Bapboi Korean BBQ may have only joined the Saturday Fresh Market recently, but in six short months they have developed a following with those in the know.
Bapboi is the brain (or tummy) child of T and Ji, who met in Brisbane and bonded over their love of food, after working in restaurants and in menu development in Australia and Korea for many years.
“We love food and we are serious about it. Then one day, we came into contact with market culture,” T said.
“I was completely fascinated with the idea of a market: a unique place where we could experience food and culture from all over the world.
“We decided to start a market stall because we wanted to be a part of it too.”
Simply put, Bapboi sells modern Korean food with their own twist.
“We develop our recipes based on the taste of Korea, but our food is served in a new form and using ingredients from Australia,” T said.
“We have spent the last 10 years of our careers in Australia, so I was more familiar with the Australian food culture.
“But since my roots are from Korea, I wanted to mix the two cultures. The word fusion is too grandiose, I just want to make food that is harmonious. Like multiculturalism in Australia.”
For T, Bapboi’s bibimbap is synonymous with harmony.
“When various colours and flavours are mixed in one bowl, each texture and taste is maintained while creating a new taste,” T said.
T and Ji appreciate the feeling of community that comes with being a stallholder at the Saturday Fresh Market.
“It is the best feeling to be a part of this culture, because we get to communicate and interact with customers, other market stallholders, and the staff at the market,” they said.
“In Korea, family is another word for ‘people who eat together and live together’. Everyone at the Saturday Fresh Market is our family and we make the food at our stall thinking ‘this is the food my family will eat.
“We appreciate all the customers that come to the Saturday Fresh Market, not just those who eat our food. The reason the market has such a beautiful culture and great atmosphere is because of the community.”
