Koreans in Georgia, Part 2: The New Southern Fusion
Food is more than just sustenance; it’s a story. It tells us where we come from, who we are, and sometimes, where we are going. For the second part of my series on Koreans in Georgia, I wanted to find a story that was being told on a plate. I found it in a small, bustling restaurant in a suburb of Atlanta, a place where the flavors of my Korean heritage are being blended with the classic dishes of the American South.
The chef is a second-generation Korean-American, a young woman who grew up in the kitchens of her parents' traditional Korean restaurant. But when she decided to open her own place, she didn't want to just copy their recipes. She wanted to create something that reflected her own unique identity.
"I grew up eating kimchi-jjigae and collard greens, often at the same meal," she told me with a laugh as I sat at the counter. "Those flavors are both 'home' to me. So I thought, why can't they exist on the same plate?"
Her menu is a testament to that question. The signature dish is "Kimchi Grits," a classic, creamy Southern bowl of grits swirled with the spicy, funky flavor of sautéed kimchi and topped with a perfectly fried egg. It’s a dish that sounds strange on paper, but tastes amazing. The comforting texture of the grits is a perfect match for the bold flavor of the kimchi. It tastes, somehow, like both Georgia and Korea at the same time.
Another popular item is the "Bulgogi Tacos." She takes the classic sweet and savory flavor of Korean marinated beef and serves it not with rice, but in a soft corn tortilla with a spicy gochujang-based slaw and a sprinkle of cotija cheese. It's a nod to the vibrant Mexican food culture of the area, a dish that represents the multicultural reality of the new South.
Her restaurant has become a huge hit, not just with Korean-Americans, but with a diverse crowd of people who are curious and adventurous eaters. She told me that at first, some older members of the Korean community were skeptical. They wanted the traditional, "authentic" food they grew up with.
"I had to explain that this is authentic," she said. "It's authentic to my experience. My story is a Korean-American story, a Southern story. This food is a reflection of that."
What she is doing is more than just clever fusion cooking. She is using food as a language to tell a new kind of story about identity. It’s a story that says you don't have to choose between your heritage and your home. You can bring them together to create something new, something delicious, and something that is uniquely your own. It’s the taste of the new Southern experience.