Food seems to go on trends... one day we have Lebanese foods with a twist, the next day we have burger joints opening everywhere, and the next we have sushi places on every corner of the country... what's next?
With some research, I found that Korean food might be the next big food trend in 2012 around the world, I wonder if it will hit Lebanon as well? Let's see a few signs.
Food consultants Baum + Whiteman predicted that the punchy, robust flavors of Korean cuisine would emerge as an influential global food trend, even going so far as calling kimchi the food ingredient of 2012. More so, in the effort to push Korean cuisine further into the international spotlight, the South Korean tourism office likewise invited thousands of chefs from around the world to the city of Daejeon, where they're gathered for the 35th annual World Association of Chefs Societies.
And just recently, T.G.I. Friday's t chain with 900 outposts in 60 countries, announced the menu addition menu addition of Korean Steak Tacos - a product that's conspicuously similar to Kogi BBQ's signature dish in Los Angeles. Entrepreneur Roy Choi's fusion Korean-Mexican food truck Kogi BBQ is widely credited for launching the food truck craze in the US and for spotlighting the flavors of Korean foods to a wider consumer base. Also New York chef David Chang has elevated Korean cuisine to a Michelin-starred level with his Momofuku empire, which has expanded to Australia and also lands in Toronto this summer. The New York Daily News recently reported that South Korean record label JYP Entertainment, who are behind K-Pop or Korean pop industry, opened the doors to an upscale Korean barbecue restaurant Kristalbelli at the heart of Manhattan.
These are a few examples... so let's see how this trend will catch up into our part of the world.
