Korean Food is a staple in my home. My husband is Korean (born and raised) and since meeting him I have come to love learning to cook his favorite meals which have also become my favorite. I am so thankful for this book that gave me new ideas and tips on how to improve my existing recipes.

Thank you. My husband and I love trying different foods and thought I’d give this book a try. Thank you! All of it looks amazing. Easy to follow directions and easy to read.

I added quite a few of the recipes in this book to my recipe book. Absolutely love Asian food, but it's hard to find good recipes for it nowadays. I highly recommend this!

* netgalley review Arc

Late review, but this was such a easy to follow, user friendly cookbook. Highly recommend to anyone wanting to add amazing Korean dishes to their dinner table.

I finally got a copy of this beautifully illustrated cookbook from my local library. The ARC for this book expired on the NetGalley Ap before I was able to look at it. (I had requested the ARC shortly before its publication date and did not realize that I would lose access to it on that date. Forewarned is forearmed, eh?!!)

Right off the bat I'm alerting everyone that this is definitely a 5-plus star cookbook. The illustrations alone make you SO HUNGRY! Every dish is simply but beautifully presented on a neutral background: and rightly so, because the finished product is often so gorgeous you might be tempted to lick the page! (I wonder if the pages of this book would taste good with a sprinkle of Spicy Bibimbap Sauce?!!!)

Upon first glance, the Eomuk Bokkeum (Stir Fried Fish Cake Strips) photo makes you think you are getting yet another soba noodle recipe, but gluten-free lovers: THIS ONE'S FOR YOU! I swear I could almost smell the tantalizing aroma from the photo of the finished product.

What I really liked about this cookbook, which set it apart from other cookbooks I've reviewed recently, is the fact that Claire, his partner in crime and in life, adds her own recommendations and comments in just about every recipe - appearing in a one inch square on the photo of each finished dish. This couple is famous on the internet and on Youtube, where they have their own channel. I love Claire's critiques of the dishes: she is utterly charming. She describes the flavours and texture as she elegantly partakes of each completed dish: a bit like what the Galloping Gourmet used to do at the end of each show.

[Confession:

I am in no way, and never, ever will be, a Minimalist! My late mother definitely was, but luckily I take after my late Dad in many respects! But that doesn't mean I don't admire it - in a horrified but equally awe-struck way, of course! I love my kitchen gadgets, my tall shelf of overflowing books, my mahogany display cases, cabinets and hutches spilling with Grecian statuettes (Canova is my favourite sculptor!), cute ceramic birds and musical boxes, etc...... My walls sport reproductions of many of Vigee-Lebrun's portraits as well as still lifes created by an artist friend. But I digress!.... ]
And now back to my originally intended observation:
When I turned each pristine/unadorned page, my eyes were DAZZLED!
All that clean, clear space surrounding those beautifully presented dishes!
All those simply explained recipes with a bare handful of ingredients!
Just... WOW!

Sumptuous dipping sauces, braised potatoes, garlic fried chicken, boiled pork, grilled mackerel, glass noodle stir fries, spicy cold kimchi noodles, spicy seafood noodle soup (that DELICIOUS picture almost killed me!), ginseng chicken soup, royal court rice cakes.... the list of incredibly appetizing dishes is endless! I want to try them all!

Note: The pictures and graphics used in this review were culled from the internet due to copyright restrictions, but they give you a general idea of what to expect from this outstanding cookbook. (If the author and publisher give me permission to use the pictures in this book, I will gladly do so! My pictures do not do this cookbook justice!)

My recommendation? Run, do not walk, to your nearest bookseller and get your own copy of this most excellent cookbook!

My thanks to the author/chef, Aaron Huh, his beautiful and articulate wife, Claire, DK Publishing (Penguin Random House), NetGalley, and the Toronto Public Library for the opportunity to review this most excellent cookbook in exchange for an honest review! All the stars, and then some!!!

This is a fantastic book with clear instructions and excellent photographs. It's on my personal to-buy list and I have it in a cart to purchase for my library as well. I look forward to more cookbooks from this author.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* This was a really good book i'd totally buy! I had read other books on Asian cooking style and would love to make the food myself, cookbooks like this make me think i can!

This collection is a great introduction to the staples of Korean food. The recipes are easy to follow and each one is accompanied by a photograph. It's certainly a collection that is going onto our favorites shelf in the kitchen.

I love Korean food but I had no idea you could easily make some of the sauces!! I buy gochujang quite often so I’m excited to try my hand at all these variations! So many great recipes. All the pictures were bright and clean. Very appealing.

Beautifully photographed, easy to follow directions and delicious food. I've been watching Aaron and Claire on YouTube for a couple and years and it was very exciting to see his cookbook come out. Aarons's helpful shortcuts make these meals quick, affordable and still amazing and tasty.

I was excited to read and review this book but for some reason I can’t find it on my NetGalley’s app so unfortunately I can’t have access to it anymore and I’m unable to review it. I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

Love Korean food? It has enjoyed a surge of popularity in the last few years. Anyone who wants to learn to cook Korean food will want to pick up Aaron Huh’s Korean cookbook, Simply Korean: Easy Recipes for Korean Favorites That Anyone Can Make. This excellent cookbook has recipes for all of the classic popular dishes such as Bulgogi, Bibimbap, and Galbi, as well as dozens of mouthwatering not-so-well-known dishes.

The recipes are easy-to-follow and are presented in the traditional manner, so everyone can follow them whether a beginning cook, or an experienced cook. There are explanations at the beginning of the cookbook that covers the different ingredients that might not be familiar to most. The ingredients can be obtained at most Asian grocery stores, and with the popularity of Korean food, some mainstream regular grocery stores.
There is a beautiful photograph of almost every recipe, which makes it difficult to decide which recipe to make next. Korean food lovers will end up with a queue for preparing meals for weeks.

All told, anyone who wants to cook simple Korean foods will want to add this excellent cookbook their cookbook collection. Highly recommended.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

When requesting to read Simply Korean: Easy Recipes for Korean Favorites That Anyone Can Make, I did not realize that the cookbook was born out of a YouTube channel presented by the author. Though I do like getting recipes and ideas from the website, I typically pass on the cookbooks. This is because the author tends have commentary in the book that those who watch the channel would recognize and like. Personally, I like cookbooks that have personality, but more by way of interesting recipes and photographs.

That being said, Simply Korean is a good cookbook for those who are new to the cuisine. There is a good introduction, a focused section on essential ingredients, and a great chapter on foundational sauces. With recipe sections including Banchan (small side dishes served along with cooked rice in Korean cuisine), Chicken, Beef, Tofu, Rice, Noodles, Kimchi, and Street Food, among others, the author brings readers full circle through the cuisine. Overall, the layout was good and readers will enjoy exploring the nuances of Korean cuisine.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy by NetGalley and the publisher. The decision to read and review this cookbook was entirely my own.

I just reviewed Simply Korean by Aaron Huh. #SimplyKorean #NetGalley

Simply Korean is exactly what the title states. It teaches you to easily recreate the recipes in the book with easy to follow instructions and tips as well! I love the personal touches and stories they included in the beginning.

Beautifully designed, the sections on each food group are perfect guiding you through sauces to main dishes! There are photos showing you each item created, which is great if you are like me and need a real life reference to look at.

We absolutely love Korean dishes so this cook book will definitely be one I will be buying and adding to our meal rotation for our family.

Thank you for letting me review your book Aaron Huh!

This cookbook has become one of my favorites.

I first heard about it from a patron who wondered if we would be ordering it, a few months before its release. We do not usually have people asking for cookbooks months in advance so I figured this one must be special, and it truly is.


Every culture and nation has amazing food and Korean food is no exception. The recipes are detailed and flavorful and the pictures are striking. The instructions are clear and one can easily fancy themselves to be a chef after going through the recipes.

A must have on the shelf of any food lover.

Simply Korean provides an approachable introduction to Korean recipes. They are beautifully photographed and written in a way that encourages you to try to make them. It is a great cookbook.

Thank you NetGalley!

Perfect! Literally perfect!
So easy to follow recipes that are super delicious.
I discovered so many great meals.
Perfect source of recipes for sure.

Korean cuisine is intricate and time consuming. This cookbook makes Mirean food mkre accessible to more people. The recipes still are a little time consuming, but if you want to dabble in Korean cooking this is a great place to start.

Just like the title says this book is all about making yummy Korean food as simple and easy as possible for anyone who loves and wants to explore Korean dishes. As a Korean-American who grew up with Korean dishes (from everyday dishes to fancy schmancy), this book doesn't feel as endearing or warm as Maanchi's, however, I love how author didn't make recipes complicating or unnecessarily difficult to approach for readers! It is well-thoughtout, simple and easy, well-organized, and contains beautiful photos for each recipes which is perfect for visual learners. Each categories have just enough numbers of recipes for readers to learn basic and yet loved-by-Koreans dishes and author walks you through every step of the way. If you love Korean food and would love to make them at home yourself, I highly recommend starting with Simply Korean! Oh, bonus - he has his YouTube channel and it is awesome! :)

Not for the spice-adverse.

Simply Korean takes traditional Korean food and provides step-by-step instructions to complete them. With beautiful full-color photographs and excellent organization, this cookbook is a MUST for anyone who wants to bring Korean cuisine into their home.

The docked star is for difficulty finding ingredients and time spent on each dish. I understand that 'simple' cooking is incredibly relative, but even with straight-forward instruction these recipes are too demanding to become part of my everyday repertoire.

A great addition for anyone looking to diversify their skillset, however!

{Thank you to NetGalley and DK Alpha for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.]