Korean-Inspired Fusion Food

Seems like bulgoki tacos are everywhere these days -- from food trucks to mainstream cookbooks (like Betty Crocker). Here is my blog posting in 2009 when this phenom was just starting in Los Angeles (though I tried out some experimentation at home independently ....).
Definitely, try some of these variations at home.
 

Korean-style Taco: Fusion Food in L.A.

The NYC has the Korean fusion food craze (such as variations on the "bo ssam," or pork, oysters and kimchi in lettuce wrap), now Los Angeles came up with Korean-style taco and burritos, with tasty Korean BBQ meats or spicy tofu as fillings. [The photo, from the laist.com blog, shows gourmet chef Roy Choi with his creations.] The entrepreneurs of this venture combine the portability of food with the mobility of restaurant, in the form of a catering truck. The demand for this food is said to be high, judging from long lines and internet buzz.

 

 

Here's another of my old posting in 2008 on the Korean fusion cuisine scene in NYC:

Korean Fusion Food Thrives in New York City

Recent Korean film blockbuster and TV series "Sik Gaek" (Food Guest) have stimulated Koreans' interest in gourmet Korean food and a potential fusion style of Korean food globally. But the reality is that, unlike Chinese or Japanese cuisines, the Korean cuisine, though numerous in cities populated by the Korean diaspora, has not been able to incite wide acceptance by non-Koreans.

An exception is New York City, where a number of restaurants with Korean-inspired fusion dishes (including popular all-vegetarian restaurants) have sprung up and have gained notice of food critics as well as loyal customers. One prime example is momofuku (photo), a "hot buzz" restaurant chain set up by a Korean-American chef-of-the-year David Chang, which offers Korean-inspired dishes and authentic Japanese ramen with gourmet flairs. Chefs and staff are non-Koreans and customers are mostly non-Koreans. This may well show a formula for success in popularization of Korean cuisine.