Consuming the Hallyu Wave : Experiences with rising trends of Korean Food in India

In circa 2021, if not every one, but the majority of the population on earth is aware of the word “K-Pop”, “K-Drama”, “Kimchi” and “BTS”. Most would deny it but they would have heard the aforementioned terminologies that are on the rise since the 2010s as a variety of cultural aspects in the form of entertainment and audio-visual media have been making literal waves across the globe.

The term Hallyu is taken from the Chinese combination of words which literally stand for “Korean Wave”. Whether it be in the form of the infamous genre and music industry of korean pop music, also well abbreviated as “K-Pop” or the countless array of dashing and charming korean actors portraying the numerous roles of the gentleman in various korean dramas, raising the standards of girls and women worldwide in settling for a significant other or it be the tantalizing, sizzling yet mouth watering korean foods from the land that produces these irresistible human resources. All these and more cultural factors are being consumed actively on a daily basis by the population around the globe, leading to an increased flow of cultural knowledge, influence and cultural flows.

Fig 1: Fermented cabbage side dish, Kimchi. Source - Google Images.

When focusing on the aspect of Korean food, initially the infamous fermented cabbage side dish also known as Kimchi was well known around the world. It had its reasons for being well known with foreigners due to its pungent smell, tangy taste and its nutritional value. Over the years due to the proliferation of other cultural factors such as korean pop music, dramas and online eating shows such as Mukbangs, more variety and the menu of the land has opened itself to the audience outside. Thus, a rise in korean ramyun, seaweed, coffee, kimchi, korean sweetmeats, chocolates and meat imports have taken place in large numbers. Due to many people and fans actively engaging in consumption and purchase of such items, restaurants specializing in Korean cuisine have popped up around the world.

Fig 2: ROAST Korean steakhouse and restobar logo. Source - Roast Instagram Page.

One such case can be seen in this account of my dining experience at ROAST Korean steakhouse and restobar. Situated in HSR Layout, Bengaluru, India, this rooftop restaurant is chic, homely and spacious in a way that it is welcoming to huge groups of people and is well ventilated for the barbecue’s going on at every table. The rooftop and ventilated setting is a plus point in the current pandemic situation too as it allows for the comfortable gathering of many people.

The occasion was my sister’s birthday (which coincidentally falls on Valentines day) and as it was an opportune moment, I decided to grab a few of my closest friends and go indulge in some beautiful Korean cuisine as we all were a) nostalgic and craving some during the lockdown and b) curious about this Hallyu wave of food and wanted to give a twist to our taste buds. So, off we went, a group of ten to this recently introduced establishment in the city of Bengaluru and as you would have guessed, had a gala of a time!

Fig 3: ROAST Korean steakhouse and restobar table setting, similar to the one we were seated on. Source - Roast Instagram Page.

There was laughter, delightful company, a few non-alcoholic beers (wink wink), lots to catch up on courtesy of the lockdown and as always, some lip smacking, curiosity inciting food. As there were quite a few “hoggers” in the group, I spared no expense and went all out. We ordered the main highlight dish, Samgyeopsal (삼겹살) which translates to three layer pork meat and Dak Galbi (닭갈비) which is spicy stir fry chicken. These are pre marinated and the server then grills them on the small burners installed on the consumer’s tables. There is an element of theatricality and cooking that takes place while eating hence making this a very fulfilling experience.

Fig 4: Samgyeopsal and side dishes. Source - Self.

As we were gobbling the succulent meats, there were also plenty of side dishes that were served along with it. One unique thing about korean cuisine is the bevy of side dishes that are served along with the main dish, making it an wholesome affair. From pickled onion slices to cheesy corn to the infamous Kimchi to the egg rolls, all the side dishes or 반찬 (Banchan) are little intervals between the main dishes, almost like little munchables to keep the consumer satisfied and not hungry in between the intervals of the dishes.

Ssamgyeopsal is eaten as a wrap where the meat is rolled into lettuce, chinese cabbage leaves or perilla leaves along with enhancers such as soybean paste, grilled garlic cloves, chillies, sauces , rice or some of the 반찬 (Banchan) and eaten like a gol-gappa in one satisfying and fulfilling bite. The consumer can choose to just gorge on the meat itself but eating it as a wrap enhances the wholeness of the experience and the dish itself. The wrap dish left the crowd in want of more hence we ordered some more korean dishes and some fusion ones. Among the other korean specialties was Dak Kkochi (닭꼬치) or Chicken Skewers. As the name suggests, succulent marinated chicken pieces are grilled on skewers which are called Kkochi and are eaten as a go to snack. Alongside, another great dish is Pajeon (파전) or Korean pancakes which are flour based vegetable and seafood pancakes. The word ‘pa’ denotes onions or scallions which the dish is predominantly made up of.

Fig 5: Dak Kkochi (닭꼬치) and Pajeon (파전). Source - Roast Instagram Page.

As told before, we were totally indulgent in the food experience hence we ordered a few more dishes. We were presented with a Bokkeum Bap (볶음밥) which translates to fried rice quite literally. Along with it we got two fusion dishes which were a beef teriyaki burger and a chicken sizzler. Both were phenomenal like the rest of the menu we consumed and soon all our bellies were full and our hearts more than satisfied with the spoils of a foreign cuisine and some homely chats and company.

Fig 6: Bokkeum Bap (볶음밥) . Source - Google Images.

Fig 7: Beef Teriyaki Burger. Source - Self.

Fig 8: Chicken Sizzler. Source - Self.

Thus, there ended my experience with Korean food in India. It is rare to find a certain taste of “authenticity”, if we can call it that, from the native place of its origin. After residing in South Korea for nearly a year and after a gap of three years I was able to stumble upon some good and close to the taste spectrum of authentic Korean food in my homeland.

It is through restaurants and outlets such as these that those who are not exactly a part of the “wave” mentioned before, get to connect with aspects of their gastronomical nostalgia and cherish those good old days through the journey undertaken by their taste buds.