[Note: this post was adapted from my Christmas Eve service message, delivered at Kailua United Methodist Church last week]
When I say that I spent a week of living tastelessly this doesn’t mean that I spent seven days watching Jerry Springer’s talk show, listening to Howard Stern’s radio program, or getting media advice from Richard and Mayumi Heene, the parents of the Balloon Boy, whose hoax infuriated America.
Actually, a couple of weeks ago, I had a bad cold, and what it did was give me sinus congestion such that I couldn’t taste any food for a week.
For a food blogger, this is not good. I think my office manager, Shelley, put it best: when I told her that I couldn’t taste food, she said, “Wow…that would almost be like dying for you!”
She wasn’t too far from the truth. For me, the worst part of being sick is not being able to taste food – for one week, I experienced a complete absence of flavor in my food. I could sort of figure out if something was salty, bitter, or sweet, but not with any enjoyment.
I basically live to eat…but for a week, I had to eat to live. Did I survive? Sure…but some of the great joy in life was gone.
I was particularly concerned, because at the end of the week on that Saturday was our church's Christmas Party, which featured gourmet food prepared by a professional chef and culinary students. I was thinking in horror that I would not be able to taste fully that wonderful food.
I tried everything…medications, Vapo-Rub, even a straight shot of wasabi, hoping it would clear out my nasal passages…nothing…
By Friday morning, there was the first sign of flavor! I made some Lipton’s Chicken noodle soup, and there was just a wisp of that chicken bouillon saltiness. Such a simple thing, but it was very exciting!
I found that if I blew my nose, I could get just a touch of flavor (at this point, you are simultaneously grossed out and empathetic). I found out during a meal of Panda Express later that day (a favorite of my daughters) if I gently blew air through my nose, I could get a little bit of flavor. Things were looking up!
By the next day, I could taste the nuttiness of Cheerios – very thrilling! Later that morning, I could taste some of the Christmas cookies made by some of our dedicated church members.
By the time of the Christmas Party, I was able to fully taste food! Yes! I could taste the steamship round of beef…I could taste the yummy ahi crostini…the chicken satay skewers…the fried wonton with two piquant sauces…kalua pig on a guava roll…even the vegetarian salad with green beans and two kinds of beets! Amazing! Delicious! Fantastic!
I really understood how much being able to taste food adds so much to my life.
Now…if I had been born without the sense of smell – which is really where we get most of our sense of flavor from – I would certainly be alive, I would certainly be able to get through life…but I would be missing out on so much of the joy, the satisfaction, the wonder of living. That’s what life lived tastelessly would be like. The absence of flavor in my life would be tragic.
And that’s just the absence of the sense of smell and flavor. I would say that there are those who don’t think their lives are missing much because of the absence of Christ in their lives. But if they only knew what the presence of Christ does to their lives, it would be like adding flavor to the mere eating of food.
There is a reading from Isaiah 9:2: "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined." The people of that time are experiencing the absence of light – which is what darkness is. Of course, Isaiah is speaking figuratively…what he meant was that they were living in the absence of true joy, happiness, and fulfillment in life.
But then the people who have lived in darkness…the people who have lived in the absence of light…saw a great light. It started as the light of a star that shone over a tiny little town in Palestine on the first Christmas. And as impressive as that light was, it was nothing compared to the light that came from a beautiful infant child, radiating nothing but joy, hope, love, peace, possibilities, and fulfillment. And those shepherds, abiding their fields at night – the time when light is absent – witnessed the light of the angels, and went to see the Christ child, full of grace and truth, and the light that shines in the darkness of hopelessness, of despair, of pessimistic times…and promises possibilities that go beyond the imaginations that we can conjure up in our wildest dreams.
It is no accident in the book of Genesis that when you see the passage of days, that it says, “And there was evening and morning, another day.” We usually think of the days as morning to evening…but the biblical writers wanted us to be reminded every day of the goodness of God, and so we begin each day in darkness – in the absence of light – and move into the light the shines in the darkness…a reminder of the light of joy, hope and love from God. That’s why Jesus was born in the darkness, and then came into the light – because he IS the light of the world.
One last note on taste and flavor. We all know that Jesus was born in something called a manger. A manger is a feeding trough for animals. The word itself comes from the French word “manger,” which means to eat.
I don’t think it is coincidental that Jesus is identified with something to eat, to taste. When Jesus grows up to be a man, he teaches, he heals, he astounds, and gives hope and joy to people who needed it badly. And then when he was to give himself as a sacrifice for the world, he had a final meal with his disciples, and told them that to remember him, they would need to symbolically taste him in the life giving elements of food and drink…and that from then on, when we taste the goodness and flavor of food and drink, we give thanks for the flavor and joy and goodness that Christ gives to everyone.
So…may you go from the absence of flavor and the absence of light in your lives to taste and experience the light fullness of joy, goodness, happiness, peace, hope, and love.
May you know that no matter how your life is now, that there is the hope that it will be so much more in Christ…
And may the light that shines in the darkness, Jesus Christ, born in a manger, a place that provided taste, flavor and nourishment, be with you and remain with you this Christmas, and always….Amen.
Grace and aloha - and Happy New Year!
Tom
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Thursday, December 31, 2009
Red Bamboo Brooklyn Goes Red Meat - NYiG declares FAIL.
If you're vegan and living in the NYC area, you've likely already heard that Red Bamboo Brooklyn will be closing its doors at the end of the year. What you might not know, however, is that it's actually just changing over. In 2010 it will re-open as "Poppa's Place," under the same management and with the same cook, as an omni restaurant. (Disclaimer: I did not take the photograph.)Why? Steven Brown of the Brooklyn Paper postulates that it's because vegetarianism is "on life support". (I'd love to chat with him about that erroneous idea over brunch or dinner one Saturday at any of the dozens of thriving veg restaurants in the NYC area, but I just get so impatient waiting for a table.) Owner Jason Wong seems to be attributing the switch to a combination of economy troubles and a decline in demand for the processed mock meat fare that has heretofore defined the restaurant's menu.
But it's also personal. Wong has given up his own vegetarianism, and believes his restaurant will do better offering "humane" meat. "I am ready to serve meat," he stated. Well Mr. Wong, I am ready to no longer patronize your restaurant. Maybe reheating soy cutlets from May Wah is not the best business model, but is Happy Meat really the best you can come up with? Did you pause to wonder how so many other restaurants have been able to develop diversified, crowd-pleasing menus without depending on either mock meats or flesh? Meh, no need to worry about it, bring on the dead animals (and the profits)!
According to at least one source, both Red Bamboo locations are owned by Wong, son of Philip and Lulu Wong who in turn own Vegetarian's Paradise 2. The Red Bamboo West Village location will remain vegetarian... for now.
Red Bamboo Brooklyn is having a Closing Party / New Year's Eve celebration on December 31. I, for one, will not be in attendance: to me, even to show up is to give more support than I feel this restaurant owner currently deserves.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
The Princess and the Frog - The Power of Love and Food
Opening boxes from our move to our new home, I was pleasantly surprised to come across some movie passes that were gifts from a thoughtful friend a few Christmases ago. With most of the groundwork laid for Christmas Eve and Sunday, I decided to take my daughters to see Disney's latest animated film, "The Princess and the Frog." The trailers looked like it was going to be a light, fluffy film, but it had some pretty good lessons and subtle faith messages.
The film is an updated version of the Grimm's fairy tale, but instead of being set in Germany, it is set in early 20th century New Orleans. Tiana is the daughter of a hard working family that nonetheless has time for family and friends, especially with food as the centerpiece. Tiana shows skill at cooking gumbo, and her benevolent father invites the entire neighborhood, basically saying that food builds community (hence, its appropriateness for this food blog).
The years pass and Tiana is now a hard working double shift waitress, trying to make enough money to buy her own restaurant. Her childhood friend, the wealthy Charlotte, is vying to marry a prince, and one happens to be visiting New Orleans - Prince Naveen from country of Maldonia.
Into the picture comes Dr. Facilier, AKA the Shadowman, a voodoo magician who turns Prince Naveen into a frog and plots to have Naveen's crooked butler, Lawrence, help Facilier gain the fortune of Charlotte's father and control New Orleans.
Naveen convinces Tiana to kiss him so he can be restored to human form, but instead, Tiana turns into a frog. The rest of the movie is the resolution of this crisis and also the development and resolution of the relationship that develops between Naveen and Tiana.
This is a well made film that belongs in the pantheon of Disney classics such as Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Mulan, Pocahontas, etc. It probably won't be quite as beloved as those named, but I think it is one that will grow on you.
The characters of Tiana and Naveen are very well developed, and are very much appropriate to contemporary tastes. Tiana, for example, is bright, independent, and goal oriented - and the goal isn't a man and living happily ever after with him and doing what he wants.
The score is by Randy Newman, who is known to many as the composer of such pop songs such as "Short People" and the theme song to the TV series "Monk." Newman, however, comes from perhaps the most prestigious family of film score composers, beginning with his uncles, Alfred, Emil and Lionel Newman, and his cousins, Joey, Maria, David, and Thomas Newman, the latter the composer of the scores of such films as "The Shawshank Redemption," "The Green Mile," and "Pay It Forward." Randy's score is playful, diverse, and appropriate to the jazz birthplace that is New Orleans.
The key themes are: that the love of others is more important than fame, fortune and ambition; that one can rely on good luck or even divine intervention only so far, that personal dedication and effort are key to realizing one's dreams.
One of the most important, but perhaps overlooked, subplots is the star that various characters make wishes to. The star is named Evangeline, which means "the bringer of good news." For me, it alludes to the star that shone over Bethlehem pointed the way to the ultimate definition of Good News: Jesus Christ, born in a manger, to give hope, joy, and peace to all, and taught that love is the greatest force in the universe, and transcends all other values.
May that Good News be brought to all of you during this time and always.
Merry Christmas.
Grace and aloha,
Tom
The film is an updated version of the Grimm's fairy tale, but instead of being set in Germany, it is set in early 20th century New Orleans. Tiana is the daughter of a hard working family that nonetheless has time for family and friends, especially with food as the centerpiece. Tiana shows skill at cooking gumbo, and her benevolent father invites the entire neighborhood, basically saying that food builds community (hence, its appropriateness for this food blog).
The years pass and Tiana is now a hard working double shift waitress, trying to make enough money to buy her own restaurant. Her childhood friend, the wealthy Charlotte, is vying to marry a prince, and one happens to be visiting New Orleans - Prince Naveen from country of Maldonia.
Into the picture comes Dr. Facilier, AKA the Shadowman, a voodoo magician who turns Prince Naveen into a frog and plots to have Naveen's crooked butler, Lawrence, help Facilier gain the fortune of Charlotte's father and control New Orleans.
Naveen convinces Tiana to kiss him so he can be restored to human form, but instead, Tiana turns into a frog. The rest of the movie is the resolution of this crisis and also the development and resolution of the relationship that develops between Naveen and Tiana.
This is a well made film that belongs in the pantheon of Disney classics such as Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Mulan, Pocahontas, etc. It probably won't be quite as beloved as those named, but I think it is one that will grow on you.
The characters of Tiana and Naveen are very well developed, and are very much appropriate to contemporary tastes. Tiana, for example, is bright, independent, and goal oriented - and the goal isn't a man and living happily ever after with him and doing what he wants.
The score is by Randy Newman, who is known to many as the composer of such pop songs such as "Short People" and the theme song to the TV series "Monk." Newman, however, comes from perhaps the most prestigious family of film score composers, beginning with his uncles, Alfred, Emil and Lionel Newman, and his cousins, Joey, Maria, David, and Thomas Newman, the latter the composer of the scores of such films as "The Shawshank Redemption," "The Green Mile," and "Pay It Forward." Randy's score is playful, diverse, and appropriate to the jazz birthplace that is New Orleans.
The key themes are: that the love of others is more important than fame, fortune and ambition; that one can rely on good luck or even divine intervention only so far, that personal dedication and effort are key to realizing one's dreams.
One of the most important, but perhaps overlooked, subplots is the star that various characters make wishes to. The star is named Evangeline, which means "the bringer of good news." For me, it alludes to the star that shone over Bethlehem pointed the way to the ultimate definition of Good News: Jesus Christ, born in a manger, to give hope, joy, and peace to all, and taught that love is the greatest force in the universe, and transcends all other values.
May that Good News be brought to all of you during this time and always.
Merry Christmas.
Grace and aloha,
Tom
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Yarden Gewurztraminer
Yarden Gewurztraminer
Yarden Gewurztraminer? Yes. There's something spellbinding about Krakow and it's old Jewish quarter. It was here on a warm summer's evening that I got my first taste of Kosher Gewurztraminer and of gefilte fish. 
The Polish interest in wine, and especially Italian wine is growing fast and while I was there the central square of Krakow (Rynek Glowny) had been turned into a fairground for a Hungarian Wine event and of course, in the Jewish quarter every restaurant and bar was offering Kosher wines. I don't see the Poles giving up their flavoured vodkas anytime soon but the tide is turning and they're even knocking out some decent wine themselves. If I could set up a wine bar anywhere, I'd choose Krakow. Dreams....
Does this wine taste like the Gewurztraminers we all know and love? Actually, Yes. Like most of you, my experience of Gewurztraminer is limited to Alsace and Germany with the odd US, Italian, New Zealand and Aussie bottle thrown in here and there making it terribly difficult to say what an Israeli, Galilee Region Gewurztraminer should taste like. However, if this is what it should taste like, I'm in.
Yarden Gewurztraminer? Yes. There's something spellbinding about Krakow and it's old Jewish quarter. It was here on a warm summer's evening that I got my first taste of Kosher Gewurztraminer and of gefilte fish. I look spellbound there dont I? Gazing off into the distance romanticising about my very own wine bar in Krakow? Well, the camera tells dirty lies, cos I'm actually watching a stray cat eating the fish I threw at it not moments before. Ahhhh memories. Gefilte fish is, hands down, the most vile, strangely textured food item to ever pass my lips but the wine was a wonderful surprise.
Now, I don't know about you but whenever I take a weekend break or holiday I use it as a chance to feed my wine addiction. It's not just me, all serious winos do this. We will talk to our partners and romantically suggest "The Dordogne" so we can slope off to Bordeaux, or "Tuscany" to visit Chianti, I even managed to convince one partner that Frankfurt was lovely at this time of year only to find ourselves boating down the Rhine and into the Assmanhausen 100 year wine festival! Look how that turned out, I had no idea. However, I hadn't realised that Krakow would provide the same opportunity.
The Polish interest in wine, and especially Italian wine is growing fast and while I was there the central square of Krakow (Rynek Glowny) had been turned into a fairground for a Hungarian Wine event and of course, in the Jewish quarter every restaurant and bar was offering Kosher wines. I don't see the Poles giving up their flavoured vodkas anytime soon but the tide is turning and they're even knocking out some decent wine themselves. If I could set up a wine bar anywhere, I'd choose Krakow. Dreams....There's been a revolution in Israeli wines and in no small part thanks to Golan Heights (the crew behind Yarden). Israel now produces fantastic QPR wines but not simply Gewurztraminer but also the usual suspects, international reds like Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Merlot and, more surprisingly, Sangiovese and Gamay! Whites include Chardonnay, Muscat, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and even sweet whites and blanc de blancs sparklers. Israel can bring such a variety of grapes to fine expression due to its range of climatic conditions and Israel itself is getting into wine in a big way. There is a national committee for the promotion of Israeli wines within Israel and a movement to push the country's indigenous grapes. I'm afraid I can't list them, because I don't know them, I have quite enough to contend with in the world of Italian indigenous grapes but if you know them, feel free to post a comment!
Does this wine taste like the Gewurztraminers we all know and love? Actually, Yes. Like most of you, my experience of Gewurztraminer is limited to Alsace and Germany with the odd US, Italian, New Zealand and Aussie bottle thrown in here and there making it terribly difficult to say what an Israeli, Galilee Region Gewurztraminer should taste like. However, if this is what it should taste like, I'm in.Yarden Gewurztraminer 2007 - BUY - £12.79
Golden yellow in colour. The wine is aromatically gorgeous and offers up many typical Gewurztraminer notes including lychee, almonds and flowers but also a an unexpected showing of peach blossom. The wine has a detectable sweetness on the palate, is rich but with firm acidity, rounded, mid to full bodied. This is a real find and only let down by a slightly clipped finish. However, if you keep drinking then you don't notice ;) 89 Points
Where can I buy this wine?
Europeans - Winectar - €13
Americans - Gordons - $16.99
Brits - Yayin V'Simcha - £12.79
Leave a Comment
Favourite Kosher wine? Favourite Israeli Wine? Best place you managed to convince your girlfriend or boyfriend to go pretending it was for them... when secretly it was for the vino?
Yarden Gewurztraminer
Yarden Gewurztraminer
Yarden Gewurztraminer? Yes. There's something spellbinding about Krakow and it's old Jewish quarter. It was here on a warm summer's evening that I got my first taste of Kosher Gewurztraminer and of gefilte fish. The Polish interest in wine, and especially Italian wine is growing fast and while I was there the central square of Krakow (Rynek Glowny) had been turned into a fairground for a Hungarian Wine event and of course, in the Jewish quarter every restaurant and bar was offering Kosher wines. I don't see the Poles giving up their flavoured vodkas anytime soon but the tide is turning and they're even knocking out some decent wine themselves. If I could set up a wine bar anywhere, I'd choose Krakow. Dreams....
Does this wine taste like the Gewurztraminers we all know and love? Actually, Yes. Like most of you, my experience of Gewurztraminer is limited to Alsace and Germany with the odd US, Italian, New Zealand and Aussie bottle thrown in here and there making it terribly difficult to say what an Israeli, Galilee Region Gewurztraminer should taste like. However, if this is what it should taste like, I'm in.
Yarden Gewurztraminer? Yes. There's something spellbinding about Krakow and it's old Jewish quarter. It was here on a warm summer's evening that I got my first taste of Kosher Gewurztraminer and of gefilte fish. I look spellbound there dont I? Gazing off into the distance romanticising about my very own wine bar in Krakow? Well, the camera tells dirty lies, cos I'm actually watching a stray cat eating the fish I threw at it not moments before. Ahhhh memories. Gefilte fish is, hands down, the most vile, strangely textured food item to ever pass my lips but the wine was a wonderful surprise.
Now, I don't know about you but whenever I take a weekend break or holiday I use it as a chance to feed my wine addiction. It's not just me, all serious winos do this. We will talk to our partners and romantically suggest "The Dordogne" so we can slope off to Bordeaux, or "Tuscany" to visit Chianti, I even managed to convince one partner that Frankfurt was lovely at this time of year only to find ourselves boating down the Rhine and into the Assmanhausen 100 year wine festival! Look how that turned out, I had no idea. However, I hadn't realised that Krakow would provide the same opportunity.
The Polish interest in wine, and especially Italian wine is growing fast and while I was there the central square of Krakow (Rynek Glowny) had been turned into a fairground for a Hungarian Wine event and of course, in the Jewish quarter every restaurant and bar was offering Kosher wines. I don't see the Poles giving up their flavoured vodkas anytime soon but the tide is turning and they're even knocking out some decent wine themselves. If I could set up a wine bar anywhere, I'd choose Krakow. Dreams....There's been a revolution in Israeli wines and in no small part thanks to Golan Heights (the crew behind Yarden). Israel now produces fantastic QPR wines but not simply Gewurztraminer but also the usual suspects, international reds like Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Merlot and, more surprisingly, Sangiovese and Gamay! Whites include Chardonnay, Muscat, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and even sweet whites and blanc de blancs sparklers. Israel can bring such a variety of grapes to fine expression due to its range of climatic conditions and Israel itself is getting into wine in a big way. There is a national committee for the promotion of Israeli wines within Israel and a movement to push the country's indigenous grapes. I'm afraid I can't list them, because I don't know them, I have quite enough to contend with in the world of Italian indigenous grapes but if you know them, feel free to post a comment!
Does this wine taste like the Gewurztraminers we all know and love? Actually, Yes. Like most of you, my experience of Gewurztraminer is limited to Alsace and Germany with the odd US, Italian, New Zealand and Aussie bottle thrown in here and there making it terribly difficult to say what an Israeli, Galilee Region Gewurztraminer should taste like. However, if this is what it should taste like, I'm in.Yarden Gewurztraminer 2007 - BUY - £12.79
Golden yellow in colour. The wine is aromatically gorgeous and offers up many typical Gewurztraminer notes including lychee, almonds and flowers but also a an unexpected showing of peach blossom. The wine has a detectable sweetness on the palate, is rich but with firm acidity, rounded, mid to full bodied. This is a real find and only let down by a slightly clipped finish. However, if you keep drinking then you don't notice ;) 89 Points
Where can I buy this wine?
Europeans - Winectar - €13
Americans - Gordons - $16.99
Brits - Yayin V'Simcha - £12.79
Leave a Comment
Favourite Kosher wine? Favourite Israeli Wine? Best place you managed to convince your girlfriend or boyfriend to go pretending it was for them... when secretly it was for the vino?
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Vinoteca Farringdon
Vinoteca Farringdon
Vinoteca Restaurant in Farringdon has been my go to spot for a fair few months now. I've spent so many hours here over the past 3-4 months and tweeted my experiences so often that it's kinda bonkers that this is the first mention on the Wine90 blog.
Vinoteca is one of those wine bars that, due to the sheer variety of wines on offer, makes it a perfect stop for your lunch hour or for a mid afternoon wine by the glass option or even for a pre-dinner sherry. Yet, it's taken me a full year back in my hometown of London, to get my glad rags on and eat here.
It's confession time. I don't often write restaurant reviews. I find myself crippled with the same affliction which hit my dining partner that evening, I'm going to call it the palate collywobbles. Whilst she became obviously nervous at the pre-dinner wine flights fearing I would subject her every comment to full on scrutiny, I, by the same token, can start to doubt my own palate and description thereof, when it comes to food.
This may shock some readers, but I've been eating food since I was a toddler, that I should question my ability to taste food, I reassured my friend, is exactly as ridiculous as her fear that she might taste the wines incorrectly. As long as you have four of your five senses working for you on any given day, you can taste wine. Even I draw the line at listening to the wine, but if you do hear a whistle or a slight popping to your wine, then you're probably a little under the weather and should consult your GP.
So the scene is set, Vinoteca, wine flights, full meal, wine tasting virgin as dining companion, OK we're good so far? Great.
For any self confessed wine novice Vinoteca makes your life pretty easy. Food and wine matching can be a fun game to play but if you get it wrong, and you're stumping up plenty 'o pounds for your food, it can also be a perilous game. Fear not. At Vinoteca they have paired all the meals on the menu with a carefully thought out by the glass suggestion. However, I like to play fast and wild and Vinoteca's 280 strong by the bottle selection was too tempting so I opted for the very fairly priced 01 Borgogno Barolo Riserva. Not at all predictable behaviour on my part. As this is no Tarantino movie, let's review the wines and the food in chronological order.
Pre Dinner Wine Selection
You can view all of Vinoteca's wines by the glass here. I chose;
Schloss Vollrads Erstes Gewachs Riesling 2004
A vibrant golden colour in the glass. Fast and fruity on the nose with acres of melon, honeysuckle and peach on the initial sniff with a lasting honey aroma towards the end. On the palate the wine is rich, juicy and more tropical than expected. Starts out quite fat with the acid rushing forth just before a fair finish that continues in that tropical theme. Rhinegau texture but colour and palate?! Not typical perhaps but enjoyable. 87 Points
THE FOOD
I like to think of myself as fairly unpretentious at least in the world of wine. In the food world however I know well enough what I want and that is..
A generous portion
Fresh ingredients
Tastes and textures that compliment one another
Lastly, I hate, with a passion detest, food that is overly dry or ... too moist.
I have to hand it to Vinoteca, there are so many restaurants trying to double as wine bars, and, wine bars trying to double as restaurants that fall so far short it's red cheeked embarrassing, but not here. The food outshone the wine. The food outshone the Barolo. The Italian Wine Blogger says the Food@Vinoteca outshone a Barolo. That's huge news.
To Begin: Selection of Spanish cured meats, almonds & olives - £7.25
Full size plate covered in typical Spanish meats which paired up really well with the sherry. These were not overly fatty cuts that you can find in many London restaurants, well presented. Main Course: Gressingham duck breast, chanterelles & trompettes, farro, cimi di rape - £16
Succulent duck breast with the most mop-up-able jus I've had for a long while and once again generous portions and well presented. There was no room for dessert. I don't think I've ever said or written those words before. Weird. Borgogno Barolo Riserva 2001
A classic ruby red fading tawny to the rim. A sweet violet nose with touches of marzipan, tar and wild strawberries even. Still a little young, the palate is still a touch tannic and bitter but loosening up over time. A good freshness here though and a balance of force and elegance that showed toward the latter as the evening wore on. Didn't blow me away but still a solid 90 points for my palate. Leave a Comment
Where is your current go to restaurant or wine bar? Any city.
Vinoteca Restaurant in Farringdon has been my go to spot for a fair few months now. I've spent so many hours here over the past 3-4 months and tweeted my experiences so often that it's kinda bonkers that this is the first mention on the Wine90 blog.Vinoteca is one of those wine bars that, due to the sheer variety of wines on offer, makes it a perfect stop for your lunch hour or for a mid afternoon wine by the glass option or even for a pre-dinner sherry. Yet, it's taken me a full year back in my hometown of London, to get my glad rags on and eat here.
It's confession time. I don't often write restaurant reviews. I find myself crippled with the same affliction which hit my dining partner that evening, I'm going to call it the palate collywobbles. Whilst she became obviously nervous at the pre-dinner wine flights fearing I would subject her every comment to full on scrutiny, I, by the same token, can start to doubt my own palate and description thereof, when it comes to food.
This may shock some readers, but I've been eating food since I was a toddler, that I should question my ability to taste food, I reassured my friend, is exactly as ridiculous as her fear that she might taste the wines incorrectly. As long as you have four of your five senses working for you on any given day, you can taste wine. Even I draw the line at listening to the wine, but if you do hear a whistle or a slight popping to your wine, then you're probably a little under the weather and should consult your GP.
So the scene is set, Vinoteca, wine flights, full meal, wine tasting virgin as dining companion, OK we're good so far? Great.
For any self confessed wine novice Vinoteca makes your life pretty easy. Food and wine matching can be a fun game to play but if you get it wrong, and you're stumping up plenty 'o pounds for your food, it can also be a perilous game. Fear not. At Vinoteca they have paired all the meals on the menu with a carefully thought out by the glass suggestion. However, I like to play fast and wild and Vinoteca's 280 strong by the bottle selection was too tempting so I opted for the very fairly priced 01 Borgogno Barolo Riserva. Not at all predictable behaviour on my part. As this is no Tarantino movie, let's review the wines and the food in chronological order.Pre Dinner Wine Selection
You can view all of Vinoteca's wines by the glass here. I chose;
Schloss Vollrads Erstes Gewachs Riesling 2004
A vibrant golden colour in the glass. Fast and fruity on the nose with acres of melon, honeysuckle and peach on the initial sniff with a lasting honey aroma towards the end. On the palate the wine is rich, juicy and more tropical than expected. Starts out quite fat with the acid rushing forth just before a fair finish that continues in that tropical theme. Rhinegau texture but colour and palate?! Not typical perhaps but enjoyable. 87 Points
Monte Bernardi Chianti Classico 2005
A deep ruby red to the rim. Simple profile to the nose with straight and expected cherry and vanilla though also a little dusty with hints of chocolate and coffee or to be fanciful, a cherry Bakewell tart with cappuccino sprinkles. Same focused approach to the palate, definite Chianti though not complex, high acid, firm tannins, mid bodied with a balanced finish. 88 Points
La Guita Manzanilla
A light golden green colour but getting a touch of those "past it's primes" you can get when your Sherry is just that month too long in the tooth. Still retained great salt and nut flavours on the palate. On the nose detectable cantaloupe, hints of grass and lemon. Focus has diminished a touch perhaps due to being a month too old or a.n.other fault? As such can't rate the wine fairly.
THE FOOD
I like to think of myself as fairly unpretentious at least in the world of wine. In the food world however I know well enough what I want and that is..
A generous portion
Fresh ingredients
Tastes and textures that compliment one another
Lastly, I hate, with a passion detest, food that is overly dry or ... too moist.
I have to hand it to Vinoteca, there are so many restaurants trying to double as wine bars, and, wine bars trying to double as restaurants that fall so far short it's red cheeked embarrassing, but not here. The food outshone the wine. The food outshone the Barolo. The Italian Wine Blogger says the Food@Vinoteca outshone a Barolo. That's huge news.
To Begin: Selection of Spanish cured meats, almonds & olives - £7.25
Full size plate covered in typical Spanish meats which paired up really well with the sherry. These were not overly fatty cuts that you can find in many London restaurants, well presented. Main Course: Gressingham duck breast, chanterelles & trompettes, farro, cimi di rape - £16
Succulent duck breast with the most mop-up-able jus I've had for a long while and once again generous portions and well presented. There was no room for dessert. I don't think I've ever said or written those words before. Weird. Borgogno Barolo Riserva 2001
A classic ruby red fading tawny to the rim. A sweet violet nose with touches of marzipan, tar and wild strawberries even. Still a little young, the palate is still a touch tannic and bitter but loosening up over time. A good freshness here though and a balance of force and elegance that showed toward the latter as the evening wore on. Didn't blow me away but still a solid 90 points for my palate. Leave a Comment
Where is your current go to restaurant or wine bar? Any city.
Vinoteca Farringdon
Vinoteca Farringdon
Vinoteca Restaurant in Farringdon has been my go to spot for a fair few months now. I've spent so many hours here over the past 3-4 months and tweeted my experiences so often that it's kinda bonkers that this is the first mention on the Wine90 blog.
Vinoteca is one of those wine bars that, due to the sheer variety of wines on offer, makes it a perfect stop for your lunch hour or for a mid afternoon wine by the glass option or even for a pre-dinner sherry. Yet, it's taken me a full year back in my hometown of London, to get my glad rags on and eat here.
It's confession time. I don't often write restaurant reviews. I find myself crippled with the same affliction which hit my dining partner that evening, I'm going to call it the palate collywobbles. Whilst she became obviously nervous at the pre-dinner wine flights fearing I would subject her every comment to full on scrutiny, I, by the same token, can start to doubt my own palate and description thereof, when it comes to food.
This may shock some readers, but I've been eating food since I was a toddler, that I should question my ability to taste food, I reassured my friend, is exactly as ridiculous as her fear that she might taste the wines incorrectly. As long as you have four of your five senses working for you on any given day, you can taste wine. Even I draw the line at listening to the wine, but if you do hear a whistle or a slight popping to your wine, then you're probably a little under the weather and should consult your GP.
So the scene is set, Vinoteca, wine flights, full meal, wine tasting virgin as dining companion, OK we're good so far? Great.
For any self confessed wine novice Vinoteca makes your life pretty easy. Food and wine matching can be a fun game to play but if you get it wrong, and you're stumping up plenty 'o pounds for your food, it can also be a perilous game. Fear not. At Vinoteca they have paired all the meals on the menu with a carefully thought out by the glass suggestion. However, I like to play fast and wild and Vinoteca's 280 strong by the bottle selection was too tempting so I opted for the very fairly priced 01 Borgogno Barolo Riserva. Not at all predictable behaviour on my part. As this is no Tarantino movie, let's review the wines and the food in chronological order.
Pre Dinner Wine Selection
You can view all of Vinoteca's wines by the glass here. I chose;
Schloss Vollrads Erstes Gewachs Riesling 2004
A vibrant golden colour in the glass. Fast and fruity on the nose with acres of melon, honeysuckle and peach on the initial sniff with a lasting honey aroma towards the end. On the palate the wine is rich, juicy and more tropical than expected. Starts out quite fat with the acid rushing forth just before a fair finish that continues in that tropical theme. Rhinegau texture but colour and palate?! Not typical perhaps but enjoyable. 87 Points
THE FOOD
I like to think of myself as fairly unpretentious at least in the world of wine. In the food world however I know well enough what I want and that is..
A generous portion
Fresh ingredients
Tastes and textures that compliment one another
Lastly, I hate, with a passion detest, food that is overly dry or ... too moist.
I have to hand it to Vinoteca, there are so many restaurants trying to double as wine bars, and, wine bars trying to double as restaurants that fall so far short it's red cheeked embarrassing, but not here. The food outshone the wine. The food outshone the Barolo. The Italian Wine Blogger says the Food@Vinoteca outshone a Barolo. That's huge news.
To Begin: Selection of Spanish cured meats, almonds & olives - £7.25
Full size plate covered in typical Spanish meats which paired up really well with the sherry. These were not overly fatty cuts that you can find in many London restaurants, well presented. Main Course: Gressingham duck breast, chanterelles & trompettes, farro, cimi di rape - £16
Succulent duck breast with the most mop-up-able jus I've had for a long while and once again generous portions and well presented. There was no room for dessert. I don't think I've ever said or written those words before. Weird. Borgogno Barolo Riserva 2001
A classic ruby red fading tawny to the rim. A sweet violet nose with touches of marzipan, tar and wild strawberries even. Still a little young, the palate is still a touch tannic and bitter but loosening up over time. A good freshness here though and a balance of force and elegance that showed toward the latter as the evening wore on. Didn't blow me away but still a solid 90 points for my palate. Leave a Comment
Where is your current go to restaurant or wine bar? Any city.
Vinoteca Restaurant in Farringdon has been my go to spot for a fair few months now. I've spent so many hours here over the past 3-4 months and tweeted my experiences so often that it's kinda bonkers that this is the first mention on the Wine90 blog.Vinoteca is one of those wine bars that, due to the sheer variety of wines on offer, makes it a perfect stop for your lunch hour or for a mid afternoon wine by the glass option or even for a pre-dinner sherry. Yet, it's taken me a full year back in my hometown of London, to get my glad rags on and eat here.
It's confession time. I don't often write restaurant reviews. I find myself crippled with the same affliction which hit my dining partner that evening, I'm going to call it the palate collywobbles. Whilst she became obviously nervous at the pre-dinner wine flights fearing I would subject her every comment to full on scrutiny, I, by the same token, can start to doubt my own palate and description thereof, when it comes to food.
This may shock some readers, but I've been eating food since I was a toddler, that I should question my ability to taste food, I reassured my friend, is exactly as ridiculous as her fear that she might taste the wines incorrectly. As long as you have four of your five senses working for you on any given day, you can taste wine. Even I draw the line at listening to the wine, but if you do hear a whistle or a slight popping to your wine, then you're probably a little under the weather and should consult your GP.
So the scene is set, Vinoteca, wine flights, full meal, wine tasting virgin as dining companion, OK we're good so far? Great.
For any self confessed wine novice Vinoteca makes your life pretty easy. Food and wine matching can be a fun game to play but if you get it wrong, and you're stumping up plenty 'o pounds for your food, it can also be a perilous game. Fear not. At Vinoteca they have paired all the meals on the menu with a carefully thought out by the glass suggestion. However, I like to play fast and wild and Vinoteca's 280 strong by the bottle selection was too tempting so I opted for the very fairly priced 01 Borgogno Barolo Riserva. Not at all predictable behaviour on my part. As this is no Tarantino movie, let's review the wines and the food in chronological order.Pre Dinner Wine Selection
You can view all of Vinoteca's wines by the glass here. I chose;
Schloss Vollrads Erstes Gewachs Riesling 2004
A vibrant golden colour in the glass. Fast and fruity on the nose with acres of melon, honeysuckle and peach on the initial sniff with a lasting honey aroma towards the end. On the palate the wine is rich, juicy and more tropical than expected. Starts out quite fat with the acid rushing forth just before a fair finish that continues in that tropical theme. Rhinegau texture but colour and palate?! Not typical perhaps but enjoyable. 87 Points
Monte Bernardi Chianti Classico 2005
A deep ruby red to the rim. Simple profile to the nose with straight and expected cherry and vanilla though also a little dusty with hints of chocolate and coffee or to be fanciful, a cherry Bakewell tart with cappuccino sprinkles. Same focused approach to the palate, definite Chianti though not complex, high acid, firm tannins, mid bodied with a balanced finish. 88 Points
La Guita Manzanilla
A light golden green colour but getting a touch of those "past it's primes" you can get when your Sherry is just that month too long in the tooth. Still retained great salt and nut flavours on the palate. On the nose detectable cantaloupe, hints of grass and lemon. Focus has diminished a touch perhaps due to being a month too old or a.n.other fault? As such can't rate the wine fairly.
THE FOOD
I like to think of myself as fairly unpretentious at least in the world of wine. In the food world however I know well enough what I want and that is..
A generous portion
Fresh ingredients
Tastes and textures that compliment one another
Lastly, I hate, with a passion detest, food that is overly dry or ... too moist.
I have to hand it to Vinoteca, there are so many restaurants trying to double as wine bars, and, wine bars trying to double as restaurants that fall so far short it's red cheeked embarrassing, but not here. The food outshone the wine. The food outshone the Barolo. The Italian Wine Blogger says the Food@Vinoteca outshone a Barolo. That's huge news.
To Begin: Selection of Spanish cured meats, almonds & olives - £7.25
Full size plate covered in typical Spanish meats which paired up really well with the sherry. These were not overly fatty cuts that you can find in many London restaurants, well presented. Main Course: Gressingham duck breast, chanterelles & trompettes, farro, cimi di rape - £16
Succulent duck breast with the most mop-up-able jus I've had for a long while and once again generous portions and well presented. There was no room for dessert. I don't think I've ever said or written those words before. Weird. Borgogno Barolo Riserva 2001
A classic ruby red fading tawny to the rim. A sweet violet nose with touches of marzipan, tar and wild strawberries even. Still a little young, the palate is still a touch tannic and bitter but loosening up over time. A good freshness here though and a balance of force and elegance that showed toward the latter as the evening wore on. Didn't blow me away but still a solid 90 points for my palate. Leave a Comment
Where is your current go to restaurant or wine bar? Any city.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Prager Gruner Veltliner
Prager Gruner Veltliner
Prager Gruner Veltliner goes with everything. Or to be more precise Prager Gruner Veltiner Achleiten Smaragd 2007 goes with everything. From the bitter Olly Murs to the sweet Joe McElderry through a pepperoni pizza via butter popcorn and during the marmite-esque foulness that we call Twiglets, this bottle of wine tasted delicious throughout and even seemed to compliment this array of Saturday night junk.
For those of you who have yet to try a Gruner Veltliner, like any variety, they can run the gamut of quality. These are served as jug wines in Austria and can be, at their lowest price/highest yield end, nice, fresh, peppery young wines. While at the Prager end the wines can be massively complex and throw out all kinds of subtle aromas and flavours including citrus, lime, rhubarb, flint, white flowers but often keeping that peppery palate.
Prager Gruner Veltliner goes with everything. Or to be more precise Prager Gruner Veltiner Achleiten Smaragd 2007 goes with everything. From the bitter Olly Murs to the sweet Joe McElderry through a pepperoni pizza via butter popcorn and during the marmite-esque foulness that we call Twiglets, this bottle of wine tasted delicious throughout and even seemed to compliment this array of Saturday night junk. Don't get it twisted though, Gruner Veltliner is a serious grape and Prager a top producer that deserve to be enjoyed alongside light meats/white fish. However, if you hate food and wine matching and just want an easygoing, delicious and fruity white then Gruner is your buddy. GV is the most versatile wine in the land for food and wine matching.
So who are Prager?
Prager are among the top producers of Gruner Veltliner in Austria. Prager's Gruner Veltliner wines are produced in the Wachau area of Austria, which, together with Kamptal and Kremstal are considered the best regions to grow Austria's most famous grape. Franz Prager, was a trailblazer in Wachau helping to establish the area as a top region for dry whites. Gruner Veltliner is traditionally considered a wine that is best drunk young, although the new cheifs at Prager, daughter of Franz, Isle and her husband Toni Bodenstein are trying to push the envelope on an aged Groovy.
Prager are dedicated to two grapes actually and are just as famous for their Riesling as their Gruner Veltliner. Both varieties share a clarity of fruit and richness of texture in the hands of Prager and they are one of the most reliable producers year in year out.
Top Wines from Prager
Weissenkirchen Achleiten Riesling Smaragd
Wiessenkirchen Klaus Riesling Smaragd
Wiessenkirchen Achleiten Gruner Veltliner Smaragd
For those of you who have yet to try a Gruner Veltliner, like any variety, they can run the gamut of quality. These are served as jug wines in Austria and can be, at their lowest price/highest yield end, nice, fresh, peppery young wines. While at the Prager end the wines can be massively complex and throw out all kinds of subtle aromas and flavours including citrus, lime, rhubarb, flint, white flowers but often keeping that peppery palate. Traditionally Gruner is not thought to be particularly aromatic however this Prager effort was blowing our nasal passages from the uncork and with some pretty intriguing notes too.
Prager Grüner Veltliner Achleiten Smaragd 2007 - BUY - £26
A rich hay colour. Aromatically very forward with mixed and interesting notes including lime rind, rhubarb, white pepper and wet stones. The palate is full bodied, rounded and with fairly low acidity still avoids "flabby", the fruit is excellent on the midpalate and the finish is acceptable. Think tropical smoothie mixed watered down with cordial lime juice, same texture too. Fine balance, 13.5% alcohol never an issue. 91 Points
Where can I buy this wine?
Europeans - Vinothek - €24
American - Hart David Hart - $39
Brits - AG Wines - £26
Leave a Comment
Do you have a wine that seems to go with all food? Do you like the Groovy?
Prager Gruner Veltliner
Prager Gruner Veltliner
Prager Gruner Veltliner goes with everything. Or to be more precise Prager Gruner Veltiner Achleiten Smaragd 2007 goes with everything. From the bitter Olly Murs to the sweet Joe McElderry through a pepperoni pizza via butter popcorn and during the marmite-esque foulness that we call Twiglets, this bottle of wine tasted delicious throughout and even seemed to compliment this array of Saturday night junk.
For those of you who have yet to try a Gruner Veltliner, like any variety, they can run the gamut of quality. These are served as jug wines in Austria and can be, at their lowest price/highest yield end, nice, fresh, peppery young wines. While at the Prager end the wines can be massively complex and throw out all kinds of subtle aromas and flavours including citrus, lime, rhubarb, flint, white flowers but often keeping that peppery palate.
Prager Gruner Veltliner goes with everything. Or to be more precise Prager Gruner Veltiner Achleiten Smaragd 2007 goes with everything. From the bitter Olly Murs to the sweet Joe McElderry through a pepperoni pizza via butter popcorn and during the marmite-esque foulness that we call Twiglets, this bottle of wine tasted delicious throughout and even seemed to compliment this array of Saturday night junk. Don't get it twisted though, Gruner Veltliner is a serious grape and Prager a top producer that deserve to be enjoyed alongside light meats/white fish. However, if you hate food and wine matching and just want an easygoing, delicious and fruity white then Gruner is your buddy. GV is the most versatile wine in the land for food and wine matching.
So who are Prager?
Prager are among the top producers of Gruner Veltliner in Austria. Prager's Gruner Veltliner wines are produced in the Wachau area of Austria, which, together with Kamptal and Kremstal are considered the best regions to grow Austria's most famous grape. Franz Prager, was a trailblazer in Wachau helping to establish the area as a top region for dry whites. Gruner Veltliner is traditionally considered a wine that is best drunk young, although the new cheifs at Prager, daughter of Franz, Isle and her husband Toni Bodenstein are trying to push the envelope on an aged Groovy.
Prager are dedicated to two grapes actually and are just as famous for their Riesling as their Gruner Veltliner. Both varieties share a clarity of fruit and richness of texture in the hands of Prager and they are one of the most reliable producers year in year out.
Top Wines from Prager
Weissenkirchen Achleiten Riesling Smaragd
Wiessenkirchen Klaus Riesling Smaragd
Wiessenkirchen Achleiten Gruner Veltliner Smaragd
For those of you who have yet to try a Gruner Veltliner, like any variety, they can run the gamut of quality. These are served as jug wines in Austria and can be, at their lowest price/highest yield end, nice, fresh, peppery young wines. While at the Prager end the wines can be massively complex and throw out all kinds of subtle aromas and flavours including citrus, lime, rhubarb, flint, white flowers but often keeping that peppery palate. Traditionally Gruner is not thought to be particularly aromatic however this Prager effort was blowing our nasal passages from the uncork and with some pretty intriguing notes too.
Prager Grüner Veltliner Achleiten Smaragd 2007 - BUY - £26
A rich hay colour. Aromatically very forward with mixed and interesting notes including lime rind, rhubarb, white pepper and wet stones. The palate is full bodied, rounded and with fairly low acidity still avoids "flabby", the fruit is excellent on the midpalate and the finish is acceptable. Think tropical smoothie mixed watered down with cordial lime juice, same texture too. Fine balance, 13.5% alcohol never an issue. 91 Points
Where can I buy this wine?
Europeans - Vinothek - €24
American - Hart David Hart - $39
Brits - AG Wines - £26
Leave a Comment
Do you have a wine that seems to go with all food? Do you like the Groovy?
Farewell for now
Bowing out.
Sorry dear readers to make you wait an entire week to find out that I'm shucking you. I feel that it's my time to bow out with whatever dignity is left over from all my self-depreciating posts about my adventures in Korea. I have had a wonderful time writing here and hope that it has inspired others to write about their own experiences and opinions. My decision to part ways for the time being is not in any way tied to any animosity or ill-will whatsoever. I've simply written all that I need to write for the time being.
I've learned a lot about myself and of Korea during my time here. Your comments and viewpoints have helped me understand more about what makes me tick: Korea. For those still wanting to follow what I'm up to, I've got two blogs that might be of interest to you: one focusing on my Korean language studying and the other on my Korean history pursuits.
For those curious, I actually had a list of topics that I wanted to write but never got around to tackling them. For the sake of curiosity, I leave you with my unfinished list. Someone take the torch and blog away.
I hope that this simple blog has been fun. So for the last time it seems, I ask you again:
Thoughts?
Sorry dear readers to make you wait an entire week to find out that I'm shucking you. I feel that it's my time to bow out with whatever dignity is left over from all my self-depreciating posts about my adventures in Korea. I have had a wonderful time writing here and hope that it has inspired others to write about their own experiences and opinions. My decision to part ways for the time being is not in any way tied to any animosity or ill-will whatsoever. I've simply written all that I need to write for the time being.
I've learned a lot about myself and of Korea during my time here. Your comments and viewpoints have helped me understand more about what makes me tick: Korea. For those still wanting to follow what I'm up to, I've got two blogs that might be of interest to you: one focusing on my Korean language studying and the other on my Korean history pursuits.
For those curious, I actually had a list of topics that I wanted to write but never got around to tackling them. For the sake of curiosity, I leave you with my unfinished list. Someone take the torch and blog away.
- horoscopes / year of the ~ /constitution personality determination
- (PIFF) Pusan International Film Festival / movie history
- eccentric male TV hosts and why it's an acceptable deviation of standard gender roles
- Korean mother-in-laws
- geographic regions (part series)
- history of korean innovation
- 재벌 (monopoly-like corporations)
- grocery stores (360° shopping carts, locking escalators, soju in juice boxes, insanely nice service)
- the fine art of haggling
- cultural and linguistic double standards for Korean adoptees and half-Koreans
- 교포, 일점오세, 이세, Korean-Americans
- public transportation (bus, taxi,
KTX,subway) - gender separation at young age
- surgical masks when sick / H1N1 hysteria
- 셀카 (selca)
- religion and all those red crosses at night
- losing face/ maintaining your supervisor's face amidst obvious error
- speaking Korean vs. not speaking Korean and how it can make you lose the upper hand
- English education and the culture of being a glorified resource
- competition between families / Korean mothers
- Koreans and their history with Japan / 독도 / culture export, import
- 민족 (korean blood) / nationalism / cultural identity
I hope that this simple blog has been fun. So for the last time it seems, I ask you again:
Thoughts?
Western food in Korea - scary and expensive with a side of pickles p.2
Western food in Korea.
Part Two of Two.
As we looked at last week, pickles are plentiful and Italian food is an embarrassment. Did I already apologize on behalf of Korea? 이탈리아, 죄송합니다.
But this week we're looking at the good stuff. We're looking at what Korea does right.* Depending on how adventurous you are.
One thing that comes to mind when I think of Western food done right..dare I say it? better than Americans do it is fried chicken. In the states, I'm a fan of spicy chicken tenders. Strips of boneless chicken meat fried and coated with red pepper flakes. Take one of them bad boys and dip it into a cup of warm creamy gravy and you have yourself not only a dangerously meal but you are now suspect to heart failure.
But we're not talking about that type of chicken. We're talking back to the basics. We're talking right-after-church-Southern-style-fried-chicken. Bone. Skin. Crispy. Deep. Fried. Goodness. Koreans do it right and they know it.
Fried chicken comes in the traditional breaded and deep fried fashion in Korea but it also has it's own Korean spin to it. Like many other Korean foods, it can come with the a side (or soaked in) the ubiquitous sauce you either love or hate known as 양념.
Not only that but the chicken doesn't come in sizes such as large, medium and so on. One must order chicken by the animal. A typical order might be half of a chicken - literally. Or a whole chicken. A face on your food? Oh yeah. I mean, it makes sense to do so but it still feels a little weird telling the sweet smiling lady behind the counter "I'd like one whole chicken for dinner. Yes I'm eating alone why do you ask?"
None of that compares to the recent monstrosity that is this little number. A little food stand sells this near my place and I tried it. I then promptly collapsed from fatness overload. Combine a soda with a little bit of fried chicken tender bits on top and throw some 양념 or ketchup and you've got Korea's answer to KFC's famous bowls. All the grease and none of the questionably nutritious vegetables or vegetable by-products like mashed potatoes. Just fried goodness.
We've taken a look at the good, the bad, and the pickley. I hope you've enjoyed this cuisine cruise. For more on food in Korea, both Western and non-scary, check out ZenKimchi.
Thoughts?
Part Two of Two.
As we looked at last week, pickles are plentiful and Italian food is an embarrassment. Did I already apologize on behalf of Korea? 이탈리아, 죄송합니다.
But this week we're looking at the good stuff. We're looking at what Korea does right.* Depending on how adventurous you are.
One thing that comes to mind when I think of Western food done right..dare I say it? better than Americans do it is fried chicken. In the states, I'm a fan of spicy chicken tenders. Strips of boneless chicken meat fried and coated with red pepper flakes. Take one of them bad boys and dip it into a cup of warm creamy gravy and you have yourself not only a dangerously meal but you are now suspect to heart failure.
But we're not talking about that type of chicken. We're talking back to the basics. We're talking right-after-church-Southern-style-fried-chicken. Bone. Skin. Crispy. Deep. Fried. Goodness. Koreans do it right and they know it.
Fried chicken comes in the traditional breaded and deep fried fashion in Korea but it also has it's own Korean spin to it. Like many other Korean foods, it can come with the a side (or soaked in) the ubiquitous sauce you either love or hate known as 양념.
Not only that but the chicken doesn't come in sizes such as large, medium and so on. One must order chicken by the animal. A typical order might be half of a chicken - literally. Or a whole chicken. A face on your food? Oh yeah. I mean, it makes sense to do so but it still feels a little weird telling the sweet smiling lady behind the counter "I'd like one whole chicken for dinner. Yes I'm eating alone why do you ask?"
None of that compares to the recent monstrosity that is this little number. A little food stand sells this near my place and I tried it. I then promptly collapsed from fatness overload. Combine a soda with a little bit of fried chicken tender bits on top and throw some 양념 or ketchup and you've got Korea's answer to KFC's famous bowls. All the grease and none of the questionably nutritious vegetables or vegetable by-products like mashed potatoes. Just fried goodness.
We've taken a look at the good, the bad, and the pickley. I hope you've enjoyed this cuisine cruise. For more on food in Korea, both Western and non-scary, check out ZenKimchi.
Thoughts?
Western food in Korea - scary and expensive with a side of pickles p.1
Western food in Korea.
Part One of Two.
Why sweet baby Jesus are there pickles served with everything here?
It's so unnecessary. For some reason, Korea feels the need to supply Western food with a heaping side of pickles with every meal. I still can't tell if it is for the benefit if foreigners who have this supposed insatiable appetite for salted cucumbers or if it's for Koreans who want an alternative to 김치 during their meal. Either way, it's peculiar.
In addition to the green spectacle served with pizza, spaghetti and other Italian mutations, there exists gut-wrenching excuses for Western food in this land. Granted, fast food and convenience store food is awful no matter which country you live in, but this abomination... is unforgivable.
See, I come from a country where 'real' Italian food is hard enough to come by, but we Americans get by. Although we have Papa John's and Fazzoli's, we acknowledge that it isn't 'real' Italian but it's still tasty food none the less. It's like a delicious copy. But the sinful excuse for Italian food in Korea is shameful. A copy of a copy in every sense of the word, Italian food here has become a shadow of its former self and moreso, a western food monster. Sugar sprinkled garlic bread, marinara sauce with the sweetness of vanilla ice cream and a peculiarly thin cream sauce will raise bot only eyebrows but also the dead.
I won't even get started on Korea's relationship with cheese. It's no bueno.
I confess though that I actually like most cream sauce dishes here. It doesn't leave the heaviness of alfredo sauce but that's probably because it doesn't have alfredo cheese in it. So, if it's lacking in real cheese, why am I paying an arm and a leg for it in the first place?
For example, a heaping serving of delicious 참치김치찌개 (tuna kimchi stew) that comes piping hot with at least four side dishes and a healthy portion of cooked rice will run you 5000원 (less than five bucks USD). Not bad. A freshly cooked healthy meal with plenty of vegetables. Who can argue with that?
How about a artery clogging fake cheese drenched noodle bowl with some pickles on the side? Good thing I paid four times what I should have for that big steaming pile of lies. Italian food - you are expensive and you have bad taste. You're like the Adam Sandler of food.
Thoughts?
Part One of Two.
Why sweet baby Jesus are there pickles served with everything here?
It's so unnecessary. For some reason, Korea feels the need to supply Western food with a heaping side of pickles with every meal. I still can't tell if it is for the benefit if foreigners who have this supposed insatiable appetite for salted cucumbers or if it's for Koreans who want an alternative to 김치 during their meal. Either way, it's peculiar.
In addition to the green spectacle served with pizza, spaghetti and other Italian mutations, there exists gut-wrenching excuses for Western food in this land. Granted, fast food and convenience store food is awful no matter which country you live in, but this abomination... is unforgivable.
See, I come from a country where 'real' Italian food is hard enough to come by, but we Americans get by. Although we have Papa John's and Fazzoli's, we acknowledge that it isn't 'real' Italian but it's still tasty food none the less. It's like a delicious copy. But the sinful excuse for Italian food in Korea is shameful. A copy of a copy in every sense of the word, Italian food here has become a shadow of its former self and moreso, a western food monster. Sugar sprinkled garlic bread, marinara sauce with the sweetness of vanilla ice cream and a peculiarly thin cream sauce will raise bot only eyebrows but also the dead.
I won't even get started on Korea's relationship with cheese. It's no bueno.
I confess though that I actually like most cream sauce dishes here. It doesn't leave the heaviness of alfredo sauce but that's probably because it doesn't have alfredo cheese in it. So, if it's lacking in real cheese, why am I paying an arm and a leg for it in the first place?
For example, a heaping serving of delicious 참치김치찌개 (tuna kimchi stew) that comes piping hot with at least four side dishes and a healthy portion of cooked rice will run you 5000원 (less than five bucks USD). Not bad. A freshly cooked healthy meal with plenty of vegetables. Who can argue with that?
How about a artery clogging fake cheese drenched noodle bowl with some pickles on the side? Good thing I paid four times what I should have for that big steaming pile of lies. Italian food - you are expensive and you have bad taste. You're like the Adam Sandler of food.
Thoughts?
Engrish,, an ohter comon bad the moments times of a recently
Engrish.
What a funny thing you have done to the English language, South Korea. You make me laugh. Daily. Hourly. Minute...ly.
But don't get me wrong. I'm not making fun of Korea in the sense that I think my foreign language skills are better. Not sure if you've noticed recently, but my Korean isn't that great. I'm still translating kid books. So yeah, it's fun to laugh at but plenty of my friends get to laugh at my expense daily.
Having said that, Engrish is funny. Some of my favorites: "Don't you tired?", "That test made me hard", and "You will be a stress". Classic. You can't make up comedy like that. Just a cursory google search will yield some awesome results. There is no shortage of goofy Engrish here.
What other native English speakers have posed before, and I agree with, is that Korea overuses English. I'm not saying that people use English too much in the sense of communication but for advertising and such, English is overused and largely misused when the target demographic aren't even native English speakers. Therefore, an advertisement in the Korean language would be seemingly more effective. I suppose it's the status symbol of English in this country that pushes such awful English. What status symbol that is, I don't know but it's some sort of status.
Still, if they started replacing questionable food titles and hilarious recycling signs with only Korean language explanations, it would make things hard to get around for non-Korean speakers. Make sure that I'm not for the full removal of English; I'm just for the promulgation of coherent English. Otherwise, leave it alone.
All in all, it's all just one big unintentional joke. Some of the best Engrish is found on trivial goods such as casual tee shirts and department stores. It's clearly geared towards a younger audience with disposable income who likely has more of a familiarity with English than the older generation. However, the line between clever marketing and professional incompetence gets blurred all too often leaving foreigners to judge Korea's image on things that Korea would rather not choose.
To put things in perspective (for our own entertainment, of course) I present Matthew: in full Engrish. Imagine me at a subway stop near you. Brace yourself. It's going to get ugly.
Thus ends my Engrish modeling career.
The Korean language is daunting as it is but it's preferable than poorly edited Engrish. Making mistakes in a conversation is one thing - I would never fault anyone for trying to speak a foreign language, let alone English - but marketing English as some sort of hook is almost insulting. It trivializes the language and makes it the butt of jokes and weakly delivered Korean rap song introductions. Example you say? 쥬얼리 (Jewelry)'s song "Vari2ty" is 30% less sexy just from the introduction. What the hell Baby J? Didn't you live in California for a while? Reason #29 why I hate California.
Thoughts?
What a funny thing you have done to the English language, South Korea. You make me laugh. Daily. Hourly. Minute...ly.
But don't get me wrong. I'm not making fun of Korea in the sense that I think my foreign language skills are better. Not sure if you've noticed recently, but my Korean isn't that great. I'm still translating kid books. So yeah, it's fun to laugh at but plenty of my friends get to laugh at my expense daily.
Having said that, Engrish is funny. Some of my favorites: "Don't you tired?", "That test made me hard", and "You will be a stress". Classic. You can't make up comedy like that. Just a cursory google search will yield some awesome results. There is no shortage of goofy Engrish here.
What other native English speakers have posed before, and I agree with, is that Korea overuses English. I'm not saying that people use English too much in the sense of communication but for advertising and such, English is overused and largely misused when the target demographic aren't even native English speakers. Therefore, an advertisement in the Korean language would be seemingly more effective. I suppose it's the status symbol of English in this country that pushes such awful English. What status symbol that is, I don't know but it's some sort of status.
Still, if they started replacing questionable food titles and hilarious recycling signs with only Korean language explanations, it would make things hard to get around for non-Korean speakers. Make sure that I'm not for the full removal of English; I'm just for the promulgation of coherent English. Otherwise, leave it alone.
All in all, it's all just one big unintentional joke. Some of the best Engrish is found on trivial goods such as casual tee shirts and department stores. It's clearly geared towards a younger audience with disposable income who likely has more of a familiarity with English than the older generation. However, the line between clever marketing and professional incompetence gets blurred all too often leaving foreigners to judge Korea's image on things that Korea would rather not choose.
To put things in perspective (for our own entertainment, of course) I present Matthew: in full Engrish. Imagine me at a subway stop near you. Brace yourself. It's going to get ugly.
Thus ends my Engrish modeling career.
The Korean language is daunting as it is but it's preferable than poorly edited Engrish. Making mistakes in a conversation is one thing - I would never fault anyone for trying to speak a foreign language, let alone English - but marketing English as some sort of hook is almost insulting. It trivializes the language and makes it the butt of jokes and weakly delivered Korean rap song introductions. Example you say? 쥬얼리 (Jewelry)'s song "Vari2ty" is 30% less sexy just from the introduction. What the hell Baby J? Didn't you live in California for a while? Reason #29 why I hate California.
Thoughts?
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