I’m about to impart some wisdom, so listen up: Korean is IN. And if you didn’t know, now you know. Korea is the source of the hottest cultural exports right now, from film to food. In that vein, I have been on a week-long hansik (traditional Korean cuisine) bender, forming the quintessential list. The search for good bibimbap is a noble quest. The classic Korean coastal dish of white rice topped with veggies and chili paste is a Western favourite, featured on many a menu. But if you want it served more traditionally, Han Sung on Great Strand Street, a hide-out at the back of the Asian market, is where to go. The place is deliciously cramped and delightfully authentic. In this canteen-style eatery, they serve food on a tray and the bibimbap in a sweltering granite bowl. It is decked with beef slices, julienned vegetables, and a lusciously runny egg. Just smash the yolk, pour the chilli, and you are good to go. Hot and spicy, your only option is to shovel it down, a task made easier by the fact that,even traditionally, it is eaten with a spoon.

Brothers Dosirak are proud providers of ‘lunch-box’ Korean, which we la-la-love. It is yet another obscurely-located grubbery, hiding at the back of Super Asian Foods on Capel Street. The place is small and even a spot at the counter is coveted — but these are preferable anyway since you’re looking right into the kitchen. The sibilance of the bubbling water and the hazy orange flames would be atmosphere enough. Yet still they dress to impress, with aesthetic meal presentation on long wooden trays, ticking nearly all the boxes: rice, meat or fish, veg, kimchi (spicy fermented cabbage), and even dessert. They are championing simple flavours and essential nourishment. Really, you can’t beat it.

If you really want to push the boat out, try Arisu on Capel Street for Korean BBQ. Bulgogi (grilled beef), a traditionally Northern dish, makes a dazzling appearance. Its marinade performs a dulcet serenade as it sizzles on the grill. Or stop in at Kimchi Hophouse for japchae, Korea’s special occasion food, stir-fried glass noodles slick with sesame and soy. Oh, and don’t forget friends! Get some soju (a clear spirit, traditionally served neat) and have a laugh, but receive it with both hands — we are not barbarians.

 

This review previously featured in our print edition, available now across campus and in select locations across Dublin.