Historically, if you wanted a taste of Korean food in New York City, you’d bring a few friends after a long night of partying to K-Town. This neighbourhood, a two-block radius in the low-30s on Manhattan’s East Side, sprouted up naturally in the late 1970s as Korean immigration to America grew. You can find excellent Korean food there, but over the years its prime clientele became college kids, tourists, and revellers searching for late-night karaoke and all-you-can-eat barbecue. Fun and delicious, for sure. But just one sliver of a view of Korean cuisine.
Things have changed. South Korean music, film and TV have gone mainstream globally, from K-pop to Squid Game. Americans’ palate for exploring the nuances of international foods has developed. So Korean cuisine is having a renaissance in New York and beyond. At Anju in Washington DC, chefs Danny Lee and Angel Barreto are doing creative, award-winning work, serving modern takes on classics such as Korean fried chicken alongside Lee’s mother’s traditional recipes. Here in New York, in Manhattan’s Flatiron district, just 10 or so blocks south from K-Town, high- end, contemporary and imaginative Korean restaurants have emerged in recent years, gradually moving from being an exception — one or two here and there — to a full-on trend. Most of these are led by Korean chefs with global backgrounds who trained in top New York kitchens and noticed a growing market for Korean fine dining. And they’ve made a good bet: all of these restaurants are almost always booked up.
Korean food is special: healthy, distinct and ancient. It rests on a theory called obangsaek of five natural elements, expressed through five colours. The associated flavours are sour, bitter, spicy, salty and sweet; the food has a deliberate, natural balance of these elements and colours. I’ve always been drawn to it.