If you have watched K-dramas, you know that it is top tier. If you have listened to K-pop, you know that it beats most at their own game. If you have tasted K-food, you know that they are delicious and will keep you yearning for more. It is no coincidence that the common denominator here is ‘K’ (Korean) and the fact they never miss to serve. Everytime we see a TV show character gulping down a bowl of Ramen, stuffing their mouths with Samgyeopsal, making Kimchi fried rice or down a shot of Soju, while turning their faces to the side (in the presence of a senior as dictated by tradition), the urge to be a part of that meal is overwhelming. And interestingly the names of these dishes and at least a slight idea of how they taste were not things that we sat and parroted, but rather we acquired it through reality shows which our favourite idols hosted or via K-dramas that had us binge-watching them overnight. What then is this K-food phenomenon and how has it made such a huge impact?
‘Annyeong’ to the Korean food wave
It is no surprise that Korean food has become everyone’s ‘soul food’. While this was initially an aftermath of the ‘Korean wave’ also dubbed as the ‘Hallyu’, it has now become a permanent and a pleasant obsession of the entire world. Hallyu refers to the global surge in popularity of Korean culture, including music, movies, TV dramas, fashion, beauty, and cuisine. One noteworthy aspect of this trend is the increasing interest in Korean cuisine, which has seen a significant rise in popularity across the globe.
Restaurants are responding to this trend by recognizing the widespread popularity among consumers and incorporating Korean-inspired items into their menus. Some establishments have even adapted their entire menus to revolve around Korean cuisine. This strategic approach aims to leverage the appeal of Korean culture to attract a broader customer base.
One notable example is Bonchon, a well-established Korean fried chicken concept with over 400 units. The brand’s mission is centred on sharing the joy of Korean comfort food worldwide. Their menu features iconic Korean dishes such as bibimbap and japchae, but it is most renowned for its signature crispy Korean fried chicken.
Bonchon, among other similar restaurants, is dedicated to expanding the Korean wave to new markets and introducing communities to the unique culinary experience of Korean cuisine. As the global fascination with Korean culture, particularly its food, continues to flourish, the integration of Korean flavours into restaurant menus remains a notable trend in the culinary world. This is just one of thousands of other examples.
Owing to this spread of K-restaurants, countries such as Singapore, Australia and France (to name three from many) have seen more than 10 new Korean restaurants open up in a few of their prime locations, in the year 2023.
In Singapore, the Food Palace Group, a company with an extensive portfolio that includes popular establishments like Taiwan’s Niu Dan Beef Noodles and the bubble tea brand Palace Tea, in the year 2023 alone has launched 4 new Korean restaurants under the brand name “88 Pocha”. These new establishments are strategically located both spatially and temporally: one in Holland Village in March, another in Kovan in June, a third in Duxton Hill in July, and most recently, an 85-seat Korean barbecue restaurant named ‘88 Seoul BBQ” in Serangoon Garden. The Food Palace Group’s strategic expansion into Korean cuisine reflects the broader global trend of growing interest in Korean culture, particularly its culinary offerings. By introducing a variety of Korean dining concepts and dishes in multiple locations, the group aims to cater to the increasing demand for Korean food experiences among local and international diners.
In Australia, especially in Sydney, there has been a surge of Korean restaurants. The Korean food scene is nothing new in all pockets of Sydney. Most Australians have had the experience of sitting around a table of charcoal, flipping meat slices and oyster mushrooms. However, what is interesting is that the recent developments illustrate that K-food is taking over the domain of fine dining and that they are doing it exceptionally well. For instance, The SOUL Group is a prominent player in the Korean hospitality scene that has been making a significant impact on Sydney’s dining landscape. The group’s ventures include SOUL Dining, SOUL Deli, and their latest tradition, Bar SOUL which was opened in Mid-May 2023.
The impact that Korean food is making on fine dining is apparently not limited to just a single continent, a similar growth can be observed in New York City as well. Pete Wells in an article titled ‘How Korean Restaurants Remade Fine Dining in New York’ writes how he was pleasantly surprised to see “a cohort of forward-thinking Korean contenders [are] now dominant[ing] the city’s high-end restaurant scene the way French cuisine used to”. While Wells and a series of food journalists were questioning whether fine dining was endangered, they were intrigued to find out that fancy restaurants were popping up so frequently that they did not have enough hours of the day or enough days in a week to do test runs on all of them. However, a common observation that was made by most food journalists is that the flavour of fine dining was shifting, Korean owners and chefs are now responsible for running about a dozen of the city’s most famous high-end restaurants and has replaced the supremacy of French cuisine since.
Is the Korean food wave a diplomatic win?
Now we are asking the real questions. Patently, the only thing commendable about K-food is not its taste, but also the strategic planning that is the main player behind the scenes. Most say that the driving force that carried this phenomenon on its shoulders was Korea’s soft power and there seems to be no lie in it.
This is a strategy focused on extending its economic and cultural influence on a global scale. A unique and effective avenue that South Korea has adopted to achieve this feat is through the promotion of its national cuisine. This strategic decision was made by the Korean government in 2008. In an era where consumerism and cultural exchange hold substantial sway, food has emerged as a remarkable tool for cultural export. South Korea initiated a far-reaching initiative known as the ‘Korean Food Globalization Campaign’ as part of this strategy. The primary objective was to promote Korean cuisine across the world. In 2009, they introduced the Korean Cuisine to the World campaign , allocating a substantial budget of US$ 40 million. One notable goal of the campaign was to establish an impressive network of 40,000 Korean restaurants overseas by the year 2017. Simultaneously, the South Korean government aimed to elevate Korean food to a prominent position among the top five global cuisines.
The current status of the food world shows that K-restaurants have not shied away from reaching this goal. While they still may have a long way to go in order to complete the set target, it is not a surprise that Korean food has become a fixture. Most palates are now often looking for K-food. The versatility and the adaptable nature of Korean cuisine has a remarkable ability to unite food enthusiasts, and this quality is likely to sustain its popularity for many more centuries to come. Korean food speaks more to the heart than to the stomach, and the heart will always want what it wants.
(Sandunlekha Ekanayake)