Flish

Wait, that’s not a real word? I hope my students are learning English because mine is certainly not getting any better…English teacher problems.

A flowers and fish weekend. The rising tide of cherry blossoms that have been spreading north throughout Korea finally descended upon Seoul. Though I see stunning blossoms most springs in Washington, a row of fully bloomed cherry blossom trees has to be one of the most picturesque sights in the world. 

Cherry blossoms festivals can be found throughout the country. An afternoon stroll around Seokchon Lake in Seoul was reminiscent of the blossoms that line the Tidal Basin. The volume of people was definitely reminiscent! But instead of a landscape of national monuments, an island home to a popular amusement park, Lotte World, set the scene. So...it was a little different…

Yeouido Park, a top festival destination along the Han River, offered an energetic atmosphere on a sunny afternoon. There was also a nighttime viewing option but I don’t appreciate multi-colored lights illuminating the blossoms the way Koreans do. I want da babies in all their natural majesty.

What I have been most surprised and impressed by this spring is the citywide scattering of cherry trees. Though the festivals buzz with excitement, it’s those moments I turn a corner to see a row of blossoms I wasn’t expecting.

Fish would accurately capture the rest of the weekend. Saturday brunch could have been lethal. While blowfish is a delicacy, it is also poisonous. Deaths are rare but when my lips started to tingle I thought I had beaten the odds…oh wait…Korean food is just spicy. Blowfish, if you’re wondering, is rather flavorless but delightfully tender.

I’ve also had my sights set on the Noryangjin Fish Market for some time but held off until a Korean friend could help navigate it. We entered on the second floor overlooking the vendors…it was kind of a breathtaking sight. We mazed through colorful and unrecognizable sea creatures, both living and dead. It was like being at an aquarium…only you get to eat everything. Restaurants on the second level prepare your seafood purchases on the spot.

I was chasing a certain experience…the experience of eating sanakgi (live octopus.) Live in the way that something that is chopped into pieces is live, but no question that it was still moving. After it self-marinated in sesame oil and salt, I closed my eyes and took a piece to my mouth, chewing hard and fast. No, I didn't want to feel it squirming in my mouth nor did I want the suckers to latch onto the inside of my throat and kill me. Eating seafood in Korea is not for wimps, it seems. And since I had been the sanakgi enthusiast, I had the honor (read: peer pressure) of eating the little head…eyes and all…

Some days I eat fish (I'm a bit of a pesca-vegan.) Other days fish eat me. On Sunday I let a pool of large minnows exact their revenge. As I took refuge from the chaos of Myeongdong in a quiet café, my toes vibrated with pecking mouths feasting on a winter’s worth of dead skin.

Other notable fish as of late: grilled shellfish at a barbeque-style joint. Though the restaurant had a run-down feel to it, it was easily one of the most beautiful dinners I’ve had in Seoul. A tray tiered with stacks of shellfish of various shapes and sizes was set on our table for a long grill-side dinner.

And the monkfish soirée. Monkfish may be nicknamed “the poor man’s lobster” but the dinner was not without a price tag. I’m a sucker for unique food experiences and smoked monkfish and monkfish paté certainly met the qualifications. Most delicious fish of the blog post.

To round out a flish-filled weekend, a flip pong tournament (representing my culture…I see you ‘Murica.) Also, a visit to the Filipino market, a weekly street market where the Filipino community of Seoul gathers to sell traditional foods and groceries. Nearly every dish contained pork, but as an experienced vegetarian I found a way to make it work. Any culture who loves fried plantains and coconut milk is a friend of mine.

 Like jogging in the clouds!

Seokchon Lake

 Before...                                                         ...After

Noryangjin Fish Market

This went in my mouth...and I'd do it again.

 Still got some suction...

Grilling shellfish

Dr. Fish

A fertilized chicken egg at the Filipino market...I have to draw the line somewhere.

Frood

Korea has provided me with no shortage of blogging fodder. Rather, selecting which particular memories become immortalized has been more of the challenge. But today I owe a post to the beautiful unity of friends and food.

Our apartment is an ideal setup for dinner parties. Unlike some of my coworkers, my kitchen is not also my bedroom. Also, most of my Korean friends live with their parents, as is typical before marriage in many non-American cultures. Sometimes I’m co-chef, sometimes I’m a spectator of Korean cuisine, sometimes it’s potluck-style, sometimes I provide it all. Friends know that they can invite themselves over for a dinner party…there will always be wine.

Mexican doesn't strike me as the most challenging cuisines to cook, but though the city tries, Mexican is usually a little lacking. What is a guac-loving expat to do? Hopefully have friends who throw Mexican fajita parties and watch the hilariously awful movies like Machete. Sometimes you just need to stick your face into a 12-avocado bowl of guacamole.

I’m still a Seoul Vegan Potluck regular. Some months I invite friends along, but I’m not too shy or self-conscious to pop in solo...it's literally a cest pool of interesting people. My logic goes that anyone willing to check out the vegan potluck is probably someone I can find common ground with. And these days I can hardly walk through the Noksapyeong/Itaewon area without seeing people I know. That’s how a city of 25 million comes to feel a bit smaller.

I’m incredibly lucky to have found the SPACE community after a mere three weeks in Seoul. I’ve practiced yoga, attended workshops, participated in language exchange, met some of my closest friends, and dined healthily and deliciously. Such a wholesome and loving community where positive vibes abound.

One of my favorite events at SPACE is Mama’s Table. People gather for a healthy (usually vegan and gluten-free) home-cooked meal prepared by someone in the community. Creamy Swiss chard buckwheat crepes. Been there. Tamales and strawberry atole. Done that. I even sous-chefed for a meal of Moroccan lentil stew with chickpea poppers and fresh bread to get a little practice behind the scenes. Bekah and I are in the planning process of co-hosting a Mama’s Table meal in the near future!

SPACE has also offered a few healthy eating and cooking workshops. I’m always interested in learning about food, particularly in the most healthful of ways. At Nutrition Mission I buffed up my superfood knowledge and became introduced to the magical world of iHerb, an online health store that ships to Korea. At another workshop I gained insight into the macrobiotic cooking and eating philosophy. Gotta balance the yin and yang in my food! A few take-aways of a macrobiotic diet: eat whole, eat local, eat seasonal, eat organic. And chew 50-100 times!

The monthly Marche festival is another event where I can usually be found. It has a farmer's market type feel but with less focus on the produce and more on prepared foods, teas, jams, pickles and the like. My usual haul includes an incredible macrobiotic veggie burger, treats from a favorite vegan baker, and the best apples in Korea. Fuji, of course, that’s all you’ll find in Korea. This month I went a little manic and got fermented bread, ginger and chestnut jams, red mojo marinade, fresh cream cheese, and an herb planter that is going to make a great candle holder! Spent every last Won…and then some...

Confession: I’m an Alien’s Day Out groupie. This blog has had a big hand in shaping my experience in Korea. Not only has it been a useful tool as a vegetarian, but having access to this information inadvertently motivated me switch to a (mostly) vegan diet while living in Korea. Mipa often reviews vegan-friendly restaurants throughout the city which have served as my main dining out guide. Prior to veganhood I trusted her picks because vegan-friendly restaurants tend to have an atmosphere I enjoy. Entire outings with other groupies have been planned around her reviews. Last month I finally made it to the vegan mecca of Seoul, a buffet frequented by vegan and non-vegans alike. And hey, I even left comfortably full…kind of…

Oh and Mipa knows her vegan baking. Her goodies are available in select stores and cafés around the city. And via delivery through her online bakeshop! (Korea always delivers…even McDonalds…)

With friends come birthday celebrations! Often these are late night affairs but some of the most memorable were celebrating in the light of day. Sunset birthday hikes with mageolli, tangerines and a choco-pie "cake" at the top. Birthday bike rides fueled by half-baked brownies and refueled by adorable Korean parents supplying a picnic lunch (as is customary for parents to provide on birthdays.)

I've taken upon myself the duty of introducing my chingus to certain foods I consider essential. Guacamole, hummus, bagels, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, banana bread, jello shots. I can't imagine life growing up without (most) of these things.

As someone who appreciates creative food and suave restaurant ambiance, I’ve wound up at quite a few great spots around the city. One of the only places I’ve encountered in Seoul that requires a reservation (even on a Wednesday!) is a polished Mexican restaurant by the name of Vatos Tacos. Everything was fabulous but the kimchi fries and mageollitas impressed me most. The Flying Pan Blue is another treasure, serving one of the most creative brunches I’ve had…and not just in Seoul. When a menu requires me to deliberate for fifteen minutes, I’m probably in a good place, physically and emotionally. The caramelized fig pancakes nearly had me, but I settled for Avocado Eggs Benedict on a thick slice of toast, piled with smoked salmon, fresh spinach, basil pesto, and pine nuts…lalalala...

I’ve ratcheted up my Korean studying lately. This is thanks to my best chingu to whom I teach Spanish in exchange for Korean lessons. Not only is it exciting to string together a basic sentence in Korean, it has been awesome to brush up on my Spanish along the way. I look forward to Tuesday dinners at a new restaurant (alternating Korean and international cuisines) and an adorable café…so much so that we’ve become a little lazier when it comes to the actual studying part! Until he met me he had no idea how satisfying a vegetarian diet could be. And coming from the son of a Korean barbeque restaurant owner in a meat-loving culture, there is no sweeter music to my ears.

Most recently I finally joined a CSA. The website is exclusively in Korean and it took a couple Korean friends to help navigate through registration. Every month I will receive a box full of organic goodness: veggies, farm eggs, tofu, kimchi and other Korean goods. I’m also elated to support a female agricultural community. No, E-mart, I do not care to pay your inflated prices.

If you've never tried frood, I highly recommend it. It's a delicacy.

 Hummus party!

Relaxing...it's a night of Korean food.

Our Mama's Table trial run #2. Ch-ch-check out my homemade crackers!

You can only go so long without guac.

One of many vegan potlucks.

Wholeistic at Marche festival!

Creamy Swiss chard crepes.                The best tamales I've ever had.

Alien's Day Out at a bakery exposition

We like to bike...and we also like brownies. 4 people, 1 pan, no problem.

A group effort to keep the choco-pie cake lit at the mountain top.

Maybe this is why I like studying Korean...

First box from Sister's Garden!

Bippity Bappity Boo

Rice. Along with kimchi it is the heart of nearly every traditional Korean meal. The side dishes are plentiful but they are just that, side dishes. I still haven’t come into this mindset since all the best tastes reside in them. You can’t really hate rice but I don’t think I’ll ever love it as much as Koreans do.

Rice is so important that the literal translation of “How are you?” is “Have you eaten rice?”

In Korea, rice is not just rice. It has it’s own vocabulary…cooked, uncooked, different types. The word I encounter most frequently is bap, cooked rice, and it's always...white.

There is an ajumma that I squabble with twice a week because I don’t finish my white rice. It is an exhausting game of moving it around to make it look like I ate some. Leaving rice uneaten seems borderline offensive...apparently the rice balances out saltiness of kimchi. When I’m lucky I can sneak some out of my bowl. The happy look on her face when she thinks I finished my rice almost makes me feel guilty. I’ve tried to explain that I only eat brown rice…she then proceeds to show me how five grains of brown are mixed into the sea of white.

The way I demonize white rice you’d think I was talking about Kim Jong-un (oh, too sensitive to joke about now?) However, the most health-conscious Koreans I've met also chose brown rice. Since kimchi is one of the world's healthiest foods, white rice must get balanced out...obesity rates in Korea are among the lowest in the world.

Sooo we're eating a lot of rice over here. I can only think of two Korean meals when rice wouldn’t be served in some form. I typically get my fill when I go out to eat and therefore rarely fire up the rice cooker at home (although the versatility of rice cookers extends far beyond rice...banana bread anyone?) It surprises me that in a rice-centric country brown rice isn't more common, or at least an option. Occasionally you get a blend of rice grains but alone Koreans say “the taste is just not good.”

I estimate I average four Korean meals a week…pathetic. If there was ever a time to eat Korean food, it’s now. I generally cook familiar foods and often scope out the foreign food scene when I go out. But lately, I’ve been craving more and more Korean food. Korean take-out is oh so cheap, it’s hardly worth the trouble of learning to make it. Buuuut…cooking is my creative process and sometimes teaching myself to cook a dish so unfamiliar to my cultural upbringing is a welcomed challenge! All the better when I can substitute brown rice! A few rice dishes I’ve braved in my little kitchen:

In my experimental kimchi phase a few months ago you may remember that I replicated kimchi bokkeumbap (kimchi fried rice.) Even kimchi-skeptics appreciate this meal. Kimchi served warm (fried or in soup) is an entirely different beast.

Bibimbap might be the most quintessential Korean food. There are countless variations but the classic is veggies, rice and red pepper paste all mixed together. Sesame seeds, seaweed paper, and a fried egg are common accompaniments. My favorite variation is dolcet bibimbap, cooked and served in a hot stone pot…it stays warm all through the meal! I've made bibimbap but mine was much less photogenic than this restaurant version. On my flight in August I had no idea how to eat this or what it even was. Now it’s one of my favorite foods…how far I’ve come!

Ssambap is commonly offered as a vehicle to eat Korean barbeque. It’s a lettuce wrap with rice, meat, and a bit of doenjang paste. I have partaken most at grilled fish restaurants (seen here...yet no rice or lettuce to be seen!) but at home I attempted a tofu ssambap. With sesame oil and soy sauce on hand, a delicious tofu marinade is all too simple.

Kimbap, the Korean version of fast food. It’s quick and cheap and delicious. There are some non-vegetarian friendly versions but I typically stick to vegetable, kimchi or tuna. Even the veggie version comes with a slice of Spam though I quickly learned how to ask for a modification. Kimbap can be tricky to make if the rice isn’t the right texture or the knife isn’t sharp enough. I learned the hard way. After one failed slicing, I resorted to eating the second hotdog-style (so un-Korean!)

Typical Korean lunch for two... two types of kimchi, rice, soup and plenty of banchan! My fellow diner and I each have our own rice and soup, but the rest is communal. I definitely didn't make this one...

Sharing Seoul

This weekend I had a sudden and surprise visitor, Uncle Pete! While on business in China I nagged him about taking a side trip to Seoul…but even though we were on the same side of the world I honestly didn’t expect it to happen. He was here before I could say annyeonghaseyo.

The trip would be brief, not even 48 hours, but I knew just what to do. I try to personalize my tours and include at least one new experience for myself as well. Friday evening we hopped on the subway to Yeouido Park to see the night skyline. The rest of the evening was spent in Itaewon/Noksapyeong, an area that in retrospect had a bit too much Western influence for your first night in Korea. But at least there was good beer.

Ideally your visitor mentions he has a torn ACL before you trek him around the city and up and down subway stations. After what I imagine was an exhausting evening, we stuck to cabs for the rest of the weekend, which are much cheaper compared with America. I spent more time transporting above ground than I usually do…a fun change looking at something other than my iPhone or dozing Koreans on the subway. I learned that cabs can sometimes be faster. Sometimes NOT…with a city comes traffic. And despite GPS, language barriers can leave cab drivers unsure of your exact destination. But what I appreciated the most about cabbing around Seoul was that Pete and the taxi drivers had matching shirts!

Part of living in Asia includes watching major American sporting events in the morning…such as the Super Bowl over brunch. Both Saturday and Sunday mornings began with lattes and March Madness. That’s the way, uh huh uh huh, I like it, uh huh uh huh.

First stop: the 63 Building. The third tallest building in Korea of, surprise, 63 stories. My tour always includes an aerial view of the city and I had yet to experience it from the 63. Apart from the observatory, you could spend a whole day at the aquarium, wax museum, restaurants and so on. But we were on a schedule.

I finally perfected a walking tour loop downtown: Gyeongbukgong Palace -> American Embassy -> along the Cheonggyecheon urban stream -> Jogyesa Buddhist Temple -> Insadong for lunch and maekju. Along the way we even experienced a provocative live art show that felt like it should have been straight out of Hongdae. If you don't see a few oddities, you're not fully experiencing Seoul. For lunch, haemul pajeon (seafood green onion pancake) I am happy to say hit the spot. The weekend also included kimchi, dalkgalbi, and mandu. Unless you have the seven stomachs I have, you can’t fit it all in a weekend, but I’m pleased with our sampling. However, I realize now that the weekend uncharacteristically did not include any rice.

I pat myself on the back because the tourist needed a nap. Meanwhile I explored the Yeoungdeungpo Times Square mall adjacent to the hotel. Yet another all-inclusive complex in Seoul containing hundreds of stores and every chain imaginable…even the second-largest movie screen in the world. I don’t even want to begin to comment on all the shopping malls and opportunities in Seoul.

If you come visit me (and this is invitation!) I’ll rearrange my schedule to show you a great time. But there was one event that I could not and would not reschedule. A short film festival in Gangnam had been on my calendar for a while. Not only because it sounded awesome but because “Fishing Without Nets” would be showing, a film created by a high school classmate that won at Sundance last year. The festival was quirky (Lookatme! Lookatme!) but Pete got to meet a few friends! There was one last brewery to hit in Hongdae before calling it a night.

It just so worked out that I had Easter brunch with family. And of all people, my arch egg-cracking rival. On the way over to the hotel Sunday morning I stopped at none other than 7-11 to pick up a couple hardboiled eggs. Let it be known that the Easter 2013 title is mine.

Always bittersweet to say goodbye to someone who is America-bound. I wouldn’t mind making a visit every now and then. Next visitors…Mom and Dad!

The 63 Building during a bike ride the weekend before

63 stories above Seoul

Gyeongbukgong Palace...this may be as far as we went in...

Love from Korea!

Quirks of Seoul

Haemul pajeon, kimchi, maekju

"Fishing Without Nets" in Korea!

Happy Easter from Korea!