Korean food

Summer Eats and Treats

Temperatures have reached upwards of 36 degrees (that’s 96 for you Americans) here in Seoul and many people are saying that this is the hottest summer they can remember in Korea. The heat and humidity have made the days quite miserable lately, forcing Seoulites indoors as the parasols and fans just won’t cut it.  I’m …

Rainy Day Makgeolli

It’s that time of the year again. Jangma (monsoon season, 장마) has officially begun. While some may feel that the rain puts a damper on their fun, I’ve actually come to like the rainy season in Seoul. Love it even. Sure, there are the monstrous mosquitoes that have the ability to move like lighting and whose …

Same Same, But Different: Korean Adaptations of American Fast Food

McDonalds’s. Dunkin Donuts. Pizza Hut. Burger King. Just a few names that one might associate with American fast food. While it’s true that these companies may have been born in the land of golden arches, today they can be found all over the world. When I first started traveling, I refused to enter a Mickey …

Edward Kwon and Korea’s Epicurean Evolution

Pizza topped with corn. Pasta served with sweet pickles. Tacos drizzled with anti-sour cream. Korea has never really done western food well. In the past, one would have to travel all the way to Itaewon to get decent but overpriced European/American cuisine. Even then, the restaurants are mostly foreigner owned. Fortunately, things are changing. Recently, …

Scrumptious or Stran-gee? Korea’s Most Bizarre Foods

As a kid, I was probably one of the pickiest around. If it wasn’t pasta, pizza, or cheese, it wasn’t going on my dinner plate. There were a few exceptions like olives and artichokes and spinach. Come to think of it, I was probably Italian in a past life.   I was so picky, in fact, …

And We’re Not Even Michael Phelps…

Let’s just make this clear… Koreans can eat. Eat in extremely large portions for an exceedingly long amount of time. With the exception of some children, the majority of them remain stick thin. It’s unreal. The Korean dining experience is pretty fantastic. At most traditional restaurants, customers remove their shoes and sit on the floors. …