Viva La Kimchi!

Part Korean, part American, part German — all kimchi! Fraulein Kimchi’s mashup of influences will manifest itself at the British Street Food Awards with her veggie ramenburger. We think. But she may change her mind on the ferry over from Berlin. Let’s just say this woman is as individual as the fermented side-dish that she holds so dear.  There are hundreds of varieties of the stuff, made with everything from cabbage to radish, spring onion and cucumber. But once you try it you’ll never go back…

What got you into street food?: Wanting something spicy and delicious to eat.  There was a definite lack in Berlin when I started.

Are you qualified?:  Natürlich, was für eine Frage!

What difference would it make to you to win a British Street Food Award?: Would give me some bragging rights, and who doesn’t want that! Plus, I’m interested in showing what an American-Korean gal in Berlin can do in the UK.

If you had to give advice to someone starting out in the world of street food, what would it be?: Be authentic, be creative, and get ready to work harder than you ever have in your entire life.  The people I see who are succeeding in this business are passionate and crazy and have a product that they believe in 100%.  If it’s not something you yourself love to eat, then don’t do it.  Nothing drives me more crazy than seeing people jump on some culinary bandwagon who have no connection to what they’re doing- i.e. vegan food stalls being run by people who don’t even like being vegetarian, let alone vegan; poorly made kimchi being sold by people who don’t even know what kimchi is. I was once served shredded white cabbage pickled in vinegar and sugar in a “Korean” restaurant being run by Vietnamese people who told me that it was kimchi and I literally had to just leave.