Monday, July 15, 2013

Oh The Food!

When we walked in, I thought, “Nope, don’t have to take our shoes off here.” The floor was the first thing that really made me distrustful. This place didn’t seem clean enough to be a restaurant with its decrepit walls and narrow walkway. Thankfully, the table we sat at was clean and the air conditioner, though run-down looking and dusty, still blew out cool air in 30 plus degrees Celsius weather that had us nearly melting. If my friend and I had been by herself, and not with her Korean-American boyfriend, we would have quickly strode on past this place without so much as a second glance.
To counterbalance being slightly uncomfortable, I ordered comfort food: Kimchi Chigae or Kimchi stew. It was the first thing I tasted upon arriving in Korea and I feel in love with its spicy goodness immediately, despite my taste buds being almost burnt off. The adjumma brought us a giant plate of panchan and told the only person among us who looked remotely Korean that she had given us extra. My friend and I just smiled and nod-bowed.
Though I had misgivings about the building itself, the food turned out to be delicious. We ate to our heart’s content and all for about 6,000 won a piece which is roughly $5.34 USD right now. Gotta love the Korean pastime of eating out. Unless you’re eating in major city like Busan or Seoul, most meals are around the 5-12,000 won mark. So, if you ever have a chance to make it to Korea and you’re looking for something to eat, “trust the adjummas” as my friend’s boyfriend remarked while we shuffled down the street, bellies full. I’d say that more often than not, that statement has been pretty true.



 I definitely underestimated this restaurant. I didn't get pictures of the inside, though. 
           

Panchan and Kimchi Chigae


Panchan



Other food I've had in Korea:


Dakgalbi cooking



Fried rice after dakgalbi




samgypsal, kimchi and sesame leaves

Bubble tea in Seongondong, Gyeongju




Raw fish at a teacher dinner





Goguma ( Sweet potato) latte


Traditional Korean fare


Indian food in Haeundae


Sad looking school lunch. Though I recently stopped eating school lunch, it normally looks better than this.


Porridge restaurant in Hwangsongdong, Gyeongju


Chinese restaurant with amazing lamb kebabs
Seongondong, Gyeongju






Grounds of a traditional Korean restaurant close to the tombs in downtown Gyeongju. This place is tucked away and I bet I couldn't find it again if I tried. My co-teacher and I got lost trying to find it.



 
The first time I had South African food was in Korea!
 This place is in Itaewon and definitely worth visiting if you are a fan of good meat.









It may not look tasty for some, but this was delicious!




Thai food in Itaewon, Seoul







           

1 comment:

  1. Nice!! I love finding places that don't seem flashy and are otherwise hole in the walls. Love the food here.

    ReplyDelete