Eating Korean in Bucheon
Food and drink are a very important part of Korean life and you are almost certain to spend a few nights out with your boss and coworkers sharing some kalbi and a bottle or two of soju. Fortunately, eating out in Korea is a relatively cheap proposition with the vast majority of restaurants charging under 20,000 won ($20 US) for a full meal. Tipping is not customary in Korea. Korean dining is cheap enough to allow you to eat out at a different restaurant each night, and still save money. However, if you eat out with your boss you will be hard pressed to pay for your own food as dutch pay is still something of a novelty in Korea.
When most people think of Korean food, they think of kimchi, Korea's staple side dish which, along with rice, accompanies almost every meal. It is a dish that can be prepared in hundreds of different ways but is basically a vegetable (usually cabbage or radish) fermented in a spicy paste. Although it is an acquired taste, many long-term foreigners also find themselves missing the flavor of kimchi if they have too many meals without it. While many Korean dishes are unfamiliar at first, they are not really that different from some Western foods.
Korea has an amazing variety of eating establishments, ranging from street vendors (pojangmachas) and tiny kimbap-centered shikdangs (small restaurants) to high-priced, formal restaurants. In between you can find many types of medium-sized places offering a wide range of foods.
Traditonal Korean food is often rather spicy, but not in the same way as Indian or Mexican food is spicy. Here the spice is not added in an effort to be shocking but rather to complement the flavors of the food. The most common spices are gochujang and doenjang spices made from green peppers and soybeans respectively. Garlic is used frequently.
Instead of asking "Have you had a meal?" Koreans usually ask "Have you eaten rice today?" Rice is the staple food for most Koreans and it appears at almost every meal. It can be cooked alone (the most common case), with other grains (such as millet or barley), or with chestnuts and beans. Vegetables may also be mixed with the rice before serving.
Noodle lovers will feel right at home in Korea. The country has many noodle shops, selling products which are as good as any noodles in the world. Korean noodles are made from either buckwheat or regular wheat flour.
Here are some descriptions of popular Korean dishes:
Baechu Kimchi (Whole Cabbage Kimchi)
This is the most common, classic kimchi you will find at a Korean meal. Whole heads of cabbage are trimmed to remove discolored outer leaves and then split longways into two or four sections. These sections are soaked in brine for three or four hours until they have softened (during the summer and winter for about 12 hours.)
While this is going on, the other ingredients are assembled and mixed together. (Ground pepper powder, chopped garlic and ginger, pickled baby shrimp -or other sea food pickled such as anchovies and other fishes as a form of row fish cut in bitable size, sponge seaweed- and oysters can be added depending on taste and family recipes.) When they are mixed and the cabbage is ready.
Bulgogi (Barbecued Beef)
Bulgogi is one of Korea's most famous grilled dishes. It is made from a prime cut of beef cut into thin strips. The meat is marinated for at least four hours in a mixture of sesame oil, soy sauce, black pepper, garlic, sugar, onions, ginger, and wine. The marinated beef is cooked on a metal dish over the burner. Whole cloves of garlic, sliced onions, and chopped green peppers are often grilled at the same time.
To eat, select a piece of cooked beef, and wrap it in lettuce with rice, kimchi, shredded vegetables, or a number of other garnishes on the table. You can also add doenjang (bean paste) for flavor
Galbi-gui (Broiled Short Ribs)
Kalbi is a very popluar Korean dish. Beef short ribs are marinated overnight in a mixture of green onions, garlic, sugar, sesame oil, and soy sauce. Rice wine and oriental pear slices can be added for extra flavor. The marinade tenderizes the meat which is grilled over charcoal or gas right at the table. You eat in a similar manner to Bulgogi.
Samgye-tang (Ginseng Chicken Soup)
The body cavity of a small chicken is stuffed with glutinous rice, young ginseng shoots, and jujubes. The chicken is then boiled in a clear stock and served in an individual earthenware pot. It is a very healthy dish and an excellent cure for a cold or a hangover. It is highly recommended for those new to Korean food.
Bibimbap (Mixed Vegetables on Rice)
A simple but popular dish, bibimbap is a bowl of hot rice served in a bowl topped with a variety of vegetables (cooked and raw) arranged on top. Vegetables can be seasonal, with toraji, bell flower roots, gosari, bracken, bean sprouts, and spinach being the most common ingredients. Other ingredients can include chestnuts, jujubes, ginseng, and a small amount of seafood or meat. An egg may be also served on the top. Most restaurants prepare the dish with a big scoop of gochujang and red pepper paste placed with the vegetables. It can be served in either a regular bowl or a stone bowl that has been heated on a fire.
Kimbap (Rice Wrapped in Seaweed)
Kimbap is Korea's most popular and nutritious convenience meal. You can find it sold everywhere: picnics, schoolchildren's lunch boxes, street venders, and convenience stores. A layer of cooked rice is spread over a square piece of kim (dried laver). Various ingredients (including ham, sausage, spinach, cucumber, crab meat, carrots, and radishes) are thinly sliced and placed on top. The laver is rolled into a tube, sliced into sliced pieces, and seasoned with sesame seeds.
These are far from the only foods in Korea, rather they just represent the most popular and well known. Being a peninsula Koreans eat a lot of seafood, and have an amazing variety of vegetable dishes. Since the majority of the country is Buddhist there are a lot of vegetarian options available.
The key to eating well in Korea is to keep an open mind and not be afraid of trying new things. You’ll quickly get used to eating dishes when you’re not sure what they are (particularly vegetables!)