Magic Island at Ala Moana Beach Park will be bustling Saturday when the 14th Annual Korean Festival returns, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., with an authentic taste of Korean culture through dance, music, art and, of course, food.
Savor popular Korean dishes, take a Korean cooking lesson or even enter the kim chee-eating contest.
Proceeds fund projects such as an annual scholarship for college students. The festival is organized by the Korean Chamber of Commerce.
Visit koreanfestivalhi.com.
Enjoy these tasty recipes, courtesy of festival vendors.
Bul Go Gi (Korean barbecue beef)
Courtesy Waikiki Resort Hotel
» 1 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced
» 10 ounces sirloin beef, thinly sliced
» Sesame seeds for garnish
» Lettuce for serving
Sauce:
» 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
» 1 tablespoon sugar
» 1/2 tablespoon local honey
» 1 tablespoon minced green onion
» 1 tablespoon minced garlic
» 1 teaspoon salt
» 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
» 1/4 cup pear juice or 1 small Korean pear, seeded and grated
» 1 tablespoon sesame oil
In medium bowl, combine sauce ingredients and mix well. Add onion and beef; marinate 30 minutes.
In hot pan over medium high, add onions and beef; cook beef 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until cooked to desired doneness. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve with lettuce leaves. Serves 2.
Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 380 calories, 15 g fat, 3.5 g saturated fat, 90 mg cholesterol, 650 mg sodium, 30 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 21 g sugar, 35 g protein
Fried Mandoo
Courtesy Kim Chee III
» 5 pounds head cabbage (about 2 heads), finely chopped
» 1-1/2 tablespoons salt (for soaking)
» 1 cup sugar
» 1 tablespoon sesame oil
» 1 tablespoon soybean oil
» 1/2 pound bean sprouts, chopped
» 1 large onion, chopped
» 8 ounces long rice, soaked in water 2 hours to soften, then finely chopped
» 1/2 pound lean ground beef
» 6 (12-ounce) packages mandoo wrappers
» Oil for deep-frying
Fill large bowl with water and add 1-1/2 tablespoons salt; soak cabbage for 2 hours and drain. Set aside.
Mix sugar and oils. Add bean sprouts, onion, long rice and beef; combine with cabbage and mix well.
Place about 1 tablespoon mixture at center of each mandoo wrapper. Fold in half and seal, pressing edges together firmly. Deep-fry or pan-fry. Makes 90 pieces.
Approximate nutritional information, per fried mandoo: 140 calories, 5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 250 mg sodium, 21 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 3 g sugar, 4 g protein
O’deng Guk (Fish Cake Soup)
Courtesy Little Seoul II
» 5 ounces Korean fish cake of choice, rinsed with hot water to remove oil, then sliced
» 1/2 to 1 sheet dried kelp, to taste
» 3 cups water
» 5 large dried anchovies (find at Asian stores)
» 3 to 4 ounces daikon, cut into small, thin squares
» 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
» 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
» 1/2 stalk large spring onion, thinly sliced diagonally (find at Korean markets; or use green onions)
» Salt and pepper, to taste
Thread fish cake on skewers, 1 or 2 slices on each.
In pot, soak kelp in 3 cups water about 20 minutes. Remove and discard kelp. Add anchovies to water and bring to boil. Remove and discard anchovies. Add daikon.
When daikon is nearly cooked, add fish cake on skewers, soy sauce and rice wine vinegar. Boil 2 to 3 minutes, then add spring onions. Season with salt and pepper. Boil 30 seconds and serve. Serves 2.
Approximate nutritional information, per serving (not including salt to taste): 170 calories, 8 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 40 mg cholesterol, 800 mg sodium, 14 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 2 g sugar, 12 g protein
More Hawaiian Electric Co. recipes are available at hawaiianelectric.com.