Eating Korean

When the dog days of summer hit, the last thing we want to do is slave over a stove getting dinner on the table. Last night was one of those lazy summer evenings, when I just wanted an easy meal that was also delicious.

So, I’m sharing with you my recipe for Yachae Gooksu (Vegetable Mixed Noodles), which will be included in my upcoming cookbook – “Quick and Easy Korean” (to be published by Chronicle Books in 2009). This is like a quick appetizer for the book, which includes recipes that all require 30 minutes or less of work time (believe me, I timed myself when making each dish!).

Last night I had dinner on the table in 15 minutes! It helped that my husband made the yangnyeom ganjang (seasoned soy sauce). An easy to make, healthy meal? Say it isn’t so!

Vegetable Mixed Noodles (Yachae Gooksu)

Salt
1 pound dried somen noodles (about 4 bundles)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more if needed
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 carrots, coarsely shredded
3 small zucchini, thinly sliced crosswise
3 green onions, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons Asian sesame oil
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 pickling or Persian cucumbers, coarsely shredded
Toasted sesame seeds for garnish
Freshly ground black pepper (optional)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water, then add the somen and cook until al dente, About 3 to 4 minutes. Rinse under cold water, drain well and divide the noodles among 4 large bowls.

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the garlic and carrots and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the zucchini and a little more oil if needed. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini is just slightly browned. Turn off the heat, add the green onions, and toss.

Stir the soy sauce, sesame oil, and sugar together in a small bowl until the sugar is dissolved.

Pile the vegetable mixture on the noodles and drizzle with the soy mixture. Top with the cucumbers, sesame seeds, and black pepper. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings

Variations: If you’re feeling more adventurous, experiment with other vegetables. Mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, and sprouts work well.

Note: For smaller or larger portions, remember that one bundle of somen noodles works out to be enough noodles for one person.

I’d been meaning to go to the L.A. location of this popular Seoul joint for awhile. So, this hot summer night when we didn’t feel like cooking, we decided to meet some friends for some noodles and dumplings. Just like the original in Myeongdong, the L.A. restaurant has only 6 items on the menu, which includes kal gooksu (handmade noodles with vegetables in chicken broth), mandu (pork dumplings), bibim gooksu (spicy mixed somen noodles), dongchimi gooksu (cold noodles with vegetables in water kimchi broth), and kohng gooksu (cold noodles in soybean broth).

The decór is typical of modern casual Korean restaurants, but a bit more on the stark side. Dark wood tables (with a service bell) and clean-edged chairs complete the room. A couple of flat-screen TVs adorn the light-colored walls.

The mandu (dumplings) were nice and juicy, stuffed with pork and green onions into little rounds.

The dongchimi gooksu was refreshing with a surprise of green noodles under all the vegetables and ice. The broth was light and not as sour as I expected. It came with thinly sliced pickled mu (radish), cucumbers (both shredded and thinly sliced), topped with the requisite half of a boiled egg.

Their bibim gooksu was good and spicy, covered with shredded cucumber, on a bed of thinly sliced cucumber gimchi, and, of course, the boiled egg half.

Their banchan (side dishes) are as simple as the decor and menu. You get 2 items, a very spicy and garlic-laden baechu (napa cabbage) gimchi and a baek (white), not at all spicy gimchi. Unfortunately, the baechu gimchi was loaded with MSG (so those with allergies should beware). And the gimchi is so heavy on the garlic, they have a mouthwash dispenser in the bathrooms (complete with tiny, paper cups for your use).

Their menu is mostly in Korean, but the colored photos help you decide. They have beer and soju on the menu for those who wish to imbibe. All dishes just under $8. They take MC & V, but there’s no dedicated parking lot (best to go after 7pm, since there’s plenty of parking on Wilshire and Harvard).

3630 Wilshire Blvd (on the SW corner of Harvard)
Los Angeles, CA 90010
(213) 385-7789

It’s finally here! You can get your very own copy of the travel guide, Frommer’s South Korea via amazon or through me. I’ve included all the gorgeous temples, national parks, wonderful little towns and, of course, recommendations for restaurants, regional foods and the like. I hope you use it to see my beautiful native country that’s still so little known to international tourists.

For $23.99 + $2.50 (for media rate shipping anywhere in the U.S.) I’ll throw in a free map and a travel guidebook from the KTO. Just let me know to whom you want the book signed in the notes section of your order.

Or if you’d rather you can order it from Amazon.com, you can do it here.

You can also listen to a podcast I did for frommers.com here.

If you discover something fabulous that I’ve missed, please let me know so I can include it in the next edition.

Happy travels!

One of the best experiences to have in Korea is just walking through the numerous open markets. Namdaemun Shijang in Seoul, the oldest and largest wholesale market in the country, is located right by the now burnt Namdaemun (the “Great South Gate”). Koreans say that if you can’t find it in Namdaemun, it probably doesn’t exist.

When you wind your way through the the crowded streets you’ll find everything from clothes and accessories, housewares and blankets, shoes and eye glasses, and of course tons and tons of food. There is also an alley that specializes in just street food (who doesn’t get hungry from all that bargaining), and I can’t help but stop and eat. Some of the best deals can be found during the night market (for insomniacs awake between midnight and 4am!).

The last time I was there, I got a quick shot of these three ajumma (middle-aged women) selling their pickled vegetables. I love how they all are looking/stretching the same direction and it makes me laugh every time.

Every year in early Spring the first pale green leaves from the tea plant peek their little heads, waking up from their winter sleep. The earliest leaves of the season are the most highly prized. Hand picked by sun-wizened local ladies, they are the most expensive. From early April through early September, the tea leaves are harvested in Boseong, a beautiful hilly area of Jeollanam-do (South Jeolla Province).

Tea drinking has been a part of Korean culture as far back as 661 AD, starting with the Emperor Suro who founded the Gaya Kingdom, during the Korea’s Three Kingdom Period. The seeds traveled here mostly likely from the Yunnan province, as Buddhist monks brought them during their travels.

Although the tea plants are grown in various parts of the country, the most popular is Boseong, where you’ll find the Daehan Dawon (a.k.a. the Boseong Tea Plantation).

I went in late April last year during the second harvest (there are 4 major harvests throughout the year) and watched the rural women picking those tender green leaves by hand. Here, I caught a shot from the top of the fields during their tea break. I thought it was ironic that they served the ladies some cream bread and cans of chilled green tea.

If you get a chance to visit Korea, I highly recommend making a special trip to Boseong. Not only will you get to see the gorgeous tea fields, but somehow drinking a cup of tea from the region creates a sense of calm and appreciation difficult to attain otherwise.

I spent a good part of last year traveling throughout Korea, doing research for my travel guide, Frommer’s South Korea (which is coming out in June!). While my aunt and I were following the signs that pointed to the Chicken Museum, we got lost in a hilly street that was winding its way up behind the Blue House (the Korean version of the White House and where the president lives) in the Samcheong-dong neighborhood of Seoul.

We chanced upon this beautiful tea house overlooking the city. Inside was a small garden with a man-made stone trough and water lilies floating inside. Surrounding the green space were rough-hewn wooden tables where you drink tea.

We took off our shoes at the door and stepped up to the shiny wooden floors. The lovely ladies, who ran the place, invited us in and sat us at a table with a view of both the city and the garden. Their menu had a good listing of traditional Korean teas, not cheap, by any means, but you were paying for the atmosphere as much as the beverage itself. They gave us our own thermos full of hot water and some toasted pumpkin seeds and Korean sweets made from sesame seeds. Teas ranged from 6,000 to 10,000 Won.

My aunt chose the “memil cha” (”memil” is buckwheat and “cha” means tea). The buckwheat tea is made from the toasted grains, which make for a mellow, pleasantly nutty tea. It was a beautiful honey color. To be honest with you, I don’t remember which tea I had (but you can see it pictured above), but it was something light and fragrant. Just perfect for a windy spring afternoon.

If you happen to be in Seoul, go to Samcheong-dong and follow the signs to the Tibetan Museum. Just up the way (on the opposite side of the street) you’ll see a traditional looking building and the inner courtyard. The name of the tea house translates to “a garden where you drink tea..”

Come to think of it, I never did find that chicken museum!

Cha Massi-neun Ddeul
35-169 beonji, Samcheong-dong
tel: (0)2-722-7006
open daily 11 am - 10:30 pm

This is an ongoing site and blog I’m running to share all the excitement and flavors of the food from my homeland. I will include restaurant reviews, food history, recipes and photos. I’ll also share my knowledge and any fun news about the cuisine I love. So, check in often to see what I’m up to and let me know about your own Korean food experiences. Enjoy!