10.331
2 (Mon) December 2019
Myong Tae Gui
4.0
at Kaya
-Bel Air, Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines-
with Korean colleagues, the Family
Tonight was the year-end family dinner for Korean staff.
Prior occasions:
- 2015: Kaya (6.339 Bulgogi Salad)
- 2016: Kaya (7.338 Haemul Pa Jeon)
- 2017: Jangeo Garden (8.331 Carrot Rice)
It was the first family dinner since Dr Shin had retired as Regional Director.
Only 8 Korean staff, including me (even if I’m a US citizen, I’m always included – why not, Americans never do anything together), and 4 consultants are currently based in the Regional Office. At one point, we had over 20.
The room felt empty.
Myeongtae gui – more commonly referred to as “kodari” (코다리) – is a Korean fish dish. Semi-dried pollack (myeongtae), topped with a sweet-spicy chili-soy-garlic dressing, broiled (gui) to a crisp.
Here, it was perfect. Perfectly crispy on the outside, still juicy on the inside. Perfectly balanced dressing, neither too sweet nor too spicy. Excellent on its own, exquisite with the nurungji tang (burnt rice soup), which provided warmth and roundness. The meal had not been going that well but ended with a bang.
