just my mommy and me

As most of you know, my Mum came to visit for two weeks recently! It was an awesome visit –  she really got to experience a lot that Korea has to offer and we got to hang out a lot even though I was working during the week. Here are some highlights:

tofu salad and fish paste soup!

We eventually got to Andong over Chuseok (note: do NOT try to travel on the first day of Chuseok if you have not booked way in advanced). We loved the traditional villages, the mask festival, all the crafty things and of course the food! Mum was very adventurous with her food-trying and generally liked everything that wasn’t too spicy. She even tried kimchi once a day :)!

so handy!

We took a nice hike up Cheonggyesan with Alexis and her Dad. Mum loved the air pressure boot cleaners at the end of the trail :)! Such gorgeous weather!

we are officially a tourist attraction!

We took hilarious sticker photos and when we were at the top of Seoul tower we noticed a bunch of people had put pictures of themselves on the wall. So we are now at the top of Seoul tower for all to see!

story time!

Mum came into my class several times to read books and give out Canadian treats! The kids loved her but were concerned that she was going to take me back to Canada.

dalkgalbi and soju!

Mum was gung-ho (sp?) for coming out with us and participating in our regular hang-outs. She came to Friday night BBQ, the GS several times, a beer bang and of course chicken galbi. Things got a little crazy at the noraebang and she even did a shot of soju!

great way to top off the visit!

On her second weekend here, we took a trip up to Seoraksan, which has the reputation of being one of the most beautiful parts of Korea. Well, apparently the rest of Korea also thought it was the best weekend to go because it was absolutely packed! Now I know ‘peak season’ means ‘don’t even think about it’ season. We had a good time anyways!

So those are my highlights, maybe I will get Mum to write in with her votes because there’s a lot we did that I didn’t talk about. These are things I would definitely recommend if you/your family are coming to visit Korea!

The dos and don’ts of Korean BBQ

Korean BBQ, or more commonly known as Galbi is a one-of-a-kind meal and it has become our Friday after-school tradition. The meal consists of a kind of meat (beef, pork, chicken, different cuts and marinades etc.) that you grill in the middle of the table. While your meat is grilling you can enjoy a variety of sides, from kimchi to potato salad. Then when your meat is cooked, you can wrap it in a lettuce leaf with your choice of sauces and sides. This is a very “anything goes” kind of meal, but there are a few things you should keep in mind…

mmmm…

Don’t: 

Take more than 2 pieces of meat at a time. Because the grill is quite small, you can only cook a small portion of meat at a time. If there are several people eating off one grill it can go very quickly… so don’t be a meat hog!

Do not leave your chopsticks standing vertically in your rice. This goes for everywhere in Korea, not just galbi restaurants. It’s just a superstition… like writing your name in red but it is definitely a no-no!

Do not ask for a fork. If I learned how to use chopsticks, so can you!

Do not pour your own drink. Again, this is a Korean custom. If you are the youngest at the table, you should be pouring drinks for your elders and wait for your drink to be poured as well.

Two hands if you’re younger.

Do: 

Ask for more sides. Most Korean meals come with a variety of side dishes. These are free, and unlimited. Many restaurants have a ‘sides buffet’ where you can just refill your own kimchi, radish, lettuce, whatevs.

Seriously, sides are the way to go!

Try the sauces! Every foregeigner I know is obsessed with samjeong. This is a magical sauce consisting of garlic and other things mixed in with the standard red hot sauce.

Become a regular. My co-workers and I searched high and low for the best galbi restaurant. We weighed pros and cons of each restaurant and found that the restaurant we liked best was the one closest to our house. Lucky us! They had the best sides, best tasting kimchi, huge quantities of meat, quick service, and they know not to let our samjeong get empty!!

Drink. Hey, you want to participate in the culture, right?

At first I’m like…

… but eventually end up like

Take a toothpick afterwards. Trust me, meat in your teeth for the rest of the night is not enjoyable.

Bring your Mom. ^^ See you in 10 days Mumma!!

BEST CITY EVER :)

Click here to read a great article about Seoul and why it’s so awesome.

I loved this article… please please read it! Then maybe some people will actually come visit me 😉 haha! I especially liked:

– #30 – G-Dragon. I never use to get all the hype about this skinny, nasally-voiced guy but have grown to ADORE him and of course his fashion is just amazing.

-#19 – because I know the answer to the first question! What’s the best transgender bar in Itaewon? Queen of course, on Hooker Hill. Fun place!

-#14 – ‘A bang for every occasion’ – now that’s just funny!

-#1 – Galbi definitely earned first place. It’s one of the reasons why I don’t want to leave Korea :P!

a kimchi love affair

I was always brought up on home-cooked meals and as a student I almost always cooked for myself as it was the cheaper option. However, a funny thing happened to me when I came to Korea… I stopped cooking. Well, I haven’t stopped completely, but it’s just so much easier to grab something cheap and yummy than to find ingredients and the space to cook them on. Let’s just say my kitchen space is not ideal for cooking anything that requires more than one pan/dish. Or anything that requires baking, as I don’t have an oven.

That being said, I have a few staple dishes that I occasionally make myself, each with a slight Korean twist. Haha, that sounds way too sophisticated. Basically I take something that’s easy to make and dump kimchi in it.

one of the few staples in my fridge.

The first is a Kimchi omelette. It’s just a regular omelette but I fry up a bunch of kimchi with the veggies to start. The same goes for my kimchi spaghetti sauce and kimchi mandu (Korean dumplings).

I love the smell of frying kimchi in the mornin

I haven’t tried these options yet but they are HIGHLY tempting:

... possibly my next lunch!

And those are just the things that I make at home! When eating out I always go for the kimchi. My favourite kimbab is kimchi kimbab, my favourite bokumbab is kimchi bokumbab (for a much healthier version that you can make yourself, click here!), and kimchi mandu (actually stuffed with kimchi, not just fried with it) are to die for!

Kimchi is not just a snack for Koreans. They believe that you won’t get sick if you eat lots of it because it contains probiotics (like yogurt). There is a kimchi museum in the COEX mall near me, so I will have more info once I get my butt over there.

From my experience, Korean children are exposed to kimchi at a very young age, even though it’s quite spicy. We have kimchi every day for our school lunch and the kids have to at least try it every time. If it’s too spicy they can add some water to it.

So, next time you feel like spicing up your same-old dishes, head to your nearest asian market and grab some kimchi! You won’t be sorry!