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Koreaworld: A Cookbook
A vibrant exploration of Korean cuisine, both in Korea and in Koreatowns around the globe, with more than 75 bold, flavor-packed recipes and stunning photography from the New York Time s bestselling authors of Koreatown .
Join chef Deuki Hong and journalist Matt Rodbard as they take an insider’s look at the exciting evolution of Korean food through stories of chefs and home cooks, as well as recipes that are shaping modern Korean cuisine, including sweet-spicy barbecue, creative rice and seafood dishes, flavor-bombed stews, and KPOP-fueled street food.
In Koreatown , Deuki and Matt explored the foods of Korean American communities across the United States. Now with Koreaworld , they show how Korean cuisine today is nothing less than an international culinary revolution, from the ancient plant-based cooking of famed Buddhist monk-chefs to modern charred-greens rice rolls and pork-stuffed fried peppers.
Koreaworld takes readers into the bustling metropolis of Seoul, where the modern-day barbecue scene is pushing into new territory with recipes like Smoked Giant Short Ribs cooked over hay and where the city’s third-wave coffee culture is exploding. Deuki and Matt also visit Jeju Island, where seafood dishes like Jeju Whole Fried Smashed Rock Fish rule supreme, and they explore the plant-based temple cuisine found in the rural province of Jeolla-do, with dishes such as Cold Broccoli Salad with Ssamjang Mayo . The tour continues with late-night food adventures in Los Angeles and stops in the kitchens of innovative chefs from New York City to Portland who are putting modern spins on Korean classics with dishes like Rice and Ginseng–Stuffed Roast Chicken , Grilled Kimchi Wedge Salad , Kkaennip Pesto , and Pineapple Kimchi Fried Rice . Filled with recipes, stories, and conversations of Korean food’s global evolution, Koreaworld is essential reading for anyone curious about the future of food.
Join chef Deuki Hong and journalist Matt Rodbard as they take an insider’s look at the exciting evolution of Korean food through stories of chefs and home cooks, as well as recipes that are shaping modern Korean cuisine, including sweet-spicy barbecue, creative rice and seafood dishes, flavor-bombed stews, and KPOP-fueled street food.
In Koreatown , Deuki and Matt explored the foods of Korean American communities across the United States. Now with Koreaworld , they show how Korean cuisine today is nothing less than an international culinary revolution, from the ancient plant-based cooking of famed Buddhist monk-chefs to modern charred-greens rice rolls and pork-stuffed fried peppers.
Koreaworld takes readers into the bustling metropolis of Seoul, where the modern-day barbecue scene is pushing into new territory with recipes like Smoked Giant Short Ribs cooked over hay and where the city’s third-wave coffee culture is exploding. Deuki and Matt also visit Jeju Island, where seafood dishes like Jeju Whole Fried Smashed Rock Fish rule supreme, and they explore the plant-based temple cuisine found in the rural province of Jeolla-do, with dishes such as Cold Broccoli Salad with Ssamjang Mayo . The tour continues with late-night food adventures in Los Angeles and stops in the kitchens of innovative chefs from New York City to Portland who are putting modern spins on Korean classics with dishes like Rice and Ginseng–Stuffed Roast Chicken , Grilled Kimchi Wedge Salad , Kkaennip Pesto , and Pineapple Kimchi Fried Rice . Filled with recipes, stories, and conversations of Korean food’s global evolution, Koreaworld is essential reading for anyone curious about the future of food.
304 pages, Hardcover
Published April 23, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 2, 2024
<3 Koreatown: A Cookbook , fucking <3 this too (if not more...)
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June 21, 2024I really liked this cookbook. Fun headnotes and a slightly chaotic but entertaining design. I made the Korean chicken teriyaki, shaved Brussels sprouts salad with a yuja dressing, Sprite pickles, and the bibim guksu. All very straightforward and delicious.
May 20, 2026
This was a cookbook club pick, so I got to try 8 recipes made by 8 different people. We all thought that the cookbook is beautiful and interesting. The ingredients are not too hard to find, even in a small town, and there are some recipes that use regular grocery items. Plus, everything was tasty! Here's the breakdown.
1. I made the Beefy Soybean Paste Stew for my family, hoping it was like the tofu stew that they serve at Korean bbq restaurants. It was! Loved the flavours! I will try it with tofu next time.
2. My husband and I made the grilled spicy pork baby back ribs. Fantastic flavour and spice levels. These were a hit at the potluck! He cooked them twice as long as suggested.
3. Two of us made the extremely addicting soy sauce marinated eggs. All the adults enjoyed them, although the egg cooking time is only 6 minutes, which is much less than most of us use. So if you don't like really soft boiled eggs, boil them longer.
4. My friend made the smoked giant short ribs, but with beef ribs. The flavour was great! She did not smoke them with straw. And while she followed the marinade instructions, she dumped them in a slow cooker until the meat fell off the bones and served them with marinade. The consensus in our club is that ribs are better low and slow.
5. One man made the bbq chicken teriyaki. Also delicious! We ate it all up.
6. The librarian made the 7Up pickled cucumbers with Sprite. Also surprisingly good, even with a short pickling time. It was awesome with some of the beef ribs on top.
7. My daughter made the caramel corn. This was so unbelievably good. So good! You need to try this one.
8. My friend is a swiss pastry chef with decades of experience, and he tackled the banana cake. He thought that the ratios were good, although he felt that the banana custard is a little runny for his preference. The icing holds the shape. He did say that some steps are unecessary, such as putting the cream of tartar in later or the sugar one tsp at a time. He does it all at once and his baking is perfect. That said, the cake looked beautiful and the flavour is unique and delicious. I'll never make it because it's too much work, but I enjoyed eating it.
There you go. 8 regular folk all had success cooking from this book and really enjoyed our meal. Hope you like it too.
1. I made the Beefy Soybean Paste Stew for my family, hoping it was like the tofu stew that they serve at Korean bbq restaurants. It was! Loved the flavours! I will try it with tofu next time.
2. My husband and I made the grilled spicy pork baby back ribs. Fantastic flavour and spice levels. These were a hit at the potluck! He cooked them twice as long as suggested.
3. Two of us made the extremely addicting soy sauce marinated eggs. All the adults enjoyed them, although the egg cooking time is only 6 minutes, which is much less than most of us use. So if you don't like really soft boiled eggs, boil them longer.
4. My friend made the smoked giant short ribs, but with beef ribs. The flavour was great! She did not smoke them with straw. And while she followed the marinade instructions, she dumped them in a slow cooker until the meat fell off the bones and served them with marinade. The consensus in our club is that ribs are better low and slow.
5. One man made the bbq chicken teriyaki. Also delicious! We ate it all up.
6. The librarian made the 7Up pickled cucumbers with Sprite. Also surprisingly good, even with a short pickling time. It was awesome with some of the beef ribs on top.
7. My daughter made the caramel corn. This was so unbelievably good. So good! You need to try this one.
8. My friend is a swiss pastry chef with decades of experience, and he tackled the banana cake. He thought that the ratios were good, although he felt that the banana custard is a little runny for his preference. The icing holds the shape. He did say that some steps are unecessary, such as putting the cream of tartar in later or the sugar one tsp at a time. He does it all at once and his baking is perfect. That said, the cake looked beautiful and the flavour is unique and delicious. I'll never make it because it's too much work, but I enjoyed eating it.
There you go. 8 regular folk all had success cooking from this book and really enjoyed our meal. Hope you like it too.
November 17, 2025
I didn't end up trying anything from this cookbook. The format and front choices made the book very hard to follow. Additionally, the vignettes on different chefs were scattered chaotically throughout again, making the book difficult to follow.
For example, on p. 247: Dwaeji Bulgogi on a Roll, I was hoping to find out more about the recipe in the large paragraph under the title. Instead, the author writes about his research process and mentions a bunch of the recipes titles, name drops a few celebrities, then finally gets around to naming the Bulgogi only to talk about COVID for a bit, name the ingredients (I can see that in this ingredient list) and quote the chef who made it "A perfect sandwich, if you ask me," say Eric. Not helpful at all.
For example, on p. 247: Dwaeji Bulgogi on a Roll, I was hoping to find out more about the recipe in the large paragraph under the title. Instead, the author writes about his research process and mentions a bunch of the recipes titles, name drops a few celebrities, then finally gets around to naming the Bulgogi only to talk about COVID for a bit, name the ingredients (I can see that in this ingredient list) and quote the chef who made it "A perfect sandwich, if you ask me," say Eric. Not helpful at all.
August 1, 2024
Beautiful photos. Wonderful recipes. I enjoyed reading it and seeings foods and recipes that I would never have known about. Was it a cookbook that I would use on a regular basis ... no. If you enjoy cooking different type foods then this book is for you. Clarkson Potter provided me with a free copy of this book; the opinions are my own.
January 10, 2025
Lively photos, but what is up with all that beef? If you like eating things like beef and daikon radish, for instance, you might love this book and its upbeat tone. But pretty much the only thing I felt like making or having when I read through this was the pourover coffee, and you don't need this book in order to find out how to make that.
March 17, 2025
While this is a cookbook, it is also full of essays and bits about Korean and Korean-American food culture. I found it so enticing!
This book also should come with a warning label: DO NOT READ WHEN HUNGRY!
This book also should come with a warning label: DO NOT READ WHEN HUNGRY!
May 13, 2024
A love letter to not only Korean food, but the people and the communities around the globe that have brought Korean food to the masses.
June 24, 2024
Fun, punky modern Korean cookbook from LA to Seoul. Lots of delicious ideas in here, not sure if I'll cook from it very often though.
July 30, 2024
I mean, just read it baby!
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August 13, 2024Great take on modern Korean cooking. Loved the Linguine alla Vongole recipe!
February 6, 2025
Interesting stories but recipes not really for me, everything was too spicy or ingredients were not available
August 9, 2025
LOVED that they gave restaurant recs for korean spots all over the world
August 13, 2025
More like 3.5
The pictures chosen not great
The pictures chosen not great
March 11, 2026
Gorgeous photography. I enjoyed the information about different parts of Korean Cuisine. Very interesting.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews