Food Ink 23

September pop-up series: Bringing you Korean bone broth + chili crisp at a bar in Brooklyn

Well, it's been a minute. The last time I wrote here was ten months ago, and it wasn't here, on Substack; it was elsewhere, with a different newsletter solution that shall not be named. Ten months later, I finally migrated over the archives, which was not that many posts but a mental hurdle nonetheless. (It's amazing what a little digital friction can do to kill inertia, especially for a perfectionist).

I am returning to your inbox with two announcements. The first is about a pop-up series I've been planning, and it starts this Friday in Brooklyn! Whether you're in NYC or not, keep reading for the second announcement, which is relevant beyond New York...

Announcement One

I am hosting a Korean bone broth pop-up series all September long (well, 4 of the 5 Fridays).

It will be a simple, three-item menu:

• 🍜 Gukbap, a traditional Korean dish of rice served inside a bowl of hot broth with thin, tender slices of meat

• 🥬 Kkakdugi, radish kimchi cubes that are bright, crunchy, and acidic with a hint of sweet, spicy, and sour; this is a typical pairing complement to gukbap

• 🍵 Sipping broth, Korean-style bone broth alone, with a scallion garnish, served piping hot

We're also featuring James Park's chili crisp (the centerpiece of his brand new cookbook) as the main topping. That chili crisp on my gukbap/broth is a dangerously good combination, and I'm so excited to serve it up all month!

I'll be serving from 7pm till late on September 1, 15, 22, and 29 at Filthy Diamond, a new-ish bar in Bushwick.

Here's the Instagram post (click through to see all slides) for all the details in visual form:

Follow, like, and share with your people 🙌🏼

Announcement Two

I have been working on a climate-positive CPG brand called Heart & Seoul Food Co. The above pop-up series is a way to introduce and collect feedback on our flagship product, a Korean-style bone broth that is planned for a fall launch. But broth is just the beginning! Our mission is to:

1. minimize food waste (almost a third to half of a meat animal is considered waste in the US),

2. maximize farmer revenue (all that waste represents a missed revenue opportunity for farmers), and

3. support regenerative and local farmers (a thriving regional food system leads to healthier people and a healthier planet).

And we'll accomplish all that through foods rooted in culture, making use of the whole animal, nose-to-tail.

Before we can launch, we are looking for feedback from potential customers (US only). If Korean-style bone broth or animal-based cooking fats interest you at all, please join our early access community. You'll get free samples and exclusive offers, and you'll get to shape our brand!

To sum up:

• If you're in or near Brooklyn, come eat Korean food with me at my pop-up series. (Say hi and let me know you’re a Food Ink subscriber!)

• If you're in the US, join the early access community for my new climate-positive CPG brand that minimizes food waste and supports better agriculture.

I’ll be back in your inbox again soon!

-Edlin