Thereโs a Chinese word, hallyu, which translates as Korean wave.
It refers to the rise in popular culture from this region, from K-pop to K-dramas, with film and telly programmes like Squid Game, Parasite, The Glory and All Of Us Are Dead.
Itโs tenuous, but in Scotland, I think we should tweak that term, and call it, Up Helly-Uu, instead. We could all join a procession and head to the best kimchi-peddling venue in Scotland once a year. Viking gear is optional. An appetite is essential.
In the last decade or so, thereโs been a huge increase in Korean restaurants, not just in the UK, but across the world. Thereโs something about fried chicken and bulgogi thatโs hitting the spot.
The trend does seem to have hit the central belt of Scotland too.
Mind you, Edinburgh has long had a handful of homely Korean places, like the beloved Kimโs Mini Meals and Ong Gie, as well as plenty of traditional BBQ restaurants.
Glasgowโs most popular include Kimchi Cult, as well as two branches of Bibimbap, with the West Nile Street venue open since 2018. Theyโve just launched an outpost in the former premises of the Capitalโs Pakora Bar.
Itโs canteen-y inside, with multicoloured umbrellas stuck to the ceiling, and film posters on the walls.
I took the whole family along. My nieces and nephew are global munchers, with Phileas Fogg palates, and were stoked to add Korean food to their repertoire for the first time.
We skipped the small dishes list of starters, which include tteok-bokki (simmered rice cake, ยฃ7.50) and kimchi mandu (a kimchi pork dumpling, ยฃ6.90). And we stuck to water, though, as far as drinks go, alongside Koreaโs national spirit, soju, the notable offerings on their drinks list includes cocktails like the Cherry Gin Sling (ยฃ8) or the triple rum blend that is the BBB Zombie (ยฃ9.95).
Since my four-year-old nephew is a knee-high connoisseur of fried chicken, he went for the smallest set of six (ยฃ8.90) of these. These drummers had a thick bronzed crust, and came with a tomatoey and piquant โyum yum sauceโ that he managed to plaster all over his face. He looked like Bam Bam from the Flintstones, as he gnawed at the bones. Thumbs up.
My 10-year old niece, the pescetarian, is a fan of sushi, so she went for Koreaโs equivalent - the tuna gimbap (ยฃ9.90). There were eight bouncy seaweed-wrapped discs, like toy truck tyres, filled with rice, mashed tuna, cucumber and grated carrot. She was very happy, and had gone for a bowlful of toasted seaweed (ยฃ3) on the side, to complete her transition to seal.
They donโt serve Koreaโs traditional Spam gimbap here, which is good or bad depending on your particular feelings on tinned meat.
The dak-galbi is a take on wok-fried chicken, and we went for the cheese version (ยฃ13.90).
There was a glossy red gochujang sauce, peppers, sesame seeds, nuggets of meat and melted cheese, plus lettuce leaves on the side, so you could wrap it up. This dish felt very comforting and autumnal.
Our eldest niece, the 12-year-old, was in raptures over the bulgogi variation of the dak-galbi (ยฃ13.90) with more of those parcel-friendly leaves on the side. She loved the smokey-ness of the beef strips, which were jumbled with crunchy struts of veg and more red sauce.
Our bap, or rice bowl, of kimchi bokkeumbap (ยฃ12.90) was a wholesome thing of beauty, with a plinth of spicy pork, kimchi and rice and a sesame seed and seaweed scattered fried egg on top. I also went for a rice bowl, but the โsaeuโ one, with Korean sweet and sour prawns (ยฃ12.90). The crustaceans were mutants, each the size of a portly mouse, and were all slathered in a lipstick red sweet sauce.
The portions are huge, so we wouldnโt have needed any pudding. That was moot though, since there arenโt any on offer yet, though a member of staff (all of whom are lovely) said that theyโd be launching mochi onto the menu soon.
The kids loved it here, as did I. The hearty lunch put beards on our chins, so we lit our torches, and paraded off down Hanover Street.
Up Helly-Uu, indeed.
