Reykjavík Grapevine - 21.06.2019, Qupperneq 45

A Lesson
In Korean
Chef Lim Ji Yeon takes over
Ramen Momo for a night
Words: Shruthi Basappa Photo: Art Bicnick
Ramen Momo
This was a one-off, so, sorry, you
missed it! Maybe next time
It’s one of those warm summer
days we’ve been enjoying lately in
Reykjavík. The guests of Ramen
Momo sit around the counter, smil-
ing as we each discover the little
square place cards with our names
written in Korean, laid out by slen-
der silk pockets holding chopsticks.
Chef Lim Ji Yeon is an industri-
ous blur behind the
bar. Her husband,
Park Min Jae, assists.
They’re newlyweds,
hav ing arrived in
Reykjavík for their
honeymoon. For one
night only, they also
prepared a Korean
honeymoon dinner
pop-up at Ramen
Momo.
The meal is peppered with won-
derful details, big and small. The
silver chopsticks feature mating
cranes; the brass cups tradition-
ally used for soju instead contain
a hearty kimchi soondubu jjigae.
We’re served refills of maesil cha—
a sweet, sparkly fermented plum
tea. The details manage to create a
vibrant Korean atmosphere.
Tasty harmony
“People still don’t know much
about Korean food,” says Lim, soft-
ly. “But I’m very proud of Korean
culture and cuisine. That’s why I
started teaching foreigners about
our food.”
Erna Pétursdóttir, the chef-own-
er of Ramen Momo, met Chef Lim
in Seoul, South Korea, when she
attended a course at Lim’s culinary
school. A pearlescent pork mandu
arrives as we speak, carefully pleat-
ed in the traditional
half-moon shape, “for
good luck,” says Min
Jae.
“Korean food is
harmonious food,”
Lim continues. “Har-
mony with health,
a n d t h e s e a s on s .
Nowadays people care
about their health,
but Korean food has
always been so. We don’t deep-fry a
lot. We steam and blanch. We think
about colour when we cook and
when we eat—red, yellow, green,
black and white.” She pauses be-
fore continuing. “But the last pil-
lar is taste—we take care that it
looks good and tastes good.” Lim
smiles over the colourful gimbap
and seaweed rice rolls that embody
the healthy and colourful spirit of
Korean cuisine.
Beautiful banchan
Images of a traditional Korean
spread—or banchan—are quite
well-known. But what is banchan?
“It comes from our focus on rice,”
says Lim. “Korean meals always
have rice, soup, and multiple sides.
In Western countries, you serve
in courses; but in Korea, we serve
everything at once. You can pick
what you want—a little bit of meat,
a little salad, a little kimchi—to
make your own flavour with every
bite. And most importantly, you
can share with everyone.”
Contrary to popular belief,
kimchi is a catch-all term for any
fermented vegetable. At the pop-
up, we’re served a trio of kimchi—
crunchy cucumbers, classic Napa
cabbage and a funky radish kimchi.
It also turns out that South Ko-
rea is the only country in the world
that enjoys fermented skate besides
Iceland. “My hometown is famous
for Hongeo,” Lim confesses. “We
eat it fermented, raw and thinly
sliced, with kimchi. We prepare it
in many ways, too, either steamed,
or in soups.’’ Something to try for
the next Þorláksmessa perhaps?
Misunderstood cuisine
Despite the absence of a dedicated
restaurant, Korean cuisine enjoys
a cult popularity in Iceland. But, as
with most non-European cuisines,
misunderstandings abound.
“One misunderstanding is that
all Korean food is spicy,’’ says Lim,
laughing. “And okay, it is spicy, but
we have dishes that aren’t. I hope
that more people will enjoy Korean
food. A lot of people confuse it with
Chinese and Japanese food. They
are geographical neighbours, but
we have our own distinct food cul-
ture.”
And after this meal, we leave
hoping to taste more of it in Reyk-
javík.
45The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 10— 2019
Feeding the city's craving for authentic Korean food
“Korean food
is harmonious
with health,
and the
seasons.”
ÓÐINSTORG | 101 | REYKJAVÍK | ÍSLAND
SNAPSBISTRO.IS | +354 5116677
FRENCH ONION SOUP
Icelandic Ísbúi cheese, croûtons
2.390 kr.
MOULES MARINIÈRES
steamed mussels from Breiðafjörður
2.600 kr.
FISH OF THE DAY
chef´s special
3.890 kr.
Lunch offer from 11:30 - 14:00 1.990 kr.
EST. 2012REYKJAVIK