A Few of My Favorite Things...

On several different occasions, I've written about some culture shock issues that come with living here in South Korea.  I don't think that I've overly complained like "why don't they do it like they do in America?", but there have definitely been a few head scratching, WTF moments since I landed on these shores.  Luckily, there's a whole lot of things that make Korea really, really cool and so far they've overshadowed the strange for me.

The example that jumps out at me the most is the level of service you get at almost every place I go.  Now, admittedly, as a foreigner I don't always get that service, but any time that I go out with a coworker or have at least one Korean in the group, the service is usually stellar.  (Exceptions always apply, of course.)  Good service is just the norm.  In some of the higher end restaurants in which I've worked, an amuse or "gift from the chef" was common for any call parties.  Others did it for every table.  A half ounce of tuna tartarre over a crispy croquet is almost a joke when you compare it to some of the items I've received at no extra charge.  Order the largest pitcher of beer and more often than not, one of the workers will show up with hot wings and say "service, service" before placing it on your table.  Buy a deli sandwich at the local Family Mart, and you will occasionally get a free juice.  (The free juice is more like a coupon, but it's still nice.)  What does the server expect to get out of this little act of kindness?  Nothing.  For the most part, you don't tip in Korea.  That goes for taxis, doormen, servers, bartenders, barristas, you name it.  I do tip at some of the more western style bars, but most just assume that you made a mistake and force the money back in your hand.  Having worked in a tipping industry for almost fifteen years, it's hard for me to admit this, but it's nice to receive good service simply because someone regards it as doing their job... not because they think I'm going to leave a big tip.

Another upside to restaurants in South Korea is speed.  Eateries are set up a little different here than they are back home.  Variety is not as much of an option.  In general, restaurants are split up by the type of meat they serve and the style in which they serve it.  There are still "family restaurants" like Outback and TGIFriday's, but they are considerably more expensive and are usually reserved for more of a special occasion. We usually just decide that we are in the mood for chicken or pork or beef or octopus or whatever and we go to a restaurant that only serves that food.  If you have a large group, it can make the decision a little more difficult, but it usually ensures prompt service at every spot.  When a restaurant only has two or three items on its menu, you can have the majority of the meal prepped and ready to go almost immediately.  It's not fast food, per se, it's just food that comes fast.  It doesn't have all the MSG and other preservatives that make McD's and other fast food places so unhealthy.  One of my favorite local meals is a dish called Daeji Gukbap which is a pork soup with rice.  That dish is literally the only thing that's served in the restaurant where it can be found.  So, you're either in the mood for pork or you're not.  It's the same way with the Nakji Bokeum that has also become a bit of a staple dish for me since both shops are so close to work.  This dish is actually prepared in a small grill that's built into your dining table.  Here's a few pics of the dish as it's prepared.  Far left is uncooked and just placed over the flame.  The next pic shows the dish coming to a boil.  The bottom picture is the finished dish served over rice.

Coffee is another huge upside to living in Korea.  I know what you're thinking, "Starbucks is on every corner in the US."  In Korea, Starbucks is around, but the little mom and pop barristas are much more prevalent.  There are many other corporate-coffee places like Pascucci, A Twosome Place, and Coffeebean around the city, but it's the small coffee shops that I enjoy the most.  The Americano (espresso and hot water) is the beverage of choice over here and can be found at most of these shops for around two bucks.  (In the three months I've been here, there have been two seperate chart-topping songs dedicated to the americano.  I think the second one's a remix of Tu Vuo Fa L'Americano to a shuffle-beat but I don't have the heart to tell them it has nothing to do with coffee.)  The point is... Korean's love their capo and I love them for it.  It's close to impossible to get Monster, Red Bull, Rockstar, or any other true energy drink over here.  If they took coffee away, too, I might sleep for the rest of my life.

If you have some sort of strange aversion to a coffee shop experience, there are other ways to get your fix.  In the corner of every 7-11 or Family Mart, there is a stand full of bagged juice or overly sweet coffee options.  A sixteen ounce cup of ice comes complimentary at the massive total price of about $1.  I prefer to get my coffee freshly made at a shop, but these stands are great for a juice options.Strawberry or Blueberry Juice anyone?  Go with the blueberry, both are really good, but the strawberry tastes a lot more sugary.  

Another sheer stroke of genius is the milkshake-in-a-bag.  There a large number of little ice cream novelty treats at the local marts, all in different shapes and flavors.  There's a watermelon flavored ice cream that comes in the shape of a slice of watermelon, a drumstick-like treat that's a more flat and easier to hold, or a coffee flavored ice cream in a tube that breaks in the middle so you can share with a friend.  None of these are as awesome an idea as the milkshake in a bag.  You pull it out of the freezer and have to knead it with your hands to get it soft enough to eat.  Considering how hot it's been, crushing it up in your hands can be as refreshing as the actual ice cream.  Okay, that's bullshit... ice cream is always gonna be better than a cold hand.


These aren't my all time favorite parts of Korea, but each of them stack up nicely to make this trip that much more enjoyable.