As my time in Korea has now finished I will soon devote an entire entry to the conclusion. However, just before I do, the food in Korea deserves an entry all itself. I will miss Korean food and the style of eating. No doubt when I first go out to eat in Canada I will long for numerous side dishes and being able to steal food from across the table. It just won’t be as fun not cooking your food right at the table, or not using metal chopsticks. It will also be a lot less fun paying quite a bit more to eat out.
I was impressed with the variety of Korean food, and how most meals were very well balanced. Vegetables and dark greens seemed a mainstay of almost every meal. I never grew tired of rice, and took to kimchi more than I had expected. With so many local restaurants, and so many special ways of preparing dishes the tastes were never boring. Up until my last night in Korea I was able to continually try new things, and yet there was still so much I did not get to sample. Patrons were always welcoming and I was never disappointed with service.
Of course, no talk of eating in Korea should be left without mention of dong-dong-ju. On my final Friday in Korea a few of us went out for the infamous drink at a restaurant featuring oysters. Like most Korean restaurants they specialized in one particular ingredient (or even on particular dish) and make incredible meals surrounding it. The oyster pancakes that night were exceptional. But the dong-dong-ju of this establishment was even more exceptional. It was both tasty and refreshing, and of course fueled the good times.
Now that I have returned to Canada I will always be on the lookout for good Korean food. My standards will be high however, as the culinary experiences of living in Korea have set the bar so.
