Ashley Kumar, Delhi

Ever since I became a Korean culture enthusiast, I always wanted to try Korean food. Watching actors eat in the most satisfying way possible in K-dramas, made me want to try it too. I came across the opportunity in 2017 to try Korean food in Busan Restaurant located in Majnu Ka Tila, Delhi.

We were a group of six people and it was our first time roaming in the streets of Majnu Ka Tila. We found Busan Restaurant and got very excited as if we had arrived in the actual city of Busan. We looked at the menu and everything looked very appetizing. We wanted to try all of it, but we decided we’ll start with the basics. So, we ordered Chicken Ramyeon, Bibimbap, Kimchi Fried Rice, and Vegetable Gimbap. Our food came shortly after and everything tasted wonderful. However, one dish caught my eye (more like my stomach). It was Gimbap.

Gimbap is a Korean dish, which is made from a seaweed sheet stuffed with rice that has vegetables or meat rolled inside. It may sound like a simple and ordinary dish, but it is really fulfilling and delicious. It looks like a kind of sushi at first sight. It tastes best when it is eaten with kimchi such as cabbage kimchi or radish kimchi or any kind of side-dish. It is usually served with soy sauce, but I didn’t really try that combination. Initially, we had ordered one serving of Gimbap, but it was gone almost immediately. Just like me, a friend of mine had also fallen for this heavenly dish. Every month, we would come to Busan Restaurant and order different things, but one thing always remained constant and that was Gimbap.

We wanted to try other Korean restaurants as well. We got to know about a new place called Gangnam Restaurant also situated in Majnu Ka Tila. Another Korean city-inspired restaurant. We were very eager to try it out. The Gangnam restaurant has a very beautiful ambiance. We ordered a lot of things like Tteokbokki, Jajangmyeon, Japchae, Kimchi Pancake, and the irreplaceable Gimbap. The first bite of Gimbap was never as satisfying as this one was. We tried it with different combinations and it tasted wonderful every single time. We kept ordering Gimbap and ended up eating only that. Since then, my friend and I have decided that whenever we feel we want to treat ourselves, we’ll do it with Gimbap.

Whenever we order this fulfilling dish, we feel like we are trying it for the first time because it tastes so good. If people ask for food suggestions, I never fail to suggest Busan’s or Gangnam’s Gimbap. I have received lots of different perspectives from them when they tried it. Some people loved it a lot while some people think its good for one time only. Now when I see actors or idols eating Gimbap, I get instant cravings. I have tried making it at home, but the results are never the same. Because of the pandemic going on, I have not been able to eat Korean food at all. But once all of this is over, my first destination will be Majnu Ka Tila and the first thing I am going to order will be Gimbap.

Do you have any favourite Korean dish? Tell me about your experience in the comments below!