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A New York Times bestseller and one of the most praised Korean cookbooks of all time, you'll explore the foods and flavors of Koreatowns across America through this collection of 100 recipes.

This is not your average "journey to Asia" cookbook. Koreatown is a spicy, funky, flavor-packed love affair with the grit and charm of Korean cooking in America. Koreatowns around the country are synonymous with mealtime feasts and late-night chef hangouts, and Deuki Hong and Matt Rodbard show us why through stories, interviews, and over 100 delicious, super-approachable recipes.

It's spicy, it's fermented, it's sweet and savory and loaded with umami: Korean cuisine is poised to break out in the U.S., but until now, the cookbooks have been focused on taking readers on an idealized Korean journey. Koreatown, though, is all about what's real and happening right here: the foods of Korean American communities all over our country, from L.A. to New York City, from Atlanta to Chicago. We follow Rodbard and Hong through those communities with stories and recipes for everything from beloved Korean barbecue favorites like bulgogi and kalbi to the lesser-known but deeply satisfying stews, soups, noodles, salads, drinks, and the many kimchis of the Korean American table.
"Deuki Hong and Matt Rodbard have given us a deep and important look at the people, places and cuisine that are reshaping what we want for dinner. Koreatown thrills with flavors that will change your life." --Anthony Bourdain
 
"Koreatown is not a place. It’s an energy, an attitude, a painstaking stew of spice and frugality and brutally honest flavors. For the first time, here’s a book that captures all of its electricity and mystery in a voice that is both vibrant and respectful." --Edward Lee, chef and author of Smoke and Pickles
 
"Eating Korean food is the best legal high in the world and Koreatown is the gateway drug you need!" --Gary Shteyngart, author of The Russian Debutante's Handbook and Little Failure: A Memoir 
 
"The food of Korea is complex, and becomes fully realized in this amazing new book by Deuki Hong and Matt Rodbard. With a thrilling new voice and original ideas, this is not the same boring "ethnic eats explainer" that is often used as an excuse to profile a country's cuisine. I couldn’t put it down, and can't wait to start cooking from these pages. Bibimbap for the win!" --Andrew Zimmern, author and television host

"Deuki Hong is making great Korean food, and not just for Koreans." --David Chang Chef/Founder of Momofuku

“Thanks to this cookbook, I can finally make all the dishes at home that I obsess over when I visit Koreatown. It’s amazing to have all these mysteriously delicious recipes in one place.” --Sean Brock, chef and author of Heritage

"
Unwrap the world of Korean-American food through a guide demystifying the cuisine of fire and fermentation."  --The New York Times

"A great book whether you're new to Korean food or looking for recipes for old favorites, Koreatown will have you running to your local Asian grocery to stock up on rice cakes, gochujang, and kimchi. Or, better yet, making your own kimchi from scratch." —Epicurious

"The evangelists Korean food needs to become the next big cuisine." Tasting Table

"The last Korean cookbook that you will ever need."  Vice 

"In the burgeoning genre of cookbooks written as much to be read as to be cooked from, Koreatown paints a portrait of America's vibrant Korean-American communities and invites a broad audience to experiment with this style of cooking." Eater

"Korean food is built on bold flavors: spicy pickled vegetables, sweet, smoky meats and pungent, salty stews. That can be a little intimidating for some American diners. But the authors of Koreatown have changed that."  NPR "Morning Edition"

"A detailed and sharply written collection that includes nearly 100 recipes, as well as photos, short essays, and interviews that explore various K-towns across the U.S." --Publishers Weekly(starred review)
Deuki Hong is a Korean American executive chef and owner of Sunday Bird in San Francisco. A graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, Deuki first began working as a line cook at Centrico in New York City, then went on to Momofuku and Jean-Georges. He was the executive chef of Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong, which caught the attention of top chefs including Anthony Bourdain, Benu’s Corey Lee, and David Chang. In 2017, he launched Sunday Hospitality Group—a collective rooted in the definition of a neighborhood restaurant. He is also the co-author of the New York Times bestseller Koreatown. View titles by Deuki Hong
Matt Rodbard is a writer, editor, and author of food and culture books with more than two decades of experience working in television, magazines, book publishing, and online media. He’s the co-author of Koreatown and Food IQ, and the Founding Editor of online food and culture magazine TASTE, winner of two James Beard Awards. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Travel + Leisure, Bon Appétit, Saveur, and GQ. View titles by Matt Rodbard
Our Mildly Insane Kimchi Bokkeumbap
김치볶음밥
KIMCHI FRIED RICE
 
Bacon. We kept coming back to bacon when talking about this kimchi fried-rice recipe. Bacon is quintessential Americana. Our kimchi fried rice needed bacon, and for months we tested and were continually disappointed that the essence of bacon—Americana!—was being muted by either too much rice or too much kimchi. Then it came to us. We needed to use more bacon! Like a lot more. Like how French chefs view mashed potatoes: equal parts butter and potatoes. That’s scary, right? Also scary good.
We went that direction here and by the grace of god and Allan Benton did this ever work. The crispy rice unites with the decadent gochujang butter, while the bacon is there just being wonderful. And remember, the key to good fried rice is using cold day-old rice, which is nice and dried out and gives you a much better fry. So the next time you order takeout, get an extra order of rice and keep it in the fridge for a day or so. And if you didn’t plan ahead, no sweat. Make some rice and lay it out on a sheet tray and freeze until cold.

SERVES 2

½ pound of slab bacon, roughly chopped
1 medium onion, cut into small dice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-inch knob of ginger, minced
1½ cups chopped extraaged
Napa Cabbage Kimchi (recipe below)
2 cups cooked rice, preferably day-old
1 tablespoon gochujang
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 eggs, fried sunnyside up
2 scallions, sliced thin

1. In a large skillet, wok or cast-iron pan over high heat, cook the bacon, stirring, until fat is fully rendered and the bacon is barely starting to crisp. Pour out all but 2 tablespoons fat.
 
2. Add onion, garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 minute, or until very aromatic. Add chopped kimchi and rice and sauté, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until very hot. Drop the heat to medium-low and flatten the rice with your spatula. Continue to cook until the bottom layer is crispy, about 2 minutes; think Spanish paella here. The longer you leave it, the more crispy the bottom will become, but be careful not to burn the garlic.
 
3. While the rice continues to crisp, in a small bowl mix together the gochujang and softened butter.
 
4. Serve from the pan or wok, topped with fried eggs, sliced scallions and gochujang butter.

About

A New York Times bestseller and one of the most praised Korean cookbooks of all time, you'll explore the foods and flavors of Koreatowns across America through this collection of 100 recipes.

This is not your average "journey to Asia" cookbook. Koreatown is a spicy, funky, flavor-packed love affair with the grit and charm of Korean cooking in America. Koreatowns around the country are synonymous with mealtime feasts and late-night chef hangouts, and Deuki Hong and Matt Rodbard show us why through stories, interviews, and over 100 delicious, super-approachable recipes.

It's spicy, it's fermented, it's sweet and savory and loaded with umami: Korean cuisine is poised to break out in the U.S., but until now, the cookbooks have been focused on taking readers on an idealized Korean journey. Koreatown, though, is all about what's real and happening right here: the foods of Korean American communities all over our country, from L.A. to New York City, from Atlanta to Chicago. We follow Rodbard and Hong through those communities with stories and recipes for everything from beloved Korean barbecue favorites like bulgogi and kalbi to the lesser-known but deeply satisfying stews, soups, noodles, salads, drinks, and the many kimchis of the Korean American table.

Praise

"Deuki Hong and Matt Rodbard have given us a deep and important look at the people, places and cuisine that are reshaping what we want for dinner. Koreatown thrills with flavors that will change your life." --Anthony Bourdain
 
"Koreatown is not a place. It’s an energy, an attitude, a painstaking stew of spice and frugality and brutally honest flavors. For the first time, here’s a book that captures all of its electricity and mystery in a voice that is both vibrant and respectful." --Edward Lee, chef and author of Smoke and Pickles
 
"Eating Korean food is the best legal high in the world and Koreatown is the gateway drug you need!" --Gary Shteyngart, author of The Russian Debutante's Handbook and Little Failure: A Memoir 
 
"The food of Korea is complex, and becomes fully realized in this amazing new book by Deuki Hong and Matt Rodbard. With a thrilling new voice and original ideas, this is not the same boring "ethnic eats explainer" that is often used as an excuse to profile a country's cuisine. I couldn’t put it down, and can't wait to start cooking from these pages. Bibimbap for the win!" --Andrew Zimmern, author and television host

"Deuki Hong is making great Korean food, and not just for Koreans." --David Chang Chef/Founder of Momofuku

“Thanks to this cookbook, I can finally make all the dishes at home that I obsess over when I visit Koreatown. It’s amazing to have all these mysteriously delicious recipes in one place.” --Sean Brock, chef and author of Heritage

"
Unwrap the world of Korean-American food through a guide demystifying the cuisine of fire and fermentation."  --The New York Times

"A great book whether you're new to Korean food or looking for recipes for old favorites, Koreatown will have you running to your local Asian grocery to stock up on rice cakes, gochujang, and kimchi. Or, better yet, making your own kimchi from scratch." —Epicurious

"The evangelists Korean food needs to become the next big cuisine." Tasting Table

"The last Korean cookbook that you will ever need."  Vice 

"In the burgeoning genre of cookbooks written as much to be read as to be cooked from, Koreatown paints a portrait of America's vibrant Korean-American communities and invites a broad audience to experiment with this style of cooking." Eater

"Korean food is built on bold flavors: spicy pickled vegetables, sweet, smoky meats and pungent, salty stews. That can be a little intimidating for some American diners. But the authors of Koreatown have changed that."  NPR "Morning Edition"

"A detailed and sharply written collection that includes nearly 100 recipes, as well as photos, short essays, and interviews that explore various K-towns across the U.S." --Publishers Weekly(starred review)

Author

Deuki Hong is a Korean American executive chef and owner of Sunday Bird in San Francisco. A graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, Deuki first began working as a line cook at Centrico in New York City, then went on to Momofuku and Jean-Georges. He was the executive chef of Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong, which caught the attention of top chefs including Anthony Bourdain, Benu’s Corey Lee, and David Chang. In 2017, he launched Sunday Hospitality Group—a collective rooted in the definition of a neighborhood restaurant. He is also the co-author of the New York Times bestseller Koreatown. View titles by Deuki Hong
Matt Rodbard is a writer, editor, and author of food and culture books with more than two decades of experience working in television, magazines, book publishing, and online media. He’s the co-author of Koreatown and Food IQ, and the Founding Editor of online food and culture magazine TASTE, winner of two James Beard Awards. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Travel + Leisure, Bon Appétit, Saveur, and GQ. View titles by Matt Rodbard

Excerpt

Our Mildly Insane Kimchi Bokkeumbap
김치볶음밥
KIMCHI FRIED RICE
 
Bacon. We kept coming back to bacon when talking about this kimchi fried-rice recipe. Bacon is quintessential Americana. Our kimchi fried rice needed bacon, and for months we tested and were continually disappointed that the essence of bacon—Americana!—was being muted by either too much rice or too much kimchi. Then it came to us. We needed to use more bacon! Like a lot more. Like how French chefs view mashed potatoes: equal parts butter and potatoes. That’s scary, right? Also scary good.
We went that direction here and by the grace of god and Allan Benton did this ever work. The crispy rice unites with the decadent gochujang butter, while the bacon is there just being wonderful. And remember, the key to good fried rice is using cold day-old rice, which is nice and dried out and gives you a much better fry. So the next time you order takeout, get an extra order of rice and keep it in the fridge for a day or so. And if you didn’t plan ahead, no sweat. Make some rice and lay it out on a sheet tray and freeze until cold.

SERVES 2

½ pound of slab bacon, roughly chopped
1 medium onion, cut into small dice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-inch knob of ginger, minced
1½ cups chopped extraaged
Napa Cabbage Kimchi (recipe below)
2 cups cooked rice, preferably day-old
1 tablespoon gochujang
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 eggs, fried sunnyside up
2 scallions, sliced thin

1. In a large skillet, wok or cast-iron pan over high heat, cook the bacon, stirring, until fat is fully rendered and the bacon is barely starting to crisp. Pour out all but 2 tablespoons fat.
 
2. Add onion, garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 minute, or until very aromatic. Add chopped kimchi and rice and sauté, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until very hot. Drop the heat to medium-low and flatten the rice with your spatula. Continue to cook until the bottom layer is crispy, about 2 minutes; think Spanish paella here. The longer you leave it, the more crispy the bottom will become, but be careful not to burn the garlic.
 
3. While the rice continues to crisp, in a small bowl mix together the gochujang and softened butter.
 
4. Serve from the pan or wok, topped with fried eggs, sliced scallions and gochujang butter.

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