Hiuka kicks off with a dinner at Merienda Café (Chueca, Madrid)!

For the launch of** Volume 1 of Hiuka**, we decided to celebrate in the best way we know how: around a table with a 100% Korean dinner.

The event took place on Friday 4 July, one day before the official launch of the magazine, which came out on Saturday 5 July. This meant that those attending the dinner were able to access an exclusive pre-sale of the first volume of Hiuka.

It was the first time Jaegeun and I had organised an event of this kind, and we did so with great enthusiasm. We wanted to present Hiuka in a way that was accessible and consistent with who we are: a project designed for people who are curious about and fond of Korean culture and cuisine. And, without a doubt, there was no better place to do so than a Korean café.

Summer, owner of Merienda Café, opened the doors of her space in Chueca to us so we could hold the event. That night, her café was transformed into a small Korean street food restaurant.

We prepared a special menu of bunsik (분식), the name given to street food in Korea, with homemade mandu, yache twigim, Busan-style tteokbokki and, for dessert, yakgwa with ice cream. A selection of dishes designed to be combined with each other.

After a brief introduction about the magazine and who we are, we began serving dinner. Jaegeun explained each dish, and many of the attendees were already familiar with Korean cuisine, which led to some very interesting conversations.

We loved being able to share, meet and listen to the people who came to the event. We are very grateful for the trust placed in us and for the warmth with which they welcomed Hiuka.

We would like to thank Summer for letting us use the space in her café and Adolfo for helping us in the kitchen!

It is an experience we would love to repeat.