Eating out in Korea

Judging by the number of restaurants in any area I've been in so far in Korea, it amazes me that Koreans still eat and cook at home. Especially in smaller restaurants you can get a bowl of noodle soup (guksu) in various flavours for as little as 3000 won per person.

Another thing is that the portions served are invariably very generous - despite being a big eater I have yet to finish everything a Korean restaurant places on my table! Shown here, from the top, are an al fresco restaurant at Gimpo International Airport and the tempting (plastic) dishes on display to show off the menu, and a typical roadside stall selling dried squid.

Food

Hi there.

South Korea is one of those countries where the 'burn' factor of food is highly prized. Many of the fields in and around the small village where I live, Seoshin, are devoted to the cultivation of the chili, and it is extensively used in Korean cooking.

First, a look at the outside of a small-town restaurant.

This one, Shik-Dang, will serve you dishes such as bibimbap (rice with vegetables and an egg and chili paste), tokkpogi (rice noodles in a volcanic sauce of red chili paste), or udon ( a type of fish soup with noodles).

This is the view from inside a typical little restaurant, where we had this lovely spread.

The red stuff you can see in the small white bowl is just one of the nearly 200 types of kimchi, a type of vegetable pickle, that forms the staple of every meal in Korea. In fact, many houselholds have a kimchi fridge and an ordinary fridge.

Some more eating adventures in later posts!