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.
Author
Deuki Hong
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.
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Matt Rodbard
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.
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