Comfort food, Hawaiian-style
Howard Kim, co-owner of Hawaiian restaurant Gusto Loco Moco, poses in front of the store in Hongdae, western Seoul in this recent photograph. / Korea Times photo by Kim Young-jin
By Kim Young-jin
For many, Hawaii conjures images of surfing, beaches, tropical drinks and cocktail umbrellas.
For foodies, however, it calls to mind the food trucks and roadside restaurants that serve up some of the islands’ best-known dishes.
Those in the latter category have probably noticed that Hawaiian food has yet to carve a major niche in Korea’s restaurant scene. Dishes such as loco moco, the rice-and-gravy lunch, are difficult to find.
Hawaii native Howard Kim decided to improve the situation. Thanks to his restaurant Gusto Loco Moco, which opened in July in Hongdae, western Seoul, one doesn’t have to book an airplane ticket to eat authentic Hawaiian food.
Kim, 29, thinks his dishes suit the Korean palate.
“It’s not American and it’s not Asian; it’s a mixture of both,” he said during a recent interview at the restaurant, a tiny eatery tucked down an alley near Hongik University. “It’s similar to Korean food ㅡ it matches the taste.”
The spicy ahi bowl
Co-owned by Aaron Allen, owner of the Mexican food chain Gusto Taco, the restaurant is popular among people who have lived or spent time on the islands, as well as Hongdae residents.
According to Kim, Hawaiian food was heavily influenced by a wave of immigrants who came to work on sugar plantations starting around 1850.
Workers from China, Japan, the Philippines, Korea, Portugal and elsewhere brought their traditions and “mixed them together and made their own thing.” Today, many foods loved by Hawaiians come at an affordable price, and are served up at food trucks or mom-and-pop restaurants.
The restaurant’s loco moco (6,900 won) is identical to what one would have in Hawaii: a hamburger patty and sunny-side-up egg over rice, all smothered in gravy. The plate is rounded out with macaroni salad and “haupia,” a sweet coconut desert.
Kim’s “killa” shrimp (11,000 won) ㅡ inspired by the shrimp trucks and stalls on the North Shore of Oahu ㅡ are sauteed in a spicy garlic sauce.
One menu highlight is the “poke” (pronounced po-kay) ㅡ a Japanese-inspired sashimi salad. According to Kim, the dish is loved by Hawaiians of all ages, and can be eaten anywhere, whether as a healthy lunch or snack at the beach.
Kim’s poke (9,900 won) features generous cubes of raw yellow fin tuna ㅡ delivered every morning to the restaurant ㅡ tossed in a spicy mayo sauce.
The fish is firm and cool, and slowly melts in the mouth; a garnish of roe, onion and scallion adds a “pop” to each bite. The sashimi is served on a bed of warm rice.
“It’s supposed to be very simple,” said Kim, who plans to add limu ahi poke, made with soy sauce and seaweed, to the menu. “The more complex you make it; it loses its freshness in a way.”
Kim’s family has a long history in Hawaii. His great-great-aunt migrated there from Korea and opened a laundromat for the U.S. Navy, sending money back to her family, who were still living under Japanese rule.
Kim studied culinary arts and cooked in a fine dining restaurant in Waikiki, but soon got “that island-fever feeling” and moved to Korea to teach. The idea for the restaurant was forged between Allen and Kim when the latter frequented Gusto Taco for meals.
The Korean-Hawaiian said his menu reflects the simple, yet comforting nature of Hawaiian food. He added that the warmth of the dishes is ideal for the cold Korean winters.
“It’s how you would get it back home,” he said. “Everything is warm and gives you that cozy feeling inside.”
For more information, visit gustolocomoco.com or call (02) 3142-8226. Call in advance for the spicy ahi bowl, as servings are limited.