It's high time I said something about what I ate while on my trip.
First, I need to apologise to all the world's Koreans. I underestimated you. I was under the impression that most people from East Asia are quite thin as a result of healthy and moderate eating habits. It seems I was mistaken. The number of overweight people I saw was certainly far less than you would encounter in the US, but I no longer believe that Koreans' pervasive fitness is a result of moderate eating habits.
A case in point: the night before I flew home, I found a likely looking restaurant up the street from my hotel, and used my finely-honed pointing skills to indicate to the server that I wanted the pork cutlet that was so nicely displayed in photo form on the menu. In the photo, the meal contained a pork cutlet with sauce and a side of salad. A nice sized meal for me, I thought. What came out of the kitchen was this:
First, I need to apologise to all the world's Koreans. I underestimated you. I was under the impression that most people from East Asia are quite thin as a result of healthy and moderate eating habits. It seems I was mistaken. The number of overweight people I saw was certainly far less than you would encounter in the US, but I no longer believe that Koreans' pervasive fitness is a result of moderate eating habits.
A case in point: the night before I flew home, I found a likely looking restaurant up the street from my hotel, and used my finely-honed pointing skills to indicate to the server that I wanted the pork cutlet that was so nicely displayed in photo form on the menu. In the photo, the meal contained a pork cutlet with sauce and a side of salad. A nice sized meal for me, I thought. What came out of the kitchen was this:
Two pork cutlets, each about 5 inches in diameter, salad, rice, mashed potatoes, two types of kimchi, mystery fruit slices, and a huge bowl of soup. Who says Americans corner the market on huge portion sizes?
Those familiar with my eating habits might be surprised, but I made it my mission to try new things on this trip. I was particularly proud of myself for trying the mystery pancake, which I later learned was a mung bean pancake, from Dongdaemun market. The market was packed with stalls selling what looked like giant round hash browns. (There were also stalls selling sashimi and pig hooves, which we decided to forgo.) There was one stall that had a long queue, which we took as a good sign - the man in front of us confirmed that the pancakes there were the best. I didn't particularly enjoy my pancake, but then, I have a special dislike for bean sprouts and green onions, so my opinion doesn't really count.
Those familiar with my eating habits might be surprised, but I made it my mission to try new things on this trip. I was particularly proud of myself for trying the mystery pancake, which I later learned was a mung bean pancake, from Dongdaemun market. The market was packed with stalls selling what looked like giant round hash browns. (There were also stalls selling sashimi and pig hooves, which we decided to forgo.) There was one stall that had a long queue, which we took as a good sign - the man in front of us confirmed that the pancakes there were the best. I didn't particularly enjoy my pancake, but then, I have a special dislike for bean sprouts and green onions, so my opinion doesn't really count.
Another questionable experience was the spicy chicken roll. In retrospect, it should have occurred to me that the term "spicy" might mean something different to Koreans than it does to Westerners. When Koreans say spicy, what they mean is SPICY. 'You won't be able to feel your mouth again until this time tomorrow' kind of spicy. I'm ashamed to say that this little roll defeated me. I couldn't finish it. Then I had to have an ice cream to cool my mouth down.
Much more successful was the green tea roll. I had my doubts about this one because it had what looked suspiciously like a decorative pea on top, but it turned out to be sweet and delicious. I think the green balls were some kind of candied fruit, actually. I went back to the bakery for more the next day, but it was early morning and I guess they hadn't pulled them out of the oven yet.
I went to the Jagalchi fish market for dinner one night, as one is supposed to do when one visits Busan. Though I'd half intended to brave the grilled eels, I changed my mind when I saw the high price and went for the grilled cutlass fish instead. Mainly because it was the only other thing that was served without the head. I had to look up what a cutlass fish was when I got back to the hotel. It was alright, but quite salty, quite fishy, and quite full of bones. An acquired taste, perhaps. I prefer smoked salmon.
The best meal I had in Busan was the late lunch I got just after I arrived: bulgolgi rice! It might even have been my favourite meal on the trip. It was fairly spicy, super cheap, and super delicious. I was a little concerned when the server came over and dumped a pile of butter, raw beef, and onions onto the table grill, then walked away without leaving me an instruction manual, but he returned a couple minutes later to do the cooking for my white tourist self.
I did not learn to like sashimi, mushrooms, seaweed, or bean sprouts. And after three brave attempts, I had to give up on kimchi and add it to my Most Hated Foods list. I did like that white salad (pictured above), and I learned that potatoes, both mashed and boiled, can be eaten cold (they go down easier if you remind yourself that it's a Cultural Experience). I tried grape-flavoured pop for the first time since I was about 8 (it's still gross) and melon-flavoured Fanta (on par with cream soda for sweetness).
I saw (and frequented) a lot of nominally French bakeries - I say 'nominally' because apart from the croissants, nothing they carried resembled anything I've ever seen in France. I tried a iced honey milk tea and found it to be an entirely different beast to the strawberry bubble tea I used to get in Toronto, which was basically a strawberry milkshake with a bit of extra sugar for good measure. I even tried a shrimp burger from the fast food chain Lotteria one day. (At least in Seoul, Lotteria is almost as ubiquitous as Starbuck's. Almost.) I have since revised my rationale for why I don't really eat fast food: instead of 'because it's gross', I will now say 'because they don't sell Lotteria shrimp burgers in Austria'.
Overall, on a scale from Laura to adventurous, I'd say I ranked closer to adventurous. So when I got home, I rewarded myself with a peanut butter and honey sandwich. And man alive, bread never tasted so good.
I saw (and frequented) a lot of nominally French bakeries - I say 'nominally' because apart from the croissants, nothing they carried resembled anything I've ever seen in France. I tried a iced honey milk tea and found it to be an entirely different beast to the strawberry bubble tea I used to get in Toronto, which was basically a strawberry milkshake with a bit of extra sugar for good measure. I even tried a shrimp burger from the fast food chain Lotteria one day. (At least in Seoul, Lotteria is almost as ubiquitous as Starbuck's. Almost.) I have since revised my rationale for why I don't really eat fast food: instead of 'because it's gross', I will now say 'because they don't sell Lotteria shrimp burgers in Austria'.
Overall, on a scale from Laura to adventurous, I'd say I ranked closer to adventurous. So when I got home, I rewarded myself with a peanut butter and honey sandwich. And man alive, bread never tasted so good.