tak galbi

the hottest food i've had yet. we went into Cheongju for the day yesterday and for dinner we went to a restaurant "yukanae" where they serve mostly tak (chicken) galbi (the method it is cooked). this is really neat because the food is cooked in your table and the server comes round and cooks it for you (see above). after you've eaten most of the meat (it also has onion, potato, and rice cakes) he comes back with plates of rice and mixes it all together for the second course. it was really tasty but so hot that i literally could have passed out from it. not while eating it - it's spicy then, but not so much you can't eat it (i like it hot!) - but about half an hour after eating it i started to feel really warm and then turned a funny red colour and began sweating profusely. the heat inside of me continued for about 30-45 minutes, during which time we walked from one airconditioned store to the next... thank god for AC!!! anyway, i survived it, but i think i'll have to watch out for the tak galbi. apparently it wasn't even the hottest kind that they have - there's another called bultak galbi - bul means fire - so basically fire chicken cooked at your table. mmmmm... yummy ... but i'd probablly internally combust!



after the tak galbi and the cooling off we went for some lemon soju at a bar - and they served snails... so i tried them. they were kind of salty, and chewy, nothing special really... it was just such a surprise to be sitting at the table and have smails plopped down in front of you by the mullet of the year - wish i'd taken a photo of him... i thought it was a wig - but i digress.



until next time... more to come on the exciting adventures of Korean life!