Jointly hosted by the hotel and the Korean Cultural Centre Canada, and taking place in the hotel’s Carleton Grill restaurant, the special buffet lunch celebrated the very best of traditional Korean cuisine. Being both part of the cultural centre’s K-Connected festival and the hotel’s Embassy Gastronomy Series, the event pulled out all the stops to impress the Ottawa community. Award-winning celebrity chef Hansong Kim flew in from New York to prepare the special feast.
Chef Kim, who specializes in restaurant consulting and private dining through his New York-based company BistroYori, put the focus on fresh, Korean flavours for this particular event saying, “This is true, traditional Korean food. It is not fusion. I wanted to show dishes that people here have never seen before.”
Chef Kim definitely achieved this through the array of stunning hot and cold dishes that were on the menu. While some were popular, recognizable Korean staples like perfectly tender pork belly and succulent bulgogi, the spread offered many dishes that North American foodies rarely get access to. Some of these unique dishes include “danhobak,” a light and fresh yam salad, cucumber kimchi called “oisobakki,” and a sweet and delicious dessert item called sujnggwa, which is a aromatic cinnamon punch.
The event proved to be a success with every table full and diners constantly returning to the buffet for seconds and thirds, showing just how much Korean cuisine is enjoyed and respected by a broad range of foodies. If you want to get a taste of Korea yourself, you can still secure your spot for the last day of the event tomorrow by calling 613-238-1502 ext. 6646 or by reserving a table online here.