Notes about Recipes in this book

• Pan-seared rib eye with gochujang butter

  • amandaeats on April 25, 2022

    Very easy, very delicious. I had this with the kimchi baked potatoes and a vinegar Cabbage salad. Yum!

  • Mrs. L on June 03, 2022

    So simple but that butter is everything. Make a lot. I put it on everything lol

  • intrepidfox on July 24, 2022

    Simple and delicious but I couldn't really taste the gochujang.

  • rmardel on February 01, 2023

    Simple. Good technique for the steak. I couldn't really taste the gochujang and think the steak would be better simply seasoned with gochugaru before cooking.

  • dosojosazules on April 17, 2023

    Delicious. Easy and effective way to cook a rib eye

• Gochujang-buttered radish toast

  • SheilaS on April 03, 2022

    This was a good flavor combo though I had big watermelon radishes and a smallish loaf of sourdough so I probably should have cut the radishes differently

  • Phebax on October 15, 2025

    Good use of radishes that were languishing in my fridge. I liked this a lot. I shaved the radishes suuuper thinly on a mandoline, and I think I could have gone a little thicker to make them more prominent. Still, this was a delicious snack.

• Soft-scrambled egg toast

  • SheilaS on April 03, 2022

    I didn't think I would care for sugar in the eggs and indeed, I would not do it again. I served all three toasts together so it was OK for a little variety

• Roasted-seaweed avocado toast

  • SheilaS on April 03, 2022

    I thought this was the best of the three toast recipes. A good paring with the radish toasts, too. I'd happily make this again and maybe put an egg on it.

  • intrepidfox on July 24, 2022

    This was easy to make and very satisfying. Would definitely make again.

• Creamy bucatini with roasted seaweed

  • SheilaS on January 03, 2023

    This is a super easy but somewhat decadent pantry pasta that can be ready as quickly as any carbonara or cacio e pepe. It can be a simple bowl of comfort food or turned into a meal by tossing in some green beans or other veg. Do not be alarmed at the amount of seaweed. It will look like a lot but it's the perfect amount once mixed up. Also, Eric says the gochugaru is optional. I believe it's the perfect finishing touch and should not be missed!

  • bernalgirl on January 28, 2023

    I doubled the recipe to feed a family of four. After reading reviews that it was 1-note, I added a solid handful of scallions and grated Parmesan cheese, and was generous with the gochugaru and black pepper, adding gochugaru while mixing it together and to finish. I also stirred in a bag of chopped, de-stemmed baby spinach. With these changes, we loved it and would absolutely make this again. The crumbled gim to finish adds a wonderfully addictive salinity that plays well with the spinach.

  • mooo42 on May 28, 2024

    Added msg and doenjang to give some oomph. Could have used a bit more. Great technique.

  • yaleksly on July 11, 2024

    Very good. I added mushrooms for a little extra, and decreased the amount of heavy cream by a quarter as it felt excessive for the amount of pasta. Everything else I kept the same, though while tasting for seasoning I felt it really needed some acidity so added a squeeze of lemon and it was perfect. Going into our dinner rotation!

• Gochugaru shrimp and roasted-seaweed grits

  • SheilaS on April 08, 2022

    This fun take on shrimp & grits added enough flavor from the non-traditional ingredients that I didn't even miss the bacon! I used regular grits (Jimmy Red from Marsh Hen Mill) instead of the quick cooking version.

  • Dannausc on May 02, 2022

    Super quick and easy. Good and tasty.

  • bwilcox on August 10, 2022

    My mom and aunties favorite! Very celebratory. For a more vegetarianish version sub in mushrooms for shrimp

  • pattyatbryce on January 04, 2023

    I really liked the shrimp. The seaweed overpowered the grits and I wasn't as much of a fan.

  • RachaelHeath09 on April 30, 2023

    This recipe is a hit in my house. My husband and I make it all the time and even our 3 year old loves it. We always double it.

• Maple-candied Spam

  • Mrs. L on June 03, 2022

    The sweet maple syrup with the salty Spam is a great combo.

  • SheilaS on January 12, 2023

    I may have cut the Spam a bit thinner than 1/4" as it browned up in less time than the recipe. It was shatteringly crisp, which I enjoyed but I'll watch the thickness and the cooking time if I make it again.

• Jalapeño-marinated chicken tacos with watermelon muchim

  • bernalgirl on August 21, 2025

    The family really enjoyed this unexpected combination. I plan to use the marinade on skewered chicken and perhaps fish. I love jalapeños and the flavor really comes through. I doubled the dressing ingredients on the muchin and added Chinese chives to garnish. Very tasty!

  • Nrnarayan on September 03, 2025

    I made this into a taco bowl with rice for easier meal prep. Turn on your broiler for the last five minutes for perfect color. Turned out amazing, but I was very spicy for me even though I seeded the jalapeño first before making the marinade!

• A lot of cabbage with curried chicken cutlets

  • amandaeats on April 25, 2022

    ONLY MADE THE CABBAGE so far, but I’ll be making this dish with leftover cabbage all the time now.

  • Ileana on September 10, 2022

    The cabbage slaw is so simple and delicious. Would totally make it on its own. Same goes for the sauce - next time I’ll make extra! I found that the curry and seasonings were too fine to mix well with the panko breading. Next time, I’ll mix them into the mayo/mustard so they more are evenly distributed on the chicken. This was a super easy and delicious meal that came together quickly. The chicken, slaw, sauce and cutlet would make a great sandwich, too.

  • KarinaFrancis on September 28, 2022

    Simple and a delicious twist on schnitzel and salad. The sauce was so good, it reminded me of okonomiaki sauce, I was tempted to drizzle on a little kewpie (I didn’t) I took Ileana’s advice and added the curry and garlic powder to the mayonnaise.

  • JoanN on December 22, 2022

    Liked this much more than I wanted to since I hate the breading process. Although I was cooking for one, I made two cutlets and froze one of them as he says in the intro that his mother used to do with pork cutlets. It worked brilliantly and I would definitely do that again. Couldn't really taste the curry in the breading, but I liked the flavor as it was. And unlike some others, I had no difficulty mixing the curry and garlic powders into the panko; it seemed well-enough distributed to me. I usually dislike catsup, but this sauce works so well with the cutlet I went back for more. And yes, the cabbage is a real keeper. I, too, will be making it often as a slaw variation.

  • pattyatbryce on January 04, 2023

    I loved the cabbage! Served it with the gochugaru shrimp and grits from the same book. I'll make the chicken another day.

  • SheilaS on January 11, 2023

    I made this with tofu (the teriyaki baked tofu from Trader Joe's) and it worked out very well. The breading is flavorful and crispy, the cabbage bright and crunchy and the sauce is sweet and tangy. Perfect combination of flavors and textures.

  • Soulkitchenjen on March 14, 2023

    The cutlets were excellent. Well flavored and crispy crunchy. The sauce was a nice touch. The cabbage was really underwhelming. It was like the dressing did not stick at all. I didn’t feel any quick pickling occurred. It was closer to wet cabbage. 2/3 ain’t bad.

  • Lepa on March 31, 2023

    This was an easy and FABULOUS dinner. The entire family loved it. I have never made cutlets before and these were easy and delicious. We liked the cabbage salad and ate this with rice (with some quinoa mixed in). My husband and son squeezed some kewpie mayo onto the cutlets and reported that was great, too.

  • TrishaCP on March 20, 2024

    Outstanding. Absolutely loved the chicken and the cabbage.

  • Stephenn31 on April 27, 2024

    Delicious and easy cutlet and cabbage salad. The sauce was too salty for me, from the Worcestershire sauce. The cabbage I slowly turned through the rice vinegar for a few hours as I did other things. The sticky rice on the side helped pull it all together.

  • jessica_8s3n6x on April 30, 2026

    Easy to execute and all went together really nicely

• Salt-and-pepper pork chops with vinegared scallions

  • KarinaFrancis on September 15, 2022

    I confess I didn’t dry brine the pork chops and just cooked them on the bbq. The vinegar shallots makes this dish, a great and super easy weeknight dinner

  • JoanN on December 14, 2022

    Another keeper from this book. I made it as written but made a mistake and used gochujang instead of gochugaru for the vinagred scallions (not the first time I've done that) so they were a lot clumpier than they should have been. Thought it could have use a bit more of a vinegar hit, but that might have been because of the gochugaru. Mistake or no, this was delicious. Looking forward to making it again. Correctly this time.

  • pattyatbryce on January 26, 2023

    Fantastic. I added more vinegar to the scallions and it was perfect.

  • SheilaS on January 30, 2023

    I made this with swordfish instead of pork and it was delicious. About 4 min/side was perfect for a 1.5 inch thick swordfish steak. Seemed like all the vinegar soaked into the gochugaru so I added more so there would be enough to coat the scallions. I was going to skip the dipping sauce but am very glad I didn't as it really helps make the dish special.

  • rmardel on January 31, 2023

    Fantastic. The pork chops turned out very well, and the technique itself is classic and yields great results. But it is the scallions that elevate this to the sublime. The first time I used Gochujang instead of gochugaru for the scallions, but they worked well with slightly more vinegar. Then I found some gluten-free gochugaru and made them again. Even better.

  • bernalgirl on March 11, 2023

    This recipe is easy and fantastic. My teen looked up in the middle of a story to exclaim how good it was. I had thin chops so omitted the oven step, they were wonderfully crispy and the scallion particularly are the perfect foil. I served with a red cabbage slaw with kimchi-gochujang dressing and steamed rice.

  • Soulkitchenjen on March 16, 2023

    This was soooo good. I used thin pork chops, so I just did a hard sear on both sides. The scallions were delicious and the dipping sauce added a nice touch.

  • ellwell on April 25, 2023

    This was a hit at my house. We had some beautiful chops and I was attracted to the fact that the recipe started with a lovely sear. My chops were about an inch thick so I checked after 8 minuets and they were already 170 degrees—- so maybe check earlier. They were still delicious and we will definitely repeat. Served with little gem salad from the book.

  • Rinshin on May 22, 2023

    I underestimated this recipe. I followed the recipe except I wet brined the chops for about 5 hours before using his dry salt, pepper, brown sugar brine method. Kochugaru was perfect mild spiciness with julienned green onions and went really well with pork. Pork was nicely succulent. It is salty but the dish is salt and pepper which I love but may not be good for those who are watching their salt intake. My chops were very thick but they cooked faster than timing in the oven. Best to shorten time or keep close eye on temperature. Definite repeat for us. Photo added.

  • craftycarmen on February 04, 2024

    Super easy! I had everything in hand, and this finished my scallions that were getting close to death. Loved the flavors together. I ended up needing more dipping sauce, but luckily it’s also super easy to put together.

  • gootenbeez on February 26, 2026

    This was ok? I liked it well enough but I don't think I'm going to be clamoring to make it again any time soon.

  • skvalentine on April 30, 2026

    This was just OK for us. I couldn't get the sugar to dissolve in the oily dipping sauce. I did like the flavors, but I doubt I would make this again. Served with potatoes instead of rice.

• Cheesy corn and ranch pizza with black-pepper honey

  • rmardel on May 06, 2025

    I wanted to try this because I like a good white pizza, but also because the idea of it appealed to some memory of my childhood self, who loved ranch dressing. And it did indeed hit all the right notes. The pizza was good, and I am glad I tried it, but it was nothing special that has me crying out for more.

  • heyksquared on January 03, 2026

    This pizza is delicious! I use Smitten Kitchen’s pizza dough, and then follow the recipe exactly as is. Surprisingly, I don’t really love ranch but I like it in this dish.

  • MLGradisek on June 02, 2026

    One of my favorite go-to's for a party. Always a favorite!

• Meatloaf-glazed kalbi with gamja salad

  • cheezacooks on August 30, 2023

    Pretty good, like the salad more than the ribs. Prefer kalbi with a longer marinade time. Gamja salad similar to Japanese-style potato salad

• Jean's perfect jar of kimchi

  • bernalgirl on February 10, 2023

    This is on its way to being the best kimchi I’ve ever made, hands down! I sourced every ingredient and tasted as I want, the plum syrup and salted fermented shrimp are good on their own, the sauce is fragrant and balanced, I can’t wait for this kimchi to be ready.

  • Foodo on May 10, 2023

    This is perfection!

  • rmardel on April 09, 2025

    I've been making kimchi for years and can't believe I haven't tried this recipe yet. It is fabulous! Generally I prefer kimchi with a bit of age on it, but I started using this about one week out, and although it is still only two weeks old, I find I want to use this again and again. It is surprisingly good for a young kimchi. I can't wait to see how it ages, but truthfully even if I prefer a different style for my aged kimchi, I would make this again.

• Baek kimchi with beet

  • rmardel on April 09, 2025

    I served this for the first time, two weeks after starting it, and love the combination of flavors. So far, I imagine it more as a banchan than as an ingredient in other dishes, but that might change. It does have a hint of beet flavor, but it is primarily noticeable as kimchi, and yet a refreshing almost fruity kimchi, with a bit of funk added. I'll have to see how it ages, but at this stage, it is wonderful and I just want to serve it with everything. Well, maybe not, but you get the gist.

• Seolleongtang-restaurant radish kimchi

  • bernalgirl on February 10, 2023

    I was ready to put this sauce on rice before I even added the radish. Seeking out Korean radishes was totally worthwhile, they are sweeter/less bitter than daikon and the radishes are already delicious just a day after mixing, before fermentation has gotten going.

• Naengmyeon kimchi

  • rmardel on May 06, 2025

    To my admittedly non-Korean taste this falls somewhere in between a kimchi and a salad. Basically it is a Korean radish and apple kimchi with a fresh, tart, vinegary twist. There is definitely a fermented umami component and yet it is also refreshingly crisp and fruity. It seems well balanced and leans more toward salad with some extra "spice" than toward a more traditional cabbage kimchi. I haven't made it on Naengmyeon, but have served it with cold soba, or on its own as a salad. I keep reaching for thisd whenever I want a refreshing crisp bite of something.

• Spam, kimchi, and cabbage stir-fry

  • bernalgirl on January 03, 2023

    So much umami! Comes together very quickly, wonderful on steamed rice. My only change was to add a few tablespoons of water at the end to cook the cabbage a bit more to my family’s taste.

  • SheilaS on January 11, 2023

    Haven't had Spam since I was a kid but I cut it thin, crisped it up and it added nice little punches of flavor to this easy stir-fry. Like the previous poster, I added a little water to the pan to incorporate the browned bits and cook the cabbage a bit more.

• Kimchi sandwiches

  • SheilaS on January 08, 2023

    Just bread, crusts trimmed, spread with mayo and a filling of diced kimchi mixed with a pinch of sugar and spoon of sesame oil. I consider kimchi-mayo to be a fabulous sandwich condiment so this kinda seems like a nicely dressed sandwich awaiting its main ingredients but I'm sure if you grew up on it, this is pure comfort food just as is. I used the milk bread with maple syrup from the book and the tangy kimchi does work very well with the sweet-ish bread.

  • hbakke on January 16, 2023

    Easy and an interesting change from the everyday sandwich. I used Kewpie mayo and the cheapo white grocery store bread. My husband loved this simple sandwich.

  • bernalgirl on March 15, 2023

    Add cheddar

  • fishfeeder on March 15, 2023

    Good, should have added more sugar.

  • Foodo on May 10, 2023

    I made the maple bread and the kimchi. I doubted I would like this sandwich, but it turns out I LOVED it!

• Kimchi bibimguksu with grape tomatoes

  • Yildiz100 on May 08, 2024

    Thought this was bland and way too sweet made with drained kimchi. Had to add about twice as much kimchi and pour some extra liquid on to make it salty enough. Still wanted it more spicy to balance all that sugar. Also didn't think tomatoes went well with it.

  • clairetaco on July 29, 2024

    This was pretty good but I made too much. I don't always want tomatoes since they're not my favorite.

• Gyeranbap with roasted seaweed and capers

  • SheilaS on April 08, 2022

    Great quick breakfast. The capers are an unusual addition but make for a delicious surprise. My "high" heat may have been too high as the soy sauce splattered wildly as soon as it hit the pan with the sesame oil but the result was good enough that I'll try it again.

  • patioweather on June 04, 2022

    We greatly enjoyed this. I thought my partner wouldn't because he isn't a huge seaweed fan but he was licking the bowl. The capers are necessary for salt, so if you leave them out, add more soy.

  • Melissa_427 on September 07, 2022

    I used to think simple recipes in cookbooks were a cop-out, now they're among my favorite every time! Such a simple concept with a couple of flavor bomb additions, a perfect quick meal

  • Babycarrot on May 27, 2024

    Simple enough to try but there are other few ingredient breakfast dishes that pack more flavor/punch. I did enjoy the little hits of caper, but I was looking for more than just a hit of umami salty. No legitimate complaints, but wouldn’t make again.

• Eric’s kimchi fried rice with egg yolk

  • SheilaS on April 08, 2022

    Love the way the fried rice is patted out in the pan for the last few minutes, resulting in a layer of crispy rice and browned kimchi. Nest time I will dial back a little on the kimchi and increase the gochugaru.

  • KarinaFrancis on September 09, 2022

    A very tasty fried rice, I loved the crispy bits but the Silver Fox wasn’t as keen. Love addition of the toasted seaweed. We added some bacon because…well bacon

  • patioweather on January 17, 2023

    Accidentally made this without the kimchi, haha. It was still great. I skeptical about the egg but it worked. I did add bacon, since I had some on hand.

  • pomona on January 11, 2026

    Tasty and quick

  • rmardel on April 27, 2025

    This was fabulous! I like that Kim uses and equal volume of kimchi and rice. I also love the addition of the toasted seaweed and the technique allowing for crispy bits of browned rice and kimchi. I thought it could have used more gochugaru

• Crudités with roasted-seaweed sour cream dip

  • SheilaS on April 08, 2022

    I like the idea of this but it was way too sweet for me. I'd skip the sugar or dial it back to 1/8 tsp

• Sesame-soy deviled eggs

  • SheilaS on April 08, 2022

    I really like the sharp bite of a spicy mustard in deviled eggs but these weren't bad at all and would be nice to serve with a bunch of more flavorful dishes.

  • Yildiz100 on October 30, 2022

    Delicious. My favorite deviled eggs by far.

• Tomato-y omelet rice

  • SheilaS on April 09, 2022

    I'm not really a ketchup on eggs person but this was a fun way to use up leftover rice and some grape tomatoes that had seen better days. I'd make it again.

  • intrepidfox on July 23, 2022

    This is really good! Nothing complicated about the combination of flavors but it's simple and delicious when you want some comfort food.

• Crispy yangnyeom chickpeas with caramelized honey

  • Melissa_427 on April 13, 2022

    Absolutely delicious! I substituted a raspberry apricot ham for the strawberry jam with great success (and solely based on immediate availability). I loved everything about this dish and think it's a great quick dish with tons of flavor. Served with rice and seaweed.

  • EmilyR on May 30, 2022

    Made for a dinner with friends and people compared it to Beijing duck in terms of flavor. I used strawberry jam and loved the curled scallions for an extra bit of brightness.

  • patioweather on June 05, 2022

    Ate this with a salad. It really needs to be on rice because it is too sweet otherwise.

  • jenburkholder on July 20, 2022

    Delicious. We didn’t find them too sweet, but they’re definitely punchy and need lots of rice. Ours got slightly over-baked and would have been better less done. Would also try sauce with tofu.

  • skvalentine on October 11, 2022

    This was SO good. I could have eaten the entire thing myself. Very much a treat on a bowl of white rice.

  • SheilaS on January 19, 2023

    I thought these were great and the iced, julienned scallions really made the dish. I ended up making more scallions to go with the last few bites

  • ethedens on October 15, 2024

    The flavor on these is very strong and definitely felt like too much at first but as they cooled it mellowed and I found I really enjoyed them. Very easy to do. Tentative 3.5/5 but could move to more like 3.75/5

• Charred cauliflower with magic gochugaru dust

  • Lepa on April 22, 2022

    I was skeptical about broiling cauliflower but loved the resulting texture. When I started making this I saw that my gochugaru was moldy so I googled substitutes and settled on a mixture of paprika and cayenne. The resulting dish was good. I'm looking forward to trying it again with gochugaru once I can get some more.

  • SheilaS on January 30, 2023

    I roasted the cauliflower instead of broiling. Very good. Next time, I will cut back on the salt or just add it separately - I want all that heat and flavor but not that much salt.

  • Pakpack4 on May 10, 2026

    Very salty as others have said; broiled cauliflower is surprisingly okay. I’ve only ever roasted it before so was skeptical. Still think I prefer roasted for the future. The little seasoning blend could have salt cut and half and would go well as a sprinkle topping on just about anything. Maybe even watermelon, like a Korean Tajin.

  • mlonigan on February 08, 2026

    I'll try it again with half the salt in the topping.

  • Soulkitchenjen on March 16, 2023

    This was very solid. I think I prefer the roasting technique, but the spice mix on top was a nice touch!

• Caramelized-kimchi baked potatoes

  • amandaeats on April 25, 2022

    Outstanding. Made these Smashed Potato style, finishing off in the broiler. Outstanding. Leftovers will make a lovely hash in the morning

  • Lepa on June 01, 2022

    This is more of a serving suggestion than a recipe. I used russet potatoes instead of yukon gold. Next time I will make more bacon and kimchi. I never make baked potatoes- neither of my kids had ever had one- because they are generally a bit boring on their own. But these are really delicious and we will be making this low effort, high-reward dinner again!

  • SheilaS on January 10, 2023

    The recipe calls for larger potatoes but the header notes say you can use smaller spuds for a party platter so I went with the minis and they were really good. I subbed diced country ham for the bacon but fried it and the kimchi in bacon fat. The little potatoes don't really hold enough heat to melt the mozzarella so I popped them back into the oven before topping with the sour cream, etc.

  • rmardel on April 01, 2025

    This works really well. I used russet potatoes, cheddar instead of mozzarella, and a fairly new batch of kimchi, barely a week old, which I thought was too young but it still caramelized nicely. The combination of flavors was really more than the sum of its parts, and Kim is right about the sugar. I never would have thought of it on my own, but it rounded out all the flavors nicely.

  • gootenbeez on December 16, 2025

    This was good. At first bite I wasn't sold. I feel like conceptually I like toppings on a baked potato but in practice I just want sour cream and green onions. After a few bites I decided it was good. And when I finished my half of a potato I was sad it was gone and wanted more. I used sharp cheddar cheese and I think it worked well.

  • kelly_okldv3 on January 08, 2026

    Ended up with something more "inspired by" this recipe than the actual recipe, so not rating it. Made the kimchi topping here and put it on roasted veg including potatoes. Really good.

• Sheet-pan bibimbap with roasted fall vegetables

  • Dannausc on May 02, 2022

    45 minutes was too long for roasting the veggies, and the mushrooms and onions got quite charred. Next time I think I’d reduce the time to 30 minutes. Other than that, it was quite easy and good; a good way to use up veggies from the garden. Worth a repeat.

  • Stephenn31 on December 08, 2022

    Easy recipe and a great way to use up left over fall veggies. I used what was available in the fridge, and used the kalbi sauce with some leftover beef to add the protein instead of an egg yolk

  • Chibblywibbly on April 06, 2026

    Always easy, delicious and great way to use odds and ends. Fried an egg for top instead of raw yoke.

• Winter squash risotto with chewy rice cakes

  • Dannausc on May 02, 2022

    Fairly quick and easy, though there’s a lot of standing and stirring. I liked it, though my wife didn’t care for it.

  • SheilaS on January 17, 2023

    This tasted OK but adding chewy rice cakes to risotto is an odd texture pairing for me and it means I can't use the leftovers to make arancini which we all know is the real reason for making risotto. I paired this with the Brussels Sprouts Muchim from the same book and thought it added welcome crunch, acidity and heat.

  • claredeveau on March 01, 2026

    Flavor and dish outcome were great- it just took a lot longer that timing in the recipe itself. I timed it and it was nearly 50 min of rice cooking. Served with the Bo Ssam from this book

  • h0lly on November 07, 2025

    I agree with the other commenters that this was indeed a lot of work but I thought it was really delicious. My rice cakes were purchased fresh, then frozen (by me). I simmered them in seasoned (salt/sugar) water which added even more work to the mix but they were so gooey chewy. I will definitely be making this again, though next time I might prepare some of the components ahead of time.

  • tralliott on March 26, 2024

    A nice risotto and good idea for using up extra rice cakes, but not good enough to justify how long it took. For example, the little footnote at the bottom about microwaving and peeling the kabocha squash -- this took me forever, and that's before you even start cooking!

• Dakdoritang

  • Mrs. L on June 03, 2022

    Fairly simple stew. One that doesn’t take hours. Used Yukon gold potatoes as I could not fInd the Korean ones. Not as hot as I thought it would be.

  • Kiyah on October 31, 2022

    This is a tasty dish that's easy to make on a worknight despite poaching the chicken pieces. You can throw the sauce together while that happens. It has a kick from the gochujang and gochugaru but you could cut back on the gochugaru to modify it. I usually have most of the ingredients on hand except the Korean potatoes. I subbed white potatoes. The non-picky members of the family had no problem with this meal. I'll make this again.

  • meggan on December 21, 2022

    I liked it. I did significantly reduce the Chile powder and added some chicken broth to cover.

  • JoanN on February 10, 2024

    I thought this was just outstanding, especially considering how quick and easy it is. Discovered after I'd started cooking that I was low on gochugaru so only used about half the amount. And it was still pretty spicy. Used whole chicken legs with thigh attached and would do so again. And I removed the skin after par-boiling. Leftovers very good, too.

• Kimchi-braised short Ribs with pasta

  • DesertPetrichor on June 13, 2022

    Absolutely fantastic recipe, particularly if you have very old, well fermented kimchi. will probably add more kimchi and onions next time because they were so good cooked down. The sauce would also be great on Korean rice cakes.

  • amandaeats on August 06, 2022

    excellent recipe

  • Popisdead on December 12, 2022

    Really good recipe. I used the perfect kimchi recipe too so this took a few weeks in total. A very rich dish so could do with an accompaniment to cut through that, or some creme fraiche in the sauce. I did have to make some substitutions due to gluten free.

  • SheilaS on January 14, 2023

    Wow, this is really a flavor bomb! I did the braise a day ahead so it was very quick meal to put together. I needed to add some pasta water to make the braise saucy enough to coat the pasta. The only change I'll make is to omit the sugar as I think the onions add enough sweetness to the dish.

  • bernalgirl on January 17, 2023

    An easy recipe to prepare in advance, these short ribs are meltingly tender and absolutely great in pasta. I cooked this in the morning, removed the short ribs and chilled the braising liquid to defat the mixture. Then I simmered it a bit before serving yo reduce the sauce. I served this with the rectangle-shaped sagnarelli, which became glazed with the sauce. He’s right about adding generous amounts of parsley, it cuts the richness nicely.

• Smashed potatoes with roasted-seaweed sour cream dip

  • jenburkholder on June 22, 2022

    Delicious. Loved the sauce with the potatoes, and as an accompaniment to gochujang-glazed salmon. Used half sour cream, half Greek yogurt. Definite repeat.

  • KarinaFrancis on August 20, 2022

    Omg these were good! The sour cream is absolutely delicious and comes together in a minute. Served it with the glazed chicken from the same book. Absolutely would make again.....I wonder if it would work as a dip with potato chips?

  • Yildiz100 on November 01, 2022

    I like the technique here for preparing smashed potatoes. Most recipes instruct you to parboil the potatoes then smash and switch them to the oven. This one has you do both steps in the oven which makes this so much simpler. The dipping sauce is nice but not really to my taste so I would probably just serve this with my preferred dip of gochujang mayonnaise in the future.

  • bernalgirl on January 05, 2023

    I agree that this smashed potato technique is the best — one pan and they smash beautifully. The sour cream dip is easy and absolutely delicious, and I’d love to try it with crudités

  • averythingcooks on September 24, 2023

    I just made the potatoes and it's another upvote for this method of producing perfectly crispy fingerlings (or any new potato I assume) with one pan and no water. Next time, I will try the oven roast step early in the day with the crisping happening closer to dinner but regardless of that result, this is likely my new go to method for crispy smashies.

  • eclairea on July 31, 2025

    Loved everything about this flavour combo and how quickly it came together.

  • jen_psw6bm on March 31, 2026

    This method turned my potatoes super hard. Next time I’ll just cook for less time. The dip was the best I’ve ever had though. And I really like the dry cook method.

• Gochujang-glazed zucchini with fried scallions

  • Lepa on August 19, 2022

    This is delicious. Don't let the large amount of oil scare you, as most is poured off after frying the scallions. I had a mixture of zucchini from the market and the smaller ones were much better here than larger ones so watch the size of the squash. Overall, this was a delicious new way to cook zucchini!

  • KarinaFrancis on September 01, 2022

    Omg this was outstanding! I didn’t salt the zucchini but I just gave them a sprinkle while they were in the pan. It seemed like a lot of sauce (I didn’t use it all when I took the photo) but it was the perfect amount. We’ll be making this again!

  • spvla on April 20, 2026

    So delicious, converted the zucchini hater in my house. I would use less oil to start next time, I had a lot of scallion oil left over.

  • jenburkholder on January 22, 2023

    Very good. We overcooked the zucchini slightly, but the flavor and texture combination was great. Would make again.

• Yangnyeom roast chicken

  • KarinaFrancis on August 20, 2022

    Omg this was delicious! I made a small modification by spatchcocking the chicken (my favourite way with chicken) and halved the glaze which was more than enough. The flavour of the glaze is perfectly hot and sweet. I’m going to try it on wings too, it’s a keeper.

  • JoanN on December 14, 2022

    I, too, spatchcocked the chicken but made the full amount of glaze. Glad I did, since I kept going back into the kitchen to slather on more of it. Was afraid glazing the crisp skin would make the skin flappy and inedible. Although it didn't maintain it's crispness, the skin was delicious. Yes, a keeper. And I'll bet would be great with wings.

  • bernalgirl on January 05, 2023

    My Little took one bite and said, This is fantastic! I made the following adjustments: liberally salted and peppered the bird the morning I planned to cook it and popped it in the fridge uncovered, then oiled it and roasted it; halved the sweet ingredients; and based on the notes, I took the bird out at 145 degrees, painted on the glaze, and popped it back into the oven to crisp up the skin. I had a very small CSA chicken so I did not spatchcock it, but I would next time for more of that crispy glazed skin. Since making this the first time I’ve used my adjusted Yangnyeom mixture on grilled boneless thighs and roasted drumsticks, both were fantastic.

  • amy_xgmemf on March 16, 2026

    Great recipe. I also spatchcocked the chicken and made half the amount of glaze (mostly because that was all I had enough for) but it was the right amount. Like others have said, this would be a great glaze for other foods such as wings

• Cornish game hen soup with fried-shallot oil

  • cjxn on August 25, 2022

    As my mother would say, “Not enough sugar for a dime.” Nice flavors, but eating a gracefully eating whole game hen bedded in bowl of soup is needlessly difficult.

  • bernalgirl on January 28, 2023

    This is fantastic. It’s wonderfully reminiscent of jook, with the savory yet comforting flavors of ginger and garlic and white pepper. My kids did not appreciate a whole game hen in their bowl, but the finished product is improved by the rice cooking in the cavity, so I wouldn’t change this one.

  • tutunoe on February 01, 2023

    Delicious! Made this with a whole chicken but the game hens would have provided a better meat:soup ratio. I’ll make this again, often.

• Bacon-fat kimchi jeon with herbs

  • KarinaFrancis on September 03, 2022

    These were good but the great kimchi pancake of my dreams continues to elude me. They crisped up on the outside, but the inside was still a bit doughy. Worth persisting with them, so will try again and make them a bit thinner. Recipe made 8 pancakes

• Crispy trout with white wine and lemon butter

  • patioweather on September 05, 2022

    I felt like a goddess serving this.

  • eclairea on January 30, 2026

    This was super fast to make once you’ve got your mise en place! Didn’t have any dill, but I would definitely make this again and shower it over this for a pop of colour and herby punch.

• Cheese scallion stuffing with sesame seeds

  • Lepa on November 25, 2022

    This is a really good stuffing. We were eating a vegetarian meal and this stuffing was tasty enough to stand on its own. I loved the flavor profile and will probably make it again next year.

• Garlicky creamed spinach namul

  • bernalgirl on January 03, 2023

    This is a wonderful savory dish that is addictive on steamed rice. My husband said it tasted like “hot spinach Namur” which is the point but that threw him off. I served it with salmon, the combination was overly rich but I’d love this with baked cod or grilled chicken.

  • SheilaS on January 08, 2023

    This was OK but nothing I'd go out of my way to make again. Perhaps I squeezed out too much water as the mixture was very dry.

• Gem lettuce salad with roasted-seaweed vinaigrette

  • bernalgirl on January 05, 2023

    I adapted this to a green salad with carrots julienne, thinly sliced celery and cucumbers, and spring onions, mixing the dressing together in advance to toss and top with the ground gim. This all worked well but next time I’d crumble the gim and top at the last minute for more textural contrast.

  • ellwell on April 25, 2023

    I made this to go with the pork chops in the book—it was a very nice pairing of flavors. Very simple salad and delicious.

  • meggan on April 28, 2023

    Added cukes. I just shredded the gim on top because it was the kind with oil on it and it would not have made a good powder.

  • ShannonS on January 17, 2024

    Loved this. I made a cucumber salad as well as the little gems and I also think the vinaigrette would be amazing on avocados.

  • Lepa on August 21, 2023

    We loved this salad. It's such a quick and easy way to add a veggie side to a Korean - inspired meal!

• A very good kimchi jjigae

  • Foodo on May 10, 2023

    So easy and delicious. I always make it when I’m just about out of kimchi.

  • wcassity on February 12, 2023

    We loved this - perfect balance of flavors. Hearty but not heavy. Planning to add this to our rotation.

  • rmardel on April 27, 2025

    This was easy and fabulous. I made it with the kimchi recipe from the book, which is only about 5 weeks old at this point. Even though I would prefer a funkier kimchi, this is still good. Will make again,

• Sheet-pan japchae with roasted wild mushrooms

  • Mrs. L on June 03, 2022

    Quick and easy to make. Quite good.

  • kaityblueeyes on December 08, 2022

    Yum! Great pantry meal. Used frozen veggies instead of mushrooms and topped with leftover pork tenderloin. Delicious! Definitely only a two person meal though so the amount of noodles.

  • rmardel on January 30, 2023

    I liked the combination of the bouncy noodles with the mushrooms and scallions. I found the sauce a little sweet and bland, which may well be the point. This is my first japchae and therefore cannot make comparisons. But it is easy and I see potential.

  • meggan on May 12, 2022

    I love these noodles - they are so bouncy. I would saute the mushrooms next time and make a little more dressing.

  • Dannausc on May 02, 2022

    Super quick and easy. Quite good.

  • metacritic on January 17, 2023

    Exceptionally easy japchae recipe. I missed some of the more typical elements -- spinach, meat, etc -- but this still hit the spot and certainly cut the labor time in less than half.

• Milk bread with maple syrup

  • SheilaS on January 08, 2023

    I needed 2.5 hrs for the 1st rise and 2 hrs for the 2nd. I kneaded in a mixer for ~15 min. I added the additional flour gradually and ended up needing all of it before the dough cleared the bowl. It was still rather sticky but passed a windowpane test and I was able to shape it OK. I should have shielded the top since my oven uses both the upper and lower heating elements on the bake setting and this loaf really rose up. The bread is sweet, but not as bad as I was expecting, given it contains a year's worth of maple syrup! I've used it to make the kimchi sandwiches, grilled cheese and French toast.

• Gochujang chocolate lava cakes

  • SheilaS on January 31, 2023

    Very good. I made a half recipe with smaller 3 oz ramekins but with the full amount of gochujang because others in a cookbook group said they couldn't taste it. Might depend on the brand/heat level but I was happy with this. Topped with whipped cream and a sprinkle of gochugaru. Comes together quickly so you could decide to make it at the last minute - even after dinner.

• Salt-and-pepper ribs with fresh mint sauce

  • SheilaS on February 13, 2023

    Like the other commenters, I was a little suspicious how cooking the individual ribs in such a hot oven, seasoned only with salt & pepper was going to compare to the usual slow-cooked racks slathered in a flavorful sauce but this is a winner. The cool, fresh, bright-tasting mint sauce is the perfect complement to the hot, crispy, slightly fatty ribs.

  • bernalgirl on January 07, 2023

    I have only ever cooked pork ribs low and slow, and usually St. Louis cut over baby back ribs, so I was curious about these. They are outstanding and the mint sauce is an excellent compliment. I trimmed the fat and cut the ribs and salted them early in the day, leaving them uncovered on a sheet pan in the fridge until I started to prep dinner. They came out beautifully crisp yet tender. Looking forward to making these again.

  • metacritic on January 16, 2023

    Very good. Partner suggested they tasted Tuscan above all and proposed adding a splash of white wine to finish the dish. I think they would be even better barbecued, as the author's father does, rather than roasted in the oven. On a cold winter day, however, this technique worked well enough! The mint sauce was delicious and the ribs, while keeping some bite, were still tender yet crisp, to mirror the review below. I too salted the dish early in the day, adding the olive oil just before cooking.

• Raw Brussels sprout muchim

  • SheilaS on January 17, 2023

    I paired this with the winter squash risotto from this book and it brought welcome crunch, acidity and heat. Since this was a variation on a fruit muchim, I added chopped apple and like that combination over the sprouts alone.

  • nicolepellegrini on February 11, 2023

    Loved this! I did cut the amount of fish sauce in half as it can be a little too pungent for me sometimes.

• Lasagna with gochugaru oil

  • SheilaS on February 27, 2023

    The sauce includes plenty of onion, a whole tin of anchovies, butter, gochujang and gochugaru. None of them take over but work together to yield an intriguing flavor that's hard to pin down. I doubled the spinach and would consider adding other vegetables like shredded zucchini or mushrooms next time.

  • eclairea on July 31, 2025

    Needed a warming recipe for a chilly night when a pescatarian friend came over for dinner, and it was a big hit. Eric Kim never disappoints!

  • jenburkholder on February 18, 2024

    Very nice lasagna that was a bit “different” while still recognizably the old red-sauce favorite. Made just as written - only tweak would be to cut down the gochugaru if serving to guests, as mine thought it was a bit spicy (I thought it was perfect).

  • rmardel on March 03, 2023

    Delicious lasagna. I doubled the spinach (except the greens I used were closer to collards) and kept the greens as a separate layer. I also substituted thinly sliced slabs of zucchini for the noodles. The resulting lasagna was delicious, complex and flavorful. Will make again.

• Crispy lemon-pepper bulgogi with quick-pickled shallots

  • nicolepellegrini on August 28, 2025

    I did it the sheet pan/oven method for convenience, and while i didn't get a real crispiness to the meat, the flavor was great. Really had that bulgogi flavor. I made extra so I was able to enjoy the leftovers cold the next day with the pickled shallots as a lunch salad.

  • hungrykitty on February 19, 2025

    I have made this using both methods — pan frying and oven broiling — and I think the oven worked much better. I poured a small amount of oil on a sheet pan, coated the meat on both sides and spread it out in a single layer and then put the seasoning blend on top. I ended up having to broil it for close to 10 minutes to get the desired doneness, but it turned out amazing! I think when you pan fry, you lose some of the seasoning off the meat in the process, but with broiling in the oven you retain all the spices. It’s a total flavor bomb for sure. Another advantage of the oven method is that it is much less messy — no oil splattered all over the stove to clean up.

  • metacritic on January 17, 2023

    Quite good and very easy. The pepper mixture gives the bulgogi massive flavor. The rest is incredibly easy to assemble.

  • cheffreddie on June 16, 2025

    Very yummy and fast! Never thought I'd take the time to dehydrate my own lemon peel, but it was easy enough and the resulting spice blend is so so delicious. The tangy pickling juice from the shallots and the cilantro over the rice gave me Chipotle rice bowl vibes in the best way.

  • meggan on April 28, 2023

    I am not getting the big flavor pop that I expected but it was still good enough. Served with the gem salad with seaweed from the same book.

  • KarinaFrancis on July 07, 2023

    Like previous reviewers loved this for its flavour and ease. The lemon pepper mix is a flavour bomb. I used pork fillet because I had some in the freezer and it wasn’t overwhelmed. The only complaint from the silver fox was that he was expecting some sauce, so I grabbed him some kewpie and he was happy.

  • rmardel on January 30, 2023

    Very Easy and quite good. The lemon pepper has incredible flavor but does not overwhelm the beef. The brightness brought to the dish by freshly dehydrated lemon zest is worth the effort.

• Chewy black sesame rice cake

  • Astrid5555 on May 12, 2022

    This is the ultimate black sesame treat with a chewy mochi texture. Will be on repeat in this black sesame loving household.

  • Pakpack4 on May 10, 2026

    Good and easy mochi cake; my Korean American husband approved. Would make this again, perhaps reducing the sugar a bit - I found it just slightly too sweet

  • eclairea on January 03, 2026

    I have made this again and again and it’s one of my favourite simple, impactful desserts.

  • yaleksly on July 01, 2024

    Delicious, though I cut the granulated sugar in half and that made for a plenty sweet cake. Recipe calls for both sugar and honey; I just halved the sugar and kept the honey the same. Went so fast at a BBQ I attended, and I am planning to scale the recipe down to fit a 6-in cake pan so we can have this more regularly in my small household. The quantity of black sesame is perfect, and the chew is that familiar addictive squishiness of mochi and other glutinous rice treats. Superb dessert and snack all around.

  • Yildiz100 on November 07, 2022

    I like the chewy rice cake texture of this cake, but I doubt we will make it again. It's the kind of thing you would only eat a small portion of as it's so chewy , so this just makes too much for our small family.

• Budae jjigae

  • ethedens on February 17, 2024

    This was very good and very easy to put together, but would have been too salty without the rice. I am also skeptical of the given serving size. Ours served about 3.

• Seolleongtang noodles with scallion gremolata

  • CaptainPantsless on January 10, 2025

    Have made this several times. So delicious, so comforting.

• Eric's "Perfect white rice" (Stovetop method)

  • Soulkitchenjen on March 16, 2023

    I used long grain and not medium grain. I think I could have used slightly more water for long grain. The soak method works very well.

• Cheeseburger kimbap

  • bwilcox on July 28, 2023

    A delightful abomination to cook with a family member on a Sunday afternoons. The kind of thing disgustingly delicious that we will also never make again

• Weeknight curry rice with eggplant, spinach, and lotus root

  • SueMaynard on February 21, 2026

    So good! I’ve made this for company and even the picky 4yo finished her bowl

• Pan-fried yellow croaker

  • rmardel on April 09, 2025

    My grandfather used to take me fishing for croaker when I was a child, so cooking this brought up many fond memories. That said, we never salted and air-dried the fish before cooking. It is a technique that seems to concentrate the flavor of the fish while still keeping it tender. The author recommended leaving the fish in the fridge overnight or up to 72 hours. I cooked mine after 48 hours and it was wonderful.

• Oi naengguk with heirloom cherry tomatoes

  • Yildiz100 on February 25, 2024

    Really refreshing and delicious.

• One dressing, a thousand fruit muchims

  • bwilcox on July 28, 2023

    Good tomato topper

• Grilled trumpet mushrooms with ssamjang

  • rmardel on April 09, 2025

    Very simple technique; lovely results. I've grilled or pan seared trumpet mushrooms before, but he ssamjang adds a lovely sweet/sour/hot dimension to the mushrooms that is quite appealing.

• Aunt Anne’s broccoli-cheese rice casserole

  • bernalgirl on January 18, 2023

    I made this because I love this cookbook so far and I wondered if there’s be some sort of kitchen alchemy similar to Julia Child’s Zucchini Rice Gratin or Deb Perlman’s version. But no, this is so terribly bland, so stereotypically midwestern with nothing but salt, pepper, and cheese. I added chile flakes and served this with garlic sausages but that did not help.

• Mac-and-corn-cheese with jalapeño bread crumbs

  • Melissa_427 on September 14, 2024

    Tasty, but when I prepare this dish in the future I think I'd do a dice on the onion, rather than thin slices, and I'd definitely sautee the onion target than adding it raw with the hope that it would soften due to residual heat. Onions were ultimately crunchy and distracted from the flavor with their own potency and texture. Was worried about mozzarella as the cheese but it worked fine for me!

  • Yildiz100 on November 02, 2023

    Like the bread crumbs. Do not like mozz as a cheese for a moray type sauce. Was stringy, heavy, and unappealing. Would make again with a different cheese.

  • bwilcox on July 28, 2023

    Very very good mac n cheese thing

• Roasted bo ssam with coffee, garlic and bay leaves

  • claredeveau on March 01, 2026

    SO good and SO easy. Made this for a dinner party and got rave reviews! Helpful to have a meat thermometer and cook the pork belly to 195 to make sure the fat renders. Served with the 2 sauces along side the risotto from this book. Hoping to make as lettuce wraps over the summer soon!

  • mlonigan on January 20, 2025

    Delicious, I prefer this to the traditional boiled version you can get at restaurants.

• Microwave gyeranjjim with chicken broth

  • hungrykitty on February 19, 2025

    I love the steamed egg at Korean BBQ and this tastes exactly like it. It’s so quick and easy in the microwave too. I always go with the 2 tsp of fish sauce for maximum briny flavor.

• Aunt Georgia’s soy sauce fried chicken with jalapeños

  • icooksometimes on April 10, 2025

    Super tasty. The wings only need a quick dip in the sauce, as the recipe states. They pick up so much flavor!

• Korean pear galette with salted cinnamon whipped cream

  • claredeveau on March 01, 2026

    Super easy and great outcome! I’m a big pie pie baker overall. I used his crust recipe instead of my own- I did find it a little fragile and it ripped while rolling often but I just adjusted my pressure on the rolling pin.

  • CaptainPantsless on April 19, 2026

    Delicious, but use a different crust.