Kwon introducing Taranaki people to tastes of Korea
"It's not oily and it's very healthy and has loads of fresh veges."
Sally Kwon
When Sally Kwon opened New Plymouth’s first Korean restaurant a Korean student was so happy she came in and shook her hand.
Korean food is popular in Auckland and other main centres around New Zealand but up until now if you lived in Taranaki there were very few Korean food options and no restaurant serving the fare exclusively.
That was until two months ago when Kwon opened her Korean Bistro Yeon restaurant. Not only was it the fulfillment of a long held idea, it meant the student no longer had to travel to Whanganui for her fix of kimchi, bulgogi and other Korean staples.
‘‘She was so happy, she came and shook my hand and said thank you,’’ Kwon said.
Kwon has been in New Plymouth for 17 years but before moving to New Zealand had run a restaurant in Korea.
‘‘When I came to New Zealand I always wanted to open a Korean restaurant but knew it would be hard work,’’ Kwon said.
But she said many students at the Pacific International Hotel Management School near New Plymouth were Korean and they often asked her to cook them some food from home.
So eventually she took the plunge and opened the restaurant on Devon St East.
‘‘I aim to introduce Korean food to Taranaki people, but it’s a hard job,’’ she said.
While business had been steady since opening she was still getting used to what New Plymouth customers wanted.
‘‘We’re working through a few things but the customers all like it,’’ she said.
‘‘People like fast food for lunches. Something they can grab and take away.
‘‘People don’t want to wait.’’ Kwon said pork bulgogi, a spicy pork dish, and bibimbap, a mixed rice dish with meat, have been popular so far, as has the beef brisket.
She said Korean food was different from food of neighbouring countries China and Japan.
‘‘It’s not oily and it’s very healthy and has loads of fresh veges. It tastes so different to others.
‘‘We use lots of pepper paste, soy, garlic and fruit in some sauces like apple and pear.’’
Kimchi, a spicy fermented cabbage, is probably the most well known Korean dish and Kwon is proud that she makes it here herself.
‘‘Many people ask for it here,’’ she said.
‘‘You can buy it but I’m not sure what it’s like. I always make my own.’’