San Francisco chefs Deuki Hong and Matt Rodbard share their broccoli recipes

When San Francisco chef Daewoo Hong and New York author Matt Rodbard co-wrote their first cookbook, “Koreatown,” the cooking website Tasting Table called the duo “the evangelists Korean food needs to become the next culinary blockbuster.”

That was 2016, and their new book, Koreaworld, captures how the Korean culinary landscape has already changed dramatically.

You can see it in Korea, Koreatowns across the U.S., and here in the Bay Area. One of San Francisco’s biggest food developments in 2021 was the arrival of H Mart. A year later, former Chronicle restaurant critic Soleil Ho commented on the spate of new Korean restaurant openings that were having an “indelible impact” on the area, from upscale barbecue joint San Ho Won (where getting a reservation still feels like playing a speedy video game) to tofu specialist Ju De Vu. More recently, a wave of trendy and highly specialized Korean restaurants have opened, featuring heaps of fluffy ice cubes, bingsu, and fluffy egg sandwiches.

Some would say it’s thanks to the so-called Korean Wave, a worldwide boom in movies, TV, pop, cosmetics and fashion, while others would say the public is simply catching up to what many already knew: Korean food, made with simmering stews and deeply flavorful fermented foods, is incredibly delicious.

Koreaworld presents a look at modern Korean cuisine, weaving together regional specialties and modern twists. Like the food, the book is confident and inventive. It reads more like a glossy magazine than a traditional cookbook. There are short profiles of chefs like Clara Lee and Ed Kim from San Francisco’s Queens borough, as well as thematic chapters on tourist-favorite Jeju cuisine, plant-based temple food, and rice dishes. South Korea’s surprisingly impressive coffee scene is well-received, along with a nod to street snacks like cheese-stuffed corn dogs.

Hong, who owns Neighbor Bakehouse in San Francisco, ice cream shop Sunday Social and Sunday Bakeshop in Oakland, took research trips to Korea in 2021 and 2022 with Taste editor Rod Bird. Korean food trends are notorious for changing surprisingly quickly, but the recipe selection feels fresh compared to many other Korean cookbooks: radish kimchi granita, shiso leaf pesto, honey butter corn ribs, kimchi-braised short rib pappardelle and baby anchovy-crusted fried chicken. A simple temple-style broccoli salad slathered in spicy mayonnaise might just become your new potluck favorite.

The photos are vivid and depict real life in Korea and across the United States, rather than the typical staged shots in a studio. But if you’re an avid home cook, you might find the staging a bit frustrating. Often you see the food that inspired the recipe, rather than the actual dish you’re making. It might be a close-up of a restaurant, or a scene of people eating at a market stall. For example, a recipe for egg and cheese toast is accompanied by a great image of the sandwich in Queens. But the former San Francisco restaurant spreads more ingredients on the sandwich, including raspberry jam, so your sandwich will be completely different.

Still, “Koreaworld” feels like a unique snapshot for lovers of Korean food, and even if you don’t end up cooking much as a result of the book, it’ll make for an enjoyable and enlightening cultural read.

Contact Janelle Bitker: janelle.bitker@sfchronicle.com; Twitter: @janellebitker

When we visited the chefs at Hwaeomsa Temple, there were vegetables everywhere: from the garden, from the basement, and even dried and souped up. Broccoli is one of those staples, and this salad really surprised us. We loved the ssamjang mayonnaise drizzled generously on top of the blanched broccoli. We didn’t ask if the mayonnaise was vegan, but we suspect it is, so use your favorite vegan brand (we go for the Kewpie brand, which is egg-based, super tasty, and full of MSG). Ssamjang is a condiment that’s always on the table at KBBQ. But when it’s transformed into mayonnaise, it can be used in so many different ways: slathered on burgers and sandwiches, served on a veggie tray, or drizzled generously on top of blanched broccoli, as we do here. We love this recipe and just have to keep making this salad when we have guests over. — Duqi Hong and Matt Rodbard

1 cup Kewpie mayonnaise

Chop the broccoli into bite-sized pieces. (Or, buy a bag or two of pre-cooked broccoli to save time.)

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli florets and cook for 1 minute, but not longer. Drain and rinse under cold running water for 1-2 minutes. This stops the cooking and keeps the broccoli lush green. Dry the broccoli completely. This is important so any remaining water doesn’t mix with the salad dressing.

To make the dressing, combine mayonnaise, doenjang, gochujang, and oil in a small bowl.

Pour the dressing over the broccoli, or if you want to make it like the temple cooks do, place a small spoonful of dressing on top of each floret to create a pattern.