Korean-Hawaiian Techniques

Won bok (napa cabbage) is salted, drained, then mixed with Korean chili flakes (gochugaru), garlic, ginger, fish sauce, and sugar. The mixture is packed into jars and fermented at room temperature for one to seven days. Hawaiian kim chee is generally fermented shorter than Korean kimchi, producing a milder, fresher flavour.

Kalbi (already HI-35) in detail: flanken-cut beef short ribs marinated in soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, pear (the pear tenderises the meat enzymatically), and green onion. Marinated for a minimum of two hours (overnight is better). Grilled over high heat for two to three minutes per side. The sugar caramelises on the meat, creating the characteristic sweet-savoury char. Kalbi is the most popular plate lunch protein in Hawaiʻi.

Korean banchan (small side dishes) arrived with Korean immigrants and became embedded in Hawaiian dining: kim chee (HI-61), namul (seasoned vegetables), japchae (glass noodles), and various pickled dishes. In Hawaiian-Korean restaurants, banchan is served automatically with the main dish. The banchan tradition reinforces the Hawaiian value of abundance — a table full of small dishes signals generosity.