Everyday Encounters: A Korean dish stirs doctor’s memories of medical school

Tiburon resident Dr. Yamilee Bermingham, pictured May 7 at the Belvedere-Tiburon Library, is an OB-GYN who graduated from Yale University’s medical school who’s been dreaming of recreating japchae noodles. (Francisco Martinez / The Ark)

A Korean noodle dish from her medical school days has Yamilee Bermingham eager to recreate those flavors in her Tiburon kitchen.

She recalls her first taste of japchae, a sweet-potato noodle dish with vegetables and sauce that she encountered while studying at Yale University School of Medicine.

What she enjoyed about the dish, Bermingham says during a May 7 visit to the Belvedere-Tiburon Library, was the blend of sweetness with the vegetables, as well as it being a new flavor, and “the care with which the person who had the food truck … made it available to us.”

The 30-minute recipe represents more than just a meal for Bermingham, who has practiced as an OB-GYN for 25 years and lived in Tiburon for 13.

DONATE to support local journalism, or SUBSCRIBE NOW for home delivery and access to the digital replica.

Comment on this article on Nextdoor.