November 18, 2002 - 10:05 a.m.

Secret KoreAm HeadquartersLieutenant Detective J. Ha asks me, Agent Muhl Duh, to investigate the phenomenon of the mysterious dduk bo ssam, a Korean dish that involves eating barbecued meat and vegetables wrapped in thin slices of rice skin. The government is puzzled by one aberrant behavior in Koreans who enjoy dduk bo ssam — they eat their Korean BBQ without a bowl of steamed rice.

December 8, 2002 - 2:32 p.m.

Mr. Lee’s BBQ, Cerritos, Calif.

I drop by Mr. Lee’s BBQ for informal interviews. The waitress looks puzzled when I explain I want to learn where dduk bo ssam originated. Was it a traditional Korean dish that is now gaining popularity in America, or was it a conscious effort by Korean American restaurateurs to reduce the amount of starch in one’s diet? Or is it just some crazy KA hybridization of the Korean ssam tradition of wrapping rice, usually with some hot sauce, in lettuce or cabbage?

The waitress, appearing somewhat miffed, tells me to call to arrange an interview with the owner. I leave messages the next week and get no response. With few options left, I decide to go in….

January 5, 2002 - 6:30 p.m.

Mr. Lee’s BBQ, Cerritos, Calif.

I recruit a team of nerdy scientists (Whitney High School alumni) to analyze the dduk bo ssam incognito. Five of us (Agents Shane, Sam, Tiffany and Jonathan) casually stroll into the restaurant trying to blend in with the crowd of Koreans. After scanning the menu (featuring about 20 BBQ meats, in addition to casseroles, side dishes and appetizers), we decide to split a “Combo 1” dduk bo ssam platter and a serving of bulgogi (BBQ roast beef).

There are two types of wrappers that are served with the meal. One is a thin wrapper made from rice flour, shiny with sesame oil, and cut in a small square like a wonton wrapper — used to make dduk bo ssam. The other wrapper is a thinly sliced cross-section of Korean radish, pickled in sweet vinegar, referred to as chung moo bo ssam.

The two kinds of BBQ meats that come with “Combo 1” are thinly sliced beef brisket (cha dole baegi) and thick slices of three-layer (because it includes skin, fat and lean meat) BBQ pork.

Agents Shane and Jonathan take a minimalist approach, stuffing their dduk bo sam with beef, seasoned lettuce salad (sangchu kotjori ) and a hot chili sauce with tons of seeds and freshly cut spicy red pepper.

Secret Agents (left to right) Jonathan Kraus, Shane Gomes, Tiffany Hong and Sam Lin take a break from their “ssamptuous” meal.

The more ambitious Agent Tiffany layers her dduk bo ssam with bulgogi, lettuce salad, various banchan (steamed egg, pickled bellflower root — known as toraji moochim — and radish pickled in soy-vinegar sauce), topped gingerly with the hot sauce, but she is having a hard time closing the wrapper.

Agent Sam, feeling pretty confident, takes a carnivorous stab at the ssam concept. He wraps the sweet bulgogi around the ssam (the lettuce, not the guy). Quite pleased with the result, Sam (the guy, not the lettuce) tells the group further analysis is needed, so we order another serving of bulgogi, which disappears quickly into the wrappers.