Wizzy’s Bapsang Cookbook: Book launch and food festival to support community projects

Our latest story is from Chef Wizzy, the creative force behind Sky Kong Kong restaurant. Hear about Wizzy’s Bapsang Cookbook, which is being sold to support the restaurant’s community projects.

We are beyond excited to announce that our Wizzy’s Bapsang Cookbook is launching! We will be celebrating the launch of the cookbook with a food festival to be held outside Sky Kong Kong in Haymarket Walk for four weekends starting 24 September – we hope to see you there! These events will be held on the Saturday and Sunday of each weekend, starting at 11am on 24th & 25th September, 1st & 2nd October, 8th & 9th October and 15th & 16th October.

All the profits from the cookbook and food festival will be used to help fund our planned charity projects, including a community supermarket, 24-hour restaurant and a PC Bang (game café).

Community has always been at the heart of my work. My restaurant, Sky Kong Kong, is notable for its long communal table where people sit and share food together. It is a privilege to watch people start the night as strangers and leave with open hearts. I see friendships form across the table every night. That’s not something you see in your average restaurant.

I want to extend this community work to bring together more people and give them health and happiness through good food. Born from that idea is Barimigol.

Barimigol is the name of a small village where I used to live with my grandparents. It is my soul place.

My grandparent’s country house was filled with wooden antiques. Outside the house was a kitchen garden where my mum and grandma grew fruit, vegetables, and herbs to cook with.

I remember the chestnut tree, the peach and apple trees, and the grape vine that gave the tastiest of fruit. Cucumbers, aubergines, tomatoes, all growing together with an abundance of beautiful seasonal flowers. We would go foraging for mushrooms and with the produce from the garden, cook together on a barbeque. We would invite neighbours round and eat together. It was delicious, informing my love of good food and cementing the importance of community.

Sadly, Barimigol no longer exists in Korea. The fields, hills, ponds, gardens and houses were swept away by new city development. It is in tribute to the place and people of Barimigol that I name this project and my charity after it.

We would love to see you at our festival to try our street food offer and talk about our projects. At the festival we will be serving 15 of the most popular dishes from all over Asia, at the extremely competitive price point of £3.50. Throughout Asia, street food is a part of everyday life, not an occasional luxury, and this aims to bring that philosophy to Bristol. Good quality food is the most important part of any venture in the catering business – the food comes first.

We will also be bringing back our £1 Lunch project! Happy and healthy lunches for everyone. Full of flavour, these nutrient balanced meals have up to 100 ingredients and are served out of Sky Kong Kong. The £1 Lunch project is a way to show people that cheap, convenient food can also be healthy. Keep an eye on instagram for the £1 Lunch announcements. Portions are limited.

Good food is simple. Everyone can cook brilliantly as long as you have fresh ingredients. All you need are local, seasonal ingredients with good spices, a bit of artistic imagination, and friends or family to eat well and laugh with. That’s the secret to cooking beautifully.

Stay up to date by signing up to our mailing list to find out more about Sky Kong Kong’s charity projects.

By setting the wheels in motion now, together we can transform the future of food in our city, building in resilience over the next decade. So, what change do you want to see happen that will transform food in Bristol by 2030? Do you already have an idea for how Bristol can make this happen? Join the conversation now.

Photography by Ming Tang-Evans.