Thanks in part to the popularity of Korean television costume dramas such as Daejanggeum, otherwise known as The Jewel in the Palace, Korean food is now fashionable in Hong Kong.
The country's cuisine has long been a popular import however. Hong Kong got its first real Korean restaurant when Arirang opened its first branch in 1964, and there are now 20 or so at various locations in Kowloon and on Hong Kong island.
In addition to the ubiquitous Korean barbecue there are staple Korean dishes that have proven enduringly popular. Korea shares with China a belief in food as medicine, and chicken with ginseng soup is one notably healthy option served in many Korean restaurants and widely enjoyed.
Kimchi, the nation's signature spicy fermented vegetable relish, is more of an acquired taste, and the hot, pungent dishes do not suit all palates. But not surprisingly, given the popularity of Thai, Sichuan and other spicy cuisines, they have a following.
Kimchi is usually served as a side dish. Although the word is often thought to refer solely to fermented cabbage, it can also be made using various other vegetables, including radishes and cucumbers. Recipes vary seasonally, but garlic, ginger and chilli pepper are typically present.
Arirang - the word has no direct translation but is to do with beauty - is the title of a well-known Korean folk song. There are now branches at Times Square in Causeway Bay and at The Gateway in Tsim Sha Tsui.
Still popular with Hong Kong residents of all nationalities after more than 40 years, but including a considerable number of Koreans among the clientele, the two Arirang branches are known for a combination of dishes normally reserved in Korea for formal dining, and for simpler hearty barbecue, rice and noodle options. The house policy has always been to offer as broad a range of national dishes as possible in a friendly and informal atmosphere.
