When traveling to South Korea, you will experience a wide variety of unusual food, but not to worry! There is plenty of great tasting cuisine a westerner will enjoy, and much of it is very inexpensive. You will find the tastes and textures a bit odd at first, but the flavors are good, the food is nourishing and won’t weigh you down as you head out to enjoy the Korean nightlife.
There are many kinds of traditional Korean restaurants, some specialize in one kind of meat, others specialize in a particular type of cooking. Many restaurants have pictures of what they do best. Look for a picture of a pig or a chicken, even a pot of noodles: all are clues to what kind of restaurant you will be exploring.
The pork restaurants usually feature a ‘cooked-at-your-table’ specialty called Galbi, Pork Galbi is close to barbecued ribs, and most places serve a wonderful variety of traditional side courses-mostly vegetables in various sauces, marinades and broths. A yummy fermented cabbage dish called Kimchee is most popular, and comes in varying degrees of spiciness. Another kind of Kimchee is made only with cucumbers, yet another consists of daikon radish and onion. These are the most well loved foods in South Korea and they can be found everywhere. The pork Galbi is usually cooked at your table by a chef who wanders from grill to grill, turning meat and letting you know when the dish is ready by shutting off the grill and motioning towards your plate.
A different kind is the Dak Galbi, or chicken Galbi restaurant. These operate exactly the same as the pork Galbi places, but the side dishes are usually much different. You can get the standard Kimchee fare, but also a clear, cold spout soup, quail eggs and a wonderful small vinagered salad. Chicken Galbi is eaten with lettuce leaves, red bean paste and pungent fresh garlic slices. Some pork Galbi houses serve their food to be eaten this way but not all; the chicken houses all feature the lettuce and, garlic. It’s a wonderful meal that often includes rice, rice noodles or rice “beans” made out of rice flour rolled into large solid noodle shapes.
There are many places that serve both Galbi, and noodle soups. The noodle houses specialize in giant bowls full of delicious, steaming ramen-style soups. These have seafood, vegetables and rice cake in them. Some are made with pork instead of seafood, and most noodle shops have a special vegetarian noodle bowl for non-meat eaters. When dining at one of these, be sure and order the deep fried side dishes, which are usually just like Chinese ‘pot stickers. Noodle houses usually have unique soft drinks, like glass bottles of ‘lemonade’ with a white ball suspended in the bottleneck. It’s a strange experience, but quite delicious and refreshing. Another unusual offering is apple-flavored soda.
If you are on the go and don’t want to stop for a full meal, try to find a street vendor as you make your way to your destination, an experience all it’s own, you can find fun spiral-cut hot dogs, skewered chicken and a wide variety of deep fried veggies that are absolutely delicious. The deep fried veg is called Yakimandu and is a favorite of the late night pub-goer. After a night of celebrating, you may find all the restraints are closed; the Korean food vendor is a very welcome sight on the street as you deal with the post-nightclub munchies. If you are attending a festival, there are even more delicacies to try in all shapes and sizes, but beware the ‘ppdondaegi’ peddlers who sell broiled silkworm larvae! Americans who are brave enough to try eating these say they smell bad and taste like dirt. Most westerners who do try them usually do it on a bet. Ppondaegi is popular in South Korea, especially among children. It’s bewildering to a tourist, but it’s one of the local customs, expect to see it in many places during the summer.
A trip to South Korea is full of excitement and adventure, and the dinner table is no exception. You may be daunted by the uniqueness of the food and its no-frills presentation in many of the more inexpensive shops, but the taste is wonderful and soon you will find yourself with new favorite foods, courtesy of the ‘Land of the Morning Calm”
