Cycle 16 – Item 314
Post 5,793
15 (Sat) November 2025
Prawn Korma
2.0
-Seongsu, Seongdong, Seoul, Republic of Korea-
with Bora Chung, Ryan Estrada + Kim Hyunsook, Cari + K, members of CCC, colleagues from Korea Times, ES
The Fall WOW! (Welcome to Our Warehouse!) Family Sale is upon us: today and tomorrow.
In addition to the sale itself, one special side event is an interactive art exhibit with artist-author Ryan Estrada and his wife/co-author Kim Hyunsook. The installation includes displays of original artwork from their latest graphic novel Good Old-Fashioned Korean Spirit, as well as various stations where visitors can draw, color, write, etc, on templates provided by Ryan.
After first working with Ryan at DCC’s Free Comic Book Day last year (see generally 15.121 Chili Dog & Chips), I’ve been looking for an opportunity to collaborate again. He volunteered to set up the exhibit and run it for both days at WOW!, entirely free of charge (we paid for materials + transportation + hotel + meals).
Customers of all ages were excited by the opportunity to participate, and meet/talk with Ryan and Hyunsook.
Will definitely look to do something similar with a different artist-author at the Spring WOW! in May.
A second side event was a launch party and book talk for Midnight Timetable with author Bora Chung. To our great honor, Cari of Cari Can Read (who will also host a book swap tomorrow) moderated the discussion.
At the Spring WOW! in May, we’d hosted a book talk for 8 Lives of a Century-Old Trickster with author Mirinae Lee (see generally 16.139 Maekom Butter Bokkeum Bap).
Our 4th experience collaborating with Bora, always a thrill (see most recently 16.118 Fried Chicken).
Palétte Curry is an Indian restaurant. Specializes in curries.
Whereas Ryan and Hyunsook are both vegetarians, the difficulty was finding a venue with non-meat options – not an easy thing in Korea. Even at this Indian place, the menu offered a single vegetarian-friendly curry (palak ricotta), forcing us to order various meat curries (e.g., beef vindaloo) without meat (i.e., vindaloo).
I’ve always maintained that Korean cuisine is predominantly plant-based – most banchan are vegetables (see for example 14.199 Birthday Banchan) – but restaurant fare focuses almost exclusively on meats. Historically, Korea was a poor country, where meat was scarce and thus represented aspiration. Even now, when people go out to eat, they want meat, which still feels kinda special, not vegetables, which they can eat at home.
Incidentally, the food at Palétte Curry was mediocre. Everything was too sweet, too goopy (too much coconut cream), barely any spice or flavor. The prawn korma was just weird, topped with scallions + dried parsley flakes + shredded cheddar cheese + mashed sweet potato + raw cherry tomato + coconut cream.
Anyway, with piles of naan to go around, everyone seemed happy.
(See RESTAURANTS IN KOREA)
(See GLOBAL FOOD GLOSSARY)
(See HANSIK)
(See BOOZE)