Let me paint a picture for you:

It's Tuesday night.  The time is Korea Happy Hour time.  You're young; your stomach is gnawing at your throat; your wallet is so thin you can see through it; you're beautiful.   (Ok, 3 out of 4).    

Yeah, if you haven't figured me out by now, you should know I can't stand food writers that "Play for Pay."  My philosophy has always been, you get a bite, if the place sucks then you either don't write about it or you warn others about your experience.  More often than not, you can find a decent thing or two about any place (tablecloth was clean, hot dude/chick working behind the counter, good beer selection, whatever).  

Most people contemplating moving to Korea from any non-Korean country have two major misconceptions:  (1) that they'll need to speak Korean to survive and enjoy their time in country and (2) that there is a dearth of local cuisine suitable for the finicky Western palate and the expandable Western stomach.   Response:  undeniably and irrefutably FALSE!  
I'm not much of an expert on the first point, but I do urge everyone to learn a few clutch expressions in the local language, regardless of which country you currently reside (e.g.: "donde esta el baño," "beeru ni hong oni gai she masu," and at least a "yobosaeyo, bro.").   As to food, however, I can say without hesitation that Korea can and will satisfy every tastebud and every stomach size regardless of race, color, creed, religion, education level or class/lack thereof.

As most of you know, I do my damnest to investigate the latest on Korean cuisine, cooking and foreign food culture to help you get what you want, when you want it, sans hassle as a native English speaker with a native Western palate.

If you are a foreigner living in or coming to Korea, before you read any further, you should know I can read your mind.    Don't believe me?   Sit back, close your eyes and think of the one food item you miss (will miss) the most as a foreigner living in Korea; the cuisine that springs tears from your eyes and leaves you sadly salivating wishing you were back in Calgary, Texas, Omaha, California...Got it?  

Ah, dear wine.  Its been rumored as of late that a decent glass of white wine not only can coat and protect your throat from the onslaught of Chinese Yellow Dust, but can potentially cure existing aches and pains from a past affliction of the noxious Gobi Desert sand clouds.  If only white wine was as omnipresent.

In Part I of this series on Korean Soups and Stews, I described various types of jjigae (찌개), and how to order your desired dish in a Korean restaurant.


In Part II, I'll brief you on different Korean tang (탕) dishes  (Note:  "tang" here is pronounced with a long "a", or "tahng," like the "a" in "lawn").  Do you have a favorite spot for Korean soup or stew?  Let us know and we'll post it up in our Restaurant Listings!


More Tang, Please!

In my last post, I spoke of Korean barbecue meats-- the Expat's food/dish most commonly associated with Korean culture.  In this post as well as the next two posts, I will focus on the most frequently enjoyed dishes in the Korean culinary scene;  the pride and joy of Korean cooking and grubbing down:  soups and stews.

Gosh darn it those dirty birdies!

The update from Taco Bell is a bit misleading:  they now say, according to their official Facebook page, that they'll be raring to go with doors flung open "this Summer."  What the hell does that mean?  Don't they know there are some sick, troubled and desperate individuals/groups without base passes who are dying to get some TB?!


I guess they don't.


Yes, well, your guess as to when this summer almost as good as mine.  Below is DannyB's brief but enlightening convo with Mr. Man: