Yum!

To say that my relationship with Korean food has had its ups and downs is a bit of an understatement. I love food and considered myself an open-minded eater before I came to Korea. It took a long time for me to adjust to eating Korean food daily and an even longer time to actually appreciate it. Now I realize that there are many Korean foods that I honestly enjoy and will miss not being able to have regularly (and as cheaply) in America.

When I'm in Seoul I normally avoid Korean food, since I eat it every day in Cheongju. Well well. I found that I missed it during my week in Seoul, so I went to a couple of Korean restaurants to satisfy my (new and surprising) cravings.

This was my 8 dollar Thursday lunch at a small restaurant in Insadong, the traditional culture area of Seoul.


Yes, it's boiling when brought to the table.

This is a marinated beef soup with mushrooms and spring onions.

The side dishes in detail:
Kimchi

Pickles with a spicy sauce

Lightly steamed sprouts and greens

Unknown

Zucchini sauteed with onions

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Ome-rice is actually a Japanese food, but it's caught on big in Korea. This was my 6 dollar Sunday lunch from the food basement of the Hyundai Department Store .

The side dishes include pickles, pickled radishes and cold kimchi soup.

It's basically a fluffy omelet filled with rice and served with curry sauce. This is just one type of omerice; others have cream or other type of sauces.

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Pat Bingsu is a perfect summer treat. There are many variations and I think they're all delicious!

Shaved ice, sweet black beans, fruit and a small dish of vanilla ice cream.