Trick Question: What does a vegetarian eat in a Korean restaurant?

When I lived in the Bay Area my friends were all different colors. I never realized how white Argentina was until I moved here. Sometimes I miss the cultural diversity of California. (alot) I am not used to being around all white people. I lived in California 33 years. It is more than bland Thai food, Mexican food that is worse than Taco Bell, no Dim Sum, sushi made mostly of salmon and fake crab, and only Mandarin Chinese food. It is a complete loss of lifestyle. Don't get me wrong, this would not get me back on a plane to live there, it is just a loss.

I miss having friends from other backgrounds. That is probably why I love when I have Asian friends come to visit. (Poor Snow who is coming from New York, she doesn't know what she is in for) It is another dimension added to my life here. My Argentine friends think I am crazy. I have introduced them to many things they never would have encountered if it were not for their weird American friend.

A couple of weeks ago I decided to check out a networking event for Argentine and Ex-pat professionals. I went after dancing tango. I wrote a little bit about it in my blog. I met David who is a Korean Argentine. I did everything but beg him to take me to the Korean barrio for dinner. I was thrilled when he agreed.

He had actually planned this with several other people besides me, but I was the only one who showed up. Later David told me that I was unusual for an ex-pat, because it is usual that most of them never show up for things. I found that really unusual. I don't know why but I did.

Anyway, we met on the corner of Directorio and Carobobo in Flores. The Korean barrio is not in a good neighborhood. To be honest it is right next to a villa, which is Argentine talk for slum. So like it would located next to Watts or somewhere like it. Anyway, compared to places in the U.S. it really does not look that bad. I mean, I lived in Oakland for 18 years, and before that Richmond, and I was born in Detroit, so this villa really looked more like the Mission district in San Francisco than Ramparts in LA: It is hard to explain this to an Argentine, so I just go with it. We jump into a taxi and head towards the barrio.

David was a little let down that everyone bailed on him. He tells me, "You know there is a lot of food to eat." I tell him I know. I have been to Korean restaurants before. He tells me we are going to go to this restaurant and eat lots of food. This is like a challenge or something. I tell him it is OK I did not eat that much today and I am totally excited about tonight. Then I freak him out. I tell him I don't eat meat.

All is silent. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T EAT MEAT?" he says to me. I am not sure if this is his Korean side or his Argentine side coming out. "Well," I say to him. "I don't really like the taste of it. I mean I eat chicken, and seafood. Before I came here, I didn't eat chicken." He gives me this look. "Koreans don't eat chicken. They eat meat and maybe a little seafood. Meat is very important in the Korean diet." I think I made him madder than the people who have not showed up.

I tell him it won't be a problem. "Don't worry" I say to him. "It will be OK. Food and me always works out." He gives me an eyeball. I think he thinks I am a high maintenance California girl. Well I can be high maintenance at times, but this is not one of the times.

We drive down Carabobo and stop on a street that appears well lit. David leads me to a doorway. He rings a doorbell. When it buzzes he opens it. We walk up about 4 steps and then there is an iron gate and he must buzz again. A waiter comes to check us out before he buzzes us in. We walk up the stairs. David tells me this is the kind of place you never find unless you know it is there. No kidding.

We enter a room that has long formica tables on each side with old kitchen chairs. In the middle of each table is the barbecue. I am thrilled to death. This is what I have been waiting for. Real Korean food. I am the only White person in this place. I don't feel wierd at all. I take out my camera and start snapping pictures. The people start waving at me. I know I must look like a stupid tourist. I don't care. I take one look at what people are eating and I am so happy.

I tell David that I love this place. I think by now he thinks I am certified crazy. After all I am from California, and people from California do have a reputation. He tells me that this place is not even Korean it is 70s. He says you can't even find places like this in Korea anymore. Even Korea is more modern than this. I don't care. I love it.

I think David is still a little nervous about me and what I will and will not eat. I tell him again not to worry. He tells the waiter to bring all this food. I have no idea. It doesn't matter. He asks me if I want to have soju. I have no idea what this is. He explains to me that soju is Korean sake. I tell him sure, why not.

It comes in a beautiful green bottle. You can't really tell that by this picture. But the bottle is nice. I take a sip. It is much smoother than Japanese sake. I think I could drink a whole bottle of this by myself.

Every time I lift my head from my chopsticks the waiter is bringing more food. This is amazing. David was not kidding when he said that there would be alot of food. We start off with oysters. They come on the half shell with a spicy sauce and vegetable garnish. They are fresh and wonderful. I cannot remember the last time I ate fresh oysters.

I tell David I am in love with him. He sort of blinks. I should tell him I am kidding but I don't.

The one thing I love about Korean food is all the little dishes of food they bring you. This restaurant has so many different types of little dishes it is mind boggling. David keeps asking them to bring different types. We are surrounded by little dishes of vegetables, fish, and tofu. They bring us a whole fish fried in a wonderful paste. There is a soup of tofu that is rich and spicy.

In between bites of food, I learn that David came to Argentina when he was 11 years old. He went to law school in the U.S. at the U of Virgina. I asked if going to the U.S. was culture shock, he said not as much as coming to Argentina from Korea.

I find him an amazing person. He speaks perfect English, Spanish, and of course Korean. He tells me he also speaks Portuguese, but not perfectly.

He practices lots of different forms of law, interesting forms - environmental, mergers. He is without a doubt super smart.

Now it is time for the barbecue. The actual barbecue itself is a trip. I can honestly say I have never seen anything like it before. It is a grill inlaid in the middle of this cheap formica table. These are like the tables you buy at Smart and Final or Costco for your office. Anyway, under the gold grill is a basket. A guy comes around and he lifts the grill and fills the basket with charcoal. He does that all night to make sure your grill stays hot.

Obviously David is going to grill the food tonight for us. We have a plate of assorted meat, pork, and seafood. The idea is for the food to cook while we continue to eat the assorted little dishes that are still being brought to us.

The food basically sits on the grill and cooks. That orangie looking stuff is octopus in some sort of sauce. It was delicious. The gray thing is a large shrimp. Then that red lump behind is beef.

Here is Chef David plying his skills.

While the food is cooking David and I talk more about our lives as ex-pats. It is interesting because he says although he is Argentine, he too is an ex-pat as he was born in Korea, I talk about what it has been like for me to come to Argentina and live. During this meal I look at David and I tell him "I want to marry you." I am so happy about this food. I am not sure he understands my bizarre sense of California humor sometimes.

He tells me that this barrio is really not so Korean anymore. At one time it was. Now it is more Chinese than Korean. He tells me to look at the people in the restaurant. They are all Chinese except for the owners. He says that the Chinese like Korean food and they come here to eat. Then they find out it is much cheaper to live here, so they move here. Most of the Koreans live in better parts of Flores or other parts of the Capital.

We spend almost 2.5 hours in this restaurant eating. I feel pregnant. I cannot believe how much I have eaten. The food was wonderful. I thank David again. I tell him we need to do this with more people. He rolls his eyes. "We were supposed to be more people." he says to me.

"Hey!" he says to me, "You ate meat." "Uh yeah, I did. A little." I explain to him that when I lived in California I ate no meat or chicken, only a little seafood. When I moved here I began to eat a little chicken. Every once in awhile I sample some meat, but I rarely eat it because I don't like the taste of it.

"But you ate this meat. Because it's Argentine. It's good." Whatever. This was the greatest meal. And I have a great new friend.