Scan Magazine | Culinary Profile |
SSAM Korean Food Bar
A taste of Korea If you have not already fallen for it, it is definitely time to taste some authentic Korean food. Why not kick-start your love story with this exciting cuisine by visiting a little gem of a restaurant in Copenhagen?
a chance to experience Korean culture without going there, or feel like they’re re-visiting Korea,” says Jeong.
By Pia Petersson | Photos: Boen Imaging
Opened in June this year, the first months have been quite busy at SSAM Korean Food bar. “Our idea is to serve tasty and affordable Korean food in a comfortable environment. There aren’t that many Korean restaurants in Copenhagen so we weren’t sure what to expect, but the locals seem to like our food,” says founder, co-owner and head chef Jeong Hwa. The heart and soul of SSAM is Jeong, originally from Korea, and her husband Jeff Larsen. They met when Larsen lived and worked in South Korea’s second city of Busan. Jeong is a qualified chef, so opening a restaurant was something she had always wanted to do. Consequently, it is hardly surprising that she is responsible for the culinary side of the business, whereas Larsen gave up his job as an engineer in order to run the restaurant, taking care of all non-cooking-related matters. One such matter is the bar, where 26 | Issue 104 | September 2017
customers can get their first taste of the famous Korean spirit Soju, a distilled vodka-like rice liquor that is an absolute must at any Korean restaurant. Korean food is the latest in a line of Asian cuisines to conquer the world, and Jeong has a theory on why this is. “I think with the popularity of K-pop and K-drama, there’s a growing interest in Korean culture generally. An important part of any culture is of course the cuisine,” Jeong explains. Together with the rest of the team, Jeong prepares all the food fresh in the morning. Everything you would hope to find on the menu is there, from the wonderful bibimbap served in a stone bowl to Korean fried chicken and stuffed buns. The philosophy of SSAM is quite simple. “We’re just a small place with a focus on quality over quantity; a place where people can get
Web: www.ssam.dk