Steamed buns

Steamed buns
Originally uploaded by skindleshanks.

Humanistic and Humorous

Humanistic and Humorous
Originally uploaded by skindleshanks.

Japanese-Korean Street Food

5092 is a new chain of Japanese-themed hof corners in town—I counted at least seven that have appeared almost simultaneously around town here, and I’m sure there are more in the parts of town I don’t usually frequent. Seems like some overcharged franchising to me—one near the Buyeong Apartments has already either gone out of business or relocated within a matter of weeks.

The numbers 5092 in Korean sound like the words for “odaeng,” a sort of “seafood weiner” made from fish paste in a variety of shapes and boiled on skewers in a broth, and gu-ui (gooey), or barbequed meat. They are pleasant little shops offering imported Japanese beers and rice wines, and menus with Japanese pricing (i.e, very expensive).

Odaeng and chicken skewers are usually the fare of street vendors (포장마차) and usually range from 300-500won/stick for odaeng and 1,000-1,500 won/stick for chicken skewers. At 5092 you can buy 3 skimpy sticks of chicken for 8,000 won, or four sticks of Odaeng for 10,000 won. The atmosphere is cozy and peaceful, although the locations are far from classy.

I have to say, I’m rather disappointed by the pricy versions of the chicken (닭꼬치). They aren’t all that big and don’t taste any better than the street vendors’.

SO far, the best skewered chicken (닭꼬치) to be had in Korea was from a man with a small truck about a block south of Ajou University in Suwon. He marinated the meat in a spicy –sweet sauce with soju, and roasted them on an open grill armed with a spray bottle to keep the flames under control, unlike most vendors who cook the skewers on aluminum foil- lined trays. He sold the full, meaty sticks for 1,000 won apiece,

Unfortunately, they built a big new shopping and sauna complex next to his spot, and told him to stop grilling because of the smoke. He and his wife now sell flower-bread and Chinese hoddok—very good, but we’ve yet to find anyone who can match his chicken.

The best odaeng, however, can be found at Changbawi Odaeng, a small street cart set up next to the 300 block of Buyong Apartments, kitty-corner from the famed People of Bread Village Bakery. They offer not only the normal odaeng, but also a spicy version. Their secret, however, is that they put real red crabs in the soup for flavour. They also offer take-away bowls so that you can enjoy it at home, but odaeng always tastes better when standing on a cold street in the winter.

It's been a momentous week for us here:

1. I got my F-5 visa.
2. We got a house (new apartment).
3. My son got pneumonia.

Your prayers are appreciated for the last two. (Friends and family are welcome to see pictures of our new place on our "New Year's Letter" site.)

Now that I have a permanent residence visa (F-5), my wife says I can do anything a Korean citizen can do. I heard the Blue house will be taking applications for the next presidential election. If Noh Mu-Hyun can be president, why can't I? We have at least one thing in common: we waste time writing for our blogs when we should be working. (see his blog at Naver, one at Daum, and one at Paran.) Maybe Korea can get a visible minority into the presidency before the US does. That'll be the day . . .

No, I'm not cut out to be president, but it might be nice to open a nice street food stand. I have all sorts of ideas for them, but the main problem is that if you do very well, there will be half a dozen others who will copy your idea, and then everyone goes bankrupt. Case in point: there used to be one stall selling 1,000 won mini pizzas in town. Now there are at least 5, three within sight of each other, and they are simply splitting the business. Some have had to diversify into other items to make ends meet, and others have hiked the price to 1,500 to counter falling sales volume. The end result is that at any of these places now, business is slow, and the pizzas are most likely to be cold from sitting out too long. It's a real shame--I liked those mini-pizzas.

Vitakato

Vitakato
Originally uploaded by skindleshanks.

It's the name of colorful power!

Vitakato

Vitakato
Originally uploaded by skindleshanks.

It's the freshness in yourself.

Geojin 명태축제

gojin
Originally uploaded by skindleshanks.

This weekend was the Myoungtae (Alaskan Pollack) Festival in Goseong. The main event is held at Geojin Harbour. One of the highlights for me last year was the tour of a Coast Guard Ship. You can also eat all kinds of seafood, from whale meat to shellfish barbeques.

Unfortunately, Korean Pollack stocks have been all but decimated, so any pollack you see is probably imported. Most of the fishermen in Geojin now make their living from squid and crabs.

For some beautiful views of the coastline (such as where this photo was taken), take the stairs up the cliff at the north end of town. There is nice little hiking trail, exercise area, and beautiful views. It's usually deserted, so it's a good place to find some solitude, too.

Tea

Tea
Originally uploaded by skindleshanks.

Look for these teas by Dongwon Beverages in your local supermarket. Except for the blck tea, which is slightly sweetened and tinged with lemon, they're sugar and calorie-free, made with only pure tea and mineral water. I've heard some say that they are brewed a little strong, but in my opinion, they're perfect. You can get black, green, jasmine and chrysanthemum teas.

They're North-American priced at 1600 won, but a whole lot healthier than a Pepsi.

I'd Rather Eat Meat

I'd Rather Eat Meat
Originally uploaded by skindleshanks.

It sure beats eating a lure, doesn't it?

Humanistic and Humorous

Humanistic and Humorous
Originally uploaded by skindleshanks.