Good reads

FROM KOREA, FOOD FOR LIFE
© Lydia Walshin (South End News, September 1995)

A good reporter stops at nothing to get a story, and that's how I found myself eating a kimchi omelet for breakfast one morning with Jae Chung, owner of Jae's Cafe & Grill at 520 Columbus Avenue. And while we cooked, we ate and talked — about food, of course, and family, and marathoning, and art.

Born in Korea, Chung moved with his parents and five sisters to North Adams, in western Massachusetts, when he was 13 years old. He spoke no English, and the first few years were difficult in a town that offered no bilingual classes in school. To build confidence and strength, Chung turned to sports, and working out still plays an important part in his life. A former tae kwon do instructor, he runs 13 miles every day, and has completed four marathons in the past six months.

When he was 15 his mother opened a Chinese restaurant in North Adams — she felt Korean food would be too "exotic" for the town — and everyone in the family helped out. Chung started as a dishwasher, and learned all aspects of the business, including how to cook. After school he made his way to Boston, to study art and art history at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, and to hone his cooking skills in restaurant and hotel kitchens. And at age 26, he was ready to open his own cafe.

Since the day it opened nearly six years ago, Jae's Cafe has been an integral part of the Claremont neighborhood and the Columbus Avenue revival, and Chung attributes his success to the support of the South End community. "At first I was so nervous, wondering if anyone would come to eat! But the people of the South End were always there when I needed them," he says, "and I feel very loyal to this neighborhood." Chung has been a generous supporter of many South End projects, including South End Cooks (a collection of recipes from Community Kitchen), and though the popularity of the cafe means an occasional wait for a table, he is committed to remaining in this location, in this community.

Unlike North Adams, the South End was eager for something new, and Chung's menu of Korean dishes offered the neighborhood's first taste of kimchi and shrimp dumplings, bul go ki (marinated beef) and bi bim bab (rice with vegetables and beef, with spicy Korean sauce). Jae's Cafe has a full sushi bar, and a wide variety of vegetarian dishes. You can sample seafood pad thai, or miso soup, and oodles of noodles -- udon, tomato, lemon, spinach, egg, or cellophane -- stir fried with shrimp, chicken, tofu, vegetables. The food is pan-Asian, light and healthy, and perhaps the sign at the front door says it all, "Eat at Jae's, Live Forever."

Jae's Cafe & Grill, 520 Columbus Ave. (421-9405), is open Monday-Saturday 11:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. and 5-10:30 p.m.; Sunday noon-10:30 p.m. ^ top

Spicy Basil Mixed Vegetables with Rice or Noodles
Add a small amount of meat, chicken or seafood, if you wish; this is a great way to use leftover cooked vegetables, rice or noodles, too. Thai basil and chili paste with garlic are available at 88 Supermarket, 50 Herald St., and Ming's Market, 1102 Washington St.; don't substitute regular basil, as the taste is quite different. Serves 1-2, can be doubled.

• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 Tbsp chili paste with garlic
• 1-1/2 cup sliced mixed vegetables — including onions, snow peas, broccoli, eggplant, carrots, green or red pepper, zucchini, yellow squash — blanched for 1 minute in boiling water or chicken stock
• 1/4 cup chicken or fish stock
• 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
• 1-1/2 tsp soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 1 cup cooked noodles or rice
• 2 Tbsp fresh Thai basil, coarsely chopped
• 1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in
• 3 tsp water

Heat the oil in a wok over highest heat, and add the garlic. Stir fry for 10 seconds, and add chili paste and vegetables. Continue to stir for 1 minute, and add chicken stock, oyster sauce, soy sauce, white pepper, and noodles or rice. Stir for 1 minute, and add basil. Add cornstarch solution, stir to combine thoroughly, and serve, garnished with thinly sliced scallions. ^ top

Bul Go Ki
A very traditional Korean dish — the secret is in the marinade. Asian pear, available at 88 Supermarket and Ming's Market, tenderizes as well as sweetens the marinade. Serves 1.

• 6 oz soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 2 tsp minced fresh gingerroot Black pepper to taste
• 2 Tbsp sake or white wine
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 1-2 Tbsp pureed Asian pear or kiwi
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 7 oz prime steak

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and marinate at room temperature for at least 1, but no more than 2, hours. It's best to grill the meat, but you can also use the broiler. Cook 4-5 minutes per side, basting often; do not overcook. Serve with steamed rice. ^ top

Jae's Fried Rice
Another great way to use leftover rice and vegetables, this dish cooks in just 2 minutes. Serves 1, can be doubled.

• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 egg, lightly scrambled
• 1/4 cup diced mixed vegetables -- onion, green and red pepper
• 1/4 cup broccoli florets, blanched for
• 1 minute in boiling water or stock
• 1 cup cooked jasmine rice, or other leftover rice
• 1 tsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp soy sauce Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• Fresh sliced vegetables and greens, for garnish

Heat the oil in a wok over highest heat, and add the egg. Stir quickly! Immediately add the vegetables, and continue to stir. Add rice, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and salt and pepper, and stir for 1 minute; the sauce should be absorbed and the rice grains should be separate. Add the sesame oil, toss, and serve hot, garnished with fresh vegetables and greens. ^ top

Hot and Sour Soup, Jae's Way
Not typical in any way, this soup is colorful and delicious and as spicy as you wish — a perfect lunch or dinner in the cold winter months. And it's even great for breakfast! Serves 2.

• 2 cups chicken stock
• 3/4 cup diced vegetables — onions, green and red pepper, fresh shiitake mushrooms
• 1/2 tomato, diced
• 1 giant shrimp, minced
• 1 giant scallop, minced
• 1 tsp chili paste with garlic (or more to taste)
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 Tbsp oyster sauce mixed with 1-1/2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp fish sauce 1 tsp soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp white vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar
• 4 Tbsp cornstarch solution (1 part cornstarch diluted in 3 parts water)
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup firm tofu, cut into large cubes
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp chopped scallion

In a wok or large saute pan over highest heat, bring chicken stock to a boil. Add vegetables and chopped tomato, and simmer 3-4 minutes. Add shrimp, scallop, chili paste, garlic, oyster sauce mixture, fish sauce, and soy, and simmer for 3 minutes. Add vinegar and sugar, and continue to simmer another 2 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch solution until fully incorporated. Drizzle in the beaten egg — do not stir, but allow the egg to set lightly into long strands. Then, at the last moment, add in the tofu, stir to combine, and add the sesame oil on top. Serve hot, garnished with chopped scallion. ^ top

Kimchi Omelet
In Korea, custom holds that men do not make kimchi, a fermented Chinese cabbage condiment that is a staple of the Korean diet. The woman of the household makes the kimchi, and each family's recipe is unique. I can't tell you the source of Chung's kimchi, but I can tell you that this omelet is remarkably good, though not for the faint of palate. What a way to wake up in the morning! Serves 1.

• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 cup kimchi
• 1 Tbsp chopped scallion
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 Tbsp shredded carrot
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

In a small frying pan, heat 1 tsp of vegetable oil. While the oil is heating, combine kimchi, scallion, sugar, sesame oil and carrot in a bowl, and mix thoroughly (with your fingers). Add the kimchi mixture to the pan, and saute 3-4 minutes. While the kimchi is cooking, heat 1 tsp vegetable oil in another small frying pan. When the kimchi is almost cooked (it should be wilted and just beginning to brown), add the eggs to the other pan. Cook, as for any omelet, until the eggs are just beginning to set. Top with the kimchi, fold the edge farthest from you over the kimchi, and roll out onto a plate so the kimchi is completely enveloped by the egg. Serve immediately, with fresh fruit.

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