Korean Job Discussion Forums

coffeeman · Joined: 24 Nov 2005 Location: Korea

Before I came to Korea, I thought Korean food was great. But now after being here for a while, I am getting tired of it. I also realize that there are only a few dishes that I really like (bibinbap, bulgogi, kalbi, and kimchi fried rice). The rest I can take 'em or leave 'em.

I am just curious to know what the foreign community thinks about Korean cuisine.

Newbie · Joined: 07 Feb 2003

I am the same as you.

Thought it was great at first, now it just seems so bland and repetitive. I usually take time off to go back home between each contract, and my first month back I love eating Korean food. Pretty soon though it gets dull.

Mr. Pink · Joined: 21 Oct 2003 Location: China

Why do you think there are so many side dishes?

To help improve the overall taste of the meal.

I like Korean food. I eat it everyday. Sometimes it gets boring, but it is healthy and that is more important to me than taste.

RACETRAITOR · Joined: 24 Oct 2005 Location: Seoul, South Korea

The first time I was here, I stayed down south, and all they served me was seafood and naengmyun. It wasn't to my liking, so coming back and living in Seoul I've fallen in love with the food.

ChimpumCallao · Joined: 17 May 2005 Location: your mom

considering the quality and the amount of money people earn on average, it is overpriced in terms of quality...crappy sticky rice and lawnmower clippings should not cost you 5000 won. its not particularly delicious, but i think one tends to pay more due to the feeling that its better for you...koreans fall for their own trap too.

the good thing for me is that since its all pretty 'meh' and homogeneous i tend to eat bibimbab, which is quite healthy...not like i seriously crave ramen or some other unhealthy food...its all spicy crap...might as well eat the veggies.

is bibimbab the healthiest?? i reckon so due to the fact that the veggies are fresh not cooked like in jiggeas.

CaptainConjunction · Joined: 12 Oct 2005 Location: Seoul

One thing I really like is that with the side dishes you can make the food to be to your taste.

if you don't like kimchi that much, then don't add much.. if you like it, add a lot...

In some other countries, a large portion of ??? is placed in front of you and you have to work your way through it while smiling graciously... Shocked

kidcharlemagne · Joined: 29 Mar 2004

the food is very good but you really need to try alot of different things. i don't eat it everyday but still quite often.
i really like how the food is usually left in it's natural state - when you look at it, you know exactly what it is - like it was just picked out of the ground.

bulgogiboy · Joined: 12 Nov 2003

I'm not that mad about Kimchi but I think it tastes totally different when it's cooked. It's so much better, kimchi jigae and dubu kimchi are two of my favourite dishes. I really like Denjan-jigae too but the problem with all these dishes is that they vary so much depending on the style of the ajumma cooking them and what part of the country you're in. When I'm back home it's not just a case of missing kimchi jigae, but missing kimchi jigae made by a particular ajumma in a particular restaurant. I suppose there are lots of western dishes like that too.

I think eating regular Korean food(excluding samgyup sal and galbi) keeps the extra pounds off. It's much healthier than western food. Pity they often wash it down with gallons of soju....

coffeeman · Joined: 24 Nov 2005 Location: Korea

I find most of the side dishes to be quite bland. However, they're great "fillers" and probably low calory. So, in the end, they're great for your health.

Until now I have always thought that the side dishes were just filler items. I don't think they always go well with the main dishes. But, some of the above entries suggest that they're there to influence the tastes of the main dishes like garnishings. Hmmmm? Interesting. Cool

Real Reality · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Location: Seoul

Korean Food Culture Must Change to Lower Cancer Rates
by Kim Yeon-ju Digital Chosunilbo (Oct. 21, 2004)
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200410/200410210018.html

syclick · Joined: 23 Mar 2003 Location: Seoul

Can't get enough. Smile

steelhead · Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2006 12:55 am Post subject:

I like alot of the Korean food, but Im trying to eat a little healthier these days, and I find myself out and about, and unless Im in the BIG areas, its tough to find a healthy alternative to the carb loaded sticky rice meals.

I know someone is gonna be "brown bag" it, but on top of my gym gear, materials, its tough to haul around.

Anyone find any healthy alternatives?

I tow around my protein shake, and a couple bananas, but thats hardly a meal.

pet lover · Joined: 02 Jan 2004 Location: not in Seoul

There is no poll option for me.

I don't like it and don't eat it. I am capable of preparing my own meals.

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

I have a few dishes I love. Bibimbab - though I don't eat at the moment because I'm not eating carbs. The 'tangs' galbitang, selleoung tang, samgyetang. Galbi. But I find korean food very blah. After 3 years I'm getting kind of bored with it.

Satori · Joined: 09 Dec 2005 Location: Above it all

I don't like kimchi. But that's not because of the heat, or the cabbage, or the fermenation. It's because of the little shellfish they put in it. I absolutely loathe all seafood and Im very sensitive to the taste of it in anything. Plus, even if I didnt loathe it, I find seafood to be a terrible combo with fermented cabbage. Sometimes a nice ajumma has made me fresh kimchi with no seafood, and that I could eat morning noon and night.

A lot of the Korean diet has seafood, which puts it out for me. The rest I love. But it's important not to eat too much sam gyeopsal and galbi...