On Wednesday, South Korea’s First Lady, Kim Yoon-Ok, met with Korean and Korean American chefs, bloggers, and important figures leading the way for hansik (Korean cuisine) in the NYC food scene. Kim, who plays an active role in the Korean government’s effort to globalize Korean food, visited chef Hooni Kim‘s Danji, a restaurant serving modern Korean cuisine, and Social Eatz, a restaurant famous for its glorious Bibimbap Burger, to give tips on how Korean and Korean fusion restaurants can further promote Korean cuisine, reports The Korea Times.

Emily Kim, First Lady Kim Young-Ok, CIA student Joon-su Bae, Marja Vongerichten, and Ham Ji Bach’s Young-han Kim

Some of the people in attendance were Maangchi‘s Emily Kim (who blogged about her meeting with the First Lady), Social Eatz‘ owner Bobby Kwak and chef Angelo Sosa, Kimchi Chronicles‘ Jean-Georges and Marja Vongerichten, and Peter Kang, founder of Korean Food Gallery. During the meeting, Kim commended them for their efforts in promoting Korean cuisine and culture in the U.S. and pointed out how Korean restaurants serving traditional Korean dishes were key in successfully introducing hansik to a wide range of people and palates.

Kim’s trip to NYC’s Korean food scene is another step in the Korean government’s billion-dollar-plus campaign to promote Korean cuisine and ultimately be ranked in the world’s top 5 cuisines by 2017. Though it takes time and persistence, we hope bibimbap and kimchi jjigae will become well known as dishes from other Asian countries like sushi and Pad Thai.

[Photos: (first photo) Wall Street Journal; (2nd photo) Emily Kim/Maanchi.com]

Since its opening in March, Social Eatz has taken the restaurant world by storm. Its trademark comfort food with an Asian kick has garnered rave reviews, and its delicious bibimbap burger has even been awarded Eater‘s title of “Greatest Burger in America.” Behind the genius of the innovative American-Asian menu is Chef Angelo Sosa, of Top Chef fame.

It’s no secret that Sosa’s a fan of Korean food, aside from the bibimbap burger, his menu has a slew of other options such as bulgogi burger topped with cucumber kimchi, a beef taco served with gochujang and spicy bean sprout kimchi, and shikhae to wash it all down. Yesterday night, along with the Korean Food Foundation (KFF), he hosted an event aptly titled “Angelo Goes Korean.” For the evening, he created an exclusive menu of Korean-inspired dishes, including bulgogi meatballs with an asian pear salad, chilled buckwheat noodles with gochujang tea, and of course, his famous bibimbap burgers.

Sosa even held a live cooking demonstration for an audience that included fans, foodies, KFF members, and fellow chefs. The event celebrated contemporary Korean cuisine, and the prominent individuals involved in helping promote Korean cuisine in New York City, such as chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten (Kimchi Chronicles), TV host Kelly Choi, and chef Hooni Kim of Danji.

[Photo: Joshua Miller/PRNewsFoto/Korean Food Foundation]

Winning with over thirty percent of the votes, Social Eatz chef Angelo Sosa‘s Korean-inspired Bibimbap burger has been crowned the “Greatest Burger in America” by Eater.

Sosa, a “Top Chef” and “Top Chef: All Stars” alum, is well-known for fusing Asian flavors with American comfort foods. Aside from his glorious Bibimbap burger, Korean Beef Taco, Bulgogi burger, and Shik Hae are also on the menu.

To celebrate their victory, Social Eatz is offering a free cocktail with each Bibimbap burger order for the month of May!

For location and menu details, head over SocialEatz.com

[photo: Social Eatz]