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itistime
Joined: 23 Jul 2010
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 Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 4:24 am Post subject: |
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^^^
Nope. offtheoche is right.
Been to some supposed great restaurants and
Ks homes'. Can't be further from the (my) truth.
K food is abysmal. Just my opinion though.
Not only mine, I guess.
Sorry, Seoul. |
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offtheoche
Joined: 21 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 4:53 am Post subject: |
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| Seoul'n'Corea wrote: |
Trust me on this, get a real korean who knows how to cook to do some of those common dishes and you'll be back for more.
. |
I've had a real Korean cooking Korean food for me since I was dating, engaged and married. I've also had other real Koreans cook for me, besides my wife.
I still find Korean food to be bland, boring and one dimensional. So much so, that I don't eat it anymore, and now do most of my own cooking. 
One good thing, because I won't eat Korean food anymore, I've really raised my own game in terms of self cooking many other kinds of food. 
Note: To the defenders of Korean food, please don't get so bent out of shape. After all, most Koreans will flat out refuse to even try western food, when they travel to our countries.
I also find that most of those who think Korean food is ok, have never lived in another country (besides home country) before coming to Korea. |
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NYC_Gal 2.0
Joined: 10 Dec 2010
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| Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 4:59 am Post subject: |
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I've been to plenty of Korean restaurants. I used to go to one in K-town, NYC for the acorn noodles with salad. If only I could find that same salad here! The dressing was certainly not creamy.
As for home cooking: definitely. My Korean mom (one of my students' family invites me over for dinner, and I've had them over to mine for dinner as well) makes some delicious food that I've never been able to find in restaurants. Even her 주먹밥 (rice fists) are awesome.
A lot of the Korean food is same old same old, but there are some delicious, different dishes. I just try to stay away from the red shiz, except once in a while. It's too salty. I used to eat Korean every day, but now it's a once-every-few-days thing, unless I'm having a kimbap.
Still, Mexican would have to be my favorite type of food. There are more than just jalapenos. Habaneros, manzano, poblanos, serrano, arbol, red fresno, and plain green chile peppers are used in a a wide variety of dishes.
I do love tex mex, but have had real Mexican, and it's delicious. |
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Vagabundo
Joined: 26 Aug 2010
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| Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 5:06 am Post subject: |
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adapt certain Korean spices/concepts, even dishes into a "fusion" dish or concept?
sure! why not. Has already happened if not happening already.
but Korean cuisine on its own becoming a global sensation?
Hansik anyone?
most certainly not. Will never happen, for all the reasons that have already been mentioned. |
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redaxe
Joined: 01 Dec 2008
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| Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 6:55 am Post subject: |
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| hakwonner wrote: |
Strange seeing this topic as I've been thinking about this recently.
I have an idea that opening a dalk galbi restaurant in england might work out rather well. The thing is, my idea is to target students... open it in a big student area and I reckon they would love sitting around eating spicy chicken and rice together. I think the food is beautifully simple and if you add the cheese, as they do here sometimes, it would be even more appealing to the western palate. Add this to the fact that it would work out relatively cheap for students on a tight budget, and it could just be a good idea. What do you guys think? |
Yeah, spicy dakgalbi with the vegetables and the cheesy, crispy kimchi fried rice could be a hit. I think that's one dish that could catch on in the West. First dish I tried in Korea that I thought was totally to-die-for delicious, and I'd never seen anything like it at Korean restaurants in America.
The only problem is, I think your overhead to open such a restaurant in your home country would be a lot higher than it is in Korea. I'm not so sure you'd be able to sell it real cheap. |
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AmericanBornKorean
Joined: 08 Oct 2010
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| Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 10:13 am Post subject: |
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| redaxe wrote: |
| AmericanBornKorean wrote: |
| redaxe wrote: |
| AmericanBornKorean wrote: |
| nukeday wrote: |
Ant larvae shops aren't featured in every single neighborhood. It's a marginal dish. People eat bull testicle and squirrel in America too. Marginal.
Come visit Korea and I'll personally point out 3 different boshintang places within a 5 minute walk. |
In a shigol, maybe. It is NOT a mainstream food dish, even in Korea. My parents have never tried boshingtan, neither have I, nor all my 15 cousins or their parents. It is widely known as country food (like bulls *beep* or other dishes in the boonies, USA). Probably the same with escamole (ant larvae) for Mexicans. Marginal.
Come to LA, I can give you 3 different escamole serving places within a 10-20 minute drive (everyone drives here). |
Boshintang restaurants are still present all over central Seoul.
For every one of your relatives who has never tried it, there must be thousands of old men who eat it every week, because to this day there are still multiple dog meat restaurants in every neighborhood in Seoul.
You might not notice them all because a lot of them are in alleys and the signs don't all say "boshintang;" there are about ten different words for "dog meat soup" in Korean. It's kind of like how Eskimos have many different words for "ice." |
That may be true. But I also think it's a relic of the older Korea that most people rarely eat, kind of like bbun dae gi is not so popular now a days, and you'll probably not find too many younger people that have tried it, or are even willing to. None of the people I met in Korea, including all of my extended family there, have ever tried it. I know that is a small sample size, but I have always known it to be shi gol food. |
Beondegi is also still ubiquitous in Korea. Just go to a park along the Han River on the weekend or any holiday. You will see (and smell) many boiling pots of silkworm larvae. I've seen parents buy cups of beondegi for their young children to eat as a snack. It's also still served at a lot of bars the same way American bars serve beer nuts or pretzels.
The weird/smelly/gross/embarrassing Korean foods like beondegi, boshintang, cheonggukjang, hongeohoe, etc. may be "relics of the older Korea" but they are not as marginal as you think--some of them are even quite popular still.
Are your relatives in Korea wealthy and/or educated in the West? A lot of upper-class Koreans do turn their noses up at such "country" foods. But a very large number of Koreans, including Seoulites, still relish them. |
The relatives in Korea are wealthy and most of my dad's family in my generation were born in America, so I think you're probably right. I think the people I am exposed to whenever I visit Korea may not be the "average" Korean. You are probably right about the popularity. Oh well, I learned something today. |
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AmericanBornKorean
Joined: 08 Oct 2010
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| Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 10:23 am Post subject: |
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| Vagabundo wrote: |
adapt certain Korean spices/concepts, even dishes into a "fusion" dish or concept?
sure! why not. Has already happened if not happening already.
but Korean cuisine on its own becoming a global sensation?
Hansik anyone?
most certainly not. Will never happen, for all the reasons that have already been mentioned. |
Well, if you think of it that way, no authentic ethnic food on its own ever really become a national sensation. If you look at just American fast food in other countries, they tailor it to the people of that country. Chinese, Japanese, Mexican, just about anything on its own would never become a global sensation. Fusion is the name of the game.
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/art/food/2009/03/24/201476/p1/Could-Korean.htm
New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, among the other cities I've been to, you see plenty of Westerners (non-Koreanophiles) mixed in the traditionally Korean-only frequented restaurants. Honestly, it's something that I have never seen before while growing up. This is why I think Korean food's popularity will only continue to grow, because it really has no where to go but up. |
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AmericanBornKorean
Joined: 08 Oct 2010
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| Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 10:29 am Post subject: |
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By the way, ask any Korean that has been to LA. Many will tell you flat out they think Korean food is way better here than in Korea.
Everyone come to LA for some good Korean food. My girlfriend told me how she went to BCD (soondubu place) and saw a group of 4 white UCLA college girls scarfing the kimchi down and asking for more before their orders even came out. I wouldn't be surprised if they thought it was an appetizer. Yelp culture is huge in the big cities, and you see so many non-Koreans in restaurants here. |
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redaxe
Joined: 01 Dec 2008
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| Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 11:26 am Post subject: |
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| AmericanBornKorean wrote: |
By the way, ask any Korean that has been to LA. Many will tell you flat out they think Korean food is way better here than in Korea.
Everyone come to LA for some good Korean food. My girlfriend told me how she went to BCD (soondubu place) and saw a group of 4 white UCLA college girls scarfing the kimchi down and asking for more before their orders even came out. I wouldn't be surprised if they thought it was an appetizer. Yelp culture is huge in the big cities, and you see so many non-Koreans in restaurants here. |
I think a lot of Korean food in the US is better than it is in Korea because the chefs immigrated between 20-40 years ago so they still make their dishes the "old-fashioned" authentic way. In Korea they've started using a lot of additives, cutting corners, and adding weird "fusion" ingredients like pumpkin, sweet potato, and honey mustard to everything.
I haven't been to Koreatown in LA, but I've been to that Korean street in Manhattan and I saw a few other white people eating at the restaurants. They seemed to be enjoying the food. In Queens, though, it was all Koreans eating, I was the only non-Korean person in the restaurant.
But that's one thing I like about Korean food in America--that it HASN'T been fusionized, so it's still very authentic. I'm big on authenticity--just as long as I don't have to eat any dog meat or silkworm larvae! But you won't really find those in Koreatown, USA anyway. |
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lakeshow
Joined: 02 Nov 2010
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| Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 12:16 pm Post subject: |
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I don't know about korean food being "better" in LA, but bbq is cheaper and better. The places I went to in Ktown growing up never had non-koreans eating there until I went to college, where the popularity started to grow. go to any major kbbq place in Ktown and non-koreans almost outnumber korean clientele, thanks to yelp.
I never liked Korean food growing up even though I'm a gyopo, but started to appreciate it more and more as i got older. In my opinion, Korean soups/noodles kick ass and is very underrated. This whole exporting campaign of kimchi, ddeokbokgi, and bibimbap is stupid (yuck). Kong-guksu, nengmyun, soondubu, dwaenjang-jjigae, gamja-tang, galbi-tang, al-tang, sullung-tang, meun-tang, kimchi-jjigae, chamchi-jjigae, budae-jjigae, ddeokmandu-guk all are good... some depending on the season or one's drunkenness. |
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AmericanBornKorean
Joined: 08 Oct 2010
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| Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 12:55 pm Post subject: |
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| redaxe wrote: |
| AmericanBornKorean wrote: |
By the way, ask any Korean that has been to LA. Many will tell you flat out they think Korean food is way better here than in Korea.
Everyone come to LA for some good Korean food. My girlfriend told me how she went to BCD (soondubu place) and saw a group of 4 white UCLA college girls scarfing the kimchi down and asking for more before their orders even came out. I wouldn't be surprised if they thought it was an appetizer. Yelp culture is huge in the big cities, and you see so many non-Koreans in restaurants here. |
I think a lot of Korean food in the US is better than it is in Korea because the chefs immigrated between 20-40 years ago so they still make their dishes the "old-fashioned" authentic way. In Korea they've started using a lot of additives, cutting corners, and adding weird "fusion" ingredients like pumpkin, sweet potato, and honey mustard to everything.
I haven't been to Koreatown in LA, but I've been to that Korean street in Manhattan and I saw a few other white people eating at the restaurants. They seemed to be enjoying the food. In Queens, though, it was all Koreans eating, I was the only non-Korean person in the restaurant.
But that's one thing I like about Korean food in America--that it HASN'T been fusionized, so it's still very authentic. I'm big on authenticity--just as long as I don't have to eat any dog meat or silkworm larvae! But you won't really find those in Koreatown, USA anyway. |
I think you're spot on. Below, I'm posting something I stole form another forum, apparently by PBS' food guy, Mike Colameco.
___________________________________________________
Jason
I think you all have parts of the answer...
- Yes Korean immigrants in America are insular, as are many other ethnic groups.
- there are language issues not helped by being a closed community
- as a traditional historically Confucian culture ( though recently Christian ) they are not at all big on self promotion.
- nearly surrounded by water, and wedged between China and Japan for all her history, the Koreans have been the victims of multiple invasions, attrocities, and occupations from both sides, and as such tend to stay to themselves and aren't big on pandering to strangers.
While I agree that Sushi / Sashimi, and various manifestations of Chinese cuisines are very popular here, I'm not so sure that "Indian" cuisine is all that popular in the USA either. Outside of "Curry Hill" on Lexington in midtown, there is a scarcity of good Indian restaurants in Manhattan.. ditto the burbs.
Korean cuisine, like many regional Indian cuisines tend to be heavily seasoned, "hot" as in pepper, assertive, and not for the faint of heart. The generous use of dried and fresh peppers, salt and raw garlic, of uncooked, or fermenting ingredients, unusual cuts of meat, offal, odd ( to many folks ) varieties of fish, dried roots, ferns, and mushrooms, does not play well in this country.
I've actually avoided eating Korean food and Kim Chee if I'd known that I had a meeting afterword, and whomever I'm addressing would have been scared away by post Korean breath syndrome. If you've ever worked in an office with Koreans typically right after lunch they all head to the bathroom for well brushed teeth, mouth wash, and then chewing gum for good measure before venturing out into the non-Korean world. It's really funny, they know the drill.
What makes it so great for those of us that love Korean food is it's sheer bowl you over assertiveness, it's bold, straightforward non compromising character, it's lack, for the most part, of subtlety. Although there is also a lesser known strong Buddhist vegetarian strain that is very subtle and nuanced.
Yes, Japanese cuisine food is more refined, as are their traditional arts, pottery, swordmaking, caligraphy, rituals, and language. And the Chinese more varied, pliable and userfriendly, aided by the Chinese wonderlust for travel, they have been in America for 150 years, as well as opening businesses everywhere on the planet, and blending cultures Look no further than the Chinese Cuban cuisines on the west sidevia Cuba pre Castro, or Chinese Korean which is great, and Chinese is S . America, Chinese Indo cooking, CHinese Hawaiian etc....
Culture informs cuisine, and Koreans are much like their food. Direct, proud, generous, straightforward, blunt, passionate.
As long as Americans are skittish about flavors, textures, odd vegetables, unfamiliar cuts of meat and fish with bones, forget it. Ands that's fine with me too, there are loads of great Korean restaurants in mid town, Queens. Fort Lee, etc.... |
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jvalmer
Joined: 06 Jun 2003
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| Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 1:07 pm Post subject: |
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| I think Koreans have got to stop this promoting Koren food thing. Who cares if the rest of the world likes, or hates, Korean food. |
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redaxe
Joined: 01 Dec 2008
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| Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 1:29 pm Post subject: |
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| jvalmer wrote: |
| I think Koreans have got to stop this promoting Koren food thing. Who cares if the rest of the world likes, or hates, Korean food. |
Why should they stop? Just because it's annoying? They want more tourists to visit Korea, and more opportunity to open Korean restaurants overseas, so they can make more money. I don't see why people find it strange that Koreans want their food to be popular.
In Seattle, where I live, there are only a handful of Korean restaurants, but there are actually TONS of Korean restaurants that are disguised as Japanese teriyaki restaurants. Essentially all the teriyaki/sushi restaurants here are owned and operated by Koreans. They offer and advertise Japanese food for the non-Korean locals, but they always have a Korean menu (sometimes it's a "secret" menu that is only in Hangeul) for their Korean customers.
I've also seen Korean restaurants that were disguised as Chinese restaurants. The Chinese food is usually terrible, but they have great jjajangmyun and gunmandu.
I think they wish they could just sell their own cuisine openly and successfully, instead of having to masquerade as Japanese or Chinese restaurants. |
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jvalmer
Joined: 06 Jun 2003
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| Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 1:52 pm Post subject: |
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| redaxe wrote: |
| jvalmer wrote: |
| I think Koreans have got to stop this promoting Koren food thing. Who cares if the rest of the world likes, or hates, Korean food. |
Why should they stop? Just because it's annoying? They want more tourists to visit Korea, and more opportunity to open Korean restaurants overseas, so they can make more money. I don't see why people find it strange that Koreans want their food to be popular. |
They shouldn't have to, who cares if foreigners like Korean food. All it matters is if Koreans like it. If a restaurant can't survive, so be it, it isn't because they aren't promoting Korean food enough. |
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AmericanBornKorean
Joined: 08 Oct 2010
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| Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 2:04 pm Post subject: |
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| jvalmer wrote: |
| redaxe wrote: |
| jvalmer wrote: |
| I think Koreans have got to stop this promoting Koren food thing. Who cares if the rest of the world likes, or hates, Korean food. |
Why should they stop? Just because it's annoying? They want more tourists to visit Korea, and more opportunity to open Korean restaurants overseas, so they can make more money. I don't see why people find it strange that Koreans want their food to be popular. |
They shouldn't have to, who cares if foreigners like Korean food. All it matters is if Koreans like it. If a restaurant can't survive, so be it, it isn't because they aren't promoting Korean food enough. |
Are you an artistic type? Marketing and promotion = money. You need the goods to follow through, but you need the marketing and promotion for people to find it. |
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