How Maru cooked and how he shared food told us so much about who he was. When he prepared meals, he always cooked plenty—because he loved to invite family, friends, and coworkers, making sure no one was left out. I remember being impressed that when he made bulgogi, he often cooked five pounds at once. If there was any left over, he would turn it into new dishes the next day—another sign of his creativity and resourcefulness, and his joy in never letting food go to waste.
In the kitchen, he was creative, knowledgeable, and adventurous. When he developed recipes, he built them on fundamental seasonings and simple techniques, knowing that many of us appreciate a minimalistic approach—one that makes it easy to recreate dishes at home again and again.
To honor his memory, I want to share his recipes just as he would have—openly and joyfully, inviting everyone to cook, eat, and remember.
When we cook, we preserve more than taste—we preserve stories and hearts. Maru’s food carried both his out-of-the-box creativity and his pride in Korean tradition. By sharing his recipes, we continue his story at the table, where he always wanted people to gather and smile. These recipes are offered here to keep his voice alive, reminding us that when we cook, we bring those we’ve lost closer again.
This page is dedicated to Maru, who shared his love of Korean cooking with so many. Even if you never had the chance to meet him, I hope these recipes will bring you into his world—where food was abundant, flavors were shared openly, and cooking itself felt like part of the party. May his recipes bring comfort and joy, and help create moments of connection at your own table.
Beef Bulgogi: (불고기)
Ingredients:
1 lb Beef rib eye, sliced (Look for bulgogi cuts at Korean markets. I recommend not using shabu shabu cut meats as it is too thin. You can also use sliced beef tenderloin as an option too)
1/2 small onion, sliced
2 Scallion, cut into 2-inch pieces
Marinade:
2 TBS soy sauce
2 TBS sugar*
1/2 TBS Sesame oil
1 TBS Garlic, minced
[*Note:Can use other sweeteners to use less sugar, such as Ume Syrup, Korean Pear Juice, Oligosaccharide, or corn syrup. Adding corn syrup or oligosaccharide helps give more of a glossy appearance when grilled. However I like using regular white sugar so I can use the Bulgogi as a base for hot pot and other dishes where corn syrup may not be desired]
[ Tip: At Korean markets, they would usually sell a package set of veggies meant for soup or nabe that contains a lot of the ingredients above in small portions, along with some shiitake mushroom, enoki, and napa cabbage. I like buying one of those to split the veggies into different dishes. The napa cabbage, enoki, and shiitake can be used for bulgogi hotpot for example]
Garnish:
Scallions, chopped
Sesame Seeds
Drizzle of sesame oil at the end (use sparingly)
Instructions:
Mix all the ingredients and marinade well and let it marinade for 1 hour minimum, best if overnight.
You can also add other vegetables such as cabbage, mushrooms, carrots when cooking but you may need to add some more soy sauce and sugar.
Add garnish after plating.
Serve with lettuce, sesame leaves, pickled radish sheets, or rice sheets, with some ssamjang or gochujang on the side.
[Note: Depending on the meat, you may need to add more marinade when cooking. After marinating, I always like to cook a little bit of the meat to taste and adjust as needed]
** Optional Recipe Using Beef Bulgogi (Not made in class)**
Beef Bulgogi Hotpot: (불고기 전골)
Ingredients:
1 lb bulgogi (see recipe above)
2 cups Dashi broth (Anchovy and Kombu, or any dashi pack of your liking)
1 TBS Soy Sauce for Soup (Gook soy sauce, joseon soy sauce, or usukuchi)
1 Onion, sliced
Variety of mushrooms (shiitake, oyster mushrooms, enoki), sliced
Napa cabbage, cut into 2” width
Handful of Dangmyun (Korean sweet potato glass noodles, soaked in water at least 1 hour) [Note: Udon noodles can be a great alternative that don’t require soaking!]
3-4 Scallions, cut into 2” lengths
Optional: ½ bunch Mugwort, cut into 2” lengths
Garnish:
1 Red jalapenos, sliced
Scallions, chopped
Instructions:
Before adding in the dashi broth, place all the ingredients in a pot neatly for presentation. I like adding the Dangmyun noodles in the center and use it as a base for the bulgogi to sit on so the meat can be seen on the center.
[Note: If you are adding Mugwort, tofu, or other green vegetables, add them in a few minutes before turning the heat off so they do not break apart or lose their color.]
Add the broth slowly so the ingredients don’t shift around too much while pouring
Bring to a boil on high heat, them simmer on medium or medium-low heat till meat is fully cooked. Add garnish before serving
Jaeyuk Pork: (제육볶음)
Ingredients:
1 lb Pork Butt slices (Great Alternative: Thin sliced pork belly)
½ small onion, sliced
2 scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces
Marinade:
3 TBS Gochujang
3 TBS Ssamjang
¾ tsp Korean Chili powder, coarse
½ TBS Ume Syrup
½ TBS Garlic, minced
Garnish:
Chopped scallions
Sesame Seeds
Small drizzle of Sesame Oil at the end (use sparingly)
[Note: Great to be served with Bulgogi and eat Ssam, aka wrap]
Instructions: Similar to Bulgogi
Seafood Pancake: (해물파전)
Batter mix: (2 pancakes)
½ cup Pancake flour mix (부침가루)*
½ cup frying batter mix (튀김가루) or use tempura batter or potato starch**
Pinch of salt
¾ to 1 cup of Water***
[*Note: This pancake flour mix is not the same pancake batter found in American markets. This is a specific flour mix sold in Korean markets to make Korean style pancakes]
[**Note: the frying batter mix is optional. Using this mix or tempura mix helps gives it a crunchier texture. However traditionally only pancake flour mix is needed to give a more chewier texture]
[***Note: Start off with ¾ water and add more as needed. See instructions for more info]
Ingredients for pancake:
2 Eggs (to pour on top instead of inside batter)
½ bunch Scallions, cut in half or leave whole
Frozen seafood mix, thawed
1 Tbs sake or soju (for seafood)
2 Red Jalapeno, thinly sliced
¼ onion, sliced
Red chili 🌶 , sliced
Dipping sauce:
2 TBS Soy Sauce
2 TBS Vinegar (preferably Lemon or Apple Vinegar)
1 TBS Sesame Oil
1 TBS Korean Chili Powder (Fine),
1 TBS Sesame Seeds
1 Scallion, chopped
1 Red Jalapeno, finely diced
Instructions:
In a small bowl, add the seafood mix with soju to help remove any unwanted seafood smells for 5-10 min.
Prepare batter mix in the bowl. Adjust the water amount according to the direction of the pancake package you purchased. You are looking for a nice smooth continuous flow of batter when poured. If it breaks off when pouring, it needs more water. But do not make it too watery, you are looking for a nice slow flow of batter.
Lightly season a pan with vegetable oil and place Green onion/Korean chives over medium heat in a neat line but do not place them too close to each other or the pancake can break apart
Once the vegetable is lightly cooked add the seafood mix. Again allow for room between ingredients for the batter to fill in
Pour in the batter and cook until the bottom is starting to brown
Flip the pancake over
Add some red pepper slices on top and then crack one egg on top of the pancake
Break the yolk and spread the egg over the pancake.
Once the pancake is fully cooked, flip over one last time and let it cook for 1-2 more min to cook the egg.
Serve with dipping sauce
Chicken Nengchae: (닭가슴살 냉체)
Ingredients:
½ Chicken breast, shredded. (Can be replaced with premade Pork Feet thinly sliced, jellyfish, cooked shrimp, etc.. It is very versatile and goes well with most proteins)
½ carrot, thin julienne
¼ purple cabbage, shredded
3-4 imitation crab, cut in half, then shredded
1 bunch of korean chives, cut into length to match other ingredients
½ red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cucumber (korean or persian - ½ cucumber if korean), julienned
¼-½ onion, thinly sliced, soaked in cold water for 10 min. Then drained
½ yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
½ bunch sesame leaves, chiffonade
[Note: These vegetables are more of a strong recommendation. You can add in your favorite veggies too, but it is good to add veggies with color in mind. We want to have a variety or an even ratio of colors.
Nengchae Sauce:
1 Tbs Mustard (from tube, Asian mustard. Some brands do not have the necessary kick required for this dish that I end up using the whole bottle sometimes. Another tip is that I use a little bit of wasabi to help give the extra kick if the mustard isn’t spicy enough)
4 TBS Sugar
5 TBS Vinegar (Lemon vinegar preferred)
1 TBS Jorim Soy Sauce (I typically use regular Soy Sauce, aka Jin or Yangjo)
¼ tsp Salt, fine sea salt
½ TBS Minced Garlic
½ TBS Sesame Oil
Sesame Seeds (black sesame seeds are usually used for Nenchae as the color looks better since the sauce is yellow)
Instructions:
On a large round plate or tray, place your main protein in the center (For this recipe, Chicken breast)
Add vegetables to the plate so that all the long pieces are pointing towards the center. Keep in the mind the colors of the vegetables as you lay them down. Do not place similar colors next to each other and try to balance the colors out throughout the whole dish.
Pour the nengchae sauce mostly over the chicken, but drizzle some of the sauce over the veggies too in one large circle.
Garnish with black sesame seeds.
Mix the veggies and chicken before serving
Jengban Gooksu:
Ingredients:
½ Chicken breast, shredded
½ carrot, thin julienned
¼ purple cabbage, shredded
1 bunch sesame leaves, chiffonade
½ red bell pepper, sliced
½ yellow bell pepper, sliced
1 persian cucumber or ½ korean cucumber, julienne
¼-½ onion, thinly sliced, then put in cold water for 10 min then drain.
3-4 red lettuce, thicker than a chiffonade
½ Korean Pear, julienned
2 servings of Soba noodles, cooked, chilled, and then drained
Jengban Sauce: (3-4 servings)
8 TBS Bibim sauce*
½ TBS Sesame seeds
½ TBS Sesame Oil
½ TBS Ume syrup (or corn syrup or oligosaccharide)
½ TBS Gochugaru (Korean chili powder, coarse)
¾ TBS Ume Vinegar
4 TBS grated korean pear
[*Note: This is not the traditional recipe for Jengban Gooksu. Instead, this recipe was created to show other uses for the Bibim sauce other than Bibimbap or Bibim Ramyun. This sauce recipe mimics the traditional sauce but not as complex in flavors]
Instructions:
Similarly to the Nengchae recipe, add the soba noodles to the middle of the plate. Add the veggies around the noodles. However, only pour the Jengban sauce over the noodles. Garnish with sesame seeds. Optionally, you can also add shredded nori seaweed as garnish.
Soondubu - Soft Tofu Soup: (순두부 찌개)
Ingredients:
1 Soft Tofu, pack
Shrimp & Clams *
Pork belly, diced* (they sell pork belly cut into chunks used for soups at market)
1/4 medium onion, diced
½ Zucchini, diced
Water
Optional: gochugaru (chili powder)
[*Note: You can use any seafood or meat for your soondubu. If you like seafood soondubu, you can buy a seafood medley mix at the market that contains shrimp, squid, mussels, and clam instead of buying each ingredient.]
Soup Base:
Soondubu soup mix
Garnish:
Scallions, chopped
1 egg (Optional but recommended)
Instructions:
Read the instructions on the soondubu soup mix for the recommended water ratio. Alternatively, creating a light dashi broth helps give more depth of flavor.**
Add all the ingredients into a small pot
Pour water or dashi broth
Add soup base and boil
Add garnish at the end and crack egg into pot after turning off heat.
[**Note: if you accidentally put too much water and the soup taste bland, add a little bit of soup soy sauce in. If you are using seafood, add some fish sauce instead of soy sauce]
Nakji Bokkeum - Spicy Octopus: (낙지볶음)
Ingredients:
2 thawed octopus (Nakji)*
1/2 onion sliced
4 stalks scallion cut 2” length
¼ carrot, sliced
Approx. 3-4 Tbs (or more) of flour and coarse sea salt each for cleaning the octopus.
Optional: 1/2 squash cut into half moon shapes 1/4" thick
[*Note: At Korean markets, you will see a variety of frozen octopus in the frozen seafood section. I recommend the small octopus or the baby octopus for this dish. Using the baby octopus makes this dish become Jjukkeumi Bokkeum (쭈꾸미 볶음)]
Marinade:
2 Tbs of gochugaru (coarse korean chili pepper)
1 Tbs gochujang (chili paste)
3 Tbs soy sauce (Jorim, Jin, or yangjo Soy Sauce)
1 TBS of Mirin (or soju)
1 TBS of Oligosaccharide
1 TBS Garlic, minced
[ Tip: Add 1 TBS of gochugaru and 1 TBS of a spicy gochugaru that contains a pepper called cheongyang to really give it that kick, but 2 TBS of gochugaru and some minced serrano pepper can work too. Serrano pepper has the closest taste to cheongyang pepper.]
Garnish:
1 TBS Sesame seeds
1 TBS Sesame Oil
1 bunch sesame leaves, chiffonade
Optional: ½ serrano or cheon yang pepper, sliced. (If you want more heat which is the preferred way to enjoy this dish)
Instructions:
1. Put all the sauce ingredients together and mix well in a bowl. Set aside (for sauces like these, it usually tastes better if you let the sauce sit overnight to let all the flavors blend, but not necessary.)
2. If using fresh octopus, remove the guts of the octopus from underneath the head.
3. In a bowl, place the octopus and sprinkle the flour and salt and scrub the octopus with your hands and mix well with the flour. Rub the octopus with flour with your hands like you are hand washing laundry.
4. Run the octopus in water and clean well to get rid of all the flour. (This will get rid of a lot of the bad smells from cooking octopus and also gets rid of any weird tastes).
5. Cut the octopus into bite size pieces, roughly 1-1.5 inch pieces. If you are using the baby octopus, You can leave them whole.
6. Blanch the octopus in boiling water for 1 minute and strain. Set aside the octopus after properly straining water. (This step prevents the dish from becoming watery)
7. On a saucepan add vegetable oil (don't need to be shy with the oil), and stir fry the large white part of scallions and garlic. (Making Scallion oil)
8. Once the white part of the scallions start to become a little transparent, add in the bigger veggies that take longer to cook such as onions and carrots
9. When the onion starts to become transparent, add the octopus and sauce and stir fry on high heat. Also add in the remaining veggies and stir fry until all veggies are fully cooked. (Octopus does not take long to cook so when the veggies are done, the octopus is done. If you cook it for too long the octopus becomes rubbery. Do let cook octopus more than 8 min to keep it tender)
10. Add the sesame seeds and sesame oil and mix well. Stir fry for 1 more minute and turn off the heat and garnish with sesame leaves and sliced peppers.
[Tip: you can make fried rice with leftover sauce! You can add rice, sesame oil, kimchi (kkakduggi goes well with fried rice and adds a nice crunch), shredded nori, sesame seed, into the pan and stir fry and then lay out thin and flat and let the rice crisp up.]