One of the many, many things we all miss about traveling is trying out different local cuisines. There’s really nothing like getting to know and experience a foreign country than through food!
We already know that South Korea has amazing street food. You can search “Korea street food” on YouTube and watch thousands of travel vlogs that show the different food carts in the streets of the city. (But also, don’t do it if you’re reading this in the middle of the night because you will end up hungry and maybe a little bit sad.) We’ve already talked about Korean treats like corndogs, gimbaps, tteokbokki, and more. Here, let me introduce you to another new k-raving you’ll get after reading this: Hotteok.
Hotteok is a popular Korean street food that’s basically a sweet pancake. Traditional hotteok is filled with brown sugar, cinnamon, and some nuts or beans. They’re fried on the spot and served to you wrapped in paper so you can enjoy it while it's warm and toasty. While there’s no way we can transport ourselves to the markets and streets of South Korea right now, we're happy to report that we've found a local online store that carries delicious hotteok in a variety of flavors!
Perro y Gateaux is a quarantine project by Ali Labor. Back in May, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, she unfortunately lost her job in the travel industry. A month later, she decided to launch her business. “But that’s only really half of PyG’s origin story. Our mother, who passed away a few years ago due to cancer was known as an expert baker and a very—emphasis on very—good cook,” she adds. Shortly after running the business alone, she decided to bring in the rest of her family to help her.
Inspired by her late mom and her family's love for traveling, Ali decided to start selling hotteok. “Not a lot of Pinoy businesses offer it, and I wanted to share the delight I had when I tried hotteok for the first time with many others, who may have seen their favorite K-pop idols or K-drama actors and actresses eating this classic Korean street food,” she shared.
Perro y Gateaux offers seven flavors of hotteok, which you can buy for a box of eight. Prices range from P230-P240.:
- Brown Cinnamon Sugar
- Kimcheese
- Ube Cheese
- Salted Choco
- P’B Smores
- Cheesy Overload
- Cheesy Mushroom
Ali shares that her personal favorite—and mine as well—is their signature Kimcheese hotteok, which incorporates the flavors of kimchi and cream cheese. She also highly recommends the Peanut Butter S’mores if you have a sweet tooth.
Aside from hotteok, Perro y Gateaux offers other indulgent and delicious treats like Medovik Russian Honey Cakes, Korean Dosirak (cute mini cakes!), and hummus with flatbread—dishes that will surely remind you of your best travel memories.
For orders, send Perro y Gateaux a message on Instagram.
Follow Retty on Instagram.