Cycle 16 – Item 123
Post 5,602
8 (Thu) May 2025
Pan-Fried Seabass with Fregola and Basil Pesto
3.0
at Josun Palace
-Yeoksam, Gangnam, Seoul, Republic of Korea-
with W and the In-Laws
For Parents’ Day today, W said that she had lined up a special dinner for us and her parents at a fancy hotel in Gangnam. “Wear something nice, not necessarily a suit, but at least a jacket, and no sneakers,” she advised.
When I showed up at the venue, I realized that I’d been duped. It wasn’t a restaurant but an event space, with tables arranged for dinner service (like at a wedding). It wasn’t a meal but a sales pitch, by JPMorganChase and their local affiliates. Thus, we weren’t there as diners/customers but as investors – as I would later learn, invitations had gone out to VIP clients, both to thank and to squeeze more out of them.
Within seconds of listening to the guy prattle on about returns or risks or whatever the fuck, the thought occurred to me, with crystal clarity, that I would soon kill myself if I had to work in a job relating to banking or finance or anything where the objective is managing or making money. Meanwhile, W was having a blast, furiously scribbling notes on a notepad conveniently provided by the organizers. Conversely, I wondered how she would’ve felt listening to technical presentations on tobacco legislation at a WHO meeting.
During dinner, which could’ve been mildly enjoyable per se, I had to deal with assholes at the table, such as bank employees trying their best to be charming/accommodating but coming across as flattering/annoying, and other guests bragging about their investment portfolios or golf trips or wine cellars or whatever the fuck.
Fregula is a type of pasta. Small balls approximately 2-3mm in diameter. Similar to couscous but much larger, possibly with common origins to North Africa.
The fish itself was sorta dry, but the dish overall was … competent … like that of a respectable business-class meal on a reputable carrier (see for example 14.050 Sea Bass Fillet).
I promised the In-Laws that I would make it up to them, either by cooking a spread at home or treating a meal at a proper restaurant.
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