The menu here is very compact . . . there’s a few kinds of medicinal teas, and sweet red bean porridge, a clear demonstration of Fatman’s guidelines for finding good food. Most of the medicinal teas are medleys of spices, herbs, fruit, and nuts that make for a slightly bitter, heady brew that will leave your sinuses, throat, and soul happy. To balance out the bitterness, the drinks are served with crystallized ginger, for a sweet-spicy kick that will clear your palate for the next wave of goodness. Between all the melding flavors, you’ll be ready to face the cold air with a bit more equanimity.

The only exception to the tea menu is an extraordinary sujeonggwa. This punch made from dried persimmon, ginger, and cinnamon can be wan and merely sweet in the wrong hands. Thin and insipid canned “nostalgia” drinks can’t hold a candle to the rich, spicy sweetness of 2nd Best’s. It’s deeply and intensely flavored, redolent of all its main ingredients; there’s the spicy zest of the ginger, the soothing spice of the cinnamon, and the concentrated golden sweetness of the dried persimmon. Even on a chill day, the warmth of the flavors compensates and makes the day seem a little brighter.

It’s the patjuk that steals the show, though. Smooth and almost creamy, the combination of sweet rice and sweet red beans is exactly the right texture for slurping as the pale November light fades. The rice cakes almost melt in your mouth, while chestnut and ginko nuts add another texture and layer of nutty and slightly bitter flavor to balance out the sweet read beans. It’ll warm both the heart and the hands, soothing away the stresses of the day.
2nd Best is small, with only two small rooms of very limited seating. It’s got a sort of retro tea house/coffee shop vibe, which only adds to the warmth and charm . . . as does the closeness of your neighboring diners. If it’s too crowded inside, they’ll happily package up your drinks and porridge to take with you. They’re located on the main drag of Samcheongdong, on the right hand side as you walk north. The drinks start at 5,000 won, but go up significantly for the more elaborate medicinal brews.   Even so, it’s both a healthy and satisfying way to end a chilly day.

Ah! But why the Second Best Place in Seoul? “Where on earth is the first place?” we hear you cry! Well, dear readers, it IS the best place . . . the name is merely to leave them something to aspire to. It’s hard to build on near perfection, but 2nd Best is not going to stop trying just because they’re already better than everybody else!

Eat Your Kimchi does it again!

According to the Wall Street Journal’s Korea Realtime Blog, the G20 leaders will be dining on steak (한우, of course! and fancy persimmon fed cattle, at that) as part of a three-course western-style meal.   They also won’t be serving caviar or fois gras for ethical concerns, and Fatman is a little less distraught at not being asked to join them in their repast at the National Museum.

Nanoomi.net is having a party! We want to give our readers a chance to meet some of our bloggers and hear about the new projects we’re rolling out.
나누미(Nanoomi.net)에서 블로거분들과 함께하는 파티를 개최합니다.

The event itself will be casual, with light food (including Korean tacos!), drinks, music and short presentations by some of our bloggers.
이번 파티에는 멋진 음악과 함께 맛있는 식음료가 제공되며 간단한 프리젠테이션을 함께할 예정입니다.

When: Saturday, Nov. 6, 6:30-10 p.m., 2010년 11월 6일 (토) 오후 6:30~10:30
Presentations from 7-8 p.m. 오후 7시~8시 나누미 필진들의 간략한 프리젠테이션이 예정되어있습니다.
Photo/Video Slideshow, Music, Light Refreshments, Party 8-10 p.m.
사진과 비디오 슬라이드쇼, 음악과 함께하는 가벼운 다과파티가 8시부터 10시까지 진행됩니다.

Where: Sonofactory (http://blog.naver.com/sonofactory/)
Taeseong Building, 1st floor, 204-54 Donggyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul
장소: 서울특별시 마포구 동교동 204-54 태성빌딩 1층 소노팩토리
Near Hongik University Station, line 2, exit 1
Map: http://bit.ly/c3hjhp

Phone/전화안내: 070-8224-8976

Cost: 10,000 won (Pay at the door)
참석비: 1만원(현장 현금결제만 가능합니다.)

RSVP at http://onoffmix.com/event/1972
(You must join OnOffMix to register: http://onoffmix.com/account/join)
온오프믹스에서 사전에 신청해주시면 됩니다. 결제는 현장에서 현금으로만 받습니다.

ABOUT NANOOMI:
Nanoomi is the first site to bridge the Korean and English blogospheres, and the first case in which a well-established Korean media-tech venture, Tatter & Media, has funneled efforts into highlighting English-language blogs in Korea.
나누미는 태터앤미디어가 세계 최초로 설립한 한글과 영어 블로고스피어를 이어주는 블로그 입니다.
세계와 한국의 블로그를 통틀어 깊고 다양한 이야기들을 공유할 작가,번역가가 모인 한국을 사랑하는 사람들의 커뮤니티 입니다.

In the past, Tatter & Media (http://tattermedia.com/), which claims over 200 of Korea’s top “power bloggers” as its partners, had focused exclusively on Korean-language content. But, in response to worries about “linguistic isolation” on the Internet – in which people who speak the language interact only with each other online – Tatter is helping us get our expat bloggers an opportunity to reach a Korean audience. This is happening not only through the site, but also with podcasts and Android apps that are in the works.
과거 태터앤미디어는 200여 파워 블로거 파트너들에게 한국어 콘텐츠를 제공하는데 주력했습니다. 그러나 “언어적 고립”에 대응하고자 한국의 잠재적 유저에게 다가갈 수 있는 기회를 제공하려 했고, 나누미를 통해 다양한 언어를 말하는 사람들이 서로가 온라인에서 상호작용을 하고 이를 팟캐스트와 안드로이드 어플리케이션으로도 이어지도록 노력하고 있습니다.

Nanoomi is a “bridge blog” with writers who span the language divide with their content. For example, among Nanoomi’s 25+ bloggers:

• Joe McPherson (ZenKimchi) will tell the world about Korean food, while also offering the Korean government and companies suggestions on how to market their food overseas.
• Robert Koehler (The Marmot’s Hole) and Matt VanVolkenburg (Gusts of Popular Feeling) provide English-language readers translations of Korean news, document the country’s urban development and offer historical perspective on current issues.
• Darcy Paquet and Tom Giammarco (KoreanFilm.org) open up Korean cinema to a global audience.
• Simon and Martina Stawski (Eat Your Kimchi) provide a fun look into Korean life and pop culture through their entertaining videos.

나누미는 자신의 콘텐츠로 각자의 언어를 통해 에디터를 거쳐 함께하는 브릿지 블로그 입니다. 나누미를 구성하는 25인의 블로거중 예를 들어 조 맥퍼슨(ZenKimchi)과 제니퍼(FatManSeoul)는 해외 시장에 그들의 요리 레시피에 대한 한국 정부 및 기업의 제안을 제공하는 반면, 한국 음식에 대한 이야기를 전합니다.

로버트(The Marmot’s Hole)와 매트(Gusts of Popular Feeling)는 한국 소식과 역사를 번역해 제공하며 다시와 톰은 (KoreanFilm.org) 전세계 관객에게 한국 영화를 전합니다. 아울러 사이먼과 마르티나는(EatYourKimchi) 그들의 엔터테인먼트를 통해 한국 생활과 대중 문화에 관한 즐거운 모습을 제공합니다.
Please feel free to invite anyone who would be interested in this event. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Cynthia Yoo, Nanoomi’s founding editor (editor@nanoomi.net); Hannah Bae, Head Editor (hannahbae@gmail.com); or Hyeon Chol Yang (yang000n@gmail.com).
이번 파티에 어울릴 주변 동료를 초대해 주세요! 궁금하신 사항은 언제든지 신시아, Nanoomi(editor@nanoomi.net), 한나(hannahbae@gmail.com)혹은 양현철(yang000n@gmail.com)에게 문의 주시면 감사드리겠습니다.

We hope you can join us on the 6th!
11월 6일 나누미 파티에 여러분의 많은 참여 바랍니다!

p.s. If you’re having trouble registering at OnOffMix, please register here.

Well, not all kimchi.  Just one of the hundreds of distinguishable varieties out there.  But hey!  It’s the important one!  The most basic of all baechu kimchi is going the way of the dodo.

Well, sort of.  Last year there was a glut, so farmers cut back on how much they planted.  Then, we got hit with one lousy weather system after another, and voila!  There’s not enough napa cabbage to go ’round, a single head can now cost more than 10,000 won.  Did you hear that?  WE’RE ALL GOING TO DIE!

They’ll be no gimjang this year, kiddies. It’s canceled! St. Saeur Kraut won’t be visiting and leaving magical gifts of spicy cabbage in your gomushin, and there won’t be a single leaf left to decorate your gimjang tree.  Worse yet, restaurants may start charging for kimchi!

But as in all times of trouble and scarcity, Koreans can look to President Lee Myeong-bak to lead the way.  Has there ever been a leader so truly in touch with his people?  In sympathy for their plight, he’s switching to kimchi made with western-style round cabbage until the crisis abates.  What a guy!

What is being done to protect us all from the terror?  Well, we’re going to start importing Chinese cabbage from . . . uh, China (fancy that!), even though it may not match our unique body chemistry (or contain dangerous parasites.  Same-same)

Those of you with a survivalist frame of mind, who have already stockpiled canned food and water in preparation for nuclear winter can try your own radical approach and grow your own on the roof of your bomb shelter.

In order to help you through the coming dark days and ease your hunger, we’d like to point you to a few recipes for 깍두기 (cubed radish) from Aeri’s Kitchen and Wandering Chopsticks, and Maangchi’s 열무 물김치.  Also, for quite posibbly the most comprehensive rundown of kimchi commotion ever, check out the Marmot’s entry.  Good luck!

Top seven gross Korean dishes selected by foreign staff at the Korea Herald

All we can say is that intern reporter Ryu Jeong-hyun needs to learn what actually constitutes news.  Hint:  polling your foreign colleagues about what Korean foods wig them out isn’t it.

mmmmmmmm! 순대!

For the record, the offending foods were 홍어 (fermented skate), 번데기 (silkworm larvae), 닭발 (chicken feet), 산낙지 (“live” octopus), 순대 (blood sausage), 보신탕 (dog soup), and 곱창 (intestines).

Fatman would like to point out that lots of Koreans don’t like or eat these foods.  Hongeo is a taste acquired only through much endurance.  Most people never acquire it, and that’s fine.  But it doesn’t make it “gross.”

Beondaegi-eating is a generational divide, with older people enjoying it more than the young . . . but young people have grown up in a totally different culinary and economic landscape.  It’s a nostalgia food for many people.

Surprise!  Chicken feet is a food with international legs.  Apparently the Korea Herald doesn’t have anybody from, say, the Philippines, Africa, the Caribbean, the American south, or . . . well, most of the rest of Asia.

어머나!  Sundae is made with pig intestine?  You mean, just like virtually every other kind of sausage?!?*  And it’s not like people don’t eat blood sausage elsewhere, like . . . oh, most of western Europe.

Fatman could write all day about how these so-called strange foods actually can be found around the world in various forms.  But the real problems is that acting like a very narrow sampling of (we’re guessing white, western, probably North American) foreigners can be used to show what foreigners as a group think about Korean food is annoying.  It’s stupid because it exoticizes Korean food and turns foreigners into a monolithic group.

News flash:  Poorly researched, half-assed articles are annoying.

Now, if you’ll excuse us, Fatman has an insatiable craving for sundae . . .

*caveat – most sundae, and indeed most sausage nowadays, uses synthetic wrappers instead of intestines . . . but mostly to save on cost.  High quality stuff is still stuffed inside pig stuffing.

Fatman has already expounded on CJ Food’s recent entry into the international restaurant sphere with BiBiGo.  Fortunately, Fatman’s wonderful friends stepped in to supplement our interest in the chain by reviewing their new location in Los Angeles, California.  Let’s have a big, hearty round of applause for Han Kim for his intreped reporting!

Thank you, fatmanseoul.com, for giving me this opportunity to blog about one of my favorite passions, food. I was on special assignment to investigate the new phenomenon of Korean food globalization. The newest addition to the Korean food takeover (other than Issac Toast and BBQ chicken) is Bibigo.

BiBiGo’s newest location over the Pacific is in Los Angeles, near UCLA’s campus in Westwood Village. The modern signage is a little odd-looking, but cute. I could feel my Koreaness oozing from all my pores. “They used a spoon for a letter,” I thought, “awww, cute!”

Immediately I noticed the beers in the cooler by the entry. This “healthy” restaurant is trying to be healthy, but they have beer. At least they have some of the bori cha (barley tea) I’m familiar with. All the items available were about $9 or more. I went with the first option of Bibigo Rice, since my philosophy is the first thing on the menu is usually the best thing on the menu, else why would they put it first?I have a lot of rice options, and I get the most non-white looking rice, since I grew up hearing that the whiter rice is the worse for your health. I choose to get chicken since I thought I should lose some pounds, since I was going to be in a triathlon soon. Plus, it’s really hard to mess up chicken and I want to play it safe. My fourth choice on the menu was sauce, and I choose the citron soy since I like a little bit of soy on my chicken. But what the heck is green sesame? Undercooked sesame seeds? There were other entrees options to choose from such as Ruby Grapefruit Salad, Jap chae , or Duk boki (Spicy Rice Cakes), but I was craving rice.

Since they just opened, I wanted to give the business a chance and not judge too harshly on food prep. I could see chaos in the front as they tried to fill the orders, but it looked like only one person was putting the sides together. I noticed there were several managers running the restaurant, but only one was really helping while the others would stand there try to help but really just criticizing the workers. Dude, not in front of the customers! I wondered if he really knew what he was doing, or was just a investor who insisted on being there for the opening. If you are going to help, do your share instead of going over the mistakes that your workers might have made. After all, you’re the ones who designed the restaurant so that only one person can work the banchan station. One peeved customer waiting for 20 minutes for her food, but they only had half of the order completed. She was critical of the fact they didn’t take orders by phone to speed up the process. Korean food to me was never really fast food. If it’s fast, it usually ends up bad.

The food, on the other hand, was good and fresh. It had better be, since I I paid $9 for it. The banchan with shitake mushrooms, pickled cucumbers, and daikon went well. The chicken wasn’t that substantial, but it’s supposed to be healthy, right? The whole meal was served on top of a bed of lettuce. My non-Korean friend, Paul, got the bibimbap. He thought the bulgogi needed more flavor, but was happy with his bibimbap, even though he misses the egg. On a previous trip, I had tried the stone pot bibimbap and had one question: Where is my egg? In consolation, the broccoli and the spinach was good. All I needed was kimchi, but being in America I had to be satisfied with sliced jalapeno peppers.

The interior was nice, like a soothing, Korean, modern-looking restaurant. I feel like I could have stayed there to surf the net and chill with my friends. My friend said he could eat here once a month, as could I. It’s a nice place for a lunch date, or maybe dinner date, since they have beer. I doubt they will have a happy hour, but if this place served better anju, I’d be there everyday. I do hope for the best for Bibigo, since Korean food deserves recognition and it’s paving the way for other Korean food franchises to step into the American market.

Again, Fatman would like to thank Han Kim for taking the time to review BibiGo LA for us!

Zen Kimchi in Harper’s Bazar

The Japanese trademarked makgeolli

Reknowned film critic Roger Ebert has a rice cooker cookbook out, despite being unable to eat

Seoul’s tap water won’t kill you

Fatman wined and dined with Wine Korea

And somebody really likes Kimchi