Of late, the main media at large was gushing about how Korea has invaded and is upon us. Their pop culture has seeped into the deeper strata of our social fabric. One went to proclaim how their culture was hitting us like a “tsunami” and another prophesized that “everyone in Singapore” is into Korean culture and food. Wow. All this must have happened while I was attending the Asian Journalist Association’s annual gathering in Korea two weeks back. Ironically, the research paper I submitted was about the internationalization of Asian food, particularly the host’s Korean flavours.

Ok, lest I should be seen as an ignorant clown or worse, subvert our love for all things foreign (much of what we have and love did not come from this little red dot), I shall throw my hat into the ring and tell all about the one wonderfully strange yet familiar-in-concept dish I had in my inaugural trip to Seoul earlier this month. Our minders knew of my reputation – I understand people and cultures, remember faces and places through their makan. Don’t laugh, its true and it works for me. The delegates, which came from diverse lands like Bhutan, Indonesia, Vietnam, Beijing and even Brazil was lined up for unforgivingly real Korean meals like Bibimbap(rice set in stone bowls with a hosts of vegetables, kimchi and tofu) and Bulgogi ( grilled beef set meals). I had some free time and they offered to plump me with the flavours that permeate their town. My only request was that they don’t feed me with stuff I can get in our “Koreanised” Singapore or things I have seen on TV which did not impress me “and please, no tourist should be in sight”, I added. So Jesse Kim, a hip hop concert organizer who volunteered as an organizer and my food guide, pulled his car over, turned to me and asked “Are you serious?”

The humble Baadaa Shikdang restaurant where no one speaks English.

Ten minutes later I was in some obscure backlane hidden behind Itaewon, Seoul’s little chillout and shopping district. Suddenly what little English that decorated the stall signs around the main road area disappeared. The humble little shop we came to had tatami style seating and had a full view of the kitchen. The lady boss offered no smile, even after she took away my reference copy of our Makansutra guide book in exchange for allowing me to photograph the place. Good deal, I suppose, as I was anticipating a meal I had never come across before- Budae Jigae, a stew made with kimchi and leftovers from the American military bases sited nearby at Uijeongbu. The also nicknamed it Johnson Tang (soup), after American President Lyndon B Johnson who oversaw the Korean War. This “fusion” kimchi stew came in a iron wok pot and was coloured bright orange and had chunks of kimchi bubbling alongside sausage slices, fresh cabbage and with a piece of melted cheese on top- or basically whatever the American army kitchen happily threw out when they could not finish. Budae Jigae can sometimes include spam or slices of ham. The whole pot came with the usual line up of appetizers that included pickled sotong slices and black beans. My first chomp of the stew reminded me of the Eurasian debal or Devils Curry- spicy but not overly so, tangy and savoury and the sausages with melted cheese in the kimchi stew felt as strangely likeable as perhaps, durian on pizza.

What I ate in Seoul, with the usual array of starters and appetizers

It does not taste as complicated as it sounds and if you’ve had kimchi and sausages lying around after your festive party, try this Johnson Tang for four to five:

Ingredients
200gms of red kimchi / chopped garlic / two teaspoons of Gochujang(Korean red pepper paste) / 3 pieces of pan grilled sausages / 2 chicken wings/ 1 litre of chicken or pork stock / 200 gms of cabbage leaves / two slices of sandwich cheese / two small limes- calamansi (or white vinegar). You can also include tofu and button mushrooms.

My Johnson Tang attempt ( with chicken wings)

Method:
Fry a spoonful of garlic with the Gochujang till fragrant and add the litre of stock. Bring to a light boil and add the cut chicken wings, kimchi and cut sausages (with tofu and button mushrooms if you like). Let it simmer for about 15 minutes and then add the cabbage to cook for three minutes (do not overcook till soft and mushy). Season with salt and a teasppon and a half of lime juice, and finally, place two slices of cheese on top and serve, as it melts. Use a mustard and tomato ketchup dip. Serve with rice or add instant noodles to the stew.