above:(left) Tofu and rice-stuffed inari, vegan rolls and kim bap rolls, which are similar to sushi, but filled with pickled vegetables and grilled meat; (right) Chef June makes the kimchi from scratch.
Korean cuisine has been simmering in the background of Fairfield County’s culinary scene, and it’s time to move it to the front burner. Ginger’s Seoul, which opened quietly last January on High Ridge Rd. (the expanded site of the former Kit’s Thai Kitchen), is just the restaurant to do it.
Many of us are familiar with Korean barbecue, fried chicken, kimchi and gochujang pepper, but Ginger’s Seoul’s extensive menu dives deeper into a range of dishes that’ll wake up the taste buds of vegans, vegetarians and meat-eaters alike. Though trained in Japanese cuisine, Chef June Seo cooks the dishes of her homeland at Ginger’s: hot stone bibimbap, kim bap rolls and teteokbokki (sticky rice cakes).
To start, homemade cucumber kimchi, flecked with sesame seeds, is fresh, crunchy, spicy and garlicky. Vegan summer rolls, filled with avocado, cucumber, carrot, are wrapped in rice paper or pickled radish. Kim bap (kim means nori or seaweed and bap means rice) are rolls filled with seasoned sushi rice, vegetables and cooked meats. Choices abound, starting with white, brown or black rice (the latter is particularly dramatic). The traditional kim bap roll is filled with grilled sausage, egg, cucumber, carrots and pickled radish. The substantial fried shrimp bao, pairs a plump shrimp in a crisp tempura-like batter with strips of cucumbers between a soft lotus bun spread with spicy mayo.
The menu features some serious comfort food too. If you’ve never had rose teteokbokki before, try it. It looks like gnocchi in a bowl of red sauce, but the pleasing texture of the chewy rice cakes and sweet, spicy, creamy sauce is infinitely more interesting. It’s a dish you crave the next day.
Bibimbap is the ultimate Korean comfort dish. Served in a hot stone bowl, the dish arrives sizzling. You can choose vegetarian or meat toppings. Pour in gochujang pepper paste, and use two spoons to break up the egg, toss the vegetables and protein, and lift up that crunchy rice from the bottom. Paired with Chef June’s homemade pickled radish and kimchi, this is a thoroughly satisfying dish, with the textures of the rice, julienned vegetables, and the flavor combinations of pickled and raw vegetables with the grilled bulgogi (beef rib eye).
Pizza is a universal food, so don’t be surprised to see it on the menu. The dining room features a dedicated oven, and kids can watch the chef pull out ooey-gooey three-cheese pies. Toppings include pepperoni and veggies—and, yes, there are Korean-style kimchi and bulgogi pies.
Owner and City Representative James Grunberger outfitted the dining room with Honduran mahogany tables and comfortable chairs. The restaurant is spacious, with 55 seats and 45 more on the new patio, and invites lingering over a meal. Geonbae!
927 High Ridge Rd.
gingersseoul.com
Photography: dumplings, kimchi and beef by John Moore; all others contributed