[K]uisine

Though I’m a fairly open minded eater (I’m probably the most adventurous in the family) I still can’t help but feel proud of myself for how many new foods I have tried since arriving. More importantly, how many of these things were tried without a moment’s hesitation. I’ve resigned myself to the idea that, since I’m here, I might as well try everything they hand me (at least once) and hope for the best.

With the exception of one instance about a year ago, I had never even eaten at a Korean restaurant before I arrived in this country. (Which, really, is quite shocking considering my love for Asian food.) I knew very little about Korean cuisine except this: they love their kimchi like Pooh loves honey.

Kimchi, in case you don’t know, is cabbage that is fermented, chilled, and covered with a red pepper sauce. Served with every meal, it’s like the salt and pepper shakers in America; always on the table. The first few weeks I choked down every piece I was given, hoping I would develop a taste for it. My efforts were in vain, and finally I gave up admitted to myself that I hated it. Seriously, it’s sick.

My first night in Yeosu, a few of us newbies went to dinner with a couple teachers who already knew the ropes. The Korean dining experience is quite different. We removed our shoes and left them at the front of the restaurant, and sat on the floor around tables with little grills in the center. Side dishes filled the entire table; kimchi, shredded vegetables, sauces, etc. There were also roasted silk worm larvae, and octopus tentacles wrapped around a stick, roasted and seasoned (a.k.a. ‘octopops.’) I tried it all. I will not be eating the larvae again any time soon, if I can help it.

Food is rarely served in individualized portions; rather, it is served family-style, and often without a plate. We ordered eel, which was brought out to cook on the grill in front of us. The waitress came out periodically to cut and turn the filets until they were fully cooked, and then we would graze from the grill; snagging a piece with our chopsticks, wrapping it in a lettuce leaf along with other sides on the table, dipping it in a sauce, and shoving it all in your mouth. So many little combinations, all of them delicious. It’s not considered rude to have to slurp or take large bites in Korea, which is good since these wraps are almost impossible to eat any other way.

Once we finished our very tasty and satisfying meal, we headed up to the front of the restaurant where we paid. Tip and tax is included here, which is nice and easy when it comes time to split up the bill.

Since my first night in Yeosu, I’ve had countless meals just like that one. It’s always wonderful, but in a weird way also exhausting. Cooking your own food at the table adds a minor element of stress to the meal (“Is it burning? Fully cooked? Should we turn it?”), and after a month I started to miss pre-portioned, pre-cooked food brought to me on my own plate and eaten while sitting in a chair.  So I took a short break and spent the last couple weeks pursuing other options. However, I would be lying if I said typing this didn’t make me hungry for some Korean BBQ, so obviously I can’t be that sick of it. The next year is going to be an intrepid one for my taste buds.