Alone. Pregnant. Starving. Kimchi.

We had open campus lunches at my high school back in Columbia, South Carolina. When my friends insisted on going to Burger King for the hundredth time, I’d take off in my crappy little Ford Tempo and drive around the corner to the O-bok, a Korean joint that looked more like a Laundromat from the outside than a restaurant. I always ordered their kimchi pancake. Cheap, hot, crispy on the outside, and filled with tangy, spicy kimchi on the inside—it was the perfect meal to eat quickly while studying for next period’s French test.

These pancakes are so darn good, totally comfort food, and an excellent dish to break someone in gently to Korean food. (In pancake form, the kimchi isn’t nearly as spicy or potent as when eaten straight.)

Years later, I learned that you can just make these guys at home, so long as your home is in reasonable proximity to an Asian grocery store. Tonight, with a husband away, a child asleep, and a growing belly demanding all sorts of crazy things, the kimchi pancake made a long overdue appearance on my dinner plate. It was consumed with joy and soy (sauce) while watching Iron Chef America.

Kimchi Pancake for One



½ cup Korean pancake mix
½ cup water
1 egg (optional)
¾ cup to 1 cup kimchi, chopped, juice reserved
Chopped green onion
Vegetable oil for pan frying

1. Heat a skillet to medium-high heat.
2. While skillet is heating, chop kimchi and reserve juices
3. Combine in a bowl: pancake mix, water, egg, kimchi and juice. Stir until well
combined.
4. Heat oil (1-2 Tbs should do it) in skillet, then dump pancake mixture into the
pan, allowing it to spread across the entire bottom.
5. Fry until well browned, flip and fry again until browned.
6. Plate the pancake and serve with soy sauce. (Eat with knife and fork, or cut
into squares and eat with chopsticks.)