We've only been here for one week, but we already have so much to share about our experiences. Let's start with what it is like to eat at a restaurant in Korea.
First of all there are dozens of little restaurants on every block – some big and fancy, some little hole-in-the-wall sort of places (we prefer the latter, because the food is just as good, but a lot cheaper). You can eat cheap if you eat Korean food, but if you want something western then you’re in for a shock (how about a $40 Papa John’s pizza?).
The best and cheapest restaurants usually have no English anywhere in sight. If you’re lucky there will be a picture menu and prices in Korean Won. Converting money is easy because 1,000 Won = $1. We are usually on the hunt for a dinner that costs 6,000 won or less.
When you walk into the establishment someone will always call out “Annyeong haseyo!” in a lovely melodic way, dragging out the o at the end of haseyo. The expression is used as “hello”, but it translates into “are you at peace?”
Next, you pick a seat and wait to order. While you’re waiting they will bring you about four little appetizers called banchan . One of these will always be standard cabbage-based kimchi, which is awesome and way better than we ever had back home. Other banchan include pickled radishes, radish kimchi, and my favorite this crispy yellow stuff that I think is pickled lemon.
So, the banchan looks tasty, how do you pick it up? There is usually a little container sunken into the top of the table with a metal lid on it. Pick up the lid and there are metal chop sticks and spoons – never forks.
Are you thirsty? Of course you are, its summer in Korea, which means its hot as hell and more humid than a swimming pool! The waitress will never ask you if you want a soda or any other drink, so water it is. In Korean restaurants, water is self-serve. You go get a little metal cup out of small refrigerator, then help yourself to water out of a dispenser that offers you a choice of hot or cold water.
No one ever knows how to speak English in the places we like, so you either go over to a picture menu on the wall and point, or if they don’t have that you point at food other patrons are eating (probably not very polite, but it works). We usually get spectacular food this way, but one time we got this raw fish that was totally boney and fermented so that it tasted like Formaldehyde.
When it’s time to pay we pantomime writing a check. The proprietors always know what they mean, but this is ironic since they don’t write a check, instead they just hold up fingers to indicate how many tens of thousands of won (usually 2 fingers for four people). When you pay, you give the money with your right hand and hold your right fore arm with your left hand.
Finally, as you leave, you always hear a friendly and melodic “gamsahamnida”, which means thank you.
