Cookbook Review: Koreatown by Deuki Hong & Matt Rodbard #4Star #cooking #bookreview @deukihong @mattrodbard

Title: Koreatown: A Cookbook
Author: Deuki Hong & Matt Rodbard
Publisher: Potter Books
Genre: Cooking, How-To
Release Date: February 16th 2016
Source: Blogging for Books

This is not your average soft-focus “journey to Asia” kind of cookbook. Koreatown is a spicy, funky, flavor-packed love affair with the grit and charm of Korean cooking in America. Koreatowns around the country are synonymous with mealtime feasts and late-night chef hangouts, and Deuki Hong and Matt Rodbard show us why with stories, interviews, and over 100 delicious, super-approachable recipes.

It’s spicy, it’s fermenty, it’s sweet and savory and loaded with umami: Korean cuisine is poised to break out in the U.S., but until now, Korean cookbooks have been focused on taking readers to an idealized Korean fantasyland. Koreatown, though, is all about what’s real and happening right here: the foods of Korean American communities all over our country, from L.A. to New York City, from Atlanta to Chicago. We follow Rodbard and Hong through those communities with stories and recipes for everything from beloved Korean barbecue favorites like bulgogi and kalbi to the lesser-known but deeply satisfying stews, soups, noodles, salads, drinks, and the many kimchis of the Korean American table.

Before I requested this for review my husband and I decided that it was time to start trying new foods. We really like Chinese food and thought that Korean would be pretty close to it, so we jumped at the chance to get this and review it. However, to us, it was anything but. With recipes for octopus and squid, we pretty much were done looking at it. But some recipes did catch our eye, mainly the ones that dealt with the Ramen noodles and Korean BBQ. 

This book was well put together, with a great introduction, a lengthy section about both authors and beautiful photos of the food. It even has a glossary in the back with translations of what food is, and above each recipe it displays its Korean name along with the American name.

If you are feeling adventurous or love Korean food, I would definitely say this book is for you.

Disclaimer: *I received a copy of this book for free from Blogging for Books to review, this in no way influenced my review, all opinions are 100% honest and my own.

 At 15, Hong worked as a line cook under Aarón Sanchez at Centrico in New York City before heading to the Culinary Institute Of America. After graduating near the top of his class, he cooked under David Chang at Momofuku Noodle Bar before two years on the line at Michelin three-starred Jean-Georges. A young, rising star chef, Hong is currently executive chef of the smash-hit Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong in Manhattan’s Koreatown. He's recently been recognized as an Eater Young Gun and named to the Zagat 30 Under 30 list.



For over a decade Rodbard has written magazine and online features about restaurants, chefs, drinks, music, cooking and travel. His writing has appeared in Bon Appétit, Travel & Leisure, Saveur, Men's Journal, Fodors and Tasting Table, and he currently serves as Contributing Editor at Food Republic.