Cacio e Pepe Tteokbokki at Miss Kim
A Southern Italian Twist on a Korean Classic
Since we opened the Deli in 1982, we have focused on making full-flavored, traditional food. In the context of Sōetsu Yanagi’s writing, they are foods that are all about the beauty of everyday things. Not stuff to serve for fancy, once-a-year meals, but rather the kind of food one wants to eat every day, as wonderful on a random Wednesday as it might be at an evening celebration of your 18th anniversary.
Our work at Miss Kim is no exception. Thanks to managing partner Ji Hye Kim’s in-depth research work, over the years we’ve been learning more and more about a bunch of traditional, but little-known in the U.S., Korean recipes. Over the years, Ji Hye’s cooking has deservedly gotten more and more attention. In 2021, she was named one of Food & Wine’s best new chefs in America and she’s been nominated for a James Beard Award multiple times. Sōetsu Yanagi, in fact, spent a good bit of time in Korea—starting in 1916, he did extensive explorations into traditional Korean folk arts, advocating often for Korean culture in the imposition of forced Japanese colonization.
Tteokbokki has been one of the best sellers on the Miss Kim menu since the day we opened back in 2016. At the time it was totally unfamiliar to nearly every non-Korean in town. What was once barely known by folks who don’t have roots in Korea or Korean cooking and culture, has become one of the most talked about dishes in the ZCoB. Of the different variations on the menu, Ji Hye shares,
The Street Style Tteokbokki with the sauteed rice cakes was the first one, of course. Then I added the Royale Style Tteokbokki with seasonal vegetables, local mushrooms, and soy sauce. We’ve also had the Stew Tteokbokki as a special sometimes, more brothy sauce and softer tteokbokki.
A few months ago, Ji Hye added a new, not yet traditional tteokbokki to the menu. It has taken off in fine style, so much so that, say in 2082, when the ZCoB is celebrating its 100th anniversary I can imagine this now innovative dish having become a long-standing, simple, and beautiful classic. Ji Hye explains,
Cacio e Pepe Tteokbokki combined my training in Rome and reflected the evolving nature of food and this dish in particular. I’ve seen young chefs in Korea take tteok, the very traditional ingredient of rice cakes, and use them like pasta. I found it intriguing and inspiring to see tradition evolve, but I wasn’t really looking to put a pasta-like dish on Miss Kim’s menu. This dish was more of an accident—I was just making a snack for myself. I crisped up the rice cakes, tossed in miso butter and a healthy pinch of good black pepper from Épices de Cru, and topped with grated parm. I love traditional cacio e pepe with Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino Romano. I thought the salty funkiness of miso was a pretty good substitute for pecorino. I just added a bit of pickled red onions to brighten up the dish a bit. As I was enjoying my snack, our staff asked for a taste. Then a whole plate. Then another plate the next day, followed by a plea to put it on the menu, so here we are!
Come to Miss Kim and get a plateful, hot from the skillet!
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