Fermented cabbage adds a layer of funky deliciousness to kimchi fried rice.
by Marilyn Hawkes | Photo by Angelina Aragon
Touted for gut health benefits, fermented foods have achieved new prominence in the American diet. In addition to classic standbys such as yogurt, cheese and sauerkraut, grocery stores now reliably carry new-look fermented goods like kombucha, kefir (fermented milk) and, of course, kimchi, that zesty, fermented cabbage that serves as Asia’s answer to sauerkraut.
Found in almost every home in Korea, kimchi also provides that all-important final note of sour, salty tang to one of the peninsula’s most beloved dishes: kimchi fried rice. At Sizzle (three Valley locations, sizzlekoreanbbq.com), executive chef Hyun Lee makes the fiery slaw in-house with Napa cabbage, salt, gochugaru (Korean chile peppers) and garlic – a mixture he ferments for up to a week. To prepare the savory wok dish, Lee fries sticky short-grain rice in canola oil with chopped kimchi, a smattering of green and yellow onions, bits of mushrooms and zucchini, Korean chili powder, sugar and soy sauce, finishing with a drizzle of sesame oil. He tops the ruddy rice dish ($15, pictured) with a fried egg, a practice that hearkens back to the Korean War, when meat proteins were scarce, he says.
Orders of kimchi fried rice at Zu & Pocha (1212 E. Apache Blvd., Tempe, 480-590-2903, zuandpocha.com) are delivered by a friendly robot. Novelty aside, the dish is a salty, spicy delight. In a wok, the chef caramelizes the tart kimchi with sugar and then adds smoky bacon, lending an umami vibe to the traditional rice dish.
Also in the mix: red onions, strings of carrots and red peppers, slivered mushroom bits and red cabbage, all topped with a sunny side up egg. The rice is tinted red from gochugaru and has blazing overtones to match. The server will ask your heat-level preference, and the kitchen will cook accordingly with no judgment. Be warned: the “hot” is accurately billed.
Tucked away in a quiet North Phoenix strip center, Nami Korean Kitchen & Sushi (19401 N. Cave Creek Rd., Phoenix, 602-404-5723, nami-koreankitchenaz.com) serves kimchi fried rice ($11.95) tarted up with well-fermented, acidic kimchi sporting a hint of ginger. Crowned with a fried egg and dotted with peas, carrots, onions and charred corn kernels, this was the mildest version of the dish on our tour, with a modest but pleasant jab of chile heat. The rich egg yolk mixes with the rice, adding a velvety texture to the tangy, crimson-tinged dish. But the heart of kimchi fried rice is the kimchi itself, with a nod to all the variations handed down through generations of Korean households. “Kimchi reminds us of when we were children,” Sizzle chef Lee says. “And we [as Koreans] have a lot of memories of kimchi fried rice.”
