Yes, let's talk about my favorite topic. Food in Korea is very very reasonable! Recently I have spent about $5 per dinner if I am being conservative. There are many places that serve western food, brunch, or pasta that can get into the $15 range but all of my favorite foods can be found for $10 0r much much less. Here the first photo is the Korean snack food with two dishes for less than $5 together. Next is the Korean traditional market where we got three dishes in HUGE portions for less than $10. Now the third picture is not my favorite Don katsu (pork cutlet) restaurant but Kimberly and I have found many places that serve this dish and there are many varieties from $5 to $10. The fourth photo is of a sweet potato pizza and it is so much more amazing than it seems. Sweet potato is very common here and it makes a savory sweet taste in many dishes! The pizza split by three people was $6 each. FINALLY Kimberly and I found this small Italian restaurant that is run by one guy who takes your order, cleans the table, and cooks all when there are 5 or more tables. The owner/chef is extremely talented and his truffle mushroom burger (in the picture) is one of the most divine dishes I have ever had for $12. This is a bit of a variety of what I can have on a weekly basis.
I have found my stomach to be fine with the very different palate that Korean food offers. I had not expected the spice level of Korean food. Most dishes that I have eaten and have slowly been accustomed to have been mild to eyewatering spicy but they could be much stronger. I have had a couple of dishes bring me to tears over the spice (in the first photo red sauce is not tomato it's red pepper paste). Garlic is also in almost every food here. I believe that the type of garlic is actually less powerful than in the states but I eat whole cloves during KBBQ and in sauces. Koreans love garlic and onions. I have tried many new things like kalguksu, an egg noodle soybean soup, crab wasabi kimbab, hotteok (best snack ever), (I have discovered a love for) Indian curry and naan, and all things relating to Kbbq. I am so surprised by how much my food tastes have changed!
Korean Barbecue is at an absolutely new level. I have tried it twice in America and in Korea, it does not compare at all. The meat cuts in Korea are much more fatty and marbled and being an American who cuts the fat off of her steak I was a bit disturbed at first but have got along well. The main cut of meat used for samgyeopsal is pork belly so it is just very thick bacon. The cuts are about an inch thick and then varying lengths that you cut yourself during grilling to bite size. You get many side dishes with your dinner and so grilling onions on the flat top over the charcoal and garlic and kimchi. The best way to enjoy the meat is to nestle it in a small lettuce wrap with onion, garlic, and spicy sauce then MUNCH. One bite with huge flavor! Our favorite KBBQ place is $16 for 500grams of meat and many side dishes. This is enough for two people for sure, three people if you aren't that hungry. We have also tried grilling beef ribs and the taste is out of this world. The meats are almost never seasoned but have various dipping sauces and dry rubs to dip in when the meat is cooked. You can never go wrong at a KBBQ because there is something that satisfies all.
Another thing about Korea is that most portion sizes are big and meals come with many sides! Even when I order just a donkatsu (fried pork cutlet) it comes with rice, soup, and a cabbage salad! For a very reasonable price, you can definitely be full in Korea. If you like Korean snack foods and traditional foods it is super easy to each cheap. Cooking myself has proven to be a bit difficult, the things I have craved are eggs and cheese in Korea. When I go to the small mart near campus to buy quick meal items like pasta I keep staring at the eggs because I have craved scrambled eggs for 3 months. Guess how much a carton of eggs costs......
It's nearly $4-6 for just 12 eggs, I can't seem to justify the price if I don't eat all the eggs within a week. I think eventually I will crack (hahaa) and buy the eggs but I have not yet. I usually buy bread for $2, peanut butter for $6 (for a small container), strawberry jelly $3, and pasta noodles and sauce for $5. These limited grocery options have been a bit difficult for me especially when I have no seasonings or cheese (also very very expensive and cannot find shredded cheese anywhere in Korea).
I have worked out what I enjoy eating in Korea and what is in my price range while also trying many new foods. I don't think I am being basic and sticking in my comfort zone either. I haven't had fried chicken and we eat pasta and sandwiches only once or twice a week, every other day we go to a Korean, Japanese, or Indian food place! I am so proud of how open I became to food, for some strange reason I even now enjoy lettuce and onions and tofu so much! I think since I do not have much choice in my diet I have adapted and luckily Korean food is very enjoyable! I'm not sure that I can go back to America and leave all of the tasty new foods I have discovered behind!!