Dig Lounge

I’m a couple weeks late to the game on this one. But they do say, better late than never right? The night started when I met up with the OG Food Marathoner, prolific food writer and photographer extraordinaire Mattatouille (and his girl master Christine), and the talented culinary adventurer Food GPS.

Our first stop for this K-Town pork bender is, where else, but Honey Pig (Cuul Dweji). Of course the Pig is known for it’s delectable selection of that other white meat. So the first thing to hit our sizzling hot BBQ lid is ddong dweji, roughly translated to, shit pig. It’s the pig that lives in it’s own filth at the bottom of outhouses, and it’s also the most expensive, go figure. Also cooking up on the grill is pickled bean sprouts, some kim chi and cabbage, and a most auspicious looking octopus.

The shit pig and octopus would be devoured in it's entirety

My first few times eating Korean BBQ, not knowing the proper way of eating Korean BBQ, I just gorged on meat and ate the sides separately. But since then I’ve learnded the proper way. Pile some lettuce on your small plate, top it with some bean sprouts and some spicy bean curd and finally wrap it up in some thick rice paper and consume. I eat mine like a lettuce wrap, but if you have the skills, grab the Korean goodness with your chopsticks.

Next they brought us some spicy pork belly, lathered with Korean spices. Just as tasty as our first cut of pork, but with a little kick. It made what came next, one of my favorite parts of Korean BBQ, even better. They bring a mound of rice, load it up on the grill and mix it in with all the last bits of meat and bean sprouts. It’s known as bokeumbap, and it’s a delightful last course for your meal.

Spicy, marinated pork belly from Honey Pig*

The Korean version of fried rice

Time for round two of the K-town Food Marathon. So it’s on to Western Soondae, recently featured on the Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods for reasons you will soon find out. Their specialty is Soondae, a Korean blood sausage that’s stuffed with a kind of noodle and clotted pig blood. The sausage is slightly sweet, and when dipped lightly in a side of salt was actually quite enjoyable. The sausage is accompanied by other pork offal like feet, ears, liver, tongue, and other miscellaneous innards and organs. It’s all much more tame that you would think. The swine parts all pretty much taste the same, with varying texture and chewiness. I heard the liver was a bit more pungent, but I was getting too full to find out.

Korean Blood Sausage along with swine offal

Our final stop (Round 3) of the night is Hite Kwang-Jang. A Korean version of TGI Fridays. Knickknacks hang from the ceilings and flat screen TV’s are set around on the walls. We order a pitcher of Hite “special”. The Korean version of a black and tan, it’s mixture of Hite and a generic stout. We also ordered a plate of uber spicy yang-yyum dalk nal gae, the Korean version of fried chicken wings served with some potato wedges. These wings are 4.5 on a scale of 5 in terms of spicy. Luckily they give you some pickled turnips to cool your mouth, the beer helps a little too.

Sort of Shakey's meets Fridays, but with Korean food

Korean Fried Chicken, more deserving the the monaker KFC

I’ve heard this is typical for Korean night out on the towns. Multiple stops throughout the night, usually ending up with coffee and pastries at a coffee house. But I’m just an amateur marathoner, and I was ready to roll myself home.

*Food porn shot courtesy of Mattatoullie

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