Son of a Chef

We went to a nice place this last weekend. It’s the kind of place where you go and pick your meat out from the glass cooler. For the uninitiated English speaker, that means a mighty fine beef product.

Now, what we bought wasn’t quite a 1++ 한우 or a high grade Wagyu. Yet, for the price, it was spectacular. 500 grams of premium 한우 sirloin coming in around 6.8만원 is decent in 2024. 1.35만원 per 100g is the price of 삼겹살 in Seoul, almost. So this was a good deal.

And wow, that flavor. The flavor was top notch. Soft and savory, I am jealous of myself yesterday when I think about it.

I was a little concerned when the location was slightly off the beaten path but it turned out amazing. I want to return. I will return. Maybe with more people, too, and a chance to sample more of their cuts.

It was the kind of place where they were cutting up new meat behind that glass case as we ate. Meat and beer was paid separately, too. For the area and price, nearly unbeatable.

Of course, this is Korea, so where it starts is never where it ends. Together we hopped off to a new Japanese restaurant to have some Okonomiyaki and beer.

The Japanese pizza was tasty and the chopsticks went through it easily. The rainy season had just begun and the background was a pelting and punishing rain. We enjoyed the breeze on the patio and knocked back a few beers.

There is actually a trend towards budget offerings in Korea these days. It makes sense, given the harsh inflation that set in during 2023. And elsewhere in the world a draft 300ml for USD $1.25 would be smiled upon heavily. Life isn’t so bad, is it?

Our share of dollar beers done, I was persuaded by the girl to go across the street. It was unnecessary as we were both already full, but I find myself ever persuaded by the lovely ice cold beer.

Drop another in the bucket, they’ve got a new menu so let’s go. Okay. The new menu is great. Actually, it’s one of my favorite bars in the area and their consistency is awesome.

Across the table, my partner is laughing her way through lying about her age. I told her earlier that day about a guy whose girlfriend lied to him about her age for a few years. She was 10-15 years older than he had thought.

The cold beer goes down so well. When they bring it to the table, sometimes the beer freezing into ice chunks inside the glass. It’s the perfect match for a hot summer day. Or in this case, for a plate of fried shrimp heads.

Now this was quite a wonderful surprise. I did not expect them to be as delicious as they were. Actually, it was better than regular shrimp. It was more crispy and less of a seafood flavor. We were so full at this point, we really couldn’t finish it all. Packing was had and we went out the door into the rain.

The girl had told me to wear sandals. She wore boots and quite happily splash splashed all over my feet. I think it was her plan from the beginning. With my feet sopping wet, I dried off back in the apartment. And I guess that’s the story of how I blew my diet this weekend.

__

Hanwoo Restaurant

[네이버 지도]
한우이야기
경기 수원시 권선구 서수원로594번길 137
https://naver.me/5pEskuXu

[KakaoMap] 한우이야기
139, Seosuwon-ro 594beon-gil, Gwonseon-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do
https://kko.to/_yRp_Zfzqr

Japanese Bar

[네이버 지도]
생마차 수원호매실점
경기 수원시 권선구 호매실로90번길 83
https://naver.me/5oXWZHQd

YeokJeon Grandmother Beer

[KakaoMap] Yeokjeon Halmeoni Beer
24-70, Homaesil-ro 104beon-gil, Gwonseon-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do
https://kko.to/t4MkXu0FGl

[네이버 지도]
역전할머니맥주 수원호매실능실점
경기 수원시 권선구 호매실로104번길 24-70
https://naver.me/xcJtb2ev