Fruit soju and lessons in Korean

I consider myself a relatively healthy person, but I'm pretty sure I've been under the weather more times in Korea than ever before. It's probably got something to do with sleep deprivation and an unbalanced diet. (I can see the rolled eyes and nods of agreement from across the interweb.) Luckily, I'm back up to 80% (and still going) thanks to a brilliant combination of generic (Canadian made) NyQuil, random Korean cold meds, way too much sleep, magic grapes, and good ol' TLC. I also think I've managed to gain a good 5 lbs or so from all that feeding (e.g. see above), even when food was the last thing on my mind - shocker! Now all I've got to work on is the emotional distress, swollen lip, and Flinstones-esque bump on my head (yes, a classic Cheri moment), and I'm good to go. So let's see, shall we. Blog attack, here we go.

There's really only one reason for this post (maybe two). You can scroll down to the last photo ("Part F") if you're the impatient kind.

Here are some photos from a place called Hue in Kangnam along with a little bit of I-have-a-head-cold commentary.

A) I still don't understand Koreans' idea of "salad." Yes, that gigantic dollop of white goo hiding under the shredded carrots is some sort of sweet I-want-to-give-you-a-heart-attack mayo concoction, and yes, those pickles have managed to recycle themselves into this dish.



B) Yogurt soju in a big bowl. This reminds me of New York, only our homemade version tasted better. (Henry, can you please explain to me again why I shouldn't order this in a restaurant? You said it's because "you know what goes into it" but I don't quite understand...)



C) "Aiyee ooh, killer tofu." This only works if you sing along with the Beets, kids. (Click here for a flashback.)



D) Clearly, I was late for the picture. Jun... demolished.



E) Here's the fun part... sojuice served in real fruit! I thought they were skimping on the alcohol but then again, that would just be silly from a financial perspective. I'm pretty sure fresh squeezed OJ is much more costly by the fluid ounce than soju.



F) At our sam cha, (which we landed at thanks to some random Koreans), I discovered the little black book full of useful Korean expressions. Let's see... what did we learn in class today?



No need to hide from the camera. ; )

You ate WHERE?

I don't normally find myself at casual dining chains very often in the US - well, The Cheesecake Factory and CPK are rare exceptions, and local chains don't count (i.e. I love you, Boloco). However, familiarity often brings comfort, especially when you're thousands of miles away from a decent bowl of garlic smashed potatoes. Sometimes, it's just not a jjiggae type of day, if you know what I mean.

That feeling led me straight into the doors of Hooters. Well, that, and it was strategically located while I was starving and it started to pour (장마 is an entirely different conversation for another time.)



I've visited Hooters on one other occasion (in Honolulu) and I have to say, based on my slightly grayed recollection, although I knew short shorts were part of the deal, the waitresses in Gangnam (강남) might have as well been wearing a one piece swimsuit. As my Korean friend looked about the restaurant, I couldn't help but laugh at his innocent remarks...

"So, is a hooter a type of owl?"

"Then what does hoot mean?"

"I feel burdened."



Right. The food.

Fish and chips! I'm pretty sure this isn't worth a twenty... but it wasn't bad. (This isn't a London pub; what can you expect?) The fish was surprisingly tender, the batter nicely fried and softly salted. I just wish they didn't serve it with curly fries.



Moving on to my next confession...



On a whim, a friend and I decided to check out On the Border in Sinchon (신촌).

While the dinner prices are comparatively ridiculous, a lunch set starts off at just $10, where you can choose a side (salad/rice/soup) and a dish (i.e. enchilada, taco, burrito), as well as add on some other items like a non-alcoholic margarita for a few extra dollars.



It's nothing to write home about, but if you're craving colorful sit down "Mexican," you know where to go!



Hooters: 02-3448-1231~2
http://www.hooterskorea.co.kr/
If you take Exit 2 from Gangnam Station and keep walking straight for a few minutes, it'll be on the right side of the street, on the 2nd floor. There's another location in Apgujeong.

On the Border: 02-324-0682
http://www.ontheborder.co.kr/
Take Exit 3 or 4 at Sinchon Station. From McDonald's, keep walking straight (towards Burger King) until you see a Coffee Bean on your left. The restaurant is on the 2nd floor. There's another location in the COEX Mall.