OMGOSH YOU GUYZ our trip around the US started off with a bang in New York City! First and foremost I got to meet some of you at the meetup!! YAYAY!!!!!! For those of you who were able to make it and say hi, HUGE SHOUT OUT!!!!!!!!!!!! You have my utmost love, respect and appreciation.

The other main reason I was in New York City was to visit one of my closest friends in the world. Jessi is from my hometown and now lives in NYC. When I see her we always have a lot of fun and it feels like a new adventure whenever I’m with her. There’s no better way to see a city (or pretty much ANYPLACE for that matter) than through the eyes of a local. This is the third time I’ve visited her in NY since I’ve been living in Korea. Each time is exciting, and this year was certainly no exception.

Another friend of ours from our hometown in Pennsylvania, Michael Cain, is an executive sous chef at a restaurant in the village called Perilla. It’s famous because the head chef has been on the Food Network or something like that. We weren’t planning on going there, but then we received an invitation from Mike telling us about some Korean specials he had been working on. It almost seemed to perfect, especially since we only had 3 days in NYC, so we couldn’t pass up this opportunity and turn down a gourmet meal cooked by somebody we know well.

The dish was called Crispy Catfish Kimchi, something I had never tried before. It’s basically a fusion dish. I typically don’t eat fish in Korea and I usually don’t eat kimchi in the US. Why not try a gourmet interpretation?

I love fusion food! One of my favorite dishes in Korea is called Shabu Shabu, particularly the Vietnamese fusion style. You have the Japanese Shabu Shabu which is thinly sliced meat which is cooked quickly in a big pot of broth. You have the Korean way of doing it with lots of vegetables, and then you have the Vietnamese rice paper, peppers and such to turn it into spring rolls. It’s healthy and it’s delicious. I highly recommend it if you ever come to Korea.

There is just something that happens when you take foods of different cultures and give them a unique and different cultural flare. It’s almost like all of the best flavors of each and every place are put together to make something wholly new and even more mouthwateringly delicious. I never thought I would have kimchi in New York City, but I’m really glad I did!