Our Friends

I would say that our favorite Chinese delivery restaurant in Dongtan is pretty awesome. Not only do they know exactly where our villa is, but they also know the code to our villa's front door. We tend to only order when it is raining and pretty much always get the same thing. I always go for the sweet and sour pork(탕수육) and Noodles with black bean sauce(자장면). and JJ goes for the spicey seafood noodles( 짬뽕).










I am so going to miss being able to order this when we get back to America. I almost think that I should open my own Korean style Chinaese restaurant, but I wonder how long it would take for all of our bowls and dishes to be stolen/not returned. I can picture a college students apartment filled with bowls and plates they acquired by ordering food.

Jaeyoun's First Attempt At Homemade Kimbap

She did great and this was her first attempt. I was really impressed. She said she had seen her mother make it a few times. The tuna was my favorite. It was a lazy Sunday afternoon, which we spent with Billie and Alex eating kimbap and just generally being lazy.

7 Types of Food in Korea That You May Think Are Gross

When you first decide to come to Korea, most people back home are going to ask how are you going to eat the food. It doesn't take you long to realize that Korean food is great. I rarely eat much Western style food now. Jaeyoun is probably the biggest cause of this, but I still tend to eat Korean style food even when she is not around. There are some types of food that I will not eat or just don't care for. Here is a list of dishes that for the most part I stay away from.

1. Beondegi (번데기)
This is boiled silk worm larva and has a very distinct smell. Korean kids love this and street side vendors sell it in a little cup and you get a toothpick to pick them out with. Here is a video of some guys trying it. I have tried it a few times, but the smell let alone the taste keeps me from enjoying it.

2. Raw Meat/ Steak Tartare(육회)
I have tried this a few times at fancy style Korean restaurants see here. It is not a bad dish. I actually enjoyed until we got to the bottom and most of the meat was saturated with blood and the leftover seasoning. The blood smell was just too strong at the end of the dish.

3. Sundae(순대)
Jaeyoun and her friends love this. A few of my western coworkers like it to. It is a blood sausage made with pigs blood and noodles. This is another food that I can't stomach due to the smell. I mean I can eat chitlins(Mississippi spelling) boiled and fried, but there is something about this one that I can't stand.

4. Seonji Haejangguk (선지해장국)
This is known as a hangover cure in Korea. It is a soup with a ox blood and spine. I have had this with and without the blood I think. I know that when I was in the country it ate this and it came with thick coagulated blood jelly in it. I like it. It is actually very spicy and tasty. I don't know how much of a hangover cure it is, but it does wake you up!

5. Live Octopus
I have seen this eaten a few times, but I am just not that big a fan of seafood, much less seafood that is still moving while you try to eat it. Check out this video of a plate of this dish. I need to find out the name of this in Korean. I have never ordered it and only seen it a few times in person being eaten.

6. Chicken Feet (닭발)
I have tried this few times and really like it. I have usually eaten it when I have been under the heavy influence of beer or soju. It will light you on fire. I can only eat a few pieces. It is really gritty and mostly gristle, but wonderful. We usually eat this outside where there is a restaurant that sets up tables in front of their establishment in the middle of a bunch of bars.

7. Dog Soup (보신탕)
Everybody that comes to Korea hears about this one. I have actually never tried it. I still want to when I build up enough courage, but with 2 dogs at home in America and having always had a dog as a pet, I am tempted to not try it. Koreans believe that this soup gives stamina to men. It is usually eaten on the hottest days of the year. I will stick with ice cream, thank you. There are a bunch of websites out there condemning the consumption of dogs you can see an example here. (Not for the squeamish)




You know the saying "when in Rome", so I really try and keep an open mind when it comes to food. There are still many different dishes that I want to try, but I still don't know if I can manage to chow down on the octopus or dog. Also I borrowed a couple of pictures from Wiki and Zen Kimchi. I was trying to link to an old page of ZK, but it will not let me link to the archives. Check out his site for more info on Korean food and food in general.

Next Week's Topic: 7 Phrases or Words You Need To Know in Korean

Kimchi at Zero Gravity

Check out this CNN article.

It appears that kimchi has been authorized as a space friendly food aboard the international space station.

The approved menu includes fresh and cooked kimchi, spicy chili paste, rice, bean paste soup, instant noodles, sweet cinnamon punch, ginseng teas and a mixed grain and vegetable bar, Yonhap reported, quoting the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI)

No Kimbap? What's up with that? I see that they are allowing dwenjang jigae or bean paste soup. I wonder if this variety will have the same smell as when they cook it here. If so, the other members of the space station should be forewarned. It definitely tastes better than it smells.

Bokkeumbap

I made bokkeumbap for the first time since we have been back the other night. Not only did I make a mess, but I have learned that I can not cook a decent egg. I will never be to the level of guys like Zen Kimchi , but I guess you gotta start somewhere. Not only do I have trouble with eggs, but I am still figuring out the rice cooker. I seem to use too little or too much water.
Jaeyoun's mom made this kimchi. It will be interesting to see how long it lasts.
See I have no business cooking eggs!