Our Favorite Bar Snacks and Drinking Food From Korea, Japan, China, and Beyond
Spicy, saucy, and booze-soaking recipes from chef Dan Holzman and writer Matt Rodbard
For a few months now, Meatball Shop chef-owner Dan Holzman and Koreatown cookbook author Matt Rodbard have been exploring the best of drinking food from all over Asia in their Asian Food Adventures column on SAVEUR. And last night, at the Meatball shop's Underballs in New York, they brought their spirit of adventure—and recipes—to life for a hungry crowd of SAVEUR friends.
In countries across Asia, food specifically made to pair with drinking often gets elevated to an art form—way more than just bar nuts and pickles. Here are recipes for everything from sardine salads to char-grilled skewers, to transport you right to a snack shack in Japan or a back-alley bar on the streets of Thailand.
Full-flavored chicken meatballs smothered in a sweet and salty glaze. Get the recipe for Japanese Grilled Chicken Meatballs (Tsukune) »
Spicy Cashew-Peanuts
Toss cashews and peanuts in caramelized sugar, fish sauce, garlic, and chile for a powerful, can’t-stop-eating bar snack. Add the lime, shallot, and basil right before serving so the nuts stay crispy. Get the recipe for Spicy Cashew-Peanuts »
SALMON, SCALLION, AND ENOKI MUSHROOM FOIL YAKI
Your new favorite way to cook salmon: with Asian sauces, scallions, and enoki mushrooms, all wrapped up in a foil pouch.
Korean Cold Buckwheat Noodles (Jaengban Guksu)
Don’t be fooled by the vegetable-heavy spread; this dish is sure to fill you up. A medley of thinly sliced vegetables is piled up with a mound of cold buckwheat noodles. They’re dressed with a slurpable spicy and savory gochujang sauce that makes for a Korean take on a chef’s salad. Get the recipe for Korean Cold Buckwheat Noodles (Jaengban Guksu) »
Clam, Leek, and King Oyster Mushroom Foil Yaki
Clams, leeks, and king oyster mushrooms get cooked in a foil pouch that resembles a Jiffy Pop. Get the recipe for Clam, Leek, and King Oyster Mushroom Foil Yaki »
Korean Rice Cake "Nachos"
Though not strictly nachos, take a Korean classic—ddukbokki, or spicy rice cakes—and add on an oh-so-American layer of melted cheddar for a stroke of Korean-American pub-fusion brilliance that recalls nachos as much as Korean cooking. Get the recipe for Korean Rice Cake Nachos »
Mixed Mushroom Foil Yaki
Mushrooms get cooked in a foil pouch with Asian sauces in this effortless “one-foil” dish. Get the recipe for Mixed Mushroom Foil Yaki »
Mentaiko Spaghetti (Tokyo-Style Fish Roe Pasta)
This classic Tokyo pasta dish, adapted from a recipe by chef Tadashi Ono, gets pungent flavor from the spicy marinated pollock roe called mentaiko. See the recipe for Mentaiko Spaghetti (Tokyo-Style Fish Roe Pasta) »
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