Korean Job Discussion Forums

eIn07912 · Joined: 06 Dec 2008 Location: seoul

...if i have to eat one more korean dish. it doesnt matter what is, ive tried them all. ive eaten a korean dish at least for 1 or 2 meals a day every day for nearly 3 years and ive just had enough.

ive also had enough of pizza or mcdonalds as the only alternative in my neighborhood. if i ever see greasy food again i may just rip out my tongue.

i know this is korea and they eat korean food here. but i have almost never complained about it. the quality of food at these local places seems almost like a joke. vegetables are cooked down to almost nothing. the meat has more gristle and bone than actual meat and it must all come from the same cow bloodline because it has almost no flavor to it at all.

and im sure this poor quality food im putting into my system is whats making me feel so lazy, unmotivated, and depressed. thing is... i could cook for myself pretty well back in university, but i had a normal western kitchen and appliances and a wide range of ingredients to choose from.

here i just have a stove top (no oven), a pot, a pan, and it usually takes me at least 30 mins at the store to locate any kind of spice or seasoning that isnt soy sauce or chili pepper.

is anyone out there a chef? or study nutrition? or even take a cooking class before that could give me some pointers? i want to eat more healthy (real healthy, not korean healthy). im also positive my poor diet is whats keeping me from making better gains in the gym and on the track. it doesnt have to be super complicated, just a few easy recipes i can make in a standard korean studio apartment with limited kitchen appliances.

help. help. help, i beg of u.

eIn07912 · Joined: 06 Dec 2008 Location: seoul

and i just noticed there's a whole sticky devoted to cooking right on the first page...

...man i feel like an idiot.

saw6436 · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Daejeon, ROK

epicurious.com is sometimes my best friend in Korea

thoreau · Joined: 21 Jun 2009

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iammac2002 · Joined: 12 Jun 2009 Location: 'n Beter plek.

I feel the same way. I have lots of western fast food to choose from right next door to my room, and korean food (fish, bbq, noodles, rice, rice, rice...) ... I want real cooked food. The stuff we eat in Africa, not Asian cr8p.

peppermint · Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2009 5:13 am Post subject:

Get a toaster oven. They sell little foil trays in grocery stores that serve nicely as disposable baking/ roasting pans.

fermentation · Joined: 22 Jun 2009

Do you need a western kitchen with a stove to eat healthy? If you don't mind eating really boring food, you can eat pretty healthy. Get chicken or fish and grill them on your pan. Get some raw veggies/fruits and eat them as they are. Or you can stir fry your chicken and veggies in olive oil. Buy different grains other than white rice. You can cook rice with a pot if you don't have a rice cooker.

If you live in Seoul, it shouldn't be too hard to find different spices.

iammac2002 · Joined: 12 Jun 2009 Location: 'n Beter plek.

The problem is, I can't cook to save my life. I can't even boil an egg. If I have a microwave and I only need to press a button, then I can at least steam stuff. But this place doesn't have McCain Steam It. I'm in Seoul, and they don't even have nicely chopped and washed veggies. I have to do it all myself. Seriously, who does that?! Nobody in the western world has done that in 10 years! I don't know cabbage from lettuce, I can't make my own food, I need to...

maybe I should just marry someone who'll cook for me! Now that's an idea.

fermentation · Joined: 22 Jun 2009

iammac2002 · Joined: 12 Jun 2009 Location: 'n Beter plek.

gaffe · Joined: 06 Aug 2009 Location: N.C.

It's pretty damn easy to make awesome salads. Better lettuce and greens than most places the US. Add tuna or salmon, nuts, boiled eggs, feta - so much stuff available at the mart. Easy and healthy.

polonius · Joined: 05 Jun 2004

Kikomom · Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2009 4:56 pm Post subject:

Tossed salad and scrambled eggs...

zstar5000 · Joined: 23 Feb 2009

This is exactly what you need to do: buy a crockpot. Then look online for hundreds of things you can cook in it. It's basically a two step process:

1. But ingredients
2. Throw ingredients in crockpot in the morning, and you have dinner that night (plus leftovers)

My wife is an excellent cook, and we still use the crockpot all the time because it's so easy, and the food taste great.

iammac2002 · Joined: 12 Jun 2009 Location: 'n Beter plek.

Food courts! Laughing

They have pictures and many different kinds of food. Save your own electricity and go eat out.