That time we combined persimmon + kimchi

When developing a new menu, we often have to assess accessibility to ingredients, time available to cook, dietary restrictions, and ultimately utilizing what’s in season. Buying seasonal ingredients helps significantly with budget too! This was quite the challenge when we traveled to Chicago to host a Korean inspired supper club. This decision was driven mostly based on the Korean supermarkets that were open late, hours before show time. We may or may not have procured groceries just hours after coming off the plane. Time was tight but sometimes my best ideas are the product of that kind of pressure. One Korean staple we definitely wanted to highlight was kimchi, but with a seasonal highlight. Spicy, bright, fermented notes have always classically paired well with fatty meats such as a nice seared steak. That’s why, to add additional flavors, we decided to pair it with the crunchy, sweet fuyu persimmon.

Mixing persimmon and cabbage kimchi really brought the dish together. We found this dish to perfectly complement the seared ribeye since it was balanced alongside the tartness and slightly sweet side dish.

Really looking forward to having this as a mainstay dish when persimmons are in season again.