The kimchi sot bab, namely steamed rice mixed with kimchi and pork (or beef or shrimp) in a hot stone pot, arrived at the table still cooking in the stone pot and that’s in order to get the rice to stick to the outer edges of the pot and make it crispy and crackling, for which you then have to use your spoon to scrape and scoop out. In other words, you have to work a little for the good stuff. When you mix everything up, in a single spoonful, you can taste kimchi, pork, steamed rice and crispy rice — it’s as if all the stars are in perfect alignment!

I’ve always loved kimchi and pork, a dish the Japanese themselves have adapted into part of the regular izakaya (the Japanese pub) repertoire called buta kimuchi. I used to cook my version of kimchi fried rice at home, but now I know what I’ve been missing: the stone pot. The crispy rice really does add another dimension to this simple dish and elevates it to another culinary realm. I liked it so much I wanted to go back the following night and order the same thing. Don’t get me wrong, this is a rustic and simple dish, but it’s one of those things that you just can’t stop craving. And then there’s the spice factor: it’s just so easy to get hooked.