Farideh’s Simple Weeknight Meal: Kimbap

Working at Saveur HQ in Manhattan's Koreatown certainly has its perks, the two most important being karaoke and kimbap. Kimbap (also known as gimbap) is similar to Japanese sushi, except the ingredients in it are typically all cooked or pickled, even the cucumber and carrots. Kimbap is a popular street food, though it's also commonly found in picnic lunches. It's not often that I leave the office during the day for lunch (we're turning out some great dishes here on the regular, so I'm not that hungry during office hours), but when I do, I make the trip for kimbap. I've come to love it so much that I crave it at home in the evenings after work, and so I came up with a recipe for home. I like mine stuffed with bulgogi (although you could use can tuna or something vegetarian) and dipped in a mixture of whatever chili sauce I have on hand, plus soy sauce. It's the perfect light meal (or snack).