Annyeong, Vibrant Korean delicacies take over Chennai

CHENNAI: The Hallyu wave, the Korean wave, has already impacted the people in Chennai. Folks from various walks of life are going gaga over Korean dramas, BTS, purple colour and many more. This wave has influenced the culinary industry as well. One can witness a lot of Korean-based restaurants opening in the city.

To add more to the Korean vibe, A2 at The Park is running a food festival. Titled Obangsaek, the fest revolves around the traditional Korean concept of five colours, that indicate lifestyle, culture, history and health. The colours include blue, red, white, black and yellow. White symbolises purity, black represents wisdom, blue denotes youth, red signifies energy and yellow shows earth. These colours are believed to ensure a nutritional balance, and adhering to Obangsaek provides holistic well-being, both physically and spiritually.

Director of food production, chef Ashutosh Nerlekar curated the special menu showcasing authentic flavours. “We have stuck to original Korean ingredients and recipes. Just like any other Asian cuisine, Korean involves a lot of grilled meats and the ingredients talk for themselves more than anything else,” he shares.

Quick cooking and freshness are associated with Korean cuisine. “Pan frying, shallow frying, grilling, and steaming are the few cooking techniques in the cuisine,” adds the chef. Talking about the growing Korean restaurants in the city, he states, “Nowadays, with the advent of social media, one simple thing can be a wildfire. You never really know what will happen in the future. But practically speaking, the cuisine needs some more time for acceptance. The ingredients are expensive, which results in dishes being costly. So, this might not be a comfort food for everybody all day.”

We started with the refreshing subak hawache, which has strawberries, watermelon and soda. Korean foods are known for their spice levels. We tried the southern African country’s famous street food, tteok ko chi. Chewy rice dumplings are kept on skewers and brushed with gochujang-based sauce, adding to the spicyness.

A toasted sandwich with a well-cooked egg, cabbage, cheese, scallion and carrot, gilgeori toast is a balanced one bite. The jumeok bap, which is basically the Korean rice balls with spicy chicken filling, paired with chilli sauce is a must-try. Gimmari is fried seaweed rolls, packed with noodles, tofu and vegetables that were crispy and went well with the chilli dip. The gujeolpan was exciting as we had to make our own wraps with the available fillings. The think crepes were subtle.

In the end, the shaved ice cubes with berries and real fruit toppings were divine and concluded the whole experience with a sweet note.

Savour the culinary delights of South Korea at the Obangsaek food festival, taking place at A2 The Park, Nungambakkam, till July 6.