Rice is the star ingredient of celebrity food stylist Hong Shin-ae’s new restaurant, Ssalgage, which translates to “rice store” in English.

At the food show star’s brick-and-mortar spot in Seoul’s Sinsa-dong, freshly milled rice is served up daily with numerous side dishes as part of a set menu.
“We mill the rice ourselves,” said sous chef Kim Jin-woong.

The milling is done at the restaurant because the rice ― a mixture of white and brown rice called “obundomi” ― should ideally be consumed within seven hours of being milled, enabling patrons to enjoy “fresh rice.”

Owner-chef Hong explained that she decided to serve slightly milled brown rice to compromise between basic white rice and the more roughly textured, nutrient-rich brown rice.

“The white rice that we usually eat has had all its germ completely removed and so tastes good, but is also lacking essential fatty acids and other nutrients that are good for us,” said Hong, 37, adding that while brown rice possesses more nutrients it also requires more chewing to be properly digested.

Enter “obundomi,” which, according to Hong, maintains various nutritional benefits because it still retains its germ and about half of its bran, but since it is slightly more milled than brown rice is easier to eat.

“It tastes more nutty and sweet than white rice,” said Kim, 28, as he put in his two cents on the charms of “obundomi.”

After milling, the leftover husks and bran are combined with brown rice to make a slightly thick, fortifying “obundomi brown rice” tea that is served as a complimentary beverage with each meal. Both the rice tea and rice are the only permanent fixtures of a menu that changes daily.

Hong, who has authored more than seven cookbooks, starred in food shows, and acted as a food stylist for films, draws from a deep reservoir of experience with Ssalgage by Hong Shin-ae, which opened this September.

“I wanted to make a welcoming space where one could grow healthy in mind and spirit by eating food that one could trust,” Hong said of why she decided to focus on the classic Korean meal of rice with banchan (side dishes) and soup.

Hong hits the markets every morning to pick up ingredients that will form the eatery’s sole set menu, says Kim.

“Sometimes, after shooting on set, she will shop again for more ingredients,” Kim added. 

Only 100 meals are sold a day at a fixed price of 9,900 won and Kim said that they usually run out of rice around 7:30 p.m. at night.

“One doesn’t churn out food like a machine. It has to be made by hand,” Hong said about why she put a limit to the amount of food sold daily. “We wanted to serve our patrons top quality eats even if that meant putting a cap on quantity.”

Hong’s move towards artisanal home-style cooking while sticking to a moderate 9,900 won price tag translates into tasty renditions of familiar eats, where household staple dishes like tiny stir-fried anchovies are delightfully sweet and salty and not a whit fishy, and dried laver is delicately smoky and paper thin.

Cucumber kimchi is piquant and juicy, with a slight bitter aftertaste that adds depth to the classic side dish, while squid jeotgal is potently umami. Chwinamul, young Aster Scaber, derives its incredibly rich, nutty flavor by being stir-fried in a deulkkae (wild sesame) broth.

Lucky diners will be able to taste Hong’s family recipe, a tofu ssamjang meant to be laid atop some rice over lettuce and wrapped up, but the slightly fruity, fiery blend of mashed bean curd and chili paste that has been fermented is so good, it is great eaten one nibble at a time on its own.

The main accompanying dish of the day, be it piquant, stir-fried squid or sweet, sesame seed-adorned bulgogi, is cooked to order and arrives steaming hot alongside all those delectable side dishes, soup and that trademark heaping bowl of freshly-milled, golden-hued rice. 

Ssalgage by Hong Shin-ae

“Our main aim to is to serve healthy rice, healthy food,” said Kim.

556-27 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (02) 517-5999

Open Mondays through Saturdays 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Closed Sundays.

Prix fixe meals cost 9,900 won


By Jean Oh (oh_jean@heraldcorp.com)