Everyone has Olympic fever thanks to the ongoing Pyeongchang Winter Games. Yet interest in Korean food — especially the popular dish dak-galbi — was on the rise in Japan well before the athletes got going.
Unsurprisingly then, Seven-Eleven Japan has taken notice and rolled out a new item this week that feels like it is capitalizing on both.
The chain's new cheese dak-galbi man fits a hearty serving of spicy stir-fried chicken into a soft bun. The snack (¥130 after tax) also comes with a decent amount of cheese stuffed inside. If you are worried about authenticity, let the Seven-Eleven online description offer some relief, because they claim to use actual gochujang (Korean red chili paste) in the mix. However, don't expect anything approaching the quality you can find in Okubo — Tokyo's Korean district.
The stand out element of Seven-Eleven's latest creation is a spiciness that compliments the taste of the chicken perfectly. The cheese flavor is a bit more understated, but that's fine, as the meat and pepper sensation is the real highlight. Consider it a good way to warm up while tuning into the figure skating finals.