Korean Job Discussion Forums

Saskatoongirl · Joined: 03 Dec 2005

hey there i'm wondering what you guys got for cooking faculties and stuff at the apartments you get for teaching in korea, you have ovens and stoves or what do they cook with in korea, can you find food easly to make your own meals, how much does it cost. thanks for you're help i'm totally looking forward to coming to korea!

kathycanuck · Joined: 05 Dec 2005 Location: Namyangju

Most places I know of have gas burners and a microwave: I whined sufficiently and was given a gas oven. You can find most food basics here; beef is very expensive, pork is cheap. (Be sure what meat you're buying..some stores sell dog.) Convenience foods, like prepared gravy mixes and canned soups are hard to find. Cheese slices are everywhere, but most local stores don't carry blocks of cheese. I get my cheese fix from Costco, but its pricey. It takes a little looking to find spices other than garlic, salt and pepper, but the wise ones here on Dave's can usually suggest a store to find them if you are within the Seoul area. If you are looking for anything else, post a plea for help and some kind soul will probably help you. Best of luck in the great adventure!

Grotto · Joined: 21 Mar 2004

Most apt's have two burners...thats it just two little burners to do all your cooking on. If you are really lucky you might get an actual oven in your apartment but that is a true rarity.

Standard gear is the two burner, a rice cooker...some pots and pans.

You can pick up a toaster oven fairly cheap as well as electric frying pans and crock pots.

Food is fairly easy to find and the grocery stores have a good selection of meat and veggies(beef is expensive while pork and chicken is fairly cheap)

Spices are a little harder to find(oregano, basil, garlic, ginger, black pepper are common) but thyme, cajun, cayenne and others are harder to find.

i found the prices in Korea a little cheaper than back home.

Have fun'

Hater Depot · Joined: 29 Mar 2005

Well, you won't have any problem cooking Korean food. I got to making some pretty mean fried rices.

cruisemonkey · Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2005 8:30 pm Post subject:

The first 'major' purchase I made was an oven. Very Happy

jlb · Joined: 18 Sep 2003

Most people don't have ovens but a microwave, toaster and gas burner should do the trick for most everything but a roast beef or something.

It's pretty cheap to eat out (cheaper than North America) so a lot of foreigners don't really cook.

sheba · Joined: 16 May 2005 Location: Here there and everywhere!

Id recommend buying a basic one-pot cook book.... and ask your hagwon if they supply a microwave - if so then get a microwave cook book.

There are a lot of foods here that you wont know how to cook....

Most places come with a gas burner stove (maybe to hold 2 pots) and youre lucky if you get a microwave, and EXTREMELY lucky if you get an oven.

Although its super cheap to order food here!

jacl · Joined: 31 Oct 2005

An oven would be nice. My friend has one. You can steam cook many things in a rice cooker, but I don't bother. Don't know how to go about it. Throw it in and check? I'm in the thinking that if you open the rice cooker, it starts from zero. What does one cook in a rice cooker other than rice or chicken? Hmm. Must try.

One of those Korean grills that you can place above the burner would be good. Make that pork deal thing with sangchu, manul, etc. and rib/pork meat. It's black and I'm pretty sure you don't need oil. I find I use too much oil in my cooking. Cooking at home is pretty much necessary though. Potatoes are a pain in the butt. Wish I had an oven. Maybe that'll be a purchase in the not too distant future.

muggie2dammit · Joined: 28 Oct 2004 Location: Ilsan, Korea

peppermint · Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2005 5:01 am Post subject:

Last time I was at costco, they had potato flakes, but that was a while ago,

mindmetoo · Joined: 02 Feb 2004

You'll learn to use a toaster oven! Amazing what you can do with it.

You can make fairly decent rice in a microwave. Put one cup of rice in a bowl. Add two cups water. Cook on high for 20 minutes. Cook on medium for 15 minutes. Voila. My GF calls it "edible" but if you're not some rice junkie, it's not bad.

Saskatoongirl · Joined: 03 Dec 2005

wow thanks for all you're help guys, i'll have to look at getting a toaster oven and microwave i guess!

peppermint · Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2005 9:55 pm Post subject:

Ran into costco at Sangbong today, and they had the instant potatos.

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

mindmetoo · Joined: 02 Feb 2004