Convenience store 7-Eleven said it will roll out two ready-to-eat food items in collaboration with chef Hou Deok-juk on the 21st. Chef Hou recently competed as a 57-year master of Chinese cuisine on the cooking competition show "Culinary Class Wars 2" and finished third.
The collaborative ready-to-eat items with Chef Hou are two varieties: "Hou Deok-juk pepper shredded pork triangular kimbap" and "Hou Deok-juk Chinese-style bulgogi kimbap." They were planned around widely liked, crowd-pleasing elements among various Chinese dishes and ingredients.
The Hou Deok-juk pepper shredded pork triangular kimbap features rice seasoned with oyster sauce topped with savory pepper shredded pork stir-fry. The pepper shredded pork stir-fry contains chili oil with a smoky wok flavor to closely replicate the taste of pepper shredded pork served at Chinese restaurants.
The Hou Deok-juk Chinese-style bulgogi kimbap pairs a pork stir-fry cooked with doubanjiang—one of the fundamental sauces in Chinese cuisine—and green onion flame-seared oyster sauce with "zha cai," a crunchy Chinese side dish. It is also generously filled with carrot, romaine, burdock, and egg garnish to keep the traditional kimbap form while adding a Chinese-style flavor.
7-Eleven is also running related promotions to mark the launch of the collaborative ready-to-eat items with Chef Hou. Through the 31st, customers who buy a kimbap item receive a free "Naemomae 70%" bottled water. For triangular kimbap purchases, it is offering a 50% combo discount with a 250 ml Chilsung Cider Zero. In addition, for one month next month, it plans to offer a 20% discount when paying with Kakao Pay Money or Lotte Card.
Lim I-seon, head of the food team at 7-Eleven, said, "We will continue to roll out differentiated ready-to-eat items that deliver restaurant-level taste and buzz through collaborations with star chefs."