Cycle 15 – Item 341
12 (Tue) November 2024
Eohyang Donggo
1.5
-Changgok, Sujeong, Seongnam, Gyeonggi, Republic of Korea-
with the Family
Eohyang Donggo is a Korean-Chinese dish. Minced shrimp, stuffed into shiitake mushrooms and deep-fried, tossed with strips of aromatics (e.g., onions, carrots, peppers) in a spicy sauce. The name derives from the Korean pronunciation of the Chinese characters for yuxiang (fish fragrance) “(鱼香) = eohyang (어향)” + dongku (shiitake mushroom) “(冬菇) = donggo (동고). While yuxiang sauce is common in traditional Chinese cuisine (see for example 13.181 Yuxiang Rousi), the shrimp-shiitake would seem to be a Koreanized variation.
The Ryeogi version was not good. Each piece was covered in a thick leathery shell that didn’t adhere to the shrimp-shiitake ball within, so the whole thing fell apart after the initial bite. The so-called eohyang sauce was neither here nor there, tasting pretty much like any garlicky Korean-Chinese sauce. The accompanying vegetables were a mess. Perhaps the worst dish that I’ve experienced at this restaurant thus far.
Based on the experiences tonight and in the past (see 11.179 Chili Shrimp), I’ve concluded that the kitchen is incapable of executing deep-fried dishes.
(See all GLOBAL FOOD GLOSSARY)
(See all RESTAURANTS IN KOREA)