What I Eat – A Taste of Life in Korea

Hi. My name is Ayelet.  And I’m a fruit-aholic.

I am mad for summer fruits.

Nectarines, peaches, watermelons- OH MY -I just can’t get enough.  Problem is, I really should just get enough because buying fruit in Korea is like buying a Chanel bag-  it’s always good, but never worth the exorbitant price.  Hello, $10 for 4 apricots!

But guess who buys those darn apricots regardless?!  I have a problem.

Okay, okay, I know I am a spoiled California girl who loves to buy her fresh organic produce from local farmers’ markets at a fair price (cliché, yet so true)… I should really stop complaining.

And to be perfectly honest, there isn’t much to complain about when it comes to food in Seoul.  There is ample fresh produce (although, I’m not sure that I can identify 1/2 of the vegetables at the supermarket) and a tremendous array of delicious restaurants in Korea, which is quite surprising for a country that prides itself on fermenting any and everything.

Now, seriously, would you know what this was if it showed up in your supermarket?

 Oh and how the Koreans love their fermented cabbage, otherwise known as Kimchi.  I had never tasted kimchi before living in Seoul, but it definitely tastes like it looks: some good, some bad, some ugly.

But we can dive into the glory of Kimchi in another post… now I want to tell you guys what I really eat in Korea.

The past few weeks, in particular, have been a fooding frenzy, causing me to buckle my belt 1 notch in the wrong direction.  I’ve really eaten a lot… and instead of going to the gym, I’ve decided to just picture-blog away the shame/pride of all that I’ve consumed.

(1) Drool-worthy panino from La Bocca restaurant. Fresh mozzarella in Seoul? I almost cried.

(2) Sushi at California restaurant in Gangnam.  Frankly, I liked the name of the place more than the rolls.

(3) M & I took a picture at a restaurant that we couldn’t dine at because of a 2 hour line winding out the door!

(4) That bright orange snack is Tteokbokki, a popular street food that G & I sometimes comfort ourselves with.

(5) A group of friends at our favorite Korean BBQ place.  It’s a once-a-week delight.

*K invited all of the Samsung GSG’s better halves (yes, that’s what we call ourselves) to a chocolate party at her house. I had to seriously stop myself from sticking my head straight into the chocolate fountain.  (You can’t even imagine how hard it is to find good chocolate in Seoul! And K found & bought 2 kilos of it!)

*Noryangjin Fish Market – absolutely the BEST place for sashimi, scallops and abalone.  I always eat my heart out here.

*G & I went to this divey Korean restaurant to follow the Korean tradition of eating Samgyetang, a ginseng chicken soup, on 3 specific summer days.  These 3 days are pre-assigned & pre-determined by Koreans as the hottest days of the year, and the soup is eaten on these days to infuse you with enough nutrients to survive the hot summers.

Counter to prognostication, it was mild and rainy on the day we went for our Samgyetang.

*This photo collage is framed by Kash’s baked ziti, that had me going for seconds…and thirds…and fourths

*I also wanted to show you the individually wrapped Starbucks bananas.  Because it’s Korea.

*The center shot is of M’s blueberry goodness.  This week I also got my dessert on with M’s amazing apple crisp and perfect m&m brownies.  She is the best, and the worst!

So you see, loving mother and foodie friends, I am not starving in Seoul.  In fact, I’m not ashamed to admit that after writing about food for WAY too many hours, I’ve really built up an appetite.  Don’t judge.

Bon Appétit!

At Last!

¡Por Fin! My very first post on my spankin’ new blog.

After six months of living in Korea, I finally feel settled in, settled down and ready to share my experiences, inspirations and  MANY awkward moments on this amazing journey (sometimes amazingly frustrating, but usually pretty amazing).

This weekend is already off to a great start, minus the fact that G is currently romping around Tokyo, doing HASHEM-knows-what with his step-brother, M.

(Does my jealousy translate into print?!)

Rather than joining the boys on a testosterone-drenched weekend, I decided to stay back in Seoul to monitor the rain and answer the question on every expat’s mind- CAN IT REALLY RAIN FOR A MONTH NON-STOP?!?!

So far the answer is, yes.

In fact, it’s raining so hard that store clerks are trained to cover a customer’s paper shopping bag with a plastic cover (center pic below)…not to mention the fact that every single pastry I buy gets individually wrapped in its very own plastic shelter.  (I can hear you Berkelians cringing.)

So, what do you do when it’s hot, humid, and typhooning?  Simple, you go see  the new 🙂 and final 😦 Harry Potter film with your marvelously magical friends.   Luckily, my magical friends in Seoul decided to get together pre-movie and watch the Deathly Hallows part 1 while eating deli sandwiches (a very rare and delicious treat in Korea) as well as all the movie theater-esque candy we could get our hands on (Junk-food isn’t as caloric when you are watching a movie, right?).  Needless to say, both movies were absolutely brilliant…but I’m just so sad it’s over.

To end this Saturday on a high-note, I’m off to Apgujeong to bid-adieu to a friend who is leaving Seoul and moving to the most beautiful city in the world, San Francisco.  Cheers!