Let me introduce to you a delicious sandwich that is commonly found on the streets of South Korea, Korean Street Toasts – or Gilgeori toast in Korean.

What is it? Korean street toast is a beloved breakfast sandwich that emerged in the 1970s and became a cornerstone of South Korea’s vibrant street food culture. Unlike typical Western breakfast sandwiches, this version uniquely combines sweet and savory flavors with a vegetable-heavy filling, creating a distinctive taste that reflects Korea’s innovative approach to fusion cuisine These sandwiches are super popular amongst the locals as a cheap breakfast or snack throughout the day.

What makes it so special?

The sandwich stands out for several key features:

• A vegetable-packed egg omelette featuring shredded cabbage, carrots and onions
• Sweet elements like sugar or sometimes strawberry jam that contrast with savory components
• Generous butter on thick-sliced bread, grilled until golden brown
• Signature finishing touches of ketchup and mayonnaise
• Optional additions like ham or cheese that add extra layers of flavor

Understanding Your Components

1. Bread:
   • Use milk bread or thick white bread. Milk bread is a lot softer, fluffier and sweeter and is ideal for this recipe.
   • You can find Japnese milk bread at most local Asian grocery stores in the freezer section.
   • Alternatives: if you cannot find milk bread, ask your local bakery to cut a sandwich loaf into thick slices, or normal supermaket sandwich loaves are fine too.
2. Egg mixture: this recipe is great to add veggies into your diet or use up any left over cabbage you may have in the fridge.
   • Core vegetables:
     • Cabbage: Finely shredded, provides bulk and slight crunch. White cabbage is ideal for this recipe, would not recommend using red cabbage.
     • Carrots: Julienned, adds natural sweetness and color
     • Onions: Finely diced, adds sweetness and flavour
3. Ham: Adds protein and flavour to the sandwich
   • Use ham or bacon rashers
   • Omit completely if you want a vegetarian version
4. Mayo:
   • Japanese Kewpie mayo is key to this recipe! You can find in Asian grocery stores or most big supermarkets nowadays.
   • Alternative: normal mayo is fine too but will taste different.

Tips!

Storage and Reheating Guide

Storage:

• Bread: room temperature for 2-3 days. Freeze for up to 3 months
• Prepared egg mixture, uncooked: up to 24 hours in the fridge, store in air-tight container
• Shredded vegetables: refridgerated for up to 2-3 days in air-tight containers

Make-in-advance guide:

• Toast bread fresh to order
• Prepare egg mixture ahead of time, keep refridgerated and use same day
• Cook bacon/ham in advance by a few hours.
• Assemble fresh to order. Enjoy freshly cooked.

Ingredients

(makes 2 sandwiches)

Japanese milk bread
2 eggs
2-3 cups white cabbage, shredded
1 carrot, julienned
1/2 onion, sliced
Ham or bacon
Sliced American cheese
Ketchup
Kewpie mayo
2 tbsp sugar

Method

1. Egg mixture: in a bowl, add in the eggs, cabbage, carrot, onion, salt and pepper, and mix well until combined.
2. Toast your bread slices in butter until nice and toasty. Set aside
3. Cook your ham/bacon until crispy, set aside
4. Pour half of the egg mixture into a pan with butter on medium heat. With a spatula, shape it into a square before the egg sets. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until golden then flip. Cook for another 2-3 minutes or until golden. Repeat with the other half.
5. Assemble: Place an egg patty onto a sandwich slice, top with a tbsp of sugar, cheese, ham/bacon, ketchup and mayo. Close the sandwich with another slice of bread. Enjoy