Food review: We have a K-Drama fan reviewing this new delivery-only venture serving Korean food

Yangnyeom chicken

Love can give you direction. For Vikhroli resident Rosita Remedios (below), it was her love for food, K-dramas and K-pop that aligned to fulfill a culinary dream when she opened Kloud Kitchen in May this year. Through the delivery-only venture, the 24-year-old offers the city a list of Korean food whose curation is inspired by her love for the culture.

This includes kimbap (Rs 500, 10 portions) a traditional Korean dish comprising rice paired with other ingredients wrapped in seaweed. Remedios' menu consists of four variations - chicken, chicken sausage, prawn and tofu. She also offers yangnyeom (Rs 400, 250 grams), which is fried chicken covered in a sweet and spicy sauce, and a new addition, Korean corn dogs (Rs 125 for one), served with chicken sausage for non-vegetarians, and mozzarella for egetarians.

Speaking about her love for all things Korean, the young entrepreneur shares, "In the lockdown, I was engrossed in Korean cooking videos. In K-dramas, the food scenes look so tempting and delicious, and so it got me interested in Korean cooking shows. I wanted to know how it tasted so I began making it at home for my family, and they loved it." This fuelled her passion to begin a food venture, and Kloud Kitchen was born. "Korean fare looks spicy but it is not; there is the perfect balance of sweet, spicy and sour," she adds.

Unlocking the perfect balance

Curious about the flavours, we invite a K-drama fan to do an anonymous review of the delivery kitchen

We ordered the food a day in advance and asked for it to be delivered at lunchtime the next day. The food arrived on time from Vikhroli to Kurla in sturdy containers, ensuring no spills. We love that the parcel comes with chopsticks. We ordered the chicken and tofu kimbap plates and the yangnyeom chicken. Beginning with the kimbap, the chicken is perfectly flavoured with a good balance of sweet and spicy. It also has egg in the seaweed which is a nice touch.

The crunch of the vegetables in the kimbap - pickled cucumber, carrot and spinach - adds texture to every bite and enhances the overall dish. It comes with a soy dipping sauce that adds a lovely tangy vinaigrette-like flavour, though the chicken kimbap is good on its own. The tofu variation, on the other hand, is a tad bland and dry, but the dipping sauce saves it. The yangnyeom chicken is packed with flavour; it isn't too sweet or spicy and nails a perfect balance.

Tofu kimbap. Pic courtesy/Janice Fernandes

It can easily become a crowd-favourite, especially for those who aren't familiar with kimbap. While I've eaten Korean food before, I had not yet tried kimbap and Korean fried chicken. The dishes look picture-perfect, as they do in K-dramas. The dishes look picture-perfect, as they do in K-dramas. This is what draws a lot of viewers to Korean food; they make dishes look quite appetising and we definitely eat with our eyes. I am particularly impressed with the balance of flavours achieved in the dishes. Korean food boasts of bold yet balanced notes, and that's what you can expect from this venture. The portions are quite generous and filling for one person. I would order from Kloud Kitchen again.

Janice Fernandes, 28, teacher, Kurla

Kloud Kitchen
Delivery Across Mumbai (Order a day in advance; delivery charges applicable)
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Kloud Kitchen didn't know it was us. The Guide reviews anonymously and pays for meals