Tastes Like Home
“My favourite was their baechu jeon, which consists of a fresh, juicy wombok leaf coated in the lightest chewy batter. It was forever moreish, until you were too full to eat any more.”
– Kenny Young-Soo Son
Kenny Yong-Soo Son says..
I actually don’t remember having baechu jeon as a child. The first time I had it was during one of my trips back to the Kwangwon-do province to visit my grandmother (on my mum’s side). Kwangwon-do, situated in the north of South Korea, is a place abundant in seafood and mountain vegetables, and the street markets boast everything best that comes out of the Kwangwon province.
During trips back to the motherland, I would often make the decision to stay with my grandmother for a number of days. These visits were an opportunity for my grandmother to take me to the local street markets, as she knows how much I love to visit these markets, and she definitely loves to spoil me.
While picking out the produce for grandmother to bring back home, I would snack on the local food, sold from the many stalls scattered through the markets.
One that I would always love going back to was a stall specialising in pancakes. My favourite was their baechu jeon, which consists of a fresh, juicy wombok leaf coated in the lightest chewy batter. It was forever moreish, until you were too full to eat any more. The pancake is crispy towards the outer edges of the leaf, while the stem of the leaf is sweet and juicy. It’s perfect as a snack on its own or a great accompaniment prior to a main course.
The baechu jeon featured on our opening menu at our restaurant (Sáng by Mabasa, in Sydney’s Surry Hills) is one that is loved by many. When first planning out the Sáng menu, this dish was a must for me, and it was an immediate sensation for our customers. People sometimes assume that baechu jeon is almost too simple at first sight, but they quickly discover it is the perfect snack to start the evening.
This particular recipe speaks of memories and food back home – most especially those special market visits with my grandmother.
SÁNG BY KENNY YONG-SOO SON IS OUT NOW THROUGH HARDIE GRANT BOOKS
Published in ed#764