Review: Koreatown: A Cookbook


Koreatown: A Cookbook by Deuki Hong
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Let me start with the good:
– The photography in this book is beautiful
– The interviews with various celebrities and chefs are great
– The narrative style of the recipe intros work well
– the section on the the Korean pantry is important and well-written

The neutral:
– Even my wife, who has been cooking for our family (and previously, her family) for somewhere around 35 years (mostly off the top of her head without a recipe) found that once you’ve experienced America’s Test Kitchen recipes, everything else is substandard. We tried to make the Pajeon (seafood pancakes) for dinner and there were lots of assumptions that made it come out less than ideal.

The less good:
– The few recipes we’ve made have left us somewhat underwhelmed compared to the Korean restaurants nearby. For contrast, most (although not all) America’s Test Kitchen or Meathead recipes I’ve made have been better than anything I’ve eaten at any but the most expensive (like #150/person or more) restaurant.

Your mileage may vary, but I found it to be a “Just OK” resource for cooking Korean recipes.

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