Escoffier

Is it cold in Busan....well, it's 1 degree at the moment and supposed to go to 6 so it's about normal for this time of the year. Let me get this on track (slightly) by saying that I've never seen quite so many varieties of fish in so many different forms. I was in the street markets yesterday and there is a huge number of streets dedicated to selling fish, fish and more fish. Also found the street that sells pork and you can buy everything from the snout to the tip of the tail. Hog heads seem to be an obsession with about 15 vendors selling pig's heads, cooked and neatly wrapped and ready to take home. (I think the Westin might be a bit put out if I showed up with a pigs head, however). There is a ton of street vendors selling everything you can think of. Odan is everywhere and all the fish cake vendors are busy...

Gamasot is indeed in the same shopping center. On your right as you travel towards G Mart. Personally, I always go for the seullongtang but that's just me. The galbi-tang (beef short-rib soup) is excellent. The spicy octopus is also very good albeit a bit expensive. There is a list of about 5 lunch specials (weekdays only naturally) and it's hard to go wrong with any of them. The banchan is always the same but always good. The kimchi and radish are cut at the table. (Don, this should probably be somewhere else but I'm not sure if that would be the Gamasot thread or a generic Korean food thread. And by the way, I'm in Busan and there are more varieties of fish for sale in more variations than can be imagined).

That's a Global market (owned by the same people who own Grand Mart). As someone stated above, it's more oriented towards Latino than towards Koreans. However, you passed by the best thing in that area...you passed Gamasot which has the best seullontang in VA.

Grover and I do Duk Mandu Guk or thinly sliced rice cakes with mandu soup. The rice cakes are cut at a slight angle and represent money or wealth for the coming year.

The tea is bori-cha or barley tea, traditionally served during the Winter. You get corn tea during the warm months. As others have said, you scrape the crisp rice from the bottom of the pot and eat it like porridge. (It's not one of my favorites, but Grover really likes it). The large crystal salt is sea salt which hasn't been overly refined, the smaller "plain white salt" is more refined sea salt. If you visit Super-H or some other Korean market, you will see a large number of bags of salt that range from what looks like powder to salt that resembles rock salt. Large crystal sea-salt is generally on the table because it's the cheapest to buy (generally) and restaurants like to maximize profits and refined salt tends to cost more. Gamasot has the absolute best seulontang anywhere around. It's my favorite comfort food and there are times we eat at Gamasot three times a week (but I definitely recommend the Galbi Tang, it's great as well).

This was right on time. I was given two goose breasts (wild/with birdshot) and Grover and I didn't have any idea what to do with them. Now if someone would like to come up with a recipe for venison tenderloin and goosebreast, I can utilize all the game residing in the freezer.

I thought that is usually prefaced with "spotted" and is served for dessert.

Oegadgib is on the left side of Little River Turnpike on a small side road as you go west on Little River Turnpike. After you pass Fuddruckers you will see a Jerry's on your left. Oegadgib is behind Jerry's and on your right once you turn into that (small) road. Coming from 495, you will pass a car wash on your right. Oegadgib is just beyond the car wash on your right on a small side street just before Jerry's. The address is: 7331 Little River Trpk, Annandale, VA (and it's not going to do you much good. Maybe we'll just have Goldenticket stand out on the side of the road holding one of those arrow signs... . There is generally lots of parking.

You must have missed the $20 Tuesday that Grover led at Han Sung Oak last year (or the one at Gom Ba Woo or any of the others). You might check the $20 Tuesday forum for the upcoming Korean dinner this Tuesday night. You'll be amazed at the variety of Korean foods (not just bul gogi and kal-bi but other really great food as well)

I think he and Michael must share a tailor when it comes to shirts.

I just ordered the pasta maker/grinder attachment for Grover for hers after she promised lots of freshly made pasta. It's going to show up soon, I can hardly wait.

That might be a good thing. Someone will have to swipe a menu so that they can spell the names (Grover excepted). The food is really good and there is a heck of a LOT of it for not much money. The restaurant is located on Little River Turnpike but behind a bunch of other buildings. I'll try to post the exact location as we get closer.

I've had dog (in Taiwan and Korea), fugu in Tokyo and Seoul, Caribou in Yellowknife, Bear in Great Slave Lake, Elk in a number of places, Reindeer (at least that's what I was told it was) in NWT and a few other "foods" I'd rather not think about but I don't eat silkworm larva even though I know someone who does...

Grover and I will be paying our respects to R. J. and Mike and all the fine folks at Vidalia again this year. Last year was an explosion of wonderful tastes and textures and unexpected goodies.

Oegadgib: Grover and I ate there the other night. This isn't your run of the mill bulgogi and kimchi place. If you're adventurous you'll enjoy the food (and there is a LOT of it). I'd also suggest that you try the unfiltered rice wine...tasty and sneaky all in one. See everyone on December 11.

See, I told you that it would happen eventually. Just don't ever forget how to cook all of that great Korean food for me. (BTW Stephen, it was Vermilion ) -Escoffier (who spent the night with a Korean lady one night and an American one the next night and didn't cheat a bit)

C&O, Fuel Company and there's a E in CharlottEsville...

Nope, I miss Susan and I miss Joe and I miss the people who worked there. A definite mix of personalities that gave the place a personal feeling. Gone, but not forgotten. I can't bring myself to go to the "new" Majestic.

Grover and I and the family unit (plus grandson) metro'd out to Dino last night to celebrate Daddy's day. The grandson was his usual charming, flirty self and was quite happy entertaining himself (and the table next to us) while we ate. I'm not even going to attempt to enumerate what we ate (starting with some wonderful appetizers) and ending with limoncello for me and gelato and Balsamico for Grover. Suffice it to say that when Dean says huge hulking hunk of beef, be prepared for something only slightly smaller than a side of beef, perfectly cooked to a picture-book medium rare and wonderfully flavorful and juicy. Even though the 4.5 of us were satiated before the beef arrived, it didn't stand a chance. It disappeared almost immediately. The smiles of satisfaction were beaming as we made our way back to the metro and the trip back to the Escoffier manse. Dino, you are a wonderful restaurant. You have yet to let me down... (and our server Alex is all right as well). A most memorable dinner (well the memories are a bit cloudy due to the excellent accompanying wine selections).

You know, I've only lived here for not quite 30 years so I guess you're right. Howerver I only lived in Manhattan for 2 years and I managed to learn how to spell that. Too bad Phyllis moved on...guess they had to find someone to take her place...shame...maybe Frank Bruni will be looking for a job in a couple of years.

But not long enough to spell Manhattan correctly or capitalize Queens? If you lived in Manattan, you'd be headed to H & H at 80th and Broadway. I haven't found any bagels in this area to come close to H & H (even though the last good bagels I had (last week) were from Long Island).

Can we get Phyllis Richman back, please?

as long as you're not too overly concerned with the food. It's okay at best.

I've got some venison tenderloin and a some goose.

They officially opened at 11:30am today for lunch.