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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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wylde
Joined: 14 Apr 2003
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 Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2004 1:01 am Post subject: |
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middle of parramatta is a $10 korean buffet... meat is better quality in australia than korea (of course).. i loved that place.. i went with my chick who chowed down on everthing while i took advantage of the meat bbq... thought it was a great idea if they would sell rump steaks..
ps - i do like some of it.. just the traditional korean flavors and methods that deserve to be flushed away with the rest of the *beep*. |
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The Lemon
Joined: 11 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2004 1:07 am Post subject: |
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| Haggard wrote: |
The answer isn't too complicated. Korean restaurant owners jack up their prices way out of range because they know that a flood of Korean businessmen, students, tourists, etc. will pay through the roof for subpar food. They've seen the busloads with thick wallets frothing at the mouth for some chiggye and adjusted their prices accordingly.
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I think this, as well as helly's comments regarding culture, price, and marketing, come close to the real reasons.
It's why most North American bookstores, even the big ones, carry precious few Korea guidebooks and Korean language dictionaries. There's little interest in Korea and its culture, especially compared to China, Japan, or Thailand.
I don't think it has to do with the quality of the food much, though some are seizing another opportunity to kick at the Korean can and claim otherwise.
It's Korea's low brand recognition. It's the place where MASH was and where the orphans came from. And the well-known story of millions of Koreans starving in the last 10 years hasn't done much to advance Korea's cuisine. Offer someone a car from Korea, and a car from Japan. Or a plane ticket to Seoul vs one to Tokyo. All things being equal, they'll take the Japanese one.
There are pockets of North America where eating Korean food is considered trendy. But Thai, Indian and Japanese food still far exceed it in popularity. |
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dogbert
Joined: 29 Jan 2003
Location: Killbox 90210
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| Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2004 1:15 am Post subject: |
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| The Lemon wrote: |
| Haggard wrote: |
The answer isn't too complicated. Korean restaurant owners jack up their prices way out of range because they know that a flood of Korean businessmen, students, tourists, etc. will pay through the roof for subpar food. They've seen the busloads with thick wallets frothing at the mouth for some chiggye and adjusted their prices accordingly.
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I think this, as well as helly's comments regarding culture, price, and marketing, come close to the real reasons.
It's why most North American bookstores, even the big ones, carry precious few Korea guidebooks and Korean language dictionaries. There's little interest in Korea and its culture, especially compared to China, Japan, or Thailand.
I don't think it has to do with the quality of the food much, though some are seizing another opportunity to kick at the Korean can and claim otherwise.
It's Korea's low brand recognition. It's the place where MASH was and where the orphans came from. And the well-known story of millions of Koreans starving in the last 10 years hasn't done much to advance Korea's cuisine. Offer someone a car from Korea, and a car from Japan. Or a plane ticket to Seoul vs one to Tokyo. All things being equal, they'll take the Japanese one.
There are pockets of North America where eating Korean food is considered trendy. But Thai, Indian and Japanese food still far exceed it in popularity. |
Japan has done a great job marketing itself. India probably has more orphans, starving, pollution, and poverty than both Koreas put together, yet Indian restaurants in the U.S. market themselves and their food to non-ethnic Indian diners.
Koreans often seem to want to have their culture admired and appreciated, yet at the same time unique and inaccessible. But those are mutually exclusive aims.
I also disagree that price is such a large factor in their lack of popularity. In places with large Korean populations, such as Southern California, prices at Korean restaurants are not high, yet the non-Korean clientele remains low. |
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Universalis
Joined: 17 Nov 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2004 1:39 am Post subject: |
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| dogbert wrote: |
Koreans often seem to want to have their culture admired and appreciated, yet at the same time unique and inaccessible. But those are mutually exclusive aims. |
Put brilliantly, Dogbert.
I should run with that for a blog entry...
Brian |
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tokki
Joined: 26 Jul 2003
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| Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2004 1:54 am Post subject: |
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| Mashimaro wrote: |
I only read the OP, but here is my 2 Australian dollars worth.
Why eat korean when you could eat Thai 
I like korean food, i try and make the best of it but variety is the spice of life (gochujang only is not) |
Seriously, why would anyone want to eat Thai food? Theres nothing soecial about the cuisine. Its one of the most overrated cuisines on earth. |
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shawner88
Joined: 01 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2004 3:17 am Post subject: |
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I still think it's the association of Koreans and eating dog for one and the obscurity of Korea of course but also the translations of the food:
Look at some of these for examples of how dishes are translated:
http://www.recipesource.com/ethnic/asia/korean/indexall.html
Doesn't give you really any idea of what the foods are. I personally like 31 and 107... "Yeah, I'll have the Korean Dong Chimi please and some flaming orange kimchi."
I don't think price has that much to do with it as Thai and Indian and Japanese food can be pretty pricey too.
Last edited by shawner88 on Wed Apr 07, 2004 7:42 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Mashimaro
Joined: 31 Jan 2003
Location: location, location
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| Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2004 3:25 am Post subject: |
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| tokki wrote: |
Seriously, why would anyone want to eat Thai food? |
Because it's delicious! why else would you eat food (other than to fill your stomach) |
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komtengi
Joined: 30 Sep 2003
Location: Slummin it up in Haebangchon
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| Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2004 3:37 am Post subject: |
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Korean food is far from a cuisine. Its taste is bland, when compared to the majority of other popular foods around the world. The fact that chilli pepper is the main ingredient in 90% of dishes highlights that fact.
We can talk about this dish or the other till we are blue in the face. But lets be realistic, in a Korean restaurant you cant sell all Korean dishes.
Maybe Korean food needs more herbs and flavours added to the mix. |
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Son Deureo!
Joined: 30 Apr 2003
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| Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2004 3:43 am Post subject: |
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| kangnamdragon wrote: |
| Toby wrote: |
| Americans are too lazy to cook their own food when they go to a restaurant? |
I think this is a good point. |
I have to call bullshit on this ignorant tripe. In all the time I've been in Korea, I've never seen an American (or anyone else for that matter) complain about having to cook their food at the table. Ever been to an American backyard barbecue? Watch people fighting for their turn at the grill. And what the hell do you think we do when we're in our own kitchens? Sit there and wonder why robots don't do it all for us?
If you actually knew anything at all about America, you'd understand the real reason why tabletop barbecuing will never take off in American restaurants: Liability.
Remember that America is the country where coffee has to be served with a warning label to avoid lawsuits. Can you imagine a restaurant in America with an ajosshi hefting burning coals over the shoulders of customers at their seats and dropping them into their tables? Families with children with fire in the middle of their tables? It's all a big lawsuit waiting to happen, and breaks a ton of fire codes to boot! |
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tokki
Joined: 26 Jul 2003
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| Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2004 3:46 am Post subject: |
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| Mashimaro wrote: |
| tokki wrote: |
Seriously, why would anyone want to eat Thai food? |
Because it's delicious! why else would you eat food (other than to fill your stomach) |
Its OK,nothing great.Too much coconut, chicken and chili powder. Some people rave about it, I find it barely ok.I prefer Korean food, as I like way more korea dishes than thai ones. I was there and had this god awful pork, made my stomach queezy just looking at it. Took one bite and couldnt finish it. |
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tokki
Joined: 26 Jul 2003
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| Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2004 3:53 am Post subject: |
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| I think that there is nothing wrong with Korean food.Its bland? I dont think so.You have allsorts of stuff to please heavy meat eaters (galbi is awsome, samgyeubsal, bulgogi, etc etc) you have meals with mostly veggies,there are spicy foods and cool foods...its all there.Hell,you can even appeal to the trendy yuppies and serve overpriced tofu. There is enough variety to make an all Korean restaurant work.The problems are with service. The service is not always great, by western standards anyway, cause its a different culture with different ideas about service. Korean restaurants also dont have the trendy decor and food presentation isnt like you would get at a French restaurant. I thinks thats the main reason why it hasnt taken off. That, and the freaking nasty prices. In Vienna, I had a huge craving for bibimbab. 10 euros for freaking bibimbab. If I wasnt really hungry for it, theres no way I would have had the bibimbab there. No way. |
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Tiger Beer
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2004 4:31 am Post subject: |
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| Swiss James wrote: |
| What is American food? Not trying to have a go, I've been there three times and other than hamburgers (german?) can't think of anything I had that was indigenous. |
I'll take a stab at it.. depends on the region. In the Midwest, lots of steak and potatoes. Louisiana has cajun-style everything.. Texas is more bbq and such.. Kansas City and such the same. Deep South has a lot of really original stuff you can't find elsewhere. Seattle might be more fish like Hallibut and such.. California is more fusion-style of Asian and health foods. Colorado is a bit like that as well. Maine would be lobster and such. But yeah overwhelmingly interstate travel you just get a lot more truckstop burger/fries as well as the fast-food fairs. So just depends I suppose. |
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Son Deureo!
Joined: 30 Apr 2003
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| Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2004 4:51 am Post subject: |
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Good call, TB.
Here are some more American originals:
popcorn
cornbread
macaroni and cheese
Buffalo chicken wings
scrapple
soul food
chop suey
peanut butter
chili
succotash
Philly cheesesteak sandwiches
clam chowder |
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Swiss James
Joined: 26 Nov 2003
Location: Shanghai
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| Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2004 5:03 am Post subject: |
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| ...cranberry sauce. I'm getting the hang of this american food thing now. |
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Son Deureo!
Joined: 30 Apr 2003
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| Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2004 5:08 am Post subject: |
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There you go, SJ, which brings up a few more that I forgot:
turkey (indigenous to the Americas, after all)
pumpkin pie |
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