Korean Food

Published:


Korean food is spectacular. My host mom is an awesome cook and has been kind enough to cook various Korean dishes for me to try. So far Iโ€™ve had Korean bbq, kimchi, fried rice, Koreanized western food, and lots more. I think being able to have family dinner has helped me get settled into the Korean lifestyle.

In Seoul, there is an abundance of restaurants. In Gwanak-gu (SNU area) there are many American chains: Subway, Cold Stone, McDonaldโ€™s, and The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. Around Seoul, you can easily find any big American franchise ranging from Jamba Juice to TGI Fridays. When I first saw all the big chain restaurants, I vowed to avoid them because I wanted to try traditional Korean food. Apparently these chains have slight variations in their menus. There might be green tea something or a bulgogi (Korean beef dish) overhaul. One of these days I will go check it out.

  As for Korean food, big franchises and small businesses, they are all so tasty and give giant servings. The one type of eatery I see a lot is a tteokboki shops/street stalls. Tteokboki is a very popular Korean snack that incorporates rice cakes and fish cake into a heavenly sweet and spicy sauce. Iโ€™ve gone to various restaurants and all have been a hit. No misses, yet. Most young people go out to eat. For about $6-$10, people can get a really good meal with a lot of food. So why go to the market and make a mess their own home?

Even the lowest part of the food quality spectrum tastes good: school cafeteria. Seoul National Universityโ€™s cafeteria serves up a variety of Korean dishes: bibimbap, jajangmyun, naengmyun, etc. Meals range from 1500 won to 4000 won. Whether itโ€™s the cheapest meal or the most expensive meal, you will be full by the end. If youโ€™re not, you can actually go ask for seconds, free of charge!