Korean Job Discussion Forums

[shawner88]

I can cook dwen jang chigae, kimchi chigae, and mandu guk. These are all pretty simple. I bought a cook book and would like to learn how to make more food, especially side dishes (im really good at making rice). However, it is hard to shop and cook for only one person in Korea and it almost seems cheaper just to order food or eat out.

[Howard Roark]

RE: Cooking for one.

Most supermarkets, especially the big ones like Emart and Wal-mart have meat and side-dish counters where you can ask for as much or as little as you want. Usually you tell them how much worth in won you want.

Emart has great meat selections set up this way. Many of them include some vegetables and a selection of marinades. If you ask for 2000won worth of galbi, for example, that would be a great meal for one and maybe some left for the next day. And the rice, well you can make as much as you want. Alternatively, you can buy those bowls of pre-cooked rice that are perfect for one person and good enough for a quick meal.

If you find it hard to cook for one, my best suggestion is invite people over! Cooking and entertaining guests is my therapy in Korea

[HardyandTiny]

[princess]

I have made baechu gimchi and kkaktuggi gimchi. My ex-boyfriend said it was good. I say so, too because hey, you don't have to be KOREAN to make KOREAN food. I can make food from all over the world. I have also made ch'apchae and my Korean friend and my boyfriend liked it. I have made homemade mandu by rolling out little circles of dough and filling them with gimchi. I have made gimchi tchigae and gimchi bokkumbap. I make samgyet'ang quite often. I recently made some ch'amch'i kimbap. Tastes just like what I have bought in a restaurant, too. I have also made other Korean foods, like deulkaeguk and manduguk. I even make my ramyon Korean style by adding all these things to it. I make pajon sometimes, too and miyokguk.

[IconsFanatic]

I find sidedishes sold at mega stores to be ridiculously expensive.

Bought a small bag-worth of spicy red paste-covered anchovies - 4,000 won. Jeez, I can get a complete freakin' meal at a restaurant for that much.

[panthermodern]

I can make sandwiches filled with ketchup and coleslaw like nobody's business.

Actually, I do not find Korean cuisine hard to perpare except Kimbap ... I was never all that good at fine motor skills, but now it would be even harder ... rolling it is hard for me.

Korean food is not that hard to do in general.

hard to burn
hard to ruin
hard to overspice
very little fine detail

If you go to E-Mart (or anyother big grocery store) you can buy "kits" with preprepared vegetables and sauces (such as duk-kalbi) and just add meat (chicken) and simmer.

I don't understand what is hard ...

there is no pastery to deal with ... nothing rises ... we are not talking about baked Alaska or anything ...

In my opinion you and cook or you can't ... period ... any food ... anytime ... except rolling kimbap.

and ... just like everyother culture the "hard stuff" (prep cooking) is predone at the store.

all the chopping is a pain.

[Cthulhu]

I cook the Western stuff and leave cooking the delicious Korean food to my wife.

[Mr. Pink]

I don't cook Korean food other than what every Korean kid can make: instant noodles.

I leave the Korean cooking to the Koreans.

(on a sidenote I am not a good cook. After cooking for myself last vacation, I realized how bad I suck. )

[Swiss James]

I used to love cooking but for one reason or another have only cooked for myself maybe 4 times in the last year. I'm looking forward to having a crack at making korean food- think I'll try Dolsot Bibimbap first.

[Son Deureo!]

Sundubu chigae, dwenjang chigae, kimchi fried rice, and that's about it. Living alone really makes it just not worth the trouble to cook very often when restaurants and delivery are sooooooooo cheap.

Instant food choices in Korea also rock, though. Noodles, curry, jjajjang, ddeok gook in a bag, hamburger steaks, etc. Plus you can always buy pan chan (side dishes) at a pretty reasonable price at the outdoor markets, keep a rice cooker full of rice, and pick up some pre-marinaded bulgogi or a hunk of tofu.

I honestly don't understand why Korean men need wives to cook for them so desperately, it's so easy for a lazy bachelor to eat well in Korea.