Like rice? Like spicy? You’ll love tteok-bokki.
The spicy stir-fried rice cakes are popular in Korean street stalls and snack bars.
At Seoul Kitchen, Ddeok Beok Ki features rice cakes, onions, green onions, and fish cake smothered in a gochujang-based sauce and sesame seeds.
The rice cakes serve as a slightly chewy base with everything else providing savory depth. Fish cake is a weird name, but don’t fret — it’s a processed seafood that’s slightly sweeter and chewier than imitation crab. The gochujang has a moderate heat that pleasantly lingers with some sweetness for balance and soy-umami.
If the heat is a bit much for you, take advantage of the banchan, which is the assortment of small side dishes. Any of the not-red items will provide a cooling contrast.
Seoul Kitchen is located at 4951 E. Grant Rd. # 115. For more information, call (520) 881-7777 or visit seoulkitchentucson.com.
Jackie Tran is a Tucson-based food writer, photographer, culinary educator, and owner-chef of the food truck Tran’s Fats. Although he is best known locally for his work for Tucson Foodie, his work has also appeared in publications such as Bon...