Gung The Palace, the three-storeyed Korean restaurant in Delhi's Green Park, has traditional seating - low tables (with a pit to dangle the legs), curtained dining booths, subdued colours, low music, and a 21-page menu featuring meaty barbecue, seafood stews and octopus casserole. At Mr K Ramyun Café, also in Green Park, the colours are more vivid, mukbang videos play on screens, the menu is only six pages long, the shelves are stocked with packets of Buldak Ramyun. How did we get to a point where Korean dining in India can mean such vastly different things?
The answer is a little complicated. It draws on history, geography and a bit of economics. And restaurants of both kinds are popping up across India Chennai has 30, Pune has pre-order dining rooms, Mumbai has dedicated cafés. It's a distinction that says as much about India as the Asian nation, far, far away.
First, the history
Of course, the K-Pop and K-drama craze of the last decade has something to do with it. But India had a handful of Korean restaurants that were thriving much before we got hooked on to BTS. They operated quietly in cities and business districts that had a significant Korean expat population.
この記事は Brunch の July 27, 2024 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は Brunch の July 27, 2024 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
Fit Check? Look Behind You
In gyms, someone is always filming. We are all in the frame without meaning to be. Is privacy at odds with fitness goals? Is consent even possible with all those mirrors?
Avantika Dassani
Actor, @AvantikaDassani
Keep your i on this BMW
The brand's beloved sedan has now gone electric. The i5 M60 has a sci-fi roar and razor-sharp graphics. It's worth the hype
Why adapt when you can evolve?
Sometimes, the movie or show does it better than the book it is based on. Here's when to stream not flip
Sharp edges, blunt words
British chef Heston Blumenthal has gone public about his struggle with ADHD and bipolar syndrome. He hopes it calms kitchens down. It's hot in there already
The suitable boy
He's played lovers, taxi drivers, street rats and rich brats. He's redefining what it means to be the token Brown boy on set. But would he be on a reality show? Ishaan Khatter tells us why he's a career chameleon and how he got here
Stay stylish in your cubicle
Everyone's back at the office. Covid flexibilities are long forgotten. But being comfortable is still key. So, what are we wearing to work?
Hey, I found you online
Baby pics, emo selfies, old tweets outing the ex. If it makes you cringe, it makes HR departments do too. Here's how to clean up your digital footprint
Is It Scrolling Or Screening?
Being on the phone while the TV plays is the new normal. Just don't do it when there's company. A case for what it means to be present
This week, we're...
Preferring the spinoff.
