mary eats

When one of my chefs asked me to recommend some dishes at a local Korean restaurant I couldn’t have been more thrilled. Instantly I began rambling on and on over the virtues of dolsot bi bim bap and the sweet flavor of dwaeje galbi, putting on my best Seoul accent, stressing certain syllables, letting my tongue run over complicated vowel combinations only to find my five minute gastro-monologue interrupted. “I have no idea what you just said,” my audience of one blurted out. “You are going to have to write this down.”

You’re lucky to find menues with both pictures and photoes, but often they look like the one below

Learning to eat Korean takes time, and I’m not even getting into table manners and customs. My first foray into the world of gochujang studded delights were the cheap diners, kimbap nara, kimbap chunguk, where back lit stylized photos of dishes strengthened my confidence. But when Kevin and I started hitting the gabli joints we suddenly had to read the menus, searching out familiar words. Would we be able to get mandu (dumplings?) “Do you think they have ddokboggie?” I’d ask hopefully. Eventually the vocabulary came, if I couldn’t properly translate the prefix, I could at least recognize the suffix, generally a cooking verb.

Learning these few cooking verbs and nouns can help whether you find yourself at a Korean restaurant in Bellevue or a Kimbap nara in Masan.

kimbap above and dolsotbap below are both examples of rice applications in Korean cuisine

Bap: Rice. Unlike Chinese restaurants, one does not order a side of rice. Rice does accompany dishes like Kimchi stew (jjigae) and is a base in dishes like Bibimbap- mixed rice, or kimbap- rice wrapped in seaweed (kim).

stirfired pig’s intestines, found near Dongdaemun Market

Bokkum: Stir-fry. Here is an easy one: Bokkumbap. Fried rice. Or in early spring when it is baby octopus season in Korea, nakjibokkum.

Tables like these clearly indicate that you are in a grilling restaurant

Gui (Goo-y): Broiled or Grilled foods. Korean cuisine is synonymous with grilled meats and seafood. Most are marinated though some, such as many of the fish dished are grilled with a simple dash of salt, through they won’t all include the suffix gui. The names of these dishes are based on the main ingredient: Galbi, grilled short ribs.

two examples of cold noodles, perfect for hoe summer days

Gooksu/kuksu, myeon: Noodles. But don’t get too excited. The word noodle is about as prevalent as the word pasta in the west. These are dozens of noodles and noodle dishes in Korea and not all of them include the identifying word. The most popular noodles in Korea are made from both buckwheat (like Japanese soba noodles) and regular wheat flour. There are thick hand cut noodles and thin white somen style noodles. The only noodles that are stir fired in Korea (to my knowledge) are ramyeon (ramen), udong (udon), and the transparent sweet potato starch noodles (dangmyeon) used in chap chae. Some delicious noodle dishes include Kal guksu- hand-cut noodle soup with various veggies and kimchi. My favorite continues to be mulnaemgmyeon- cold noodles in soup with brisket, sliced pear, and a hardboiled egg.

The customary soup eaten on the hottest days of summer in Korea

Gook (Kuk), Tang: Soup. Soup accompanies most all meals in Korea, from humble seaweed soup to cures for hangovers that include fresh cow’s blood. What has to be the most popular soup is Samgyetang- a young chicken stuffed with rice, dates, and ginseng. What is the difference between gook and tang? The Korean Food Guide notes that the suffix tang refers to soups that have been simmered over low heat for a long time.

Raw slices of tuna above, and diced raw tuna on a bed of crisp raw veggies, examples of hwae

Hwae/hoe: Raw. Hwae generally refers to raw fish, cut like sashimi, and sans the rice, but yukhwae is a raw beef dish, similar to steak tartar. One of my favorite summer dishes Hwaedapbap is chopped raw fish atop sliced veggies on rice with a spicy chili sauce. Hwae-raw fish bap-rice. Starting to get it?

The godfather of Korean sauces

Jang: Jang translates into sauce. Korea’s infamous fiery chile paste so dear to my heart is gochujang, and then there is the mandu dipping kangjang, or soy sauce.

Haemulchongul, or seafood hotpot

Jeonkol/Chongol: Hot Pot. Darn near all the North Asian countries have some sort of one pot hot pot dish. In Japan it’s oden. One type found in Korea is dubujeonkol, or tofu hotpot, a collision of sliced tofu, ground beef, bamboo shoots, green onions and more.

Kimchi jjigae

Jjigae: Stew: Kimchijjigae, or kimchi stew, is a bubbling cauldron of tantalizing spiced (ok, usually just chili), chock full of its star ingredient. Served rice they usually accompany larger dishes like bulbogi or galbi, but are often eaten on their own.

Jjim, jolim: Casserole, steamed or braised dishes. Kablijiim, casserole of short ribs, dates, mushrooms, carrots, and gingko nuts, is one of the top 10 must eat Korean foods.

rice porriage with chinks of tuna, chamchejuk

Jook: The literal translation of this word is gruel but don’t let that put you off. Think instead of a thick porridge, made from grains steamed over low heat, peppered with everything from minced abalone to pine nuts and dates.

Panfried vegetables above and pan fried vegetable cakes below, examples of jeon.

Jeon/Chon: Pan fried, mostly referring to cakes, and vegetables that have been dipped in flour then coated with egg. One of the more recognizable jeons is pajeon, a green onion pancake that accompanies some meals as bancheon. During the plentiful squash season, it is common to find hobakjeon, sliced zucchini battered in egg and pan fried, on the dinner table.

mul, or water, mandu make for a quick lunch fix

Mandu: dumplings. Korea’s answer to pot stickers and gyoza. I’m a diehard fan of the kimchi variety. Another favorite manduguk- dumpling soup.

Namul, arranged elegantly on a serving dish. The orginal Korean hippie food?

Namool: Weeds. Ok, before you start thinking, weeds? Who eats weeds? I think of namool as herb like vegetables, smaller greens and sprouts, gently sautéed with the sometimes addition of sesame oil or soy sauce. Generally served as a side dish, some vegetarian and health conscious restaurants in Korea turn a sampler plate of rare foraged treats into a main dish.

batter and deep fried stuffed peppers

Twigim: Deep Fried. For purposes of familiarity, twigam can be compared to the Japanese tempura, but the main difference is that twigam is a heavier, heartier batter than its neighbor across the sea. At any one of Korea’s ubiquitous pojangmacha, street vendors, you’ll find plates of mandutwigam (fried dumplings), or yachetwigam (deep fried vegetables) piled high ready for wandering snackers. Twigam is rarely served in restaurants in Korea with the exception of the occasional side dish, bancheon, but is finding its way on to North American Korean menus thanks to our affinity for all that is crispy.

This is just an introduction into Korean cuisine, please feel free to give your 2 cents.

“It took me over five years to write,” Martha Stewart said of her new book Martha Stewart’s Home Keeping Handbook: The Essential Guide to Caring for Everything in Your Home, which I DESPRATELY WANT FOR CHRISTMAS, KEVIN, MOM, DAD, AND JAMIE ($27 on Amazon!). At the time, I couldn’t help but think, “really? Five years? Come on. Seriously?”

But after working tirelessly on this post for over a month, I get it.

In wanting to get everything perfect for you, my dear readers, this has been my longest working post known to date. I’ve gone through countless edits, making sure both English and Korean spellings are correct (we all know I have problems with that), and descriptions are clear and concise. It didn’t take me five years, but yowza! I feel ya Martha!

Please enjoy.

Korea’s Kimbap restaurants, much like North American diners, provide customers with simple pleasures. You won’t find truck drivers fiddling with a word search over a slice of cherry pie, or tired waitresses refilling bottomless cups of coffee. What you fill find, however is a constant menu, full of cheap Korean comfort food, deliciously satisfying on the rainiest of afternoons, latest of nights or most horrid of hangovers- damn you soju.

Kimbap Nara, 김밥나라

Menus are always in Korean. At the orange facade joints (Kimbap Nara or KimBap Chungguk) check off your order on a paper menu like the one pictured below. White facade restaurants ( Kim Ga Nae) are “well being”-ish kimbap diners, and simply have the menu on the wall. The ajuma or ajushi will verbally take your order.

Here I have roughly translated a kimbap Nara Menu. Many of these restaurants offer the exact same menus save for a couple of dishes, so study up or copy, paste, and keep it in your wallet. Items are numbered on the menu, you’ll find the corresponding number below with the Hangul, then English, the price (1,000 won = 1 USD), and a quick description. I’ve starred my favorites incase you’re in the market to order something new.

Before we start, a quick word on Kimbap.

Do not confuse kimbap with sushi. The two are not the same. Sure, they share similar ingredients, seaweed and rice, and yes, like the maki roll, kimbap is rolled. But do not expect the sweet vinegary essence of sushi rice or the harmonious fillings found in favorites like the California or Avocado roll. Kimbap, is more proletarian than sushi and more affordable.
Like a taco, kimbap has its standard fillings. Most of the orange or red signed Kimbap joints will use damuji (a yellow pickled sweet radish), processed ham, carrots, some greens, maybe spinach, and cooked egg. Kimbap restaurants with a white sign are known for being “well-being” and will include a host of other ingredients, from sliced pear or apple to fake crab and odang, processed fish.

김밥류, Kimbap Ryu, Kimbap selections
1. 원조 김밥, Wonjo Kimbap, Dollar Kimbap, 1,000 won: The most basic of Kimbap, fillings include damuji (a yellow pickled sweet radish), processed ham, carrots, some green, maybe spinach, and cooked egg.
2. 야채 김밥, Yachae Kimbap, Vegetable Kimbap, 2,000 won: Filled with various veggies including carrots and spinach. Little variation from Won-jo Kimbap.
3. 김치 김밥, Kimchi Kimbap, 2,000 won: Standard kimbap fillings (ham, eggs, carrots, radish) with a healthy dose of kimchi.
4. 계란말이 김밥, Kaeranmal Kimbap, Egg wrapped Kimbap 2,500 won: Standard fillings. The kimbap is rolled in a thin omelet, then sliced.
5. 치즈 김밥, Cheese Kimbap, 2,500 won: Standard kimbap fillings including a slice of processed cheese.

Tuna Kimbap 참치 김밥

8. 참치 김밥, Chamchi Kimbap, Tuna filled kimbap, 2,500won: Standard kimbap fillings including tuna, gagnib (sesame leaf), and mayonnaise.*
9. 소고기 김밥, Sogogi Kimbap, Beef filled kimbap, 2,500won: Standard kimbap fillings including beef.
10. 누드 김밥, Nude Kimbap, 2,500won: Standard kimbap fillings, like an inside out roll, with the seaweed on the inside and rice on the outside
12. 유부초밥, Youbu chobap, 3,000won: Like inari sushi. Some places heavily season the rice with vinegar.*

식사류, Shik Sa Ryu, Meal selections
13. 김치 덮밥, Kimchi dapbap, 3,500 won: Kimchi mixed rice.
14. 오징어 덮밥, Ojinga dapbap, 3,500 won: Spicy squid, carrot onion mélange served either atop, or next to a healthy serving of sticky rice.
15. 제육덮밥, Jaeyuk dapbap, 4,000 won: Stir fried pork, carrots, squash, and onions in spicy sauce served aside a plentiful helping of rice.*
16. 카레덮밥, Karae dapbap, 3,500 won: Rice topped with curry sauce, diced potatoes, carrots, and mystery meat.
17. 순두부 찌개, Sundubu Jjigae, 3,500 won: Sometimes fiery bubbling cauldron of soft tofu, freshly cracked egg (don’t stir if you’d like it hard boiled), chili peppers, inoki mushrooms, a couple clams, onions and deunjang (Korean miso) paste. Served with the ubiquitous fire retardant sticky rice.*

kimchi jjigae

18. 김치 찌개, Kimchi Jjigae, 3,500 won: Always fiery bubbling cauldron of kimchi, plenty of chili powder and raw chilies, onions and the odd mushroom in a pork broth. Served with the ubiquitous fire retardant sticky rice.*
19. 참치 김치 찌개, Kimchi Chamchi Jjigae, 4,000 won: See above with tinned tuna.
20. 된장 찌개Dwen-jang Jjigae, 3,500 won: Sometimes slightly spicy bubbling cauldron of dwen-jeong paste, inoki mushrooms, onions, clams and the odd cube of tofu. Korea’s answer chicken noodle soup. Served with the ubiquitous fire retardant sticky rice.
21. 갈비 탕, Galbi tang, 4,000 won: Short rib soup with garlic and green onion.
22. 소내장 탕, Sonaejang tang, 4,000 won: Soup made with Cow’s intestines.
23. 육개장, Yuk Jae Jang, 4,000 won: Beef and green onion soup in a fiery chili pepper broth.
24. 다슬기 해장국, Dasolgi haejangguk, 4,000 won: Hangover soup, usually made with ox bones and soybean paste. Featuring fresh water snails. Sometimes made with ox blood.
25. 우거지 해장국, Woogeogi haejangguk, 4,000 won: Hangover soup, usually made with ox bones and soybean paste. Featuring, as I understand it, shredded dried cabbage leaves. Sometimes made with ox blood.
26. 비빔밥, Bibimbap, 3,500 won: A staple. Rice in a silver bowl covered with various veg and gochujang (red chili paste). Carrots, mountain weeds, cucumbers, sprouts, etc.
27. 돌솥 비빔밥, Dolsot bibimbap, 4,000 won: See above served in a hot stone bowl and topped with a (usually) fried egg.*
28. 양푼 비빔밥, Yangpoon bibimbap, 4,000 won: Bibimbap served in a large metal bowl, usually serves two people.
29. 돈까스, Donkkasu, 4,000 won: A pork cutlet coated in egg and dredged in crunchy panko breadcrumbs and deep-fried. Usually served with a nest of shredded cabbage and rice.
30. 치즈 돈까스, Cheese donkkasu, 4,500 won: A pork cutlet graced with a slice of processed cheese, battered and coated in crunchy panko bread crumbs and fried.
31. 생선 까스, Sang sun kkasu, 4,000 won: Breaded and fried fish.
32. 오므라이스, Omu-ra-ee-su 3,500 won: Fried rice usually containing ham, carrots, Asian melon (zucchini-like) and a few peas for color wrapped in a thin omelet and smothered in ketchup. Good morning Korea!

Ddokbaegi bulgogi

33. 뚝배기 불고기, Ddokbaegi bulgogi 4,000 won: The king of protein at the diner. Stewing bulgogi meat amidst sweet potato (glass) noodles in a peppery savory broth. Served with sticky rice.*
34. 김치 고등어 뚝배기, Kimchi godeunga ddokbaegi, 4,000 won:
35. 짜장 덮밥, Jjajang dapbap, 3,000 won: Rice topped off with the sweet black bean sauce, jjajang.
36. 철판 치즈 덮밥, Chulpan chiju dupbap, 4,000 won: Fried rice topped with cheese, or chee ju, on a hot plate.
37. 철판 불고기 덮밥, Chulpan bulgogi dupbap, 4,000 won: Marinated beef atop rice on a hot plate.
38. 철판 김치 볶음밥, Chulpan kimchi bokkum bap, 4,000 won: Kimchi fried rice with peas, carrots and ham served on a hot fajita like plate.
39. 철판 새우 볶음밥, Chulpan saewoo bokkum bap, 4,000 won: Shrimp fried rice with diced carrots and peas served on a hot fajita like plate
40. 공기밥, Gong gi bap, 1,000 won: Plain white sticky rice
41. 호박 죽, Hobak Juk, 3,500 won: Thick pumpkin like porridge.
42. 단팥 죽, Danpat Juk, 3,500 won: A thick red bean porridge.
43. 소고기 야채 죽, Sogogi yache Juk, 4,000 won: Thick rice porridge with meat and various veggies.
44. 전복 죽, Junbok Juk, 5,000 won: Abalone and rice porridge.

분식류, Boon Shik Ryu, Foods made from flour ie noodles, dumplings, etc.
45. 떡볶이, Ddokboggie, 2,000 won: The street snack with chairs. Simmered rice cake (log form) swim in a sea of spicy pepper sauce augmented with odang (processed fish), cabbage, carrots, onions and leeks.
46. 라볶이, Raboggie, 2,500 won: See above and add Ramyeon noodles. Bonus!
47. 치즈떡볶이, Cheese ddokboggie, 2,500 won: See Ddokboggie, add cheese. Bonus!

Cheese Raboggie 치즈 라볶이

48. 치즈 라볶이, Cheese raboggie, 3,000 won: See Raboggie and add cheese. Double Bonus!*
49. 김치 만두, Kimchi Mandu, 2,000 won: Steamed kimchi, pork, noodle, leek, onion and chili-filled dumplings. Comes with a small side of soy sauce.*
50. 고기 만두, Gogimandu, 2,000 won: Meat, noodle, leek, onion and chili-filled dumplings. Comes with a small side of soy sauce.

Mul mandu 물 만두
51. 물 만두, Mulmandu, 2,500 won: Small dumplings filled with meat and green onions, served in a pond of steaming liquid. Comes with a small side of soy sauce.*

Ddok mandu guk 떡만두 국

52. 떡만두 국, Ddok mandu guk, 3,500 won: Sliced rice cakes, meat dumplings, egg, sliced green onion, melon (zucchini-like), and other veggies in a broth.*
53. 떡국, Ddokguk, 3,000 won: A dish traditionally served on the lunar New Year; sliced rice cakes, meat, and egg in a beef broth.
54. 만두국, Mandu guk, 3,500 won: Dumplings and veggies in broth.
55. 항아리 수제비, Hangari sujaebi, 7,000 won: Sujaebe, a vegetable and dumpling. soup served in a pot. Not sure what the exact difference between this and plain old sujaebe is except this is for two people.
56. 라면, Ramyeon, 2,000 won: Green onions and chili powder take cup of noodles to a new level.
57. 떡라면, Ddok ramyeon, 2,500 won: noodles and green onions with sliced rice cakes.*
58. 치즈 라면, Cheese ramyeon, 2,500 won: noodles and green onions topped with a slice of processed cheese. Sounds ill, but the melted cheese helps tone down the heat of the broth.
59. 만두 라면, Mandu ramyeon, 2,500 won: noodles and green onions with meat dumplings.

짬뽕 라면, Jjam bbong ramyeon,

60. 짬뽕 라면, Jjam bbong ramyeon, 2,500 won: Ramyeon served in a pot boasting clams, squid, and a few baby shrimp.
61. 바지락 칼국수, Bagirak kalguksu, 3,500 won: Hand cut thick noodles in an anchovy stock with short neck clams.*
62. 쫄면, jjol myeon, 3,000 won: Thick noodles with mixed with spicy sauce and various veggies like bean sprouts, cucumber, carrots and the like.
63. 스파게티, Supagaeti, 4,000 won: Spaghetti
64. 짜장면, Jjajangmyeon, 2,500 won: Wheat noodles topped with a sweet black bean sauce concealing some veggies, carrots, and meat-ham.
65. 나라우동, Nara Udong, 2,500 won: Thick and slippery wheat noodles in a binto (fish) broth with green onion and tofu skins.
66. 김치우동, Kimchi Udong, 3,000 won: Thick and slippery wheat noodles in a binto broth with a heap of kimchi.*
67. 해물 우동, Haemul Udong, 3,000 won: Thick and slippery wheat noodles in a binto broth with various seafood including clams and prawns, maybe a mussel or two.
68. 물냉면, Mul naengmyeon, 3,500 won: A sipcy soup of chewy buckwheat noodles in a cold broth generally topped with sliced cucumbers and a hard-boiled egg.*
69. 비빔 냉면, Bibim naengmyeon, 3,500 won: Thin white noodles and thinly sliced carrots, cabbage and cucumber in a fiery red sauce.
70. 잔치 국수, Janchi guksu, 3,500 won: Known as banquet noodles, or wheat noodles in an anchovy broth topped with sliced egg, meat, mushrooms and other vegetables. Traditionally served at large banquets.

Bibim guksu in the background, Kongguksu in the foreground.

71. 비빔국수, Bibim guksu, 3,500 won: Wheat noodles mixed with various sliced veggies and meat in a spicy sauce.*
72. 콩국수, Kong guksu, 3,500 won: Thick wheat noodles in a cold soy milk broth usually topped with sliced cucumbers. Usually eaten in summer.

Presenting Seoul’s Filipino market, “Little Manila.”

Little Manila is open in the late morning/early afternoons every Sunday.
Take the blue line (line 4) to Hyewha station (the one right after Dongdaemun) and go out exit 1 and walk north (straight) towards the rotary.

Recommended eats*
Adobo, slow cooked pork or chicken in a soy based sauce
Menudo, spicy tomato based soup with pork, potatoes, and carrots
Turron, bananas wrapped in egg roll wrapper, rolled in sugar, then deep fried (1,000won)
Lumpia, spring roll with meats and vegetables (1,000won)
Gulaman, a sweet drink with tapioca pearls and gelatin bits (1,000won)

For a while I’ve wanted to capture street eats and without further ado….

The Breakdown:

Hutdok, a fried dough round stuffed with brown sugar and spices. They are 500won, roughly 50 US cents for one. These are mad popular. I have waited up to 20 minutes for one. But the wait is worth it. Fried dough. Glistening, sugary fried dough. Does it get any better than that?

Mini-kim bap. There are many varieties, clearly marked in English and Korean. Expect to pay 2,000won-3,000won depending on how many you select. This particular stand is in Insadong and the ajuma is quite sweet. Through her giggles she kept handing me cups of water after seeing my face turn fuchsia while eating that crazy spicy kimbap

Mondu twigam, freshly made fried mondu. These are some of the best I’ve tried in Korea. 2,000won for three. I have only seen these in the Hwanghak-dong flea market. If you walk down the chunggyecheon, east of Dongdaemoon, you’ll hit the flea market. Some of the buildings have large numbers painted on the upper right side, and this stand can be found, I think, between 14 and 15? Maybe 16? There is a dude selling used books on the corner, this is where you should turn right. The stand will be on your left.

Cups of fresh summer cherries, around 2,00won. Fruit is a popular summer street snack. You can often find spears of melon or pineapple for 1,000won. The sliced fruit is kept on ice for all you would be health inspectors out there.

On the right Japanese favorite tako-yaki, dough balls with chopped octopus and veggies. 2,000won for 5, 3,000won for 8. They are super hot and will scald the inside of your mouth if you are not careful.

A variety of dried and roasted squid on a cart. Koreans eat it like Americans eat beef jerky. It is quite a sight to see someone gnawing away on a foot long purple octopus tentacle, suckers still intact.

Mini sausages are starting to replace the full sized sausages, and I am glad. It has always concerned me, these long sausages on a sharp wooden stick. What if you were taking a bite and someone ran into you on the street. That skewer would totally go through your cheek and you’d be on your way to the emergency room. Much better, I think, to gingerly poke at a mini sausage with a toothpick. 2,000-3,000won.

Kimchi guk-su, a noodle dish with kimchi, acorn jelly, chopped lettuce and seaweed for 2,500won.

Egg toast. Eggs mixed with cabbage and carrots then placed in between two slices of bread. Around 1,500won. You can always jazz it up with a slice of processed ham or processed American cheese.

Sweet dough is filled with a dab of sweet red bean paste on the left. 1,000-2,000won. These always smell good, and are nice when wandering the cold winter streets.

The ddokboggie stand. From left to right in the back is, sundae, a popular blood sausage, ddokboggie, rice cakes in a fiery chili sauce, and chicken and leek skewers brushed with a sweet chili sauce. In the front, twigam, mixed veggies, sweet potato, chili peppers, squid, small kim bap, and mandu, all battered and deep-fried. Expect to spend 2,000-5,000won depending on how much you order.

A snack many Koreans eat as children, then again as seniors, bundaegi, simmered silkworm larva. The stench alone keeps me from trying this, but many people swear to me that it has a savory taste, like chicken. You can get a better look at bundaegi here.

In touristy areas such as Insadong, where many of these photos were taken, Dongdaemoon market, or Myeongdong vendors are patient with tourists. Point to what you want, and smile.