The past couple weeks have been incredibly busy, what with American holidays, Korean holidays, friends visiting from out of town, big life decisions — but most tangibly, my girlfriend and I are starting a new side business that starts today.
Lots of excitement and less free time for casual writing.
But HELL if I’m going to miss a week of Tangy Language.
All the busyness listed above has of course resulted in lots of eating out, and although I might have less time nowadays, the back alleys of Seoul are endless content generators.
(me whispering) Let’s look at some food porn.
This is haemul pajeon. This savory, crispy “pancake” comes in all different styles, but this one, in particular, is jam-packed with seafood and scallions. Incredibly crispy and full of flavor. Dip it in some soy sauce with some raw onions, it’s considered one of the best anju (drinking foods).
You can see my makgeolli (rice wine) on the bottom right. This one is like a special “craft” makgeolli that’s flavored like nurungji (burnt rice). So freaking good.
This is odang or eomuk — basically “fish cakes.” If you’ve had udon before, you might’ve eaten something like this before.
When I was younger, I hated it. Probably because people kept describing it as a “fish cake,” which might be two of the most ill-fitting words to ever be placed next to each other in the English language.
But it is so damn good. The eomuk soaks in the flavors of the salty, heart-warming soup. You dip this in some soy sauce with wasabi and eat it right off the stick. Super popular Korean street food that I can’t get enough of.
These are yangkkochi — Chinese lamb skewers. You can’t see it (because this isn’t Harry Potter and the pictures don’t move), but the device slowly rotates each skewer over the coals to cook them to crispy tenderness. Dip it in a semi-spicy cumin-based powder and devour.
Another Chinese Sichuan dish that’s becoming more and more popular in Korea - Dan Dan Noodles. It’s got a spicy base of chili oil, Sichuan peppers, minced pork (that this place likes to make look like a turd), with springy noodles similar to ramen.
Had to add this one. So after eating a big heaping serving of gogi (Korean BBQ), some places will make bokkeumbap (Korean fried rice) in the remaining fat from the meat.
This was cute. But what made it memorable was the guy who made it looked at me directly in the eyes, came real close to my face, and whispered (in English):
“I’m the only one that can do this.”
…
I was like okay man. That’s fine.
Wasn’t sure if it was a threat or just information. But I’ll never forget that only you can do this, my man.
Lastly, here’s a shot of Jihyun enjoying an ice-cold one on a hot summer night in a popular back alley in Seoul.
Cheers!
Nothing helps me more than sharing it, whether online or through word of mouth. Tell someone that might appreciate this newsletter.
If you somehow found this email and aren’t subscribed, subscribe now. Don’t be a weird lurker.