Korea is the flavor of the season where India is concerned.
A class 9 examination paper had a comprehension passage on BTS, the K-pop sensation. The ARMY (as the BTS fans call themselves) does exist in India and are looking forward to BTS concert this year.
The stores are now carrying Kimchi Ramyeon as well as Red chilli paste, a specialty of Korea. To serve the Indian palate, there are vegetarian versions available.
And my brother tells me that there are Korean restaurants.
So it should not have come as a surprise when I saw Dos Amigos- The Korean Restaurant. Only it was in Munirka, a village just next to JNU. Part of it was acquired by Delhi Development Authority for building residential flats. Part of it remains as Village and a more dingy place would be hard to find. There are galis (narrow street) that never see the sunlight.
Of course, there are many students from Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, and Mizoram living in Munirka and there are restaurants specializing in the cuisine of these places. But Korea?
Dos Amigos advertises itself as a restaurant serving Korean Food but all I saw was Indo Chinese items including Singaporean Hakka Noodles, which I am sure will not be recognized in Singapore. On the other hand, if we can successfully Indianize Chinese and Italian food, why leave Korea out? So I am sure we will soon have Indian versions of Bibimbap, ramyeon, and Tteokbokki.
P.S. I continue to be enamored with Korean Dramas. My current favorite is A Business Proposal which is as tropey as it can be. But when it features a Grandfather (Harabeoji in Korean) who loves kdramas, how can I miss it? A Business Proposal is being aired on Netflix.
