Bloorcourt Style

Originally heading to Uptown for some Korean noodles at Mot Na Sen on Friday, I was invited to sample some home-cooked Korean food instead. The dishes were familar from Korean restaurants, but there were a few surprises.

The mashed potato was made from sweet potato and was a little too sweet for me as a side-dish. The kalbi beef didn't have a slight smokiness from grilling, but it was tender and toothsome. The Korean maki made a nice appetizer, and was even better the next day. The fried korean pancakes were a bit bland and could have used some hot spices. My favourite dish was myulchi bokkeum, dried anchovies stir-fried with honey and walnuts. This version had tiny anchovies resembling plant roots. What a delicious combination of salty, fishy, and sweet. Add some pickled bean sprout and roasted peanuts, and it had a great mouth-feel. The other tasty food item was a sweet rice drink called Sikhye that contained pine nuts.

I also learned that to reheat leftover Korean maki without the dryness of microwaved food, coat the maki with beaten egg and pan fry the rolls.