Korean Job Discussion Forums

[mindmetoo]

Saturday I went with my Chinese lady friend to a Korean BBQ chain that's opened in Toronto. $12.95 all you can eat meat. You get several plates of beef, kalbi, chicken, salmon, and squid. First thing I noticed is there were no plates of lettuce or sesame leaves and no dwengjang.

So I asked the waitress for some dwengjang. She was like "what?" She was asian but didn't look Korean. So I said "soy bean paste?" "We have soy milk drinks." "Oh never mind." A male asian waiter I tried with him. Again, no clue what I could possibly want. "Ummm maybe it's like natto in Japan?" I looked at my chinese woman friend and asked her if there was something similar in Chinese cooking but then I remembered who I was asking. My friend might look chinese but she's whiter than me. She lives on a steady diet of pound cake and Michelina's frozen TV dinners.

I pretty much realized there wasn't a single Korean in the joint, although it was called Korean BBQ or words to that effect and came with kimchi and banchan.

So there's a big switcheroo for you. Usually in North America Koreans are running Japanese restaurants, sushi and teriyaki places. I guess Korean BBQ has gotten so popular now Chinese are running Korean restaurants.

Check out the bad spelling of bibimbap:



http://koreangrill.sites.toronto.com/

[genezorm]

i hear you, one time i went to a mexican restaurant
i ordered in spanish but they didn't understand

[crazy_arcade]

[genezorm]

[Vancouver]

I made the stupidest mistake of trusting a white guys's (neve been to korea, knows nothing about korea) opinion of a "korean bqq" place. We went there, and first thing, the grill wasn't even the one you see in real korean restaurants, second, no banchan, no lettuce, etc. Hell, no korean cut short ribs, or even well marinated meats.

[R-Seoul]

[mindmetoo]

[mindmetoo]

[crazy_arcade]

[sunnyvale]

I just had a look at their menu, and although most of the things seem crap compared to what we've had in Corea, I'd love to try lamb bi bim bap. A set of side dishes for $7.50 kind of makes me laugh.

[tomwaits]

Becoming common (at home) are "Asian" restaurants that have a menu of Kor, Japanese and Chines. Usually not the best place.

I was in Toronto recently and went to a Korean place west of Bathurst and was the opposite of what the OP is saying. SO Korean it could be in Seoul.No one could speak English---loud Koreans screaming for Hite-uh and, most important, excellent food with a ton of sides.

Maybe Korean is the new Thai---you see more "food court" Korean places.

[Ya-ta Boy]

The most important question has been overlooked so far: Can you get an endless supply of sliced garlic?

[mindmetoo]

[Nowhere Man]

Taipei has numerous Korean BBQ places that are essentially Chinese "hotpot" restaurants where you chuck whatever you see fit into a pot and make soup out of it.

[Tiberious aka Sparkles]

She probably looked at you strangely because no one eats doenjang with galbi, etc.

I think you mean ssamjang.

HTH