Cycle 4 – Item 239

1 (Sun) September 2013

Minari Fai Daeng

1.5

at Thai Garden

-Itaewon, Yongsan, Seoul, Republic of Korea-

with W and DJ, Dad

I was pleased to discover that phak boong fai daeng had been added to the menu.

Unfortunately, the waiter informed us that the dish was currently being prepared not with actual morning glory (phak boong).  The heavy monsoon rains this summer had wiped out the crop.  Instead, minari was temporarily being used as a substitute.  The waiter assured us that the dish’s soy-garlic-bean sauce was so strong that the difference in vegetable would be negligible.

No, not at all negligible.  Despite the sauce, minari was too heavily perfumed, somewhat bitter, and stringy.  Total ripoff at 12,000 won.  In fact, I asked the waiter why the price wasn’t adjusted for minari, which would probably be cheaper than morning glory, he replied that most of the cost goes into the sauce.

(See also GLOBAL FOOD GLOSSARY)

(See also RESTAURANTS IN KOREA)