Lady Restaurant Owner
Boworn confessed that as a student, Korean was his dining-out meal of choice. This was because when you order Korean you get about a MILLION other side dishes to pep up your meal, and about two thirds of these are Kim Chi based. His told us that you could get away with only spending 150baht (£3) on one main dish, and everything else brought with it ensured you ate like a king with a good amount of change from a fiver!
Korean BBQ
We ordered some traditional Korean dishes – Seng Deung Sim (sirloin) and Samgyeopsal (pork belly) for the bbq that was set in the centre of the table. Puwadol explained that with Korean dining, the waitress gets involved in the table service and cooking of the dishes. She popped over more than once to flip our pieces of pork and steak over until they were perfectly cooked, and then removed them for us on to a side dish (it was not unlike cooking on Savoyarde Hot Stones in the Alps but without doing it yourself)!
We ordered some traditional Korean dishes – Seng Deung Sim (sirloin) and Samgyeopsal (pork belly) for the bbq that was set in the centre of the table. Puwadol explained that with Korean dining, the waitress gets involved in the table service and cooking of the dishes. She popped over more than once to flip our pieces of pork and steak over until they were perfectly cooked, and then removed them for us on to a side dish (it was not unlike cooking on Savoyarde Hot Stones in the Alps but without doing it yourself)!
Rice in Hot Stone Dish
We ate this meat wrapped in lettuce leaves with a combination (of our devising) of any number of the complimentary sides that were brought to us. There were at least 4 different types of Kim Chi (preserved vegetables in vinegar and chilli). We had cabbage (traditional), papaya, beansprout and radish versions, which were all delicious. There was also an exceptional dressed salad for everyone, which consisted of lettuce and spring onion dressed with a sour and spicy dressing made with sesame oil, vinegar, sugar, red chilli pounded together. Other sides included deep fried baby anchovies, sliced cooked oyster mushroom, stir fried morning glory, chicken patties and boiled peanuts in sweet soy sauce.
Flat Silver Chopsticks
We ate this meat wrapped in lettuce leaves with a combination (of our devising) of any number of the complimentary sides that were brought to us. There were at least 4 different types of Kim Chi (preserved vegetables in vinegar and chilli). We had cabbage (traditional), papaya, beansprout and radish versions, which were all delicious. There was also an exceptional dressed salad for everyone, which consisted of lettuce and spring onion dressed with a sour and spicy dressing made with sesame oil, vinegar, sugar, red chilli pounded together. Other sides included deep fried baby anchovies, sliced cooked oyster mushroom, stir fried morning glory, chicken patties and boiled peanuts in sweet soy sauce.
Flat Silver Chopsticks
On top of the meat for the bbq, we ordered a rice dish artfully arranged in a piping hot stone bowl, that ensured part of the rice was crispy and added great texture to the dish. There was also a spicy sour version of steak tartare called Yukhoe, Sour and Hot Kimchi Soup and Cold Vinegery Somen Soup (made with fine buckwheat noodles called Somen). We ate all of this with flat, silver chopsticks that I had never come across before. Apparently they are traditionally Korean and always silver, as the Korean Emporer insisted on using them to identify food served to him that was contaminated with poison!! Luckily all our food was fine…
Yukhoe
While I am on a roll, I feel I should just stand up for Kim Chi for a second. It gets a bad press as a strong and sticking rotten pickle served with Korean food and that is best placed under a bushel and forgotten about. In fact it is delicious – especially when it is prepared and treated with respect. The lady who ran the restaurant we ate in, made all her own Kim Chi, and preserved it for only four days which ensured it retained texture and a strong, but well-balanced flavour. Yum.
Carnage!
Korean’s become all the rage in Thailand as it provides a contrast to Thai, Chinese and Japanese food that have been popular for the past century. It seems Korean is the Thais cuisine of choice for the noughties…
Korean’s become all the rage in Thailand as it provides a contrast to Thai, Chinese and Japanese food that have been popular for the past century. It seems Korean is the Thais cuisine of choice for the noughties…
Happy Cooking!
HJ
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