D.I.Y Kimchi: A Crash Course With Chef EJ Jeong of Cham Korean Bistro

Do It Yourself!: Kimchi
Skeptical Youth sang..."I'm not to be the same 'ol Street Punk!"

And one of those indispensable ethics is the is the fundamental punk ethic of D.I.Y... Do-It-Yourself!

And this last Thursday, I was able to abide by that ethic as I was invited to make my own kimchi! By ways of a workshop hosted by Pasadena's Cham Bistro, I was taught the salty ways of Korea's revered staple food.



I Learn With My Hands


The workshop took place at the jointly owned !iT Jeans Factory aka. their kitchen headquarters in the industrial City Of Vernon. Other kimchi students included pastry chef Jashmine Corpuz, Gastronmy Blog, Deep End Dining, E*StarLA, Harriet Ellis of KCRW and Eastside Food Bites



You Can't Learn On An Empty Stomach!: Roasted Kale, Assorted Tofu Skin Pouches & A Seared Tuna Pop


Some pre-class snacks included some of their popular tofu pockets. Tofu pounded thin, fried and then brined with sweet vinegar encased rice topped with things like sweet seaweed, mulched Salmon and my favorite...kimchi topped with crispy candied anchovies. The roasted kale had a dangerously addicting salty junk food like thing about it, Jashmine Corpus swore it was fried, albeit salty as all hell--I wanted to eat more kale but couldn't due to its excessive saltiness.



Makgeolli 'Cham-tail': Pineapple, Agave Syrup, Sprite


But all the better to quench my thirst with their exclusive 'Cham-Tail' of the unfiltered rice wine goodness known as Magkeolli. It was mixed with pineapple, agave and sprite here. I found it a bit too sweet to my liking but fuuug it, still pounded it since it went well with the salty food to come.



Chef Professor EJ Jeong: Showing Us What's Up With Kimchi


I was in the first group up and stood fascinated at the intricate process of making this salty vegetable staple. I dunked and layered my kimchi with the chili rub as best as I can but it still did not compare to other peoples slathering skills....



Pre Mixed Kimchi Marinade


At the end of the crash course, we were treated to an ultra traditional plate bo saam which consisted of slices of braised pork shoulder, salted napa cabbage, sesame leaves, fermented chili paste, radish kimchi teeny tiny but salty as hell shrimp and a raw oyster.



A Meal For All Our Hard Work!: Bo Saam


I had underestimated those tiny raw shrimps as I slathered them on my makeshift sesame leaf taco. Apparently you are only supposed to use one or two, and then with that salted napa cabbage, salted fermented chili paste and oyster? By the end of the class I had imbibed at least 5 cups of water!



Persimmon Kimchi: Korean Equivalent of Mexican Chile Dried Mangoes?


Just when I thought I couldn't take anymore salt, they brought out some house made Persimmon Kimchi. I had never even heard of this but relished in the sweet, spicy and salty flavor of it. The pickling had rendered them slightly softer than their crispy pre-pickling texture so they were ultimately softer and just the right texture for me, no crisp nectarines or persimmons for me thank you very much! The recipe for these is the same as the following recipe for cabbage kimchi, the only difference is the removal of chopped shrimp.

Anyways, it was a pretty rad experience and I am eagerly waiting to pop open my jar of kimchi as soon as the recommended 20 days are over (14 days left!).

They are going to be hosting another kimchi workshop this Saturday for all you Kimchi curious readers out there.

Making Kimchi with Chef EJ Jeong

Saturday, November 20 from 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM

Cham Bistro R&D Kitchen (5251 S. Santa Fe Avenue, Vernon, CA 90058)

COST: $40 per person (Includes Korean tapas, a cocktail, and kimchi to take home.)

RSVP: Email kimchievent@chamkoreanbistro.com. Space is limited to 20 people.

Nonetheless, here is the recipe!

Chef EJ Jeong's Kimchi Recipe
Tong Baechu Kimchi (Whole Napa Cabbage Kimchi)

1. Wilting The Napa Cabbage

2 heads Napa cabbage
2 cups sea salt
8 cups water

Preparation And Procedure:
Trim the cabbage by removing any brown leaves on the outer layers. Slice the center of the cabbage’s stem 2 inches deep. Put your thumbs in the slit and pull it apart to divide it into two.

Soak all cabbage leaves in salted water for about 20 minutes. 20 minutes later, sprinkle the other half of the salt between each of the thick part of the leaves.

Cut side of cabbage should face up while wilting in salted water.

You need to rotate the cabbage in the bottom part to the top part every 2 hours. It will take 5-6 hours.

When it is ready, wash 3 times. Please be gentle and tender.

2.Marinate Kimchi

* 1 cup sweet rice powder
* 5 cups water
* 1 cup coarse Taeyangcho red chili pepper powder
* 5 ounces garlic
* 10 ounces Asian pear, peeled and quartered
* 9 ounces onions, peeled and quartered
* 1 ounce ginger, peeled
* 4 ounces Fresno chilies
* 2 pounds radish, julienned
* 4 ounces minari
* 4 ounces red mustard greens
* 4 ounces Korean chives
* 4 ounces green onions
* 1/4 cup Korean anchovy fish sauce
* 3/4 cup Korean salted shrimp sauce
* 4 ounces fresh shrimp, chopped
* 4 ounces Korean salted shrimp

Preparation And Procedure

Mix purified water with sweet rice powder, dissolving the powder until there are no lumps. Heat the water and rice powder mixture over the stovetop, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot. When it starts to form bubbles, reduce the heat and stir continuously. Once the mixture becomes thicker and translucent, turn the heat off. The process from once the mixture is heated to when it becomes the correct consistency and color takes approximately ten minutes. Cool down completely.

Put onion, pear, garlic, fresno and onion in food processor, running the machine until they are minced. Add the produce to the porridge and along with the remaining ingredients, adding the shrimp sauce and anchovy sauce. Mix together.

Chef EJ Jeong’s Persimmon Kimchi Recipe

Ingredients
2 lb peeled persimmons
12 oz kimchi marinade

Kimchi Marinade
cup sweet rice powder
5 cups purified water
2 lb radish
4 oz minari
4 oz kat (red mustard)
4 oz Korean chives (thinner than Chinese chives)
5 oz garlic
10 oz Asian pear (peeled)
9 oz onion (peeled)
1 oz ginger (peeled)
1 cup Taeyangcho rd chili pepper powder (coarse)
1/4 cup anchovy fish sauce (Korean)
3/4 cup salted shrimp sauce (Korean)
4 oz fresno
4 oz green onion

Preparation And Procedure: How to Make Porridge

Mix puried water with sweet rice powder, dissolving the power until there are no lumps. Heat the water and rice powder mixture over the stovetop, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot. When it starts to form bubbles, reduce heat and stir continuously. Once the mixture becomes thicker and is translucent, turn the heat off. The process from once the mixture is heated to when it becomes the correct consistency and color takes approximately ten minutes. Cool down completely.

Mix Together. Enjoy!

Thanks to chef EJ, Ricardo, Kimmy of Cham Korean Bistro and Kat for hosting an awesome event.

Introducing "The Chosun One" Burger At 8 oz : A New Korean American Fusion On Melrose

The Chosun One: To Bless 8oz With Its Presence


So the homie Eddie Hah of 8 oz Burger called me up recently and invited me down to try this burger that he’s been working on. Apparently, 8 oz has a “burger of the month” deal and it was finally his turn to shine and show his acclaimed boss Govind Armstrong a Korean thing or two.

“I gained at least 8 pounds working on this burger” Eddie tells me as he shows up 2 hours before his shift just to show me his meaty fruits of labor. His apron is already stained with translucent meat juices as he plates up two of his latest renditions of it.

It was immediately apparent that this was not just any typical 8 oz burger. The wafting fumes of charred meat reminds me of one a many Korean BBQ’s feasts I’ve had with the guy. The layered creation takes two hands to handle. The buns are thick and pliable, lightly toasted and every element of a great burger is present.

Starting off with the spread. A super rich, freshly emulsified gochoo jang aioli that Eddie made his own with roasted sesame oil and only the yolks of the luckiest eggs. Next up is the food perfection that are the crispy bacon strips. They’re house cured here and adheres beautifully to the spread, giving a delightful BLT-like “brown, crispy edges” taste to every bite I took.

To add a little liveliness, Eddie pickled his own julienne daikon strips for his creation. They reminded me of those same pickled roots that garnish Vietnamese Bahn Mi’s but not as fishy. I should also mention he started pickling his own Escarole Kimchi for this burger too, which he purees and sautés to intensify its red chili flavor. The Kimchi is not the garlickiest or saltiest but it caters to the Melrose crowd, what do you want? They’ll probably like the familiar flavor of tangy mustard that Eddie smears on the bread too.

And finally, there is his proud patty. Coarsely ground with whole chunks of meat in tact, it is a 50/50 blend of both pork and beef. Scallions and Parilla leaf speckle the thick meat puck and there is a whole 6 1/2 oz of the stuff. Its to be eaten with caution due to its extreme juiciness. The patty itself is actually a classical Korean dish already and Eddie just burger-fied it by grilling it over open flames.

In the end, the burger delivers everything that Eddie Hah wanted in a burger. Unabashed Korean flavor but catered for a burger place on Melrose. He tells me he used to eat the patty in his youth between two slices of white bread as a snack, his family owned the late Sa Rit Gol Korean Restaurant (loved by gurus Mark Bittman and J. Gold alike), therefore he is no stranger to makeshift “Korean Fusion” dishes.



The Chosun One: And Its Beholder Eddie Hah


“What are you calling it?” I ask him. “The Chosun One” he replies.

"Wow" I replied.

"Eddie…your burger is now officially complete, go home and get some rest now".

8 oz. Burger
7661 melrose ave
Los Angeles, CA 90046
(323) 852-0008

BierGarten: International Brew and Bites Moving Koreatown Forward

All Of A Sudden I Have A Green Thumb

So I've been finding myself in the same place out in K-Town every single day for the last two weeks--a surprising first for my usually attachment-free self. And no, I wasn't eating seasonal banchan over at Mapo nor getting my Oaxacan fill at Guelaguetza but instead...sipping on some fine-drawn brews at a Bier Garten.


German And Korean Signage

I remember being dumbfounded every time I passed by the Korean-German facade as I drove down Western. An actual German style Bier Garten in Koreatown? Naaah, it couldn't be.Well, it was. And apparently, its something that this part of L.A desperately needed.

Bier Garten is the four month old project of Neil Kwon, a guy who really--really--likes beer. He happened to go to school right next to Pyramid brewery, a brewery known for their unfiltered, full flavored Hefeweizen's. He tells me it was love at first sip. And like any other lovestruck fool, he fell hard. He actually went backpacking through Europe for the sole reason tasting beer. "I had a chance to go to Hofbrau haus and the Chinese Gardens in Munich, the classic beer gardens."


Neil Kwon Loves Beer

According to Kwon, "I was betting on that Koreatown is changing. More Korean Americans and non-Koreans are moving into the area. Koreatown is pretty exclusive by nature and I wanted to create a place where anyone and everyone who likes beer can enjoy."


Over 25 Beers On Tap At BierGarten

Well, he certainly did. At only four months old, Biergarten already holds over 24 international beers on tap and more than 4 readily available as bottles. They range from an almost equal selection from the two beer powers of the world: Gernany and Belgium. And if you must know, the Kostrizer Schwarzbier, a minimal hopped German black lager with a faintly flowery aroma, and the house dark wheat Dunkelweiss are what most likely will always be in my frosted stein (pictured on header photo above). Not to say that I won't drink anything new that Neil gets in, which seems to be pretty freaking often. Last new beer I remember was a pretty damn impressive IPA from DogFish Head brewery.


I Love Head

Maybe it has something to do with the Nitrogen Mixer that has a custom ratio for each classification of beer. Neil had it installed when he first bought the place, he would not have it any other way. But all the beer here somehow tastes crisper, cleaner and more refreshing.


As If Beer Couldn't Get Any Better

But I digress, its time to get back on the Glutster track....the full Korean-Mexican-German menu here. I'll start with the beer bite essential basics from both spectrum's first.


Pabst Onion Rings And Tempura Fries: Don't Even Trip!

So I was a late 'bloomer' to the Onion Ring world but I came, and better late than never. The onion rings here are leavened with the one and only Pabst Blue Ribbon lager, aka "PBR" for all you fucken hipsters, ha ha. And each ring is a divine dinner-vention in itself. As crispy on the outside--moist on the inside--as a freshly fried Krispy Kreme donut, well...only savory and well seasoned. The tempura fries are good too if you swing that way. The best thing of all is that 4 beers later, both will be just as crispy and good, a fried rarity indeed. But, no matter what you get, ask for the house made Chipotle Ketchup and Jalapeño Mayo as dipping sauces....trust.

The menu that ranges from a traditional grilled Wurst plate to quite the assortment of ultra traditional Korean-Japanese foods. I should mention that Neil's dad who works the back of the house kinda 'breathes' fish, he's been working at Japanese restaurants since he was in 6th grade. So you should not be offended when you see an ultra-fresh Seared Albacore Tuna Salad or Grilled Eel served with uncolored slivers of fresh Ginger on the menu. I've had both more than twice already and have noticed the vast improvement in each dish.


Hey! Eating Salad With Beer Cancels It Out!: Seared Tuna Salad

I managed to sneak into the kitchen last time and see the masterful technique behind BierGarten's enticing Drunken Chicken. A full bird that is cooked from the inside out via the flavorful vapors of a mixture consisting of mostly some Oktoberfest Marzen, Sapporo and Asahi when I was there. The juicy fowl is cut table side and served with a duo of mustard dipping sauces and a razor thin cabbage salad. Most of the fat seeps out the side of the bird during the cooking process and results in some surprisingly lean, moist flesh. I've seen people eat almost one joyously whole chicken like if somehow was all dark meat or something.


Cock-A-Doodle-Beer!


The Way Every Chicken Should Go


Table Side Drunken Chicken

But after all this, I am a beaner and no matter how cool all this other stuff is, the Korean Tacos will always be closest to my heart. Unlike their intense--sweeteer--Kogi predecessors, these are refined and subtle and balanced. Its served with less garnishes to interfere in the way of the flavorful filling and an emulsified smoky-spicy-sweet sauce that is made from two of the best heats in this world: Chipotle and Gochujang. And well...on a homemade Tortilla that I kind of taught them myself how to make. And that alone right there will warrant any taco a cut above the rest


The New Best Korean Taco In Town: On A Glutster Inspired Handmade Tortilla

The Kalbi is tender, the spicy pork rich and not too far from its Al Pastor brother from another mother. But my favorite is and shall always be the spicy tofu. The spicy sauce somehow adheres to the coarse grained tortilla just like the adobo does from the traditional al pastor ones. And yes, it has made me swoon one a many times.

The menu is still in its rough draft, but thanks to the selfless efforts Eddie Hah of 8 oz Burger and I, it is only getting better and better. Expect things like American style Corn Dogs with Korean Seafood Sausage and a Wasabi Mayo and Sliders made out of traditional Korean seasoned ground beef and pickles.


D.I.Y Beer Floats

And for dessert, there are glorious beer floats made with the most O.G of ice creams: Thrifty Brand. Don't deny the fact that its bomb, we all grew up with it.

If you're really down, ask for a Makgeolli float. The latest and greatest of contemporary Korean food fusion that Pulque-like unfiltered sweet, sparkling rice wine with a fat scoop of citrusy sherbert.

Now, if you excuse me I have to roll out to make their Pabst Pitcher 1¢ Happy Hour!


Makgeolli Float With Orange Sherbert: You Don't Even Know...


Bier Garten

206 N Western Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90004
Neighborhood: Wilshire Center

(323) 466-4860

Open Everyday
5PM-12AM

Price of Food Beer $6-15

$1.50 Valet

Mapo Kak Du Gee Jip: Seoul Food For The Soul

It was a lazy ass Wednesday evening and I had been in bed for the most part of it. I had gotten up in the wee hours of the morning with a throbbing fever. It had been a long day consisting of early rising farmers markets and a heavy, unpleasant lunch. But where I would of probably stayed in, only to probably fall sicker....the homie Mattatouille gives me a call. And an hour later I was up and ready to go.

A visit to this Korean spot I had seen on his blog was long overdue, and I was going to go whether I was miserable or not. Especially, since he just realized his vital Korean food credentials. It was time to respect Mattatouille's authority...


Mapo Kak Du Gee Jip

Of course, it wouldn't be a dinner with the Glutster without arriving 25 minutes late. But my failed punctuality that day was quickly forgotten as the assortment of colorful banchan started rolling out on to the table.


Banchan At Mapo

This is what I look forward to whenever I am on my way to any Korean restaurant, taste-whetting restaurant hospitality at its finest. The signature banchan (the restaurant is named after it) is kak du gee, chunks of raw daikon radish that is fermented until funky, crisp acidic joy. The rest of the sweet and spicy array included things like Mook (a bland solid jelly made out of acorns), in a vinegary dressing, sweet seaweed salad, cooked greens of both a savory, white pepper flavor variety and a sweet, sesame leaf flavor one. There was also pickled, crunchy cucumber and chewy fishcakes in red chili paste. And of course the essentials: a zippy, well aged Kimchi made out of baby napa cabbage and the L.A K-town exclusive of a miracle-whip enhanced potato salad.

Good thing we came with Matt and his innate Korean food ordering skills.


Kimchi Jjigae: Served Boiling

A bubbling hot kimchi soup was served first. In a clay bowl, its broth was deep, rich and heavy on the umami factor, suggesting of maybe beef or pork tallow used. It was brimming with tender pieces of kimchi, soft tofu and chewy oval shaped rice cakes. All the better to soak up that luscious broth.


Ee Myun Soo Gui

No one could tell what kind of fish this was but it didn't really matter as we all took the first bite. "G.B and D" in its truest sense of the word! Juicy, light and meaty. It was not hard to eat these with chopsticks like other more fragile fish.


Korean Purple Rice

An honorable mention has to go out for the bombski purple rice that complemented all this spicy Korean deliciousness. It was chewy, wholesome and satisfying.


Yook Heh Jang: I Wasn't Going To Wait Until It Got Cold!

There was no chance I was going to miss out on what was described by Matt as his "death bed" meal. Spicy beef broth, yam starch-vermicelli noodles, long roots, green onion and tender brisket all braised 'till sublimity . First taste has you with its tasty spices, a mixture of peppers and garlic for sure. Matt instructed us on how he used to eat it, scooping in some rice and letting it soak up all the juices first.

Just as I finished the last spoonful of the kimchi broth, I noticed that my fever was no longer bothering me. This was truly Seoul food that was good for the soul! ha ha.

Thanks to Kyoung Sun Lee--the proud owner of Mapo--for her generosity. She would simply not allow neither of us to pay or tip anything, she says that business has been absolutely great since her feature on Saveur Magazine and the L.A Times Review. I'm sure it didn't hurt that Matt had been here at least 8 times this month too. According to The Times piece, the part of Korea that she is from (Gyeonggi) is known for having signature banchan of a certain slightly dry, clean spiciness.

I hear another must-order item here is the black cod stew, not to mention her lunch specials that include things like hand-cut noodles or bibimbap for $5.99, and of course...all of that wonderful banchan! Damn, I'm lagging it!


Kyoung Sun Lee: Representin' Gyeonggi Right!

Mapo Kak Du Gee Jip
3611 W 6th St
Los Angeles, CA 90020
(213) 736-6668

$12-15 Per Person (if you go all out, ha ha)

Not What You'd Think: On Dal 2

Your hands, tainted with this unforgettable funk of the sweet--but burdensome--struggle. Your clothes, poka-dotted with these little specks of that deep, thick, uncongealed liquid. Your mouth, still chewing over the offal remains after sucking at the carcass....relax, i haven't stooped that low yet, this was only my hot pot Spicy Crab Soup yesterday at On Dal 2, and it was only the beginning...

The special here is the Crab Soup. They have other things, such as fish soups, prawn soups but the waiter won't let you order them so don't even bother (at first I chose the fish, but the waiter insisted otherwise). Don't let their curt service turn you off though, they only want the best for you. Looks can be highly deceiving when you are eating here but trust, I think you will be pleasantly surprised

Start off with the order of their tea. At first sip, you might think they brewed it in the same pot they use to make coffee or something. But actually, that faint nutty, butteryness is derived from the corn used to make this tea. Corn Tea was a byproduct of Koreans boiling their own water with corn kernels to make it potable, since their was not any filtered water available back then in South Korea.

You might not even want to touch half the Banchan (korean side dishes) that comes with the meal: that measly plate with what looks like pre-packaged salad mix with orange goop on it, those raw pieces of crab smothered with full-bodied, crimson colored, fermented tofu sauce, the marinated Jellyfish, those slices of raw sweet potato, the candied seaweed, that long, snake-like fish thing (whole grilled pike that is imported from Japan). But if you decide to venture into the unknown: savoring the citrusy pureed mixed fruit used as that dressing (orange goop), digging out the sashimi-like, soft flesh of the crab and tasting only a little of that powerful sauce at a time (raw crab salad), chewing and popping the unique texture of that jellyfish, noticing that that fish-thing actually doesn't taste that fishy at all, and mixing in some of that crunchy candied seaweed...you might experience some sort of Korean crab-induced unami experience.

At least I did, over and over and over. See, just when you think its over, finishing up the last piece of their crab egg intensive crabcake, and the last strand of the slightly mature bean sprout (its edible raw, but gets tender after boiling), next comes the house-made pasta course. Some more of that wondrous broth, a couple of slivers of zucchini and onion, and these little pieces of perfectly al-dente pieces of pasta that the lady tears off herself from a piece of dough that she is weaving in front of you. But pace yourself still...

After this, comes the Fried Rice course. Yup....a big bowl of stachy, creamy rice that s combined with whatever is left of the hot pot and the leftover Panchan, All skillfully stir-fried with a bit roasted soybean powder, edible chrysanthemum leaves, and a dash of sesame oil to change it up a bit.

But wait, that's not all...you gotta have some sort of palate cleanser, some type of digestive aid to keep that profound funk of the sea from lingering for days on end. In this case, it is their family's recipe for sikhae, a refreshing drink made from rice and a bunch of other stuff that served ice cold.

Just try to leave here feeling like a water balloon...

On Dal 2
(cant find the address) but...
2-3 blocks east from Washington and La Brea