Portland chefs reimagine K-food with kimchi carbonara, gochujang salmon

Korean ingredients — from kimchi, gochujang and ssamjang to yuzu and Korean pears — have been transformed into locally inspired dishes by prominent chefs in Portland. Unlike a one-off tasting event, some of the new menu items will remain on offer at local restaurants long after the event wraps up.

The Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation, known as aT, announced Tuesday that it held a special dining event called "K-Ingredients on the Plate" with Arden, a restaurant in Portland, Oregon, on Saturday.

The event was designed to introduce dishes developed by local chefs using Korean ingredients and to translate that exposure into actual consumer purchases. Portland, the largest city in Oregon in the Pacific Northwest, has seen steadily growing demand for Korean food products.

Arden's chef Eric Van Kley crafted a four-course menu featuring kimchi, gochujang, ssamjang, yuzu and Korean pear.

The lineup opened with a "bibimbap Scotch egg" made with rice, ssamjang and mushrooms, followed by a "kimchi spaghetti carbonara" prepared with kimchi butter and bacon. The main course featured a "Korean fried sweetbread," a veal dish served with gochujang and yuzu, and the meal closed with a "Korean pear tart" made with Korean pear, red bean butterscotch and pear sorbet.

The restaurant also served a tuna tostada with gochugaru and yuzu, a welcome drink of lemon soju garnished with perilla leaf, and special cocktails made with yuzu marmalade, soju and Korean pear juice.

Arden has decided to keep kimchi pasta and soju cocktails on its regular menu after the event. The move takes Korean ingredients beyond a one-time promotional showcase and into a genuine fixture in a local restaurant's offerings.

Another Portland restaurant, Javelina, also incorporated Korean ingredients into its menu. Known for its modern reinterpretation of Indigenous North American food culture, Javelina began selling a "huckleberry and gochujang salmon" dish along with drinks made with Korean yuzu and corn tea on Saturday, with the items available for one week.

aT also released content locally documenting how the dishes were developed and highlighting the characteristics of the Korean ingredients used. The event and special menus were promoted through local television and food-focused media. Officials from the Oregon state government, the food service industry and food media attended to discuss ways to expand K-food consumption and explore potential partnerships.

Jeon Gi-chan, aT's director of export food affairs, said the event was meaningful because local chefs developed new dishes using Korean ingredients and that process and its results could spread further. "We will continue to support the use of Korean ingredients through collaboration with the local food service industry," he said.