In pictures: Korean street food at the Korean Culture Days in Brussels – Culinair
For two days you can get acquainted with Korean culture on Brouckèreplein and especially enjoy Korean street food. The Korean Culture Days are currently taking place there, in honor of the 120th anniversary of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Belgium.
San-Ho Park of Table d’Ho © San-Ho Park of Table d’Ho
Table d’Ho’s San-Ho Park never disappoints: the chef prepares plant-based and original Korean dishes. In his food truck he introduces the public to tteokbokki: a very accessible snack.
Table D’Ho © Table D’Ho
Tteokbokki may not ring a bell. In South Korea, however, this is one of the snacks. It consists of rice cake sticks, gochujang paste (a type of fermented paste), but also chili flakes, onions and an egg. Deliciously creamy and spicy, an absolute must.
ChoolChool-i © ChoolChool-i
Kwang Joon Choi and his family have been running the Korea restaurant in Zaventem for years. On the Korean culture days they present one of the knowledge of Korea. ‘Gimbap is the durum of Korea’, says the young man. ‘It’s ideal as a snack for lunch.’
school-i © Schoolschool-i
Gimbap looks like sushi, but it’s not quite. Like sushi, it involves rice rolled in wavy seaweed with various other ingredients as the inner filling. Many more variations of fillings exist than sushi. For example, you can put bulgogi (beef) in it, along with spinach, omelet, cucumber, carrots, and kimchi (fermented cabbage).
Kimchi Korean soul food © Kimchi Korean Soul Food
And speaking of kimchi: this food truck prepares everything with fermented cabbage. You could say that kimchi is a symbol of South Korea. This company is run by Korean women. From pancakes to kimchi hot dogs. Something for everyone at Korean Soul Food.
Korean soul food © Korean Soul Food
The kimchi pancake, ‘Kimchijeon’, is a must for those who find the threshold too big to taste kimchi directly. It is soft and the taste of the fermented cabbage is not so strong. Such a pancake is delicious for lunch, in between and even as a side dish, next to a salad for example.
Fried chicken © Fried Chicken
Fried chicken is considered the ultimate comfort food in South Korea. It is often consumed with a cold beer. At Korean Soul Food Foodtruck, you get it with a little kimchi and sesame seeds.
Hana restaurant © Hana Restaurant
This couple is fifty. They have been running restaurant Hana in the heart of Brussels for more than twenty years. They also offer a wide range of options: from bibimbap (mixed rice) to bulgogi (beef dish). For those who can’t choose, there is also a plate ‘vanalles’: glass noodles, rice, kimchi and spicy bulgogi.
Youngsup Korea © Youngsup Korea
At one of the stands you can taste Korean rice wine and other traditional liqueurs. They are important in Korean culture. The Jungwondang brand has been producing a type of rice wine for four generations, and the brand was recently praised in the Korean press. The representative and owner – on the occasion of the Korean culture days – traveled to our country. “It is very unusual to find places where you can taste liqueurs even in South Korea,” says one organizer. So that something is possible in our country is something that you only experience once in your life. Hurry is the message!