The healthy indulgence – Kimchi

Since the population of Koreans started to increase in the United States back in the 1970 and 80s, the popularity of Korean food also started to rise. Although Korean restaurants in New York are not as high in number as compared to other Asian cuisines, Korean cuisine is becoming part of American culinary culture.

Kimchi - Healthy Korean Dish

Kimchi salad has become the new miso, Korean barbecue is joining the league of hibachi grills and sushi bars and Korean burgers and tacos are a complete new form of American fast food. But the reason why it took time for Korean food to become America’s choice was because they were purists who decided not to adapt dishes to match American palate. It was in the hidden streets of Korea Town that New York’s food industry first tried the enigmatic cuisine. The journey of Korean cuisine in New York started with Kimchi. Just like Pad Thai became the familiar Thai dish for many when Thai cuisine started getting popular in America, Kimchi led the exploration of this wonderful cuisine. An introduction for the American palate to a completely unique cuisine.

The great thing is that Korean restaurants in NYC are coming up at the right time because now New York eater is bolder than ever before. Also with vegetarianism on this rise, veg Korean food has a lot of scope to fit into the healthier lifestyles of the new-age New Yorker. With Kimchi coming in exciting preparations, chefs are finding new ways of slipping in the Kimchi salad into American comfort food.   

Kimchi is a fermented Veg Korean food item generally prepared with cabbage, Korean radish, or sometimes cucumber. It is fermented in a brine of ginger, garlic, scallions, and chili pepper. Kimchi is so essential to Korean households that Koreans make enough Kimchi to last for the entire winter season. They used to use traditional Korean mud pots back in the day. But now there are special Kimchi refrigerators and commercially produced Kimchi easily available. Kimchi has innumerable health benefits and is considered a major reason for keeping South Korea healthy. It is packed with vitamin A, thiamine B1, riboflavin B2, calcium, and iron. But the biggest benefit of a diet that includes Kimchi is found in the bacteria – lactobacilli. This is a common bacteria found in fermented foods that helps with digestion.

Koreans believe that food is like medicine — if you eat well, your mind and body will all stay fit. No wonder, South Koreans consume a whopping 40 pounds a year of this spicy delicacy. It is part of a high-fibre, low-fat diet that has always kept obesity far away from Korea. After reading about the innumerable health benefits of Kimchi, I felt intrigued to try including it in my diet. But to set the right standard of good Kimchi I went to Gammeeok in Korea Town. This is a quaint little place in K-Town that made Kimchi an instant favorite for me. Now that I have the best Kimchi in the best Korean restaurant in NYC, I don’t think I will be ordering my Kimchi from anywhere else.

The best Korean grills in NYC

Korean cuisine is a unique cuisine that has been evolving for centuries and still welcomes all experiments with open arms. But its origin is tied to the ancient agricultural and nomadic traditions in the Korean peninsula and southern Manchuria. It has taken a new shape because of an interesting interaction between natural environment and various cultural trends.

Delicious Korean BBQ, Grills at Gammeeok in NYC

The main dishes often seen in a Korean restaurant are rice based dishes, soups and stews, kimchi, banchan and anju. One popular occurrence in the menu is the Korean barbecue delicacies. It is a popular method of grilling meat typically beef, pork or chicken. The barbecue is generally prepared on gas or charcoal grills built into the dining table itself. Korean restaurants that don’t have built-in grills provide portable stoves for diners to use at their table. Another common trend is for the chef to prepare dishes to order in a centrally displayed grill.

Korean barbecue is called gogi-gui which stands for ‘meat roast’. There are many forms of gogi-gui that are popular. A few of them are bulgogi and galbi, and many other marinated as well as unmarinated dishes that are further classified into many categories. But the main three meats used are beef, pork and chicken. A lesser known fact is that there exists an LA-style galbi that has grilled, marinated beef short ribs. In Korean restaurants chefs use a vertical cut for the beef. But in Los Angeles the meat is generally cut horizontally with a slicer instead of a knife. Although this process produces a less tender galbi, Korean Americans have adopted to this local, more convenient cut. What is fascinating is that LA galbi has also found its place in Korea where it is regarded as a nice western touch to the traditional galbi. Not just the main grilled meat, the Korean barbecue also has great side dishes called banchan to go with the roasted meat. Whether it is a green onion salad, pajeori or the fresh vegetable dish with lettuce, cucumbers and peppers, there is something always accompanying a meat dish at a Korean restaurant. Korean barbecue is also served wrapped with lettuce and added condiments such as ssamjang.

Appetizing Korean Entrees at Gammeeok in New York

But Korean cuisine hasn’t always been popular in New York. Even long after moving to the US, the cuisine stayed hidden in the streets of Korea Town. But after the New York food industry tried the unique flavors of anju, Pork Bbq and kimchi salad, there was no looking back. Now Korean barbecue has become at par with your regular hibachi grills and sushi bars. It is in Gammeeok in Korea Town that I decided to taste my first galbisal. Once I tried it there now my definition of Korean food is eating at Gammeeok. Starting from their Korean barbecue to their signature dishes like Seolleongtang and Kimchi. And I always wondered why no other Kimchi salad in New York tastes like the one at Gammeeok. Well the last time I was here I discovered that it is because that one of the most crucial ingredients for Kimchi, the red pepper, is actually directly imported from South Korea to Gammeeok. No wonder how many authentic Korean restaurants in New York I try, I always come back to Gammeeok for more.