Actually it was last week, at the Korean Food Fair in downtown Los Angeles.
And not every one got to taste the salmon, only those attending a media conference where it was presented by Bernard Guillas, executive chef of the Marine Room at the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club.
An ardent fan of Korean food, Guillas won the Top Chef Korean Food Challenge in 2011. For the conference, he dreamed up the dish with only a few days notice.
The salmon--ocean-farmed Skuna Bay salmon from Vancouver Island--had been cured for 48 hours with smoked sea salt, black sesame seeds, gochujang (Korean red pepper paste), and tangerine and Meyer lemon zests.
Guillas (above) placed the fish on a round of jumbo Korean pear that he had marinated with pickling spices and pomegranate-flavored Hong Cho, a Korean vinegar.
Seaweed salad with sukkat (crown daisy) went underneath, and masago roe, mint and slivers of dried Korean peppers went on top. A couple of spoons of pickling liquid moistened the salad. The last touch was a sesame leaf placed at the side.
Who knows--Guillas might one day add this to the Marine Room menu. Meanwhile, you can taste other Korean fusion dishes there. Ttoekbokki, spicy stir-fried rice cakes, are at the bar, embellished with such non-Korean additions such as duck confit.
And the main room has wild mushroom casserole topped with black garlic, a Korean import that was featured at the food fair. You can read more about that in my article for LA Weekly's Squid Ink.
Recent Comments