It's week four of the Circuit Breaker. We're guessing many Singaporeans have succumbed to binge-watching Korean dramas in their pyjamas and uncut hair. 'Cos, what else is there to do after you WFH or undergo HBL? Also, fact: K-dramas consistently feature on Netflix Singapore's Top 10 most-watched list of shows daily. If you've seen even just one or two K-rom-coms, you'll know that the wispy heroine always has the appetite of Kim Jong-un's horse. She'll inevitably feast like a fiend on mouth-watering spreads whipped up by a tall, dreamy, wealthy oppa with the rockin' bod who just happens to also cook like David Chang. The food — ranging from no-frills instant noodles and kimchi (a popular hook-up snack) to splashy hanwoo beef barbecues — is a constant supporting actor in these shows. Which stands to reason that kimchi must be the pandemic pantry staple veg of choice here in Singapore. How do we know this? Simply because for the past month or so, kimchi is almost always sold out whenever we try to buy it online from Redmart, NTUC FairPrice and Cold Storage. Even gochujang (spicy bean paste, a staple in Korean cooking) is often out of stock — that’s why we’ve omitted the latter in our recipes here to simplify matters.Tip: try Korean specialty shops like Lee Mart, Harin Mart or Koryo Mart if you can’t get kimchi from the usual supermarkets — we’ve had better luck there. Mrs Lee, owner of the Lee Mart chain tells us that kimchi sales has increased by about 30 percent since Covid-19 surfaced. She comments on the somewhat erratic supply in Singapore these days: “While I don't have a definite answer, I believe it’s a mixture of the fact that more people are cooking at home now and that there are less imports from Korea to Singapore because of some shortages in Korea's domestic market due to the pandemic”. But fret not, she adds: We've been selling kimchi and Korean side dishes for over 10 years in Singapore, so we always have enough stocks even when there's a delay in shipping. As for gochujang — we're also facing shortages, but we were lucky to secure some new stocks to sell from next week onwards . Here's another pro tip: order kimchi from a Korean restaurant in Singapore that makes it fresh, lots of them offer delivery now. Or try made-in-Singapore vegetarian kimchi from online store Jin Kimchi (traditional kimchi often contains Korean fish sauce and fermented shrimp).

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Even if you don’t *finger heart* K-dramas, kimchi is an undeniably handy thing to have around the house when you have to eat in, like, all the frigging time. Have it neat with rice or instant noodles for a convenient dose of vitamins and fibre. Or cook it in dishes, which we recent kimchi converts prefer (we used to be put off by the overpowering smell — but hey, we also once thought K-dramas uncool but now shamelessly re-watch eps of Crash Landing On You just to perv at Hyun Bin). The pungency of the fermented cabbage, garlic and chilli is mellowed as it lends other ingredients like fish and tofu a welcome jolt of flavour. It gives whatever you’re cooking layers of complexity.But today, we’ll talk about cooking it in two simple dishes: the classic Kimchi Fried Rice and the Korean-American Kimchi Grilled Cheese Sandwich. Both quick, easy, circuit breaker-friendly recipes. Use aged kimchi instead of a fresher one (the older the kimchi, the more sour it gets) for greater depth of flavour.

Leftover rice stir-fried with piquant chopped cabbage counterpointed by creamy butter, briny bacon, umami mushrooms. Then crowned with gooey yolked eggs. Seriously, what’s not to like? Garnish it with spring onions or don’t (we know this is often sold out during these crazy times) — it’s delicious enough on its own. Alternatively, sprinkle on strips of seaweed if you have some.

Serves 4 pax

Ingredients:

70g butter + a small splash of vegetable oil

1 small onion, diced

50g bacon, cut into ¾ inch chunks (we like the back bacon from Swiss Butchery, it’s not too salty)

320g roughly chopped kimchi, plus 3 - 4 tbsp juice (from bottom of container), or to taste

200g enoki mushrooms

4 cups day-old cooked short-grain rice, about 640g (if freshly cooked, cool before using)

1-2 tsp soy sauce, or to taste

1 tbsp sesame oil, or to taste

4 eggs, cooked sunny side up

2 sprigs spring onions, chopped, for garnish (optional)*

1. Melt butter & oil in a wok over medium-low heat. Add onions & stir-fry for 1 to 2 mins.

2. Turn up heat to medium. Add bacon & fry till just lightly brown.

3. Add kimchi, kimchi juice & stir until it comes to a boil. Add mushrooms & stir briefly. Cook until all the liquid has almost evaporated.

4. Add rice and stir to mix thoroughly, about 5 mins. Add soy sauce and sesame oil. Stir, taste & add more soy sauce, kimchi juice & sesame oil if necessary.

5. Dish rice onto plates, top with sunny side up eggs (seasoned lightly with salt) & garnish with chopped spring onions if using.

The Koreans know a great interracial culinary marriage when they see one. Case in point: kimchi and cheese — if you’ve ever melted a slice of processed cheese in a bowl of instant kimchi ramen, you’ll know what we mean. Now, imagine a damn good grilled cheese sandwich with a fiery, sharp, garlicky kick to cut all that oozy, milky richness. Think of it as the perfect Asian-style pickle in this satisfyingly rich sarnie. Super easy to whip up, too.

Serves one

Ingredients:

2 large slices sourdough or white bread

Mayonnaise or butter, for spreading (mayo won’t burn as easily as butter)

¾ cup grated gruyere or mozzarella cheese (about 80g; we like a mix of both)

¼ cup (about 45g) kimchi, roughly chopped (or enough to generously cover a slice of bread)

1. Place a frying pan over medium-low heat. Smear mayonnaise or butter on one side of each slice of bread then place it mayo-side-down onto the pan.

2. Scatter cheese onto both slices of bread. Once cheese melts, place kimchi onto one slice. Top with the other slice of bread, cheese-side-down.

3. Press sandwich with a spatula and grill. Flip sandwich occasionally until it’s golden-brown & crispy. Remove from heat, slice in half & serve immediately.

Grilled cheese sandwich recipe adapted from The New York Times.

Florence Fong

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