Maru

Mmm…aru! It’s already been 11 years since Kyoung Her, otherwise known as “Kyky,” began keeping lovers of spicy and fermented flavors in the capital happy with her authentic K-food. After being won over by her cooking, the decor feels like the cherry on top: a windowed facade, wooden tables, a long leather banquette, white walls with a splash of Klein blue to electrify the wall behind the bar… Devoured with a pair of chopsticks and a golden spoon the night we went: perfectly prepared yukhoe made with beef from Dierendonck, sliced thin and seasoned fresh by the chef with garlic (optional), Nashi pear and pine nuts; slurpable japchae made with sautéed sweet potato noodles, veggies and sesame oil; a rainbow-colored bibimbap sizzling in its dolsot bowl, with optional raw beef, mixed tableside with a diabolically good gochujang sauce; delicious bulgogi, aka grilled and marinated beef served with shaved cabbage salad and rice, all served with a myriad of banchan (sesame eggplant, daikon kimchi, pickled vegetables); and to round out the meal, a big scoop of (overly cold) homemade strawberry and makgeolli (Korean rice wine) sorbet, surrounded by fresh fruit, all covered in a matcha sauce. // Alba Nebbioli