi), as well as pork belly, ribs, duck or chicken wings. It’s best to use meat with a little fat for this. It caramelises and sizzles deliciously on the BBQ and tastes perfect in combination with the sweet-and-sour side dishes.
Pickles
Alongside the necessary proteins, all kinds of small bowls are placed on the table with vegetable- and tofu-based side dishes (banchan), rice and lettuce. You fill the lettuce leaves with grilled meat and other bites and eat them like a kind of wrap. The vegetables are usually pickled or salted, which gives them their distinctive Korean flavour. The best-known banchan is kimchi, spicy fermented cabbage. Other examples include dishes with pickled cucumber, daikon (white radish), bean sprouts or po choi (Chinese spinach).
Flavour
Koreans love garlic, ginger, sesame oil, red chilli flakes and fish sauce. These ingredients therefore often feature in the marinades, side dishes and sauces on the table. Other well-known flavourings include ganjang (Korean soy sauce), doenjang (fermented soybean paste) and gochujang (spicy fermented chilli paste).
Perfect balance
Balance is at the heart of Korean cuisine. You’ll find this in the flavours of dishes in which sweet, sour, bitter, salty and umami are perfectly balanced. And in the textures: from crunchy and firm to chewy and soft. Banchan sets always consist of an odd number of dishes (3, 5, 7 or 9).
Where to go?
You can have Korean BBQ at home with a small tabletop grill or visit one of these restaurants:
Korean food by Allegaartje
Zwaanshals 277A
3035 KG Rotterdam
Seoul Sista
Hartmanstraat 31
3012 VA Rotterdam
Kahn
Nederhoven 9
1083 AM Amsterdam
Read also:
