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Bibimbap is one of the best-known Korean dishes. According to chef Deuki Hong and writer Matt Rodbard, there really isn’t a definitive recipe. “The name translates to ‘mixed rice,’ and, in practice, rice is the dish’s only constant,” the authors write in their new cookbook, Koreatown.
Courtesy of Clarkson Potter
Korean food is built on bold flavors: spicy pickled vegetables, sweet, smoky meats and pungent, salty stews. That can be a little intimidating for some American diners. But the authors of a new book called Koreatown hope to change that.
Deuki Hong and Matt Rodbard spent two years eating in Koreatowns, from Los Angeles to Atlanta to New York. Restaurants like Cho Dang Gol, a little place in Manhattan that’s known for its stews and house-made tofu, where we met for lunch. Rodbard ordered a bowl of kalbijjim — a short rib stew that’s savory and sweet, with a fiery kick. Hong says it’s a perfect example of Koreans cooki…