THE FLAVOUR
Serving up joy EungSub Lee came to Halifax to escape the career rat race — now he’s building a thriving business and sharing Korean flavours with his loyal diners STORY AND ILLUSTRATIONS BY KAT FRICK MILLER
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he gentle scent of simmering pork with hints of garlic and kimchi fills the kitchen of the Brewery Farmers’ Market every Friday evening, as EungSub Lee prepares for the next morning’s market. Lee describes his menu at Gama by Lee as Seoul-style Korean food: rooted in Korean flavours and techniques, but as with the cuisine of the megalopolis, he includes the influences from China, Japan, and Taiwan, gathered during his travels. On the menu every week is his braised pork belly, a Korean dish, but Lee includes star anise in his sauce
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“because it is more delicious, but it is definitely not Korean style.” Mandu (Korean-style dumplings) are among his staples. On occasion, you’ll also find Japanese ubu, an inari sushi dish, filled with kimchi and scrambled eggs or beef bulgogi. Five years ago, when Lee immigrated to Nova Scotia, he wasn’t planning on going into the food business. He decided to leave Korea because he wanted to change careers and a mid-life career switch in South Korea is considered, as he puts it, “some kind of crazy thing.” For 10 years in South Korea, Lee worked in the gamedesign industry, often with long periods of “crunch-
