Cycle 5 – Item 109
24 (Thu) April 2014
Mushroom + Mugwort Jeon
1.5
at the In-Laws’ home
-Apgujeong, Gangnam, Seoul, Republic of Korea-
solo
Home Visit 4: Break + Housekeeping (Day 9)
- Day 1 (5.101 Chicken Inasal with Garlic Rice)
- Day 2 (5.102 Potato & Corn Croquettes)
- Day 3 (5.103 Mul Naeng Myeon x 2)
- Day 4 (5.104 Donggeurang-Ddaeng)
- Day 5 (5.105 Haemul Jjim)
- Day 6 (5.106 Spicy Taiwanese Crab Stir-Fry)
- Day 7 (5.107 Fusilli in Meat Sauce)
- Day 8 (5.108 Grilled Seabass)
- Day 9 (5.109 MIL’s Typical Korean At-Home Meal)
Concluding my initial 3-month contract with WHO, now extended 5.5 months, I’m back in Korea to take a break (contract break and personal break) and attend to various housekeeping matters – mostly for the (personal) break.
LUNCH
As per preflight SOP – I’m off to Taiwan tomorrow – I had mul naeng myeon for lunch. With W, this second experience at Kang Seo Myeonok, which is located near her office, confirmed my prior impression that the MNM here is just too sweet, not a true Pyongyang-style.
FAMILY TIME
DINNER
Another regret is that my last meal in town consisted of MIL’s cooking. She means well, always does, thinking that I’d miss Korean food while in Manila. By the time that I got home with the kids, she had a spread already prepared on the table, so I couldn’t refuse. I get more than enough Korean food in Manila. To this day, MIL doesn’t believe when I claim not to like Korean food all that much; she thinks that I’m being absurd, as if I’d claimed not to like air all that much.
So, my last day in town was a complete wash in terms of food.
Tomorrow, on the way back to Manila, I’ll be dropping by for a food weekend in Taipei, a solo refresher before I start work on Monday. On the eve of departure, though, I’m wishing deep down that I could stay in Korea to the very last possible minute, spend every last second with the family.
(See also MUL NAENG MYEON)
(See also GLOBAL FOOD GLOSSARY)
(See also RESTAURANTS IN KOREA)