Korean Job Discussion Forums

rapier · Joined: 16 Feb 2003

How many of you enjoy eating out every day?
I used to cook for myself but decided to try eating out for the past 2 months. But its really starting to get to me. Why? - because Korean establishments have little idea how to serve western customers. I'm not saying they should, because this is Korea, etc etc. But these are some of the things that are putting me off:

1) Service is a social event for them. i prefer prompt, professional and impersonal delivery of what I order. Not a long "welcome the waygook to our homeland" reception.
2) They try to show you how to eat your food properly. If you eat it any other way than the korean way, it causes offence and they rush over to coach you. Hajimaaah!!! I paid for it, i'll eat it how i want to. Its my deal.
3)The ajoshhi running the place orders around his female staff as if they were sub- human: offputting. Or, he plays host by coming over and asking you the usual questions "are you married " etc.
4)They hate to see you drinking from a can or bottle: go to the toilet for a moment, and you will return to find your fizzy drink has been poured and flattened into some plastic cup. Aaaagghhhh!!!!
5)Whenever its busy, serving the waegook becomes a distant prospect. Priority no.1 is satisfying the Korean customers- waygook can wait.
6) Sometimes they resent you taking up a table, because foreigners frighten away the customers, and No korean will sit within a mile radius of you.
The list goes on. i've fallen out with the ajummas of 2 of my designated eating holes (both for trying to show me how to eat my food like a baby).
Looks like I'm going to have to get some groceries in again....

gajackson1 · Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2003 4:01 am Post subject:

Big Cat, you have my empathy -

The longer a person has been here (and we have both been here awhile!), the more annoying something like that is . . .

Sometimes, I want a Han-geul button that says, 'No, I am NOT another Farkin tourist!!!'

lol

got my sympathies, brother, but write it off to just plain ignorance - they don't know any better, and are trying to help in their own way.

Regards,

G.

weatherman · Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Location: Korea

crazylemongirl · Joined: 23 Mar 2003 Location: almost there...

that's why I order in.

CLG

Arthur Fonzerelli · Joined: 22 Jan 2003 Location: Suwon

maybe it's because you go alone?

kangnam mafioso · Joined: 27 Jan 2003 Location: Teheranno

you just have to learn how to do it. the korean philosophy of food and eating is totally different from the western method. eating alone is generally frowned upon. i'll never forget the look on the waiter's face when i ordered sam gyup sal alone my second week in seoul. any food that has to be cooked in front of you is off limits if you are alone, unless you want to pay the amount of 2 people ... which is unfortunate because those are my favorite korean foods. places that generally welcome solo diners are the ones that offer the standard korean grub: tchigae, nangmyun, kimbap, solang/kalbi-tang, bokimbap, bi-bim-bap, etc. these dishes aren't as good as the barbeque, but they are cheap and nutritious. dude, don't sweat it if they try to show you how to eat it -- it's just a courtesy. if you already know how, just say maj-ah-yo. lighten up a bit. i lived in seoul 2 years and can count on one hand the number of times i cooked at home.

HardyandTiny · Joined: 03 Jun 2003

there are no unusual hazards about eating out in Korea.

Squid · Joined: 25 Jul 2003 Location: Sunny Anyang

Same goes for me.

Just to look at H and T's avatar awhile longer.

What's the thread about?

little mixed girl · Joined: 11 Jun 2003 Location: shin hyesung's bed~

.....

Tiger Beer · Joined: 07 Feb 2003

ulsanchris · Joined: 19 Jun 2003 Location: take a wild guess

This one time a vegetarian friend and i went to a galbi restaraunt, and i started trimming some of the excess fat of the meat. THe ajuma came over and took the scissors away from me. Not sure why it mattered to her if i trimmed the fat or not. Maybe she wanted me to die from clogged arteries at an early age?

rapier · Joined: 16 Feb 2003

good point fonzarelli. i usually do eat alone. Maybe thats why they try and talk to me all the time.
Its actually annoying, because I'm more than happy with my own company. Every korean seems to think you are suffering terrible loneliness if you spend one minute alone.
In my experience, someone who spends time alone with themselves is usually a better and well adjusted person for it... theres not enough time to think or reflect in this stressed- out modern life.
Conversely, Koreans often seem quite unable to function independently.

Ilsanman · Joined: 15 Aug 2003 Location: Bucheon, Korea

They like to stir your food for you. I feel like such a baby when they do it. I know it is meant to be nice, but it is insullting.

anae · Joined: 13 May 2003 Location: cowtown

I never had any of that happen to me in five years. Maybe it is something that generally only happens to men? No one ever stirred my bibimbap, but they did stir my father's when he came to visit. You know how women raise men to be helpless in Korea.

matthewwoodford · Joined: 01 Oct 2003 Location: Location, location, location.