Mmm, Pork

Jay and I explored the Insadong area of Seoul. It is crammed with art galleries, souvenir shops, clothing stores, and variety of other wares. The atmosphere is busy but not overwhelming. It's an area where history meets the modern world; in a back alley, an old tea house stands across from a gallery display of contemporary art; and then there’s the Starbuck’s towering over the street vendor and wood carver.

The evening was spent with a visit to the local USO and dinner with Jay’s friends. Many of them are in Korea teaching English as a second language, and others are civilian workers with the military. We met at the USO, then headed for Korean BB-Q. Being a vegaporkatarian, I was in hog heaven. The restaurant was small and saturated with the smell of grilled meat. There were two refrigerators full of water, soda, and beer set against a thin wall separating the dining and kitchen areas. Technically, this was my first authentic Korean meal, and I had an ex-pat, Frank, sitting next to me to provide assistance. Frank is fluent in Korean and has lived in Asia a long time. Although vegetarian himself, he was able to walk us through the process of preparing our meal. The raw, marinated meat came out on a platter and was thrown, one slab at a time, onto a grill set down into the middle of the table. We were provided small bowls of marinated onions, pickled garlic shoots, and thinly sliced garlic, which we could also grill. A plate full of lettuce awaited the meat to lend itself as a wrap with the other ingredients. Once the meat was finished we assembled our lettuce wraps, adding ingredients and sauces as desired. They were incredibly delicious. We hung out for close to two hours, grilling, wrapping, and consuming. This is a meal I could get used to!Read more