FatManSeoul

Fatman can’t be everywhere, so it’s a good job that both A Food Journey in Korea and Brian in Jeollanam-do (check out his flickr page on the festival!) both got to check it out. While you’re at it, check out Brian’s extensive list of festivals down south. Fatman’s stomach is grumbling with disappointment at not being able to go . . . and with hunger!

Fatman guesses . . .

this is supposed to help your . . .uh . . . “stamina”

spotted at the Andong Mask Dance Festival

Fatman managed to do a bit of exploring at the Andong Mask Dance Festival this year . . . and being Fatman, of course we managed to take pictures of some delicious noshing!

How do you like them apples?

Mmmmm, ginseng!

and deep fried ginseng! Read the rest of this entry »

Not exactly a festival, but still festive, the Korea Food Expo runs through this Sunday, October 12th at the ATCenter in Yangjae-dong. Take the free shuttle from Yangjae Station to the expo and wander around to see the best of what the Korean food industry is up to. Lots of fabulous food to sample and industry insiders to learn from!

Go check out the Korea Food Expo website (한국어/ English) and then swing by the exhibit itself to get the insider take on what’s going on in Korean food!

The uberblog of Koreablogs, The Marmot’s Hole, found a fascinating article about the increased popularity of Korean and Asian food across America - including at Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky:

The new Korean menu at Murray State University in Murray, Ky., is a hit, and the best proof is the empty plates. Dishes come back bare when students sample recipes such as beef bulgogi, seaweed soup and spicy chicken. To meet demand, the kitchen has more than doubled production of the recipes since the items debuted in August.“It’s amazing how many people are trying the Korean items,” says Director of Dining Services Richard Fritz, who introduced the menu after a staff trip to South Korea this summer. “We’re fairly fresh into this, and we want to see what overall acceptance will be. If we find it’s quite successful, our goal is to expand it.” Read the rest of this entry »

Fatman is pleased to announce that we have joined the metablog Hub of Sparkle!  What’s that, you may ask?

. . . We wanted to create a place where foreign folks living in Korea can meet and put their heads together on a broad range of topics, especially those having to do with the more rich and colorful aspects of Korean society and culture.

Foreigners have reached the million mark, making for 2% of the population here, and the increased diversity of interests among a broader range of people is really showing. In terms of the Korean expat blogosphere, we’ve got people presenting their passion for and knowledge about food, fashion, music, dance, and many other aspects of life here, and coming from a broader range of people, from US service members, women, people from underrepresented ethnicities, various religious perspectives, etc.

So everybody meander on over for the feast of words at the Hub of Sparkle!

www.koreasparkle.com

Fatman wonders if some of this is a false trend, or at least partially unrelated to the recent economic downturn.

From the Korea Times:

Despite the slow economy that is forcing consumers to tighten their purse strings, a Pizza Hut restaurant in southern Seoul is enjoying a busier lunch time these days, as customers are up by 20 percent. There is a secret to this success ― a new discount menu.

The franchise last month launched “smart lunch” items, allowing visitors to eat small-sized pizzas and pasta dishes for 6,000 won ($4.70).

“We introduced these items because we thought customers wanted a meal at a reasonable price during an economic downturn,” a Pizza Hut spokesman said. Read the rest of this entry »

The Korea Times has an update on more products found to contain melamine:
Lotte Confectionary’s “Choudy”
Nestle’s Kit Kat Mini
Mars Korea’s Peanut Snickers Fun Size and M&M’s

that’s in addition to the already identified:

Misarang (custard and coconut flavor)
Nabisco Ritz Cheese Cracker Sandwiches
Lipton Milk Tea Powder
Cadbury chocolates
Creamer and coffee products that contain creamer imported from Hong Kong
Danyang Day Bright’s Tasty Rice Crackers

Most of the candies and snacks found in Korea contain more melanine than legally allowed or considered safe, but the amount most adults would need to consume before getting sick is still quite large. Try to avoid products identified as tainted, but don’t freak out if you’ve eaten a fun size Snickers or have broken off a piece of that Kit Kat Bar.

Because sometimes fast food just isn’t fast enough!

Introducing McDelivery! Now you can call and place your order, which will be zipped to you by scooter in a matter of minutes.
Because real estate is at a premium, McDonald’s Korea simply doesn’t have many drive-thru establishments (How rare is it?  Rare enough that the McD homepage has instructions on how to order at one!)  Virtually all McD’s are walk-in establishments, so your only choice is to eat there or carry it out with your own two feet for locomotion. However, even many traditional restaurants in Korea have delivery services - McD’s just decided to hop on the bandwagon to make getting your Big Mac even easier. More and more locations are adding the service, so check to see if you too can get a side of fries delivered to your very doorstep.

For delivery, dial (area code) 1600-5252

우리 자매 사이트에게 . . .A special treat for our sister site, www.feetmanseoul.com:

Read the rest of this entry »