3 Ways Malaysian and Korean Cuisine are More Similar Than You Think

3 Ways Malaysian and Korean Cuisine are More Similar Than You Think

It’s not hard to find similarities in food cultures across the world, and with all the Korean dramas we’ve been watching, we’ve discovered several ways you’re eating just like your favourite oppa or noona! Get ready to get hungry though, because the K-drama food envy is real.

They both go well with rice!

As the number one staple in most Asian households, it’s no surprise that rice makes it to the top of our list when it comes to similarities between Malaysian and Korean cuisine. It’s filling, versatile and oh-so-delicious no matter whether it’s eaten plain as a neutral base to balance out the flavours of other dishes, or prepared with various toppings and sauces.

Some might prefer plain fluffy steamed rice to allow the crunchy, flavourful bites of our Signature Korean fried chicken truly shine, while others would rather add on to the flavour and aroma with our fragrant garlic fried rice or kimchi fried rice as. If you can’t get enough chicken with your chicken meal, we even have chicken fried rice for a chicken on chicken feast!

Chicken isn’t the only thing we’re topping our grains with though. At KyoChon 1991, we understand that sometimes you just want a meal that tastes like chicken, looks like chicken but isn’t actually chicken — and that’s where our Meat-Free Schnitzel Bibimbap comes in. Not even looking for rice in its original form? KyoChon 1991’s Tteokbokki (simmered rice cakes) and So-tteok So-tteok (rice cake and sausage skewers) are the tastiest answers to your rice cravings then. Despite the different ways in which we enjoy this staple grain, we can definitely agree on one thing: rice in all its forms is always nice.

Chicken is a staple ingredient in both!

We’d have to be cluckin’ mad if we didn’t crow about the deliciousness of chicken at every chance we get. After all, there’s plenty to love about its tender texture and versatility. Chicken, especially fried chicken, is a comfort food that’s eaten all over the world and while the usual mamak style fried chicken, turmeric fried chicken or belacan fried chicken will always have a place in the hearts and stomachs of Malaysians everywhere, Korean fried chicken has definitely won over the hearts of of many since its arrival on Malaysian shores alongside the slew of K-dramas, K-pop and K-beauty trends.

Korean fried chicken’s succulent meat and crisp exterior isn’t the only thing winning hearts and taste buds though, it’s the unique and often bold flavours used in its glazes and sauces that have made a lasting impression in the foodie scene. Here at KyoChon 1991, we have a variety of flavours that are sure to entice any chicken lover. Whether you’re into chowing down on some wingettes and drumettes in our Signature Series flavours or going the hassle-free snack route with our Salsal Strips, you can be sure your meal is going to be absolutely flavour-packed from the first bite to the last.

They also come with spicy flavour profiles!

Spicy food is like a rollercoaster for your taste buds and the enjoyment of this pleasurable burn is evident in both Malaysian and Korean cuisines. However, not all spiciness is the same as Korean cuisine tends to derive their tongue-tingling flavours from gochujang (red pepper paste) or gochugaru (red pepper flakes) and the results are typically pungent and intense with a slight savoury-sweet nuance. Even our Red Pepper series and Shinhwa series have unique nuances that set them apart with the Shinhwa series having a smokier flavour that adds depth to the spiciness! Here’s a fun fact: our Signature Red Pepper Series tends to be hotter during the summer because of the hotter and drier weather in which the peppers are grown! Malaysian cuisine on the other hand derives its spiciness from a blend of different spices with the main spicy factor being the amount and type of chillies used. The usage of different spices in Malaysian cuisine does give it a more complex flavour, but both Korean and Malaysian cuisines are truly wonderful in their own ways.

If all that talk about food has activated your Korean food cravings and got you drooling, why not pop by our stores or put in an online order for some yummy Korean fried chicken right now? Enjoy the real taste of Korea with every bite of KyoChon 1991’s Korean fried chicken and other authentic Korean dishes!