Yash Lakhan
May 12, 2025
Modern anju culture has reshaped how Korean bar snacks are experienced and served – steering away from communal plates towards focused, drink-centric portions that still hold onto their heritage. In contemporary bars, the classic pairing of snacks and spirits has evolved into a format where presentation and measured servings are designed to suit one another.
Between sips of lager that function as a brief interlude, adding fermented, spicy kimchi to make pan-griddled canapes are a great way to pair heat with effervescence.
Spice-forward glaze or a generous coating of spicy Korean paste sauce on chicken wings require a whisky highball to glides smoothly following a few bites to neutralise the robust flavours at intervals.
The richness of melted cheese on Korean rice cakes makes a glass of dry cider cut through its fiery, cheesy profile for a hot plate that is replete with an assortment of textures.
Crunchy seaweed chips have an umami edge whose salty layer offsets the crisp citrusy bitterness of a G&T, helping cleanse any excess flavour off the tongue before another round.
Bite-sized crispy tofu tossed in a soy-garlic sauce is packed with vibrant aroma and flavour from the use of condiments – opening up scope for an ice cold rice beer or even a citrus-based margarita.
Minced pork cooked with chillies and aromatics, blanketed in a bed of lettuce leaves entombs heat the under crisp leaves, making the perfect pairing for a wheat beer that swerves between richness and spice. *Drink Responsibly. This communication is for audiences above the age of 25.