Korean food is what I go to for comfort, with its hearty stews and spicy sauces. But even though dishes like kimchi jjigae and bulgogi make regular appearances on my dining table, I still often found myself wanting to swing by my favorite Korean joints for a dine-in experience. Given how regularly I crave Korean food, I thought it’d be in the best interests of my bank account if I could bridge the gap between my home cooked meals and the food I sought outside, and, I realized that there was one particular fixture of Korean restaurants that was missing from my home: a portable burner.
Portable burners are a common sight in Korean restaurants and even on Korean cooking channels on YouTube, but I did wonder if it was overkill to have one at home — especially since I already had a gas stove. But after catching myself thinking about how good certain meals would’ve been if the food could’ve been served on a portable burner — just like how it would’ve been in restaurants — I decided to make my purchase: a slim Iwatani grill. A year and about a dozen gas cartridges later, it’s become a kitchen staple.
Now, I have friends over for tteokbokki night, and the rice cakes are served exactly when they’re ready to be eaten, when the sauce is still pretty loose and fluid, and the flavor is light on the palate. The burner also makes for the perfect dipping sauce for twigim (deep-fried fritters) and hard-boiled eggs. When the rice cakes and fish cakes are gone toward the end of the meal, it’s time for “dessert” — fried rice made with the leftover sauce in the pan right at the table.
I’d be able to get the same results cooking on a regular stove, but then my meal would be interrupted by visits to the kitchen. I’m happy to just let the portable burner do its thing while everyone else enjoys the food with zero interruptions.
Of course, tteokbokki alone doesn’t warrant keeping a portable burner in your cabinet. You can also use it to make stir-fries like dakgalbi and bulgogi (heap on the meat and veggies and your guests can watch it slowly cook down), stews (so that you can savor the lighter-tasting broth at the beginning and also when it boils down until it’s thick and the flavors really pack a punch), and good ol’ Korean barbecue.
Since bringing home a portable burner, I’ve been more inclined to host dinner parties. Meals feel more communal. You don’t have to rush through conversations because you’re worried about the food getting cold. Need a short break from all the eating? Just turn off the gas knob and turn it on again when you’re ready. And when everyone is ready for the final carbo-loaded Korean barbecue course, just dump in the rice (or ramyun) and all the other toppings you’ve prepped beforehand. The rice will crisp up at the edges and the bottom, and if you’re adding cheese, it’ll stay melty without hardening.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ll definitely still be visiting my favorite restaurants, but it’s good to know that I can recreate the foods I like and also the dine-in experience in the comfort of my own home. Now, rather than seeing some of these meals as a special treat, I make them whenever I’m in the mood.
Amber Lee can be found eating around Malaysia and sometimes writing about food.
