Food (음 식 )

Now that I've been in Korea for more than two weeks, I feel I can begin commenting on the various aspects of living here (with the proviso that I can change my mind and make comments diametrically opposed at any time in the future!). I begin with food since at the moment my stomach ( 배 ) is very full so food is on my mind. Last night I had a Korean-style western dinner while lunch today was almost entirely western; in both cases the utensils provided were silverware rather than chopsticks. Although I'm pretty good with chopsticks, I do wield a knife and fork with more ease so enjoyed the opportunity to feel competent.

Dinner Sunday evening with 허 필 현 (Michael Huh), his wife 정 일 선 (Angela Chung) and their two delightful daughters 허 예 림 and 허 예 진 (known as Ellie and Michelle).

Eating "western" is usually more expensive. Today's lunch cost 18,360 won, approximately $12.50 at the current exchange rate. It was a salad bar with many varieties of salad but also included soup and some hot dishes like chicken wings and pasta. Desserts provided were cheesecake, ice cream, waffles which one could top, cookies, and suchlike. Almost as important from my perspective as the abundance of green leafy and other vegetables was the coffee, freshly brewed by the cup, of which one could have as many refills as desired! I indulged in two plates of salads, a cup of soup, a plate of hot food, a little dessert, and three cups of coffee. You see why I'm full!!

More typically my lunch is Korean, sometimes at a restaurant, often at a food court. I really like the food courts because there's a lot of variety, one can go around and check what the food looks like and what comes with the main course, and they're quite inexpensive. A good meal which is very filling costs from 5,000 to 7,000 won, about $3.50 to $4.75 -- not bad at all.

A big lunch allows me to feed myself at home for supper, saving money and the effort of finding a restaurant. Because my cooking facilities are extremely limited and food shopping is rather complex, my home meals are quite simple, although I try to eat reasonably healthy by having at least one vegetable. Lotte Mart is nearby (about a 4-block walk) and has a fairly extensive grocery store, but I don't recognize a lot of the food and can't read the instructions on prepared packages, thereby limiting what I can buy. I did indulge in a small 7,000 won ($4.70) jar of peanut butter. One needs some comfort food! Because I purchased a frying pan (to add to the small pot I previously bought), I have recently had a grilled cheese sandwich, fried Spam (a Korean favorite), and scrambled eggs. So I'm not doing too badly.

My entire food preparation area and cooking utensils -- two burners, one pot, a small steamer, one frying pan, one spatula, an electric kettle, and a bit more than one square foot of counter space. No gourmet meals here!