Hansik food fest pushed the envelope

This is the third installment of a series that will delve into the current movement towards the globalization of Korean cuisine from a variety of perspectives. The series will explore hansik`s past and present, its global potential, and efforts that are being made to promote it to the world. -Ed.



By Jean Oh



The first annual Amazing Korean Table festival came to a close last weekend.

The gourmet event, which started on Oct. 28 and ran through Sunday, brought in a quartet of world-renowned chefs, a group of overseas reporters and a slew of aspiring young Korean chefs all looking to explore the world of Korean cuisine in its various mutations. The underlying theme, of course, was the globalization of "hansik."

Based on on-the-spot interviews with some overseas reporters and participating top chefs, the "galbi jjim" and the dumpling soup were a hit at the event`s welcoming dinner. The dinner, an elaborate palatial meal planned by "Jewel in the Palace" food consultant and important intangible cultural asset Han Bok-ryeo, took place on Oct. 28.

"The dumplings in the broth were so beautiful to look at," said Hilary Biller, food editor of Sunday Times Travel and Food. "Just the whole composition was so pretty, so tasty, so simple, but so special."

French finance paper Les Echos food critic Jean Louis Galesne singled out the galbi jjim: "I love the beef pot-au-feu."



Galesne, who has reported on Korean restaurants in France and was in Korea to write an article on food in Seoul, also enjoyed the "three-way kimchi."

"It was stunning," said British chef Luke Dale-Roberts, who served up hansik-inspired dishes at Lotte Hotel Seoul throughout the festival.

"Always for me, the galbi jjjim," he answered when asked what his favorite dish was.

When asked about the "makgeolli" served at the dinner, Dale-Roberts said: "I think it`s an interesting drink. I think its color makes it interesting. It looks like milk."

"I enjoyed it," said South Africa-based food editor Biller. "It tasted like a soft drink."

Biller, however, expressed her surprise that it came in a plastic bottle, saying: "I thought it would come in a glass bottle."

When asked what he thought of packaging makgeolli in plastic bottles at a class he held as a part of the event, leading sommelier Andreas Larsson answered: "Well, I think plastic is never really sexy."

Larsson also seemed to exhibit a preference for glass bottling, a packaging trend that is gaining momentum in Korea`s burgeoning makgeolli market.

Larsson, named the Best Sommelier of the World in 2007, put his pairing skills to the test at a class that matched Korean food with wine and Korean alcoholic beverages with Western cuisine. For the first time in his career, the Swedish native held the "first extensive tasting I`ve ever made of Korean liquors" in front of an audience.

Holding court to 35 attendees, he sniffed, tasted and recommended pairings for "bokbunja" wine, premium soju, "Baesangmyun" Brewery`s Sansachun and, of course, makgeolli.

"I really like this one," Larsson appreciated the ruby red bokbunja wine. "It is very youthful and vibrant. I get the notion of red fresh fruit."

"It is something that could work very well with a Korean beef tartare," he continued. "I normally would love to have this with a dessert based on berries and sample this with cheese."

For the premium soju, which was aged in oak, Larsson recommended protein-rich fish. He then paired the "Sansachun," a drink made with hawthorn berries and cornus fruit, with crabs, scallops and tomato-based dishes.

"It is something one could consider using where one normally uses rose wine," he explained.

Larsson also recommended pairing a Chilean Pinot Noir with bulgogi, an alternative for those who prefer a red to the oft-recommended Asian food companion, Riesling.

More cross-cultural explorations of food and wine, this time in cuisine, were conducted by La Colombe head chef and manager Luke Dale-Roberts.

Dale-Roberts - who helped open restaurants in Seoul, Singapore and the Philippines - passed on his extensive knowledge of how to blend aspects of both Asian and French cuisine into beautiful and eloquently-flavored dishes at a class on Oct. 30.

His take on bibimbap highlighted the infinite potential of this time-honored dish.

Dale-Roberts` twist on bibimbap was served on a plate. Instead of putting a dollop of "gochujang" in the center, he stroked it onto the plate and then added orbs of rice, Patagonian toothfish and diced langoustines dressed in a "doenjang"-based sauce with a drizzling of creamy spider crab foam.

Naturally such a move invites the question: Is a dish like that too far removed from the classical foundations of bibimbap?

That seems to be the timeless question that the arena of haute cuisine often faces, where chefs use the foundation of classic cuisine to vault themselves to new artistic and conceptual heights.

Never mind the answer, what matters is that Dale-Roberts` dish invited one to consider the creative possibilities that arise when bibimbap is used as a springboard for innovation.

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If Dale-Roberts` cooking class showcased an established top chef`s take on hansik, then the food festival`s Young Creative Korean Culinary Competition`s Team Haute Cuisine Challenge showed what happens when six teams of highly talented young Korean chefs use traditional Korean cuisine as the backbone and heart of their own creations.

On Oct. 30, six teams competed for the top prize: an apprenticeship at one of three-Michelin star chef Pierre Gagnaire`s restaurants or at former French Laundry chef de cuisine Corey Lee`s new restaurant. Four Korean judges and high profile chefs Gagnaire, Lee, Dale-Roberts and Massimo Bottura selected the winning team.

"I thought it was brilliant," said Dale-Roberts.

"Some dishes were very well-executed," said Corey Lee. "It`s really exciting to have young chefs doing something new."

The winning team, Star Chef, presented a series of artfully plated dishes that stayed true to its Korean roots but also incorporated some global culinary influences. Chutney and ratatouille made their way into a menu that featured cold ginseng chicken soup, stuffed red snapper and black-eyed tofu.

Dale-Roberts said he enjoyed the winning team`s slow-cooked oxtail with "tteok" and "buchu" (Korean leek) salad.

"I loved the makgeolli and pear ice cream," he also praised the winning team`s dessert.

When asked how he felt about having such famous chefs judge his team`s dishes, team Star Chef supervisor Lee Hong-chul captured the whole spirit of the competition and of the event itself.

"It`s fun."

Amazing Korean Table was jointly sponsored by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and was organized by the Seoul Tourism Organization. The event ran from Oct. 28 to Nov. 1 and was held at various venues including the Korea House and Lotte Hotel Seoul.

The festival featured a slow food symposium, a culinary competition, cooking classes, a street buffet and the hansik-inspired creations of world-class chefs Pierre Gagnaire, Massimo Bottura, Corey Lee and Luke Dale-Roberts.

(oh_jean@heraldm.com)