Metro 2020 Year-Ender: Our Guide To The Best K-drama Inspired Food And Drink Of The Year

CLOY stoked our appetites

We’ve been watching Kdrama for years, but when Crash Landing On You (aka CLOY) dropped in late 2019, our interest in Korean culture hit fever pitch — including food. The show made us crave Korean food, especially Korean-style fried chicken. Join us in remembering all the ways CLOY made us hungry for Kfood. Just click on the link below. [Photo: TvN]

Photo Credit: CLICK HERE

KFC (Korean fried chicken)

The hottest bird in town was Korean fried chicken, double-fried to achieve a satisfyingly crisp exterior. Dredged in flour then tossed in a flavor mixture that might include anything from gochujang, honey, sesame oil, or even vinegar, the result was the ultimate comfort food, especially when paired with cold beer or soju. One of our favorites is still Chef Patrick Go’s beautifully balanced, crisp and juicy KFC, available at @thegridfoodmarket. You can also check out our list of the most seriously addicting Korean fried chicken in the link below. [Photo: @gochugangph]

Photo Credit: CLICK HERE.

And we’re still crazy over KFC

It’s been a year since CLOY and the craze for Korean fried chicken is still going strong. We love discovering new versions, like @kanbu.ph which offers KFC in four flavors: sweet soy, sweet, spicy sweet, and sweet and sour. Finding your favorite Korean fried chicken can be a pretty fun adventure, as we’ve discovered. To order, call (0932) 873-0018 or DM @kanbu.ph. [Photo: @kanbu.ph]

Photo Credit: ORDER HERE

#CrashLunchingOnYou

Part of the fun was in discovering really great home cooks who can finally share their dishes with us via food delivery. One of our favorite finds is @rollingtubs whose Kdrama-themed menu is called #CrashLunchingOnYou. Their Korean Chicken Wings are delightfully sweet and spicy, perfect with kimchi rice and chapchae (both of which they make, too). Oh, and you can order chicken drumsticks, if you prefer that to wings. [Photo: @rollingtubs]

Parasite brings us Ram-don

In February, the Korean film Parasite (2020) became the first non-English movie to win Best Picture at the Oscars. Its phenomenal success (it also won the Palme d’Or in the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, among other awards) brought Korean story telling to new heights. And, it brought us the dish Ram-don (also called Jjapaguri). Just as Parasite the film has secured its place in the annals of film history, I think ram-don has found its place on our tables. The film sparked lots of recipe videos, plus you can now order ram-don for delivery. If you want to have a better understanding of this dish, and maybe even try your hand at cooking it, we’ve got you. Just click on the link below. [Photo: Parasite]

Photo Credit: CLICK HERE.

The chef’s Steak Ram-don

Chef Patrick Go of @gochugangph created a leveled-up version of Steak Ram-don made with udon noodles, house-made sauces, and Australian striploin. A far cry from the movie version made with instant noodles! This dish is served with kimchi, which provides the perfect contrast to the salty-sweet ram-don. If you want to know more about this dish, click on the link below. Order this Steak Ramdon from The Grid Food Market by heading to this link: thegrid.eunoiaph.com. [Photo: @gochugangph]

Photo Credit: CLICK HERE.

Everyman's Jjapaguri (aka Ram-don)

In the movie, ram-don is a dish that symbolizes the contrast between South Korea’s rich and poor social classes. So we feel it is just right to that we have this wallet-friendly, just-as-delicious version available locally from Seoul Station Korean Barbecue. In fact, they immediately launched their Jjapaguri from their branches in Valenzuela, Malolos, and at Seoul Express. For details, click on the link below. [Photo: Seoul Station Korean Barbecue]

Photo Credit: CLICK HERE.

Sweet, sweet soju

Of course, soju has been around for a while, but in Itaewon Class, we began to see the emotional depths behind this drink. Remember that scene where Park Saeroyi is expelled from school for doing the right thing? His father takes him out to drink soju, and in a deeply emotional moment tells him how proud he is of his son for making the ethical, difficult choice. Soju is sweet when you’re happy, says the dad. Bet you we weren’t the only ones to head out immediately to sample some soju and see how well it reflected your happy mood (or not). This single scene triggered a whole level of interest in soju as a cultural device, and we were right with you when you read about it here (click on the link below).

Photo Credit: CLICK HERE.

From classic to flavored

By then, soju had become so popular that you could buy it from the convenience stores. We fell in love with soju’s different flavors and found our favorites. What else would you drink when bingeing on your favorite Kdramas?

Photo Credit: Jovan, Pexels

And soju cocktails

Naturally, we began to experiment with the many possible ways to drink soju, and a craze for soju-based cocktails was born. It’s fun to mix soju cocktails because they’re easy and friendly, and not at all intimidating. You don’t feel like you need bartender-level skills to just mix up some soju and Yakult, for example. It’s just a chill way to make a boozy drink that won’t leave you with a hangover. We love soju cocktails os much that practically every member of the Metro team has his or her own favorite concoction. And we generously shared them with you in the link below. [Photo: Roi Mojado, Pexels]

Photo Credit: CLICK HERE.

The essential kimchi

That scene from CLOY where the village ladies are making kimchi and gossiping was not only charming (and effective story telling), but it put kimchi in the center of Korean life. And though we’ve been eating kimchi for some time now, this year is when kimchi became an essential in our kitchens. It helped that a French study from Montpellier University showed the effective properties of fermented vegetables in boosting immunity and helped combat Covid-19. Read about it in the link below. [Photo: tvN]

Photo Credit: CLICK HERE.

Kimchi 101

We not only started to eat more kimchi, but we now have access to its many different variations, like Kkadugi kimchi (cubed Korean radish), traditional Napa kimchi (also called Baechu, and is the kind of kimchi we’re most familiar with), or white kimchi (made without the hot pepper flakes). There are actually lots of different kinds of kimchi, as we’re just slowly discovering, and this is a wonderful world of flavors to explore. You can get good quality kimchi from @chingooph. In the meantime, if you’ve got a bottle of kimchi sitting in your fridge and you don’t know what to do with it, here are a few suggestions we’re sharing in the link below. [Photo: @chingooph]

Photo Credit: CLICK HERE.

Kdrama burgers and more

Kimchi inspired lots of dishes in menus all over Manila. One of our favorites was Chef Josh Boutwood’s K-drama Burger made with tangy kimchi, perfectly cooked chuck patty, and a slither of melted mozzarella cheese. It was irresistible. We love how this combines two big trends of the year, because burgers were also hot this 2020, and if you want our opinion on the best burgers in town — just click on the link below. To order this K-drama Burger, DM @thetestkitchenmnl. [Photo: @thetestkitchenmnl]

Photo Credit: CLICK HERE.

Itaewon Class and jjigae

If you watched Itaewon Class, then you know that it portrays a food battle between the underdog hero and Jangga Company, the biggest and most powerful food company in this fictional world. The dish that helps our hero win is jjigae (soft tofu stew), a hot and comforting dish boldly flavored with gochujang, served still bubbling with heat, and usually accompanied by rice, banchan and shots of soju. The story of this jjigae is quite amazing because it’s the dish that makes him win against all the odds. We won’t say any more to avoid spoiling the show for you, but if you want to take a deeper dive into how Itaewon Class breaks the rules of the restaurant biz, click on the link below. [Photo: tvN]

Photo Credit: CLICK HERE.

Order some Jjigae

Got a craving for soft tofu stew? We loved the Soondubu Chigae at Sariwon, topped with soft tofu. It’s hot and comforting, and very healthy being chockfull of antioxidants, fiber and iron. You can order this via foodpanda, GrabFood, or send a DM to @sariwonph on Instagram. [Photo: @sariwonph]

Photo Credit: ORDER HERE

Start-Up brought us corndogs

The hit Kdrama Start-Up got us hooked onto Korean-style corndogs. A far cry from American hotdogs on a bun, these corndogs are coated in a sticky, yeast-raised batter similar to bread dough, then rolled in panko breadcrumbs for extra crunch. The hotdogs are often interspersed with cheese, and deep-fried until golden and crunchy on the outside. Often evenly coated in sugar, they’re served with many variations and can be drizzled with anything from catsup or sriracha to gochujang. Corndogs are filling to eat, almost like a fried sandwich. [Photo: tvN]

Photo Credit: tvN

The fun flavors of corndogs

We had fun trying out corndogs like @mashicorndog.ph’s. They started with three flavors: classic, squidy classic and potato, and later added mozza hotdog, full mozza, and cheesy mozza. Check them out at @mashicorndog.ph

Photo Credit: @mashicorndog.ph

Cheesy corndogs

Cheese lovers will adore Corndog28’s cheesy versions, in different flavors with homemade sauces. Their best seller is the mozza potato with its delicious blend of creamy, filling, crunchy. Check them out at @corndog28ph

Photo Credit: @corndog28ph

IOTNBO Samgyupsal

The hottest food trend of the year is samgyupsal which, by the way, isn’t a new phenomenon. We’ve been romancing Korean grilled meat for a while now. But we can safely say that whenever we watch a powerful Kdrama scene with samgyupsal, the sight of beautiful grilled meat distracts us somewhat from the story. One of our favorite samgyupsal scenes of 2020 is this dramatic date in It’s Okay To Not Be Okay (IOTNBO). Come to think of it, all their eating scenes were beautifully nuanced. You should watch it. [Photo: tvN]

Photo Credit: tvN

Samgyupsal is shared comfort

Samgyupsal is a communal meal that you share. It’s fun and delicious and family-oriented. So we love how samgyupsal became so easily accessible even under quarantine. You can buy samgyupsal kits, meats — actually everything you need to set up your own samgyupsal set at home. And it’s provided a warm and fun way to bond in these challenging times. We love the samgyupsal at @samgyupsalamatPH and they’ll be available for delivery soon. [Photo: @samgyupsalamatph]