K-razy kiya re

In 2019 when Crash Landing On You a love story between a South Korean heiress and a North Korean army officer aired on Netflix it took the Internet by storm The next thing we knew everyone watching the series was making or eating fried chicken because thatrsquos what everyone on the show ate Ramyun or Koreanstyle spicy noodle soup is another constant across all the Korean or Kdramas and viewers tell us that each of these soupy bowls is different because it has the characterrsquos favourite ingredientsJogeshwaribased sisters Afra Zeba and Qaailah Patel started Seoul Express a Korean delivery kitchen during the pandemicIt was during the same pandemicinduced lockdown that Jogeshwaribased sisters Afra Zeba and Qaailah Patel took their love for Kfood to the next level by starting a delivery kitchen called Seoul Express Afra tells us ldquoAlmost all Kdramasmdashincluding Inheritors Reply 1988 and Vincenzomdashfeature the lead character eating ramen at a convenience store or cooking it at homerdquoSwasti Agarwal FampB Strategist Foodhall IndiaVadim Shin head chef Yazu is of KoreanRussian ancestry In his opinion Korean food culture in India is well accepted because it is spicy tangy and full of flavours perfect for the Indian palate ldquoMost Korean food lovers at the restaurant ask for kimchi and a bottle of Soju In addition I get requests for kimchi soup or dubu kinchi which we added recently to our new menu with vegetarian chicken and pork options Having said that Korean desserts are not well introduced in India because they have a specific accent in flavours similar to that of a Japanese dessert and it may not be to the local liking but who knows they may catch up soon toordquo said ShinKorean noodles in a cup PicsSuresh KKSoohel Sudiwala owner of Unclersquos Shop at Crawford Market stocks gourmet food from around the world He tells us about how the demand for Korean ingredients has increased in the last two years It has led him to stock Nongshim Shin Super Spicy Ramen Buldak Creamy Carbonara Samyang FourCheese Buldak and Samyang Korean Ramen to name a few ldquoMost school and college students ask for spicy ramen labelled 2x3x and more spice levels and are often heard discussing their threshold for spice like it is some kind of a challenge The older ones often come with a list that includes gochujang hot chilli paste Rs 550 ssamJang seasoned soybean paste Rs 500 doenjang soybean paste Rs 500 glass noodles Rs 300 tteokbokki Rs 1000 and soba noodles Rs 150rdquo informs SudiwalaDried shitake mushroomsFood blogger and Bangtan Boys BTS fan Sayalee Padwal did know about kimchi ramen and Jajangmyeon before 2020 but after visiting Korean restaurants like Sun and Moon Korean in Worli and Heng Bok Bandra she fell in love with budaejjigae Rs 1400 tteokbokki Rs 800 gimbap Rs 500 jjajangmyeon Rs 700 and samgyeopsal Rs 800Foodhallrsquos spin on the Nongshim Ramyum had ramen stirred up with shitake tofu pak choi scallions fried garlic toasted sesame and sesame oilPadwal tells us ldquoAfter watching KDramas I began to understand South Korean cuisine better Then brands like Urban Platter started promoting their existing Korean products via social media I wanted to try my hand at making something like kimchi at home and I turned to Amazon and Big Basket that sold the ingredients which I needed However these ingredients are more expensive than say things needed to make pasta or a cheesecake but as more brands and pages on Instagram such as koreansnacks_garden koreansnackshub and uri_magic_shop are entering the market the prices are getting competitive making the cuisine more accessible to fans like merdquoKimchiTo ensure their instant ramen didnrsquot taste homemade the Seoul Express sisters came up with a secret sauce to add a unique flavour Qaailah says ldquoBibimbap is another dish we picked up from Vincenzo When we observed them eating instant version in the last episode we knew we had to make it Gochujang paste is the most famous Korean ingredient and naturally that was the first one we tried Also it is so versatilemdashit can be found in rice dipping sauces soups and stewsrdquoUdon NoodlesAll their raw materials such as sesame oil from Gujarat seeds exotic vegetables and meats are locally sourced as for pastes and sauces they source them from various wholesalers across Mumbai ldquoMaking the Korean pastes is an acquired art and needs expertise maybe we will start to make them in the future however we do make our kimchi and the sauces inhouse When it comes to spicy food Indians have a higher tolerance level so when recreating any of the spicy dishes using kimchimdashlike a stew or a ramyunmdashone can try dried red chilli flakes coarse powder not very finely ground instead of Gochugaru to get that spicy hitrdquo suggests AfraSaylee PadwalOne of the most popular dishes on their menu is the Korean fried chicken Rs 325 which they create in four different stylesmdashGangnam style with sweet and sour sauce kkanpunggi with hot garlic sauce dak gangjeong with sweet spicy and tangy sauce and of course the classic with the sweet chilli dipping sauce While the usual notion is that Korean cuisine is mostly for nonvegetarians their menu breaks that stereotype by adding dishes such as gamja jorim braised potatoes coated with sweet and salty sauce Rs 250 and beoseot gangjeong fried mushrooms in gochujang sauce Rs 300 from the lesserknown Korean TempleCuisine Patel adds ldquoWith most orders we get requests for extra kimchi with most orders as that is the most famous side dish seen on Kdramas Another frequent request is kimchi stew that is paired with a bowl of rice We are now in fact working on adding it to our regular menurdquoChef Vadim ShinIn February Foodhall hosted a Korean food festival Speaking about the growing popularity of Korean food Swasti Agarwal FampB Strategist at Foodhall India said ldquoThe usage of native Korean ingredients such as gochujang can be confusing for customers as they have complicated names and a new flavour palate that is new to them Even if they know the ingredients they arenrsquot always sure how to incorporate them into their meals This is why we aim to make consuming Korean dishes simple f our cuisine festivals by introducing easytouse essentials such as gochujang mayo curry puffs marinated meats for barbecues and morerdquoSoohel Sudiwala PicSuresh KKDuring this festival they hosted various workshops where inhouse experts educated their guests about the various Korean products To take this experience to the next level they also designed a special menu for a week at The Cafe by Foodhall It featured dishes such as Barbecue Korean flatbread mushrooms in barbeque sauce homemade kimchi gochujang tomato sauce sliced onions mozzarella scallions and cilantro Klassic Pajeon a savoury Korean pancake stuffed with zucchini carrots and scallions served with ssamjang sauce and Kimchifried Avocado Toast sourdough with gochujang topped with kimchi and tahini avocado and garnished with toasted sesame and microgreens Their hottest selling dish was the fiery ramyun called The Nongshim Ramyum offering ramen noodles stirred up with shitake tofu pak choi scallions fried garlic toasted sesame and sesame oil and a close second was the bulgogi bowl Korean sticky rice crispy bulgogi sweet potato spinach kimchi scallions gochujang toasted sesame seeds and sesame oil with kimchi and ssamjangCrawford Marketrsquos Unclersquos Shop stocks gourmet food from around the world PicSuresh KKWhere to shopLooking to buy Korean snacks or make a spicy bowl of kimchi Ramyun Shop here to get all your ingredients in placeKorean ShopThis online store has a great repository of instant noodles including spicy ones and readytocook meals They also store snacks such as pepero pocky sticks as well as seaweed in various flavours that can be had with rice and can be a perfect healthy snack to go with your drinksPrice Rs 580 for five instant ramenShop koreanshopinKS FoodsThis Delhibased brand delivers all over the country and also has a physical store in Gurgaon Unlike the others this one is in sync with the current trends and stores items that can appeal to the BTS army including souvenirs stationary and even gift packs for Klovers across the age group They offer combos for cooking your favourite Kdrama foodsPrice Rs 600 for the original Hot Chicken Ramen by SamyangShop ksfoodscoinKorikartIf we had to compare we would call Korikart the BigBasket of Korean stuff Whatever you see on the showsmdashbeauty products food clothes kitchenware file style products et al you will find it all here They also have a special section called KoriKartTV where you can watch and shop But if you had to put your money into buying something odd they have a shower water filter that not just purifies the water but also infuses it with vitamin c and lemon essencePrice Rs 650 for a pack of 5 Hot Chicken Flavour RamenShop korikartcomUrban PlatterIf you are looking at getting veganvegetarianfriendly Korean products then this is a place for you They have over 2500 products on the site but they make it very easy to navigate through by tagging their Korean items all under one tab You wonrsquot find instant ramyun here but they do have everything that you might need to make the traditional dishes such as kimchi kimbap stew et alPrice Rs 595 for a box of Classic Gochujang Hot Chilli Paste 500gmShop urbanplatterin