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South Korean
Cuisine
"A majestic
view has no charm when the table is bare," notes one
Korean proverb. The cuisine of this country offers the visitor
a bountiful variety of dishes unchanged through the centuries.
Although a few urban sophisticates may eat Western-style
breakfasts, most Koreans enjoy three hearty, traditional meals
each day, centered around steamed rice.
Whether accompanied
by soup, meat, vegetables, or fish, no repast is complete
without small dishes of kimchi. This highly seasoned and
fermented pickled cabbage, radish, or cucumber dish is unique
to the Korean diet and provides much-needed vitamins during
the long winter months. Kimchi is known throughout the world
not only for liberal doses of garlic and red pepper but also
for the large brown-glazed pots in which the vegetables are
fermented and stored buried in the ground. Every proud Korean
homemaker has her own method for making kimchi, whether it's
the winter variety made at harvest time or the summer type
made on a day-to-day basis. Be forewarned, though, that kimchi
can be an acquired taste.
Probably the most
popular local specialty among visitors is pulgogi (also
bulgogi or pulgoki)-marinated strips of beef cooked over a
brazier at the table. The marinade includes soy sauce, garlic,
green onions, sesame seeds, and oil. Cooked to your taste, the
meat is accompanied with boiled rice and kimchi (of course).
Pulkalbi (short ribs) are served in the same manner.
Other common dishes
are kujolpan-small pancakes that you fill with a variety of
meats and vegetables, and then roll; sinsullo (Angel's
Brazier)-a bubbling brazier filled with broth, chopped
vegetables, meat, gingko nuts, quail eggs, and fish balls or
bean curd; naengmyon-a refreshing summer dish of cold noodles
(made of wheat or potato flour), topped with vegetables, eggs,
and pieces of meat; mandu-kuk-soup with meatballs wrapped in
dough; and hanjong-shik-a simple meal of the day in Korean
inns, consisting of soup with side dishes of rice, vegetables,
fish, meat, and kimchi.
Beer (maekju), a
popular beverage throughout the country, is available in two
domestic brands-Crown and OB. It is a satisfying accompaniment
to the many spicy dishes. Tea, the traditional drink, comes in
many flavors-ginger, ginseng, and barley are only a few. A
very pleasing white wine called Majuang is available for about
W7,900 (US$10). And for hard liquor, soju (potato vodka) is a
Korean favorite.
Water in major
hotels is potable, but in other places it's best to stick to
boiled tea and bottled drinks.
Restaurants
There are a number of good Western
restaurants in the big cities throughout South Korea. The better ones
have sprung up in the many new international class hotels. For example,
at least half of the Hotel Lotte's 31 specialty restaurants and bars
cater to the Western palate. More casual Western-style restaurants are
common, including some chain restaurants like T.G.I. Friday's and
Coco's. Fast-food places are becoming increasingly prevalent, too.
There are countless restaurants in
South Korea serving local fare and national delicacies. Chinese
restaurants are very popular among South Koreans. Japanese restaurants
are pricey, but affordable sushi places have been popping up near
office buildings to serve the lunch crowd. Seoul has a large number of
international restaurants.
There are several dinner theaters in
Seoul offering performances of traditional Korean dance. Prices for the
dinner and show hover around W50,000 (US$63). For dinner theater on a
budget, visit Sanch'on, a dinner theater serving Buddhist vegetarian
cuisine. A dinner performance here costs W15,000 ($19).
A 10 percent tax is added to
restaurant bills at better restaurants. Tipping is not customary but is
appropriate for outstanding service.
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