TRY EVERY RICE DISH AT SHANGHAI

With nothing better to do with my life, apparently, I am exploring every rice dish offered at Shanghai, our go-to joint for Korean-Chinese food in Wirye.  More often delivery than dine-in.  While all prior Try Every endeavors started out in good faith, but often fizzled out, I know from the outset that this one is doomed to failure.  Primarily because menus at Korean-Chinese restaurants in general are standardized and redundant: for example, bokkeumbap (fried rice), samseon bokkeumbap (seafood fried rice), saewu bokkeumbap (shrimp fried rice), and gesal bokkeumbap (crab fried rice) will all come with a side of jjajang (black bean sauce) and thus will all taste exactly the same, i.e., like jjajang.  Secondarily because Shanghai isn’t all that great in terms of quality or taste – I predict, based on well-established precedent (Shanghai currently ranks as the most featured restaurant in Korea on GMTD), that most dishes will rate 2.5.  But, the project will give me something to look forward to, even if I’ll be predictably disappointed – indeed, many dishes will turn out to be turds – maybe that’s the fun of it.

In the interest of saving time and effort and aggravation, dishes that were experienced prior to the launch of TERDS will be counted retroactively.

Fried Rice

1. Bokkeumbap (볶음밥) (Fried Rice) (16.099 Bokkeumbap) [technically, the first in the series]
2. Jjajangbap (짜장밥) (Jjajang Rice) (16.131 Jjajangbap)
3. Saewu Bokkeumbap (새우볶음밥) (Shrimp Fried Rice) (16.289 Saewu Bokkeumbap)
4. Gesal Bokkeumbap (게살볶음밥) (Crab Fried Rice) (16.240 Gesal Bokkeumbap)
5. Samseon Bokkeumbap (삼선볶음밥) (Seafood Fried Rice) (16.184 Samseon Bokkeumbap)

Rice with Soup (Jjambbong)

1. Jjambbongbap (짬뽕밥) (Jjambbong with Rice)
2. Samseon Jjambbongbap (삼선짬뽕밥) (Seafood Jjambbong with Rice) (14.173 Samseon Jjambbong Bap)
3. Gul Jjambbongbap (굴짬뽕밥) (Oyster Jjambbong with Rice)

Rice with Topping

1. Shanghai Teukbap (상하이특밥) (Special Rice) (15.263 Teuk Bap)
2. Mapadububap (마파두부밥) (Mapa Tofu with Rice) (16.178 Mapadububap)
3. Japchaebap (잡채밥) (Glass Noodles with Rice) (14.144 Japchae Bap) (15.306 Japchae Bap)
4. Songibap (송이밥) (Mushrooms with Rice) (12.309 Songibap)
5. Gochudeopbap (고추덥밥) (Peppers with Rice) (16.206 Gochu Deopbap)
6. Japtangbap (잡탕밥) (Mixed Seafood with Rice) (14.350 Japtang Bap)
7. Yusanseulbap (유산슬밥) (Yusanseul with Rice) (14.273 Yusanseul Bap (with Laoganma))

Not At All Chinese

1. Kimchi Bokkeumbap (김치볶음밥) (Korean Kimchi Fried Rice) (16.135 Kimchi Bokkeum Bap)
2. Omurice (오무라이스) (Japanese Omelette Rice) (16.276 Omurice)
3. Jeyukdeopbap (제육덥밥) (Korean Spicy Pork with Rice) (16.196 Jeyuk Deopbap)
4. Yukgejang (육게장) (Korean Spicy Beef Soup) (16.189 Yukgejang)
5. Ojingeo Deopbap (오징어덥밥) (Korean Spicy Squid with Rice) (12.155 Ojingeo Deopbab) [no longer on the menu]

Rice + Something Else Combo

1. Bok-Jja-Myeon (볶짜) (Fried Rice + Jjajang Myeon)
2. Bok-Jjam-Myeon (볶짬뽕) (Fried Rice + Jjambbong)
3. Tang-Bok-Myeon (탕볶) (Sweet & Sour Pork + Fried Rice) (15.334 Tangbok Myeon)