Korean food
 

I realize that this is the Japanese food section, but I didn't know where else to put this.

I've been wanting to try Kimchi lately and other Korean food but I don't really know what to try. Has anyone else had Korean food and want to give me their opinion before I go into a Korean restaurant and make a fool of myself? :P

*drools *

I love korean food.
Bibimbap
GAAAAAHHH.
I want it now. >.<

What Korean food do you like? Tell meeee! lol

meh korean foods alright although kimchi is absolustly AMAZING:p
i love that stuff . although id take mexican food over korean any day

Thanks for your opinion :)

yupp np np

ehh...
best thing to do is probably type up "korean cuisine" on google/wiki
then read whatever comes up
then go to an actual restaurant and ask around

wait.... Kimchi is Korean? I didn't know that.
I really like it.

it's most commonly associated w/ korea
but i believe japan has it's own form of kimchi as well

Oh, ok......

Well since about 80% of my diet is either Japanese or Korean these days, and usually a bit of both, I will try to give you some guidance.

You have 4 basic things to consider when choosing kimchi. The two main types are cabbage or radish, then you need to consider how sour it is, and how hot (spicy) it is. In most restaurants you are not going to be given a choice, but its good to remember these 4 so you know what to expect in the future. Everyone makes their kimchi a little different according to their taste preference. Some of it I love, some I try to avoid, but most fall into a category of being a nice side dish I appreciate the option of having.

How spicy do you like your food and do you like a sweet taste or savory?
I will try to give you some other options.

i went to south korea this year and we made kimchi. =D
*drools* Although the kimchi we ate there was like really pungent and strong.[i don't mind, i'm used to spicy stuff]

I also go to alot of Korean bbqs with my family as a social thing, well my cousins, its our trend thing atm XD

I love the meat bibimbap. the one in the stone pot- dolsot. MMMMmmmm...

Be careful where you tread on the issue of Japanese "kimchi". It continues to be an international dispute between Japan and Korea, along with many other traditional Korean foods that Japan is assimilating and marketing outside of Asia as "Japanese" cuisine.

Personally I love both Japanese and Korean food, but I certainly understand Korean complaints about these issues. Its like calling Taco Bell, Mexican food. It is not! Its mexican style, Tex-Mex fast food and there is a definite difference.

Japanese style kimchi compared to Korean is a similar comparison in that the mass produced Japanese kimchi is made with chinese cabbage, artificial flavoring additives and not fermented. Its the fast food version of the real thing. That's not to say I don't eat it and enjoy it, but it is not the same quality in nutrition, taste or texture.

Its like Ramen. The American version is a poor substitue for the fresh Japanese version or Korean ramyeon. But in the end, the real thing comes from upper Mongolia and I am certain it is very different.

I like spicy food but not THAT spicy. And I don't really like sweet tasting things, I like more sour like stuff or salty.

Thank you for the help :) and to everyone else who posted on here.

And I always thought Kimchi was a Korean dish because I only always hear it talked about as a Korean food, not Japanese. So I will continue to say Korean. And when I read a book about Korea, it said Kimchi was one of the Korean dishes. So yeah..I want some! I love Japan, but they've been trying to claim everything Korean as their own for a long time. I read a book about North Korea when Japan like owned them and it made me really sad. But I love current day Japan.

Ok, then here are a few tips for your restaurant visit. Bear in mind that if you are not with Asians, the waiter will tell the cook to tone down the spices. When I try new places I have to remember to ask them not to do this for me.
If the menu has English translations and describes a dish as spicy, avoid it. It should mean korean level heat that may have you in tears.

If you have a sizeable budget, start with kalbi. Its ribs you cook yourself, but the waitstaff should be plenty of help.

Bulgogi is marinated, grilled meat. Sometimes the marinade is a little sweeter than American expect, but most people enjoy it. It is often my first choice if I don't know the restaurant.

I am not fond of some of the other dishes which use sweet red pepper, because I too prefer sour and savory. If asked, you want kimchi that is aged, not fresh. It sours as it ages.

If you like soups, try the kimchi jiggae. It is stew made from cabbage-based kimchi. And order some rice on the side. It will be spicy, but if its too hot you can eat it with the rice to make it more comfortable.

For more options, check out the recipes on Maangchi's Korean Cooking Recipes, Videos, Podcast, Cookbook, DVD, and Blog. These are write-up and videos for making a lot of the traditional Korean dishes, and they are pretty accurate.


Of course, if you are ever in Dallas, PM me and I will show you around the local k-town menus.:vsign:

I went to SEOUL, Korea this year, and the food i had in a korean restaurant in London was definately different.

Korean food overseas usually have alot more choices due to the availability of it. In korea, They don't eat beef regularly despite their famous dish being Bulgogi beef XD.

I think you should try KOREAN BBQ to start off with. It might be less of a culture shock that way

Okay, awesome :] thank you for your help, I appreciate it. I think I can go without making a fool of myself now. Thanks for your time.

Ooooh, no. That's why I warned about the food getting toned down (Americanized).

Yeah, kalbi (bbq) is an easy transition for the palate, but can be really expensive when the meat is good quality.

How about anything on a budget? Or are most Korean restaurants going to be sort of pricey?

depends on what you think is pricey.
When i went to Korea, there seemed to be alot more hotpot places. But with hotpot, its not exactly the best dish i would recommend. It might be cheaper as its not really beef, pork most probably.

Most of the ones in london are pricey, cuz they serve like dishes like crab and beef of good quality.

but. I personally think 4 people =£50 is pretty darn good.
£50=$77

Yeah, that doesn't sound too bad. I doubt it'll be expensive where I live. Or hopefully not. Plus, it'd only be for 2 people, not a bunch.

I can't wait to go though :] I'm excited.

Like anywhere, the more meat the higher the price, especially if its prime cuts. But most of it is reasonable and you usually get a lot of food for the price. The kimchi jiggae I get here is more than I can finish in a sitting and is only $8.99 (USD). Sometimes I have more than enough to take home for the next day's lunch.

Bulgogi will run $12-18 (USD), depending on the place.

Oh, that's not bad at all! That's good to know. Cause I don't think I'd spend over $50 just for 2 people at one place, unless it was for an anniversary or something.

Thanks to both of you :)

couples come into the restaurant i work at and they eat up to $130 >.>'''
w/ no alcohol xD

I've had korean food for two for about $60 once.
day out XD
>.<
I spend waay too much money on food.

Yeah, that is a little ridiculous to spend that much money on food. >.< but hey, if you have money to spend, why not?

kimchi
 

like coffee,beer and other food,kimchi is an aquired taste.like ketchup and salsa..after a while you'll find out that you can't have any kind of asian food without a side of kimchi!:vsign:

apparently, you and i both
>.<"'

i took my friend to korean food for thanksgiving "dinner" (she had to work so she couldn't join us for ours at 2pm) ...korean restraunts and dennys were the only places open. we only spent ~$40 on 1 bibimbap, 1 bulgogi, 1 soondoobu and it came with all the free little dishes (kimchee, daikon, beansprouts and rice)...we didn't finish it though XD

it was great

Yeah, but you are talking sushi, and good quality too. :)

If I ever spend $130 on just two people in a Korean restaurant, we will have been there all night and consumed lots of alcohol --- and/or included some sushi. Which given the number of korean owned sushi bars in Dallas, is in the realm of possibility.

You're all confusing me with the prices thing. haha

I guess it depends on the restaurant.

Agreed! It's best when you get all the ingredients in one spoonfull ><