Journalist Matt Rodbard and chef Doo-Ki Hong have spent much of the past decade documenting Koreatowns and Korean food across the country. They published their first cookbook, korea town, in 2016.now they have released korea world, a sequel of sorts that delves into modern-day recipes and stories from across Korea and America. Think spicy fried chicken with baby anchovies and crunchy lotus roots, grilled kimchi wedge salad, and gochugaru caramel corn.
Of course, no conversation on this topic would be complete without mentioning Northern Virginia, home to one of the largest Korean populations in the country. It is home to Ange, a restaurant that pushes boundaries. (The authors declare that Ange’s lightly battered and fried branzino is “one of his favorite Korean dishes he encountered while traveling in the United States.”)
We spoke to Rodbard about the changing landscape of Korean food and his favorite local Korean spots. And if you want to try the dish without cooking, the authors are hosting a Cookbook Club His dinner with Ange chefs on Friday, April 26th at Capitol Hill restaurant I Egg You. Tickets can be purchased here.
What was your approach to this book, and how does it compare to what you’ve done before? korea town?
The first book was like canon. It was a lot of classic recipes, recipes that I felt needed to be in the book. We were one of the first Korean cookbooks to break out. [With Koreaworld,] We really thought that given the modern Korean scene in both Korea and America, and the energy transition between the two countries, that was the best approach. We call the second part of the book “New Koreatown.” Washington DC is witnessing dramatic changes in its dynamic. Annandale isn’t alone. [Anju chef] Angel Barreto’s amazing work and what’s going on in the city as a whole.
How much has Korean cuisine across the country actually changed in the years since your last book was published?
One important thing is geography. Especially in New York and Los Angeles, it’s not just Los Angeles’ 32nd Street or Koreatown. There are a lot of restaurants in New York’s Flat Iron, and there are restaurants in East He Village as well. LA now has restaurants downtown. One of his most exciting Korean restaurants is not in the Korean neighborhood, but in Washington DC itself.
the other one is [change] We now have a real vocabulary as diners. Korean food doesn’t necessarily mean barbecue. When we first wrote this book in 2016, it was all about this new idea: Japan has had the zeitgeist for so long, but now it’s South Korea’s turn. Ten years later, Korean food has definitely arrived. Diners have a much better IQ.
Can you tell us a little bit about what kind of research is included, specifically regarding the D.C. region?
We spent quite a bit of time with Danny Lee from Mando. I think Danny is a really important person because he’s really put in the work. He’s really someone who I feel has become a mentor to a lot of people, not just on the East Coast, but across the country. I saw him at the James Beard Awards, and Danny is surrounded by people from Korean circles from all over the United States.
I went to Juku Story [a cafe serving Korean rice porridge in Annandale], and I mentioned Annandale a little bit in this book. Angel Barreto is also there. Angel is truly unique in that he is not Korean-American, but he has a fluency in cooking unlike anyone I know. His food is very delicious.
You write in your book that Ange actually changed the way Americans viewed Korean food.
The idea for “Ange” was a drink, right? When you think of shochu, you probably think of barbecue. But what Angel does there doesn’t rely on this tried-and-true Ange method. He insists to Ange that this is a creative endeavor rather than the idea that it is just a way to sell alcohol. He’s really redefining what Ange is.
Could you tell us a little bit about the recipe you introduced in Ange?
I thought it was corn john [a crispy, cheesy corn pancake with seasoned onion salad] It was really special in that it was very original. Corn is not often seen in Korea. It is not cultivated in Korea. It’s not really a native agricultural product. She’s truly an angel. [The recipe is] It’s similar to his version of arepas, but he makes it very Korean, especially the onion salad with sesame seeds. It has a lot of Korean flavors, like green onions and ginger.
How does Northern Virginia’s Koreatown compare to other Koreatowns you’ve visited? Is there anything particularly unique about what’s happening in the area?
My impression is that Northern Virginia has one of the oldest Korean American communities in the country. Chicago used to have one, but everyone left, moved to the suburbs and spread out. Atlanta went through a little bit of that, too. Northern Virginia remained. It felt like it had spread, but I didn’t feel anything different. “Juk Story” feels like a slice of his 1990s. That’s what he was commonly seen in LA and New York in the early 2000s.
Were there any other places you explored in Annandale that you were interested in but didn’t make it into the book?
To Mr. Seokchip. It’s a “jip,” which means a house, and that’s exactly what it sounds like. This is a homely restaurant. On our trip, you won’t find it in LA, and you definitely won’t find it in New York either. And I thought the food was really delicious.I remember eating possum. [boiled pork with cabbage wraps].I remember eating some jjigae [stews] It was good. If I lived locally, I would like to go there a lot.
[At Shilla Bakery], I met the second owner. Having a second generation restaurant is really a classic story in the Korean community. A variety of cakes are made there, including layer cakes and cake slices wrapped in plastic. And then there’s East Vans, and there’s Vince. This is one of those things you may not realize you have in Annandale, but it’s something truly unique that is being lost in many Korean communities.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
food editor
Jessica Seidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and beverage scene.Before joining washingtonian In July 2016, she was the Washington City Paper’s food editor and Young & Hungry columnist. She is a Colorado native and a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania.
