Black Bean “Jajang” Bolo Rice

At L.A.’s Yangban Society—one of our 10 Best New Restaurants of 2022—chefs Katianna and John Hong pay homage to a classic Korean Chinese black bean dish known as jajangmyeon with their Black Bean “Jajang” Bolo Rice. They take the traditional sauce, whose backbone lies in earthy fermented black bean paste (jajang or chunjang in Korean) and spin it as an ode to ragù Bolognese, using tomatoes and the Italian soffrito base of onion, carrot, and celery. Instead of pasta, the deeply savory “ragù” gets served alongside steamed white rice. Look for black bean paste with “roasted” on the label; it will have more flavor. Cool cucumber and fresh scallions offer the perfect counterpoint to the richness of this dish.

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