Korean Job Discussion Forums

Mark7 · Joined: 22 May 2006

I'm trying to look to teach English in Korea after I graduate from college, and I've been pondering about preparing for life alone in another country. One thing I was wondering for people who are already there: what do you guys do for food most days?

You guys go grocery shopping weekly, bi-weekly at a local mart? Does language barriers become a problem when shopping for food? Cook your own meals? Eat out all the time? Go out with co-workers? Do your schools give you a person who helps you with shopping?

Just a curious question, thanks.

Smee · Joined: 24 Dec 2004 Location: Jeollanam-do

I usually go out to eat for samgyeopsal (grilled pork) maybe twice a month with the other foreigners in town. Also, twice a month all the teachers at the school go to a restaurant for dinner. Outside of those times, I eat at a diner-type place maybe once a week or so.

Grocery shopping is practically no problem, even in a small town. I tend to cook simple things at home because it's convenient, but eating at a restaurant is quite cheap, and last year I hardly ever cooked at home. Plus, when you first get here it's fun to try different food at the restaurants, but for me I'm frequently tired after work and can't be bothered, haha.

I've never heard of schools having someone help you shop. Except for the Korean writing on stuff, it's pretty much the same as back home. And, if you're in a well-populated area, you'll be grocery shopping at places like E-Mart, (similar to Wal-Mart back home). However, there are some things that aren't readily available here.

djsmnc · Joined: 20 Jan 2003 Location: Dave's ESL Cafe

Vegetables are sold on the dirt roads by toothless old ladies, and sometimes rice is brought in on Mondays on a cart pulled by an ox. Live chickens have their heads chopped off and feathers removed when you buy them. I usually wear a dark shirt so blood won't drip on it. It's exciting to see how they live like that, but you have to be careful not to be attacked by karate gangs who will steal your rice.

gang ah jee · Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Location: city of paper

A man will drive a blue truck to your neighbourhood early on Sunday morning to sell you things like salt. Don't worry about setting your alarm to catch him, he has loudspeakers to make sure you don't miss out on your shopping.

ChopChaeJoe · Joined: 05 Mar 2006 Location: Seoul

It's pretty easy. You go to the store, you pick out your items, you pay for them with Korean money.

If you can't cook, there is prepared frozen food that you can buy, although reading the directions might be difficult.

Restaurants might be a challenge, but thn again, what would you expect when you move to Korea? After awhile it's just like ordering food back home, almost.

pidgin · Joined: 31 Jul 2005 Location: Seoul

I eat out all the time. Easier that way. I'd cook if I could just get a K girl to come to my home....woe is me.

krats1976 · Joined: 14 May 2003

Yeah, I was a bit concerned about this when I first came, ages and ages ago. There's really nothing to worry about. You should be within spitting distance of some kind of grocery store... either a neighborhood "supah", a bigger "Mart" (Lotte, HomePlus, E-...), or department store grocery store. In any case, they'll have some survival food for you (bread, jam, PB, spaghetti, etc) until you work out what Korean foods you like & how to prepare them. Heck... the bigger places even have cheddar cheese now.

You'll also quickly learn where the good eats are in your neighborhood & how to ask for your favorite stuff. Ask a KOrean friend to help you contact your local domino's or Pizza Hut for a pizza fix (or even the local pizza places... they have decent stuff).

Don't worry. You won't starve.

pidgin · Joined: 31 Jul 2005 Location: Seoul

heydelores · Joined: 24 Apr 2006

ChuckECheese · Joined: 20 Jul 2006

I eat 6 to 10 course meals everyday. I eat the side dishes one at a time. Cool

SirFink · Joined: 05 Mar 2006

Korea is very modernized and Westernized. There are plenty of big stores like Wal-Mart where you can buy groceries. In addition, there are smaller marts where you can buy fruits, vegetables, garlic, hot peppers, noodles, frozen meats and frozen dumplings and whatnot. Then there's the old ladies that sell stuff on the sidewalk and trucks that go around your neighborhood hawking everything from apples to roasted chickens.

I know little more than the numbers in Korean and I get by just fine. There's a few adjumas I buy food from regularly and they are very kind and seem to appreciate me as a regular customer. None of this rude, grumpy adjuma thing that so many here complain about. In fact, they seem to enjoy practicing their English with me, though I do my best to speak Korean to them.

In addition to cooking most of my meals at home, I eat out once or twice a week with friends and co-workers. I'm not crazy about Korean food and wouldn't be happy eating it three meals a day every day. That said, you can find everything from McDonald's to KFC to TGI Friday's in nearly every city in Korea.

If you want to be fat and unhealthy there's just as much sugary, fatty junk food here as you'd find back home.

Corporal · Joined: 25 Jan 2003

krats1976 · Joined: 14 May 2003

Boodleheimer · Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 7:56 pm Post subject:

loved the smart-*** answers, but was expecting more.

periwinkle · Joined: 08 Feb 2003

I don't eat much from the food stalls on the road, but OP, you have to try "toast"- it's a grilled sandwich with your choice of ham, cheese, egg... They are less than $2 per sandwich- you can very easily live on them. Or you could always do the vegetable patch thing, too....