A no messing around guide to the coolest things to eat, drink and do in Vancouver and beyond. Community. Not clickbait.

Gastown’s “Wildebeest” Eats Korean Tteokbokki And Kalbi For Staff Meal

13901032103_05f1963353_b

The Staff Meal photo essays detail the stories behind the family-style meals that some of Vancouver’s busiest restaurant crews get either before or after service. 

by Ken Tsui | Before unlocking the doors to usher in another fully-booked dinner service, Wildebeest chef Ashley Kurtz is putting together a staff meal based on his memories from the time he spent in South Korea. While travelling the country, he discovered tteokbokki, a dish of rice cakes cooked in a spicy sauce.

Today, this ubiquitous Korean street vendor staple is at the core of the meal. As the sauce bubbles, Kurtz effortlessly moves around the kitchen, throwing kalbi (thin, marinated slices of beef short rib) on the grill, fluffing the freshly cooked rice while occasionally returning to the giant pot of tteokbokki for a quick stir. As the sauce thickens, he doles out his house-made kimchi, soy marinated bean sprouts and sesame leaves as side dishes.

When the meal is served, the staff gather around a long table, ladling out tteokbokki and wrapping sesame leaves around the rice and short rib. Kurtz sneaks a bowl of puffed wild rice onto the table for a bit of added crunch. Co-owner James Iranzad sits down to the spread, looks across the table and jokes, “OK, but where’s the beer?”

  • Chef Kurtz digs in
    Chef Kurtz digs in
  • Chef Kurtz adds a bit of sugar to the tteokbokki
    Chef Kurtz adds a bit of sugar to the tteokbokki
  • Bubbling tteokbokki
    Bubbling tteokbokki
  • Crumbled boiled egg thickens the sauce for tteokbokki
    Crumbled boiled egg thickens the sauce for tteokbokki
  • Chef Kurtz sets the table
    Chef Kurtz sets the table
  • Chef Ashley Kurtz prepares staff meal
    Chef Ashley Kurtz prepares staff meal
  • House-made kimchi piles high in the bowl
    House-made kimchi piles high in the bowl
  • Soy marinated bean sprouts
    Soy marinated bean sprouts
  • Grilling kalbi (smells amazing)
    Grilling kalbi (smells amazing)
  • Sesame leaves
    Sesame leaves
  • Grabbing an extra plate for a co-worker
    Grabbing an extra plate for a co-worker
  • Some go for seconds
    Some go for seconds
  • A rice and kalbi sit on top of sesame leaf
    A rice and kalbi sit on top of sesame leaf
  • Staff gather around the table
    Staff gather around the table
  • Co-owner James Iranzad tries to tteokbokki
    Co-owner James Iranzad tries to tteokbokki
  • Nick grabs some soy marinated bean sprouts
    Nick grabs some soy marinated bean sprouts
  • Hotel pans of hot kalbi
    Hotel pans of hot kalbi
  • The Wildebeest crew enjoys the meal
    The Wildebeest crew enjoys the meal
  • Building a bite...
    Building a bite...

READ MORE GLUTTONY STORIES