I've taken two of Jee's classes and highly recommend both! Below are reviews for both.
Kimchi 101- DIY Mak (Napa) Kimchi: I'm Korean but had not made my own batch of kimchi prior to the class because it seemed intimidating, though I never blink an eye at making mole from scratch. Jee made the kimchi making process simple! I was midway through my first trimester of pregnancy when I took this class, and was especially vigilant about eating organic food with little to no preservatives. If you've ever gone to the Korean market, it can be an exercise in frustration to find kimchi without preservatives and MSG, and forget about organic napa cabbage because it doesn't exist! So I was excited at the prospect of tackling another food challenge and learning how to make my own batch of customized kimchi. Mak kimchi is a little easier to prepare because the napa cabbage is sliced into bite-size chunks instead left in whole quarters. She had prepped most of the ingredients prior to the class because some of it is time-intensive, so we used the prepared ingredients to make our own kimchi. Depending on people's preferences, she adjusted the spice mix to our taste. One of the ladies didn't particularly like very pungent kimchi so she mixed a special spice mix that omitted the shrimp paste. Jee gave historical information on kimchi, the preparation method, the proportion of ingredients to use and the fermentation process / length so that we would end up with a batch of fermented goodness that pleased all of our senses. She's a fun instructor who is passionate and knowledgeable about the subject of kimchi, and I can now make my own batch fearlessly!
HanJungshik "complete formal Korean meal": Part historical account of formal dining in the Joseon dynasty period, part educational as Jee provided some information on the health benefits of the dishes, and all deliciousness! I was pleasantly surprised by the elaborateness of the meal (13 courses, plus mixed grain and bean rice with 18 side dishes!!) and the beautiful presentation of the dishes. It was a smaller class of 8 people so Jee hosted the dinner at her home, which lent to the cozy atmosphere of dinner. There was a variety of dishes which can be ordered at any Korean restaurant (i.e. seafood pancake, japchae, napa kimchi, cucumber kimchi, sautéed fish cake), some of which is only eaten in Korean homes (gosari, dolragee, dul duk, jangjorim - all side dishes) and specialty dishes that may only be made once a year or at specialty Korean restaurants (haepari naengchae, bo ssam, gu jeol pan). Given I'm in my third trimester of pregnancy, I don't eat out as often as I don't know about the quality of the food, but she sourced as much of the ingredients locally and organic where possible, which assured me I was in for a healthy, tasty meal. Everyone arrived around 7pm with drinks to accompany dinner, which put everyone in a great good to start off the culinary experience. Jee and her helpers plated each course beautifully and she started off each course with an explanation of what we were eating and how to eat it, and left enough time between each of the courses so that we could have seconds and chat with our dining partners. It was very much like having dinner in a Michelin starred restaurant, but without the pretentious vibe! My favorite dishes were the haepari naengchae (jellyfish salad with yellow mustard), bo ssam (momofuku inspired pork shoulder wrapped with lettuce), dul duk (referred to as poor man's "ginseng") , tangpyeongchae with acorn jelly (vegetable medley and acorn jelly with soy vinaigrette) and the seafood stew because they are items that are seldom featured on Korean restaurant menus or made at home. The food was deliciously prepared and balanced for sweetness, saltiness, umami and acidity, and gave me a renewed appreciation for Korean food. Another thing I loved about dinner was that there was an intermission between the first 12 courses, and the rice with 18 side dishes, so we sat around her living room for 15 minutes chatting with our fellow diners! Dinner was ended with Asian pear, and though I was full to the gills, I still managed to sneak a few pieces of fruit. I'd highly recommend this dinner as an introduction to Korean food that surpasses the typical experience of popular grilled meats! read more