Korean Feast Sunday

Sunday night we met our friends Kim, Zhou Fang, Kristen, Sean, and Kristen'’s mom -– Judy - for dinner at a Knutsford Terrace Korean restaurant. Kristen's mom is visiting for the week from the Carolina’s.

I had never eaten Korean food before and was pleasantly surprised by what I found. From the traditional kim chee,– pickled cabbage,– to the more adventurous beef tar tar and chicken/vegetable hot pot, I really enjoyed the cuisine. The kim chee was a spicy combination of pickling and pepper flavors that was very satisfying to the pallet. Kim and her husband mentioned that they often get cravings for kim chee, and after trying it, I can see why. It'’s one of those unique flavors that I could binge on to the point of hatred and desire randomly from now on. It was satisfying for me in a similar way to a good Mexican meal.





Eric was particularly surprised when I went for the beef tar tar -– raw, uncooked beef, covered with a raw egg, some spices and herbs, and then mixed at the table. We were sharing all of our food family-style and Zhou Fang had ordered, so I figured why not. It was probably my favorite item of the night. The taste was very fresh, and you could tell the beef was quality. They added some mint or other similar fresh herb to the mixture, which really brought out the tastes for me. I have since survived almost 24 hours without getting sick.

The hot pot was a real success as well, with the exception of the chicken. As Americans, we are often surprised by bones in foods that we would not expect. This was one such meal. Once we abstained from the chicken in the mixture, it was a real home run. For those of you who like Indian food, say chicken tikka masala (my favorite),– this meal was a close cousin. We got a side of white rice and devoured the sauce, carrots, onions, and other vegetables that were chunkily chopped in the brew.

ItÂ’s always fun to be exposed to a new cuisine. Eric and I have not been all too impressed with Chinese food as of yet, so perhaps Korean will become a good option for variety. Kristen and Sean will soon be heading back to the U.S.,– Tulsa, specifically, as they are expecting their first child. We'’ll miss them dearly for the fun they bring to events like this. Thanks, Kim, for organizing this outing and many of our HK adventures!