Quirky Korea -- Instant Culinary Gratification

Here is just a little sampling of the random bits of Korean culture – some of which surprised me initially, and some of which continues to amuse/delight/frustrate the hell out of me.

Call buttons: In many restaurants, you can summon wait staff by pushing a handy, dandy button built into the table. No shouting, “excuse me!” or spending frustrating moments trying to catch your waiter’s eye. Though in the absence of such a button, screaming, “chogiyo” or “please come here” is perfectly acceptable, too.

Side dishes: Restaurants provide instant gratification in the form of side dishes that arrive just moments after you sit, though sometimes you have to get them yourself. The variety is vast and not all appeal to my palette, but most do. You’ll find everything from kimchi, onions in soy sauce, anchovies in chili pepper paste, deep fried meatballs, roasted okra and even bandegi, stewed silk worm larvae. Oh, whatever will I do when I get home and have to wait 15 minutes to eat something in a restaurant?

Napkins: So, I’m not exactly a messy eater, but maybe I am, because I seem to need more napkins than anyone I know, except for Mike, and these flimsy swaths of paper the size of my hand just aren’t cutting it. And these substandard napkins are at the classier end of napkinry here – many times, napkins are provided in the form of a roll of toilet paper on the table or suspended from the ceiling for all to share. I long for a thick, cloth napkin that can cover my entire lap.

Starbucks: And Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Angels in Us, Holly’s Coffee, The Twosome Place – Koreans have bought designer coffee hook, line and sinker. And they pay up to U.S. $8 for a sweet, blended drink. Because I am a coffee whore, I, too, indulge from time to time.

Korean coffee: For 10 to 50 cents, you can get a Dixie cup of Korean coffee from vending machines located everywhere from doctors' officers to subway stations. I frequent a certain pharmacy because they have free Korean coffee. The stuff can’t really be characterized as coffee; it’s all sugar and nondairy creamer with the mildest hint of coffee. Still, I’ve grown accustomed of the stuff, even craving it at times.