friday food tour

After our meeting with Evan we returned to our hotel to FaceTime,e mail family and update the blog. I became pretty antsy, way too much nervous energy (or profound lack of sleep, either way you get the picture). I had this great idea that in order for us get a better understanding of Korean food and culture we needed to do 4 hour night dining tour. The website promised it would glorious. So until it started we should go walk around and explore that part of the city, figure out the subway and such. The energy lasted just long enough to get to the other side of the city and walk a bit. Then we found a park and rested our eyes. Yep that was us snoozing in a park pretending to be doing something with our phones. It wasn't the good sleep you feel refreshed from but a nauseating jerk awake as soon as you start to drift over and over again sleep. Eventually it was time to meet for the tour.

it was really great, We met up with another couple from Rochester we had met earlier this morning and another brother sister team from Sydney, Aus. We explored different parts of the distric we were in, 4 different restaurants and in each the food was spicy, really spicy. I couldn't really tell you what we ate for the most part wish we could have menus so I could have written it down but these weren't really "menu" type dining establishments. We started out with a outdoor Korean BBQ, basically we were sitting around an oil drum with hot coals inside and a grill on top, with all the sides to make it complete. I dont remember the cut of the pork but it was delish! Then we visited a tiny ancient Korean home they had converted (love all the exposed wiring everywhere) where we had a super spicy bean sprout soup, tofu, and the kicker - chicken feet. I tried but just could get myself to swallow. I felt like we were on "survivor" or that other show I can't think of the name.Dan said I would have choked to death once I had bitten into the cartridge. I couldn't get past the skin that was still on although covered in chili sauce. Then some kind of chili covered root. Looked like a soggy sweet potato fry, let me assure you it was not!

The third restaurant was more of a typical dining establishment we ate two different preparations of Toppoki (sp) it is a mixture of all kinds of good stuff (like bean sprouts, dumplings . . .)plusthese very addictive rice cake noddle thing. One dish was chili/hot the other sweet. Love love love the sweet!!! On the our long walk to the final stop we went to a street vendor where Dan had the pleasure of trying silkworm larve, at this point I was so shocked that this was my husband I could hardly work the camera! Dan isn't the most adventurous eater!! The final stop was actually in a large alleyway in the industrial part of town (as best I can describe it). It was so strange, I wish I could get the photos uploaded because I can't even describe it. It was 10pm and packed for what seemed like a good mile. Lots of separate stalls or booths many selling the same things. Some just sides so seafood, so special (greasy) pancakes, veggies, and BBQ. We ended up with the pancake. Which is probably good since my stomach was already rolling! At each stop there was a different kind or beer or wine but my stomach had enough to deal with so I opted out. I feel like I'm getting old, I used to love hot spicy food!! I kind of lost track of how much pepto I took! Needless to say by the time we caught the subway and got to the hotel we both passed out. We were so tired!

Oh and the funniest part of the day, in the subway station on the way home someone actually asked me for directions. And after I lifted my jaw off the floor I proceeded to give her the correct directions!! Now she wasn't Korean (nor American) and looked pretty lost but it made me feel good that after such a day I didn't look on the outside as scarey tired or emotionally overwhelmed as I was felling on the inside, I looked helpful!