Having conquered the likes of KERB, Feast and Street Feast, street food trader Hanna Soderlund of Kimchinary has shelved the wind and rain and headed inside to Catch on Kingsland Road for a three month residency.
Along with thousands of others, you may have come across her beef bulgogi tacos at Feast in the summer of 2013. The Korean inspired fillings bursting out of Mexican corn tortillas are meticulously thought out, with unusual flavours and textures colliding to create mini masterpieces.
Just like the size of the kitchen, the menu has expanded too. On the night we tried tacos with:
- Buttermilk fried squid with pickled pineapple relish, kimchi guacamole and herb salad
- Bulgogi ox cheek and tongue with radish kimchi, blackened spring onion and horseradish
- Corn flake chicken thigh with Doenjang (a Korean fermented soybean paste) buttered corn, potato salad and chicken skin
- Braised cavolo nero, soy pickled enoki, kimchi puree and queso fresco.
There are other dishes, without tacos, including pickled fried pigs ears with tortilla chips, kale kimchi fried rice and one that we tried, dukbokki with rainbow chard and crispy shallots. For us it was the standout dish of the night, chewy and tender rice cakes in a sticky caramelised sauce with plenty of white and black sesame seeds.
You can find Kimchinary at Catch Bar 22 Kingsland Road, London, E2 8DA from Wednesdays to Sundays 6-10pm. For more information, follow them on Twitter @kimchinary or visit www.kimchinary.com.
Image: Louis Fernando of Tuck and Vine blog
