CreatripTeam

Chef Kim Dong-gi visits Midam Hansang in Hongje-dong, a busy neighborhood restaurant famous for traditional, nostalgia-rich dishes like borigulbi (dried, barley-aged yellow croaker) and ganjang gejang (soy-marinated crab). The writer recalls youthful memories of hotel kitchen training nearby and praises the restaurant’s passion, generous set menus, and thoughtfully composed single-dish options such as deodeok (a Korean root) in spicy pork stir-fry and nutty perilla oil–dressed cockles. A highlight is enjoying borigulbi with green-tea nurungji (scorched rice) — its aged, chewy texture and balanced saltiness evoke deep flavor and tradition. The piece also shares a fusion recipe idea: spaghetti topped with pan-seared yellow croaker and anchovy-garlic butter, blending Korean fish with Italian pasta.