Korean Job Discussion Forums

[dogbert]

[JongnoGuru]

I've also heard some positive things about that new Greek restaurant in Itaewon, and from a source I tend to trust. I'll give the place a shot, but my source also echoed some of Dogbert's misgivings, which I find distressing and depressing. This also indirectly points to an earlier question I had about non-Koreans working at restaurants nowadays. (BTW, my query wasn��t about North Americans specifically, but foreigners in general.)

I know the difficulties of maintaining a steady supply of imported food, ingredients, spices, etc. So, anyone who runs a non-Korean/non-Japanese/non-Chinese restaurant here (outside the big hotels) has my deepest sympathies. I mean come on, baked instead of refried beans, and mayonnaise instead of sour cream just doesn't cut it as authentic Mexican cuisine, now does it?

That��s why I'm never shocked when the most basic, humdrum dishes of any foreign cuisine have an ersatz taste, smell or appearance here. And I��ve always regarded the whole "fusion" craze here as 50% a case of following the latest foreign fad, and 50% a result of genuine, frustrated, make-do necessity. The government and distribution & food industries have a stake (though it��s not always obvious) in imported foodstuffs being impossible, difficult or just insanely expensive to obtain.

But these problems aren��t new or newsworthy. Really, I won��t complain if the Greek restaurant has to – ��improvise�� shall we say? – with certain dishes, or simply not offer some items you��d expect to find.

However, the problems that Dogbert and my friend mentioned are of another and entirely preventable kind: bad service. Overzealous spiels on particular dishes (presumably they have menus?), forgotten orders (sure, that can happen anywhere, but��), multiple forgotten orders (huh??), overcharging and charging for items never provided (whaaa??).

Quality of service is totally within the management��s ability to monitor & control, and it��s the minimum we as customers can insist on. So, what has this restaurant done? They��ve hired a staff of North Americans? Students visiting Korea for sports training? I don��t know if that��s being smart, dumb, interesting or funny – but it is definitely bizarre. So, what? Are they cheaper than Koreans? And just how fluent is their Korean?

Whatever the management��s reasons or the waiters�� financial situation, the real question is: Since when were foreigners of any nationality or visa status legally permitted to do such work? The only case I know where foreigners are allowed near food preparation, food service, food packaging, etc. are the massive airline catering services down at Incheon airport, where a veritable army of Korean-Chinese ajummas work. (I don��t know to what degree they��re really viewed as foreigners, though.)

So, which is it?
(A) Itaewon restaurants are now designated as some sort of ��immigration-free zones��.

(B) This is just an unusually high-profile, restaurant-by-restaurant, waygook-by-waygook bribery racket we��re all observing.

(C) I did a Rip Van Winkle last Sunday. Nodded off for 20 minutes and woke up 20 years later.

By God, I��ve known people who were stopped and interrogated at random (three fined & deported) by Immigration agents at subway stations in/near Itaewon and around apartments in Gangnam – simply for being there, being Western, looking youngish, and not wearing suits & ties. (Yeah, the deported ones were teaching privates.) And I��ve read lots of stories here on Dave��s about English teachers way down in the booniest of boondocks being shadowed, trailed and nabbed for teaching at the ��sister hagwon�� of the outfit that sponsored their visa.

All this being true, one does wonder how it is that a sizeable staff of foreign waiters, working in full public view, hasn��t brought the Immigration paddy-wagon around yet.

Times they is a-changin'...

The Guru

[dogbert]

Great post, JongnoGuru.

I'd like to add/clarify some points.

It's not a large restaurant and there were more than two waitstaff that I saw. So, the forgetting and overcharging is a bit difficult to understand (as you note). I take it we weren't the only ones dissatisfied with the service as well as when I was leaving I overheard the same waiter complain to someone (the owner?) that he wouldn't continue serving one table because the guests were "rude" to him. There was one Korean waiter, but our waiter didn't seem to be able to speak Korean. This was a contrast to a place like Ipanema, which does have non-Korean waiters who speak Korean fairly well. If the waiter were fresh from the fabled isle of Lesbos, that would be one thing, but a taekwondo student? Your coments are right on the mark. And to reference the tipping thread, a 10% gratuity is added to the bill.

You brought up a great point about ingredients. Some things, like bleu cheese, pesto, evidently phyllo dough, cilantro, and sour cream, are scarce on the ground in Korea and that can't be helped. However, in a seafood-rich land like Korea, what excuse is there to use tiny, flavorless canned (that's "tinned", for our Commonwealth readers) cocktail shrimp (the one that look just like "pinkies") when one could use fresh shrimp instead?

I would hope that no one would drop a dime on the waitstaff, but according to my companion, the clientele there indicated that this particular restaurant must have been featured recently in the Korean press, as it was attracting guests other than the usual Twan habitues. So, word may have gotten out.

[Joo Rip Gwa Rhhee]

this thread should be a sticky IMHO

[Zed]

[ramen209]

Jenny's Cafe in Hongdae is the best Italian Restaurant in Seoul that we've tried.

http://www.travelchannel.com:9000/Places_Trips/Destinations/Asia/South_Korea/Seoul/Restaurants/Jennys_Cafe_Jennys_Cafeteria[/code]

[dory]

[tottenhamtaipeinick]

[lisa_03]

For people in southwest Seoul who love Indian/Nepalese food, there's a second Everest restaurant (in addition to the Dongdaemun location) -- it's outside of Yeongdeungpo station on Line #1. I used to make the hour trek up to Dongdaemun until I discovered this one much closer for me. Go out Yeongdeungpo exit 6, turn left and walk down the street less than 2 minutes. It's in the basement of one of the buildings. The decor isn't as nice as the one in Dongdaemun, but the food's every bit as good! The website's in Korean, but scroll down to the second map: http://www.everestfood.com/map.htm