Korean Breakfast
- Pat P
- Jan 23, 2024
- 2 min read
Updated: Jan 27, 2024
While Judy is happily posting about music and her beloved K-pop groups, I’m thinking about FOOD, my favorite subject.
When we were in LA for the fan meeting, my cousin Lauren picked us up and drove us to Koreatown for breakfast. We feasted at Yangji Gamjatang, a local restaurant known for
breakfast. It’s a small, clean spot with many tables. What’s unique is that each table has a drawer filled with spoons, chopsticks, and napkins. (Actually this is very common in Korean restaurants; not sure why I know this & Pat doesn't ~ Judy)
Korean breakfasts don’t remotely mirror ours. They eat lots of soups, the ubiquitous banchan (aka side dishes,) some porridge, and always kimchi. There’s not a pancake or granola in sight. Lauren and I got the pork neck bone soup, and Judy ordered a clear soup with potstickers and cabbage. Lauren and I slurped ours up, and Judy ventured a sip or two and then offered the rest to us. (When she gets to Korea, I think she’s going to exist on fried chicken.) Ours was just delicious, and it looked so inviting: bone in
pork floating in a rich broth with vegetables. With rice and banchan, we were in heaven. Judy’s was not as appetizing to look at. It was a dishwater colored broth with some anemic looking pot stickers and cabbage. However, it tasted great.
While we were there, a young couple came in and ordered. As I was curious to see what they’d picked, I asked. It was the famous Hangover Soup! It looked much like our pork neck soup but arrived to the table in a bubbling casserole. They devoured the entire thing! Hangover soup can include congealed ox blood. I didn’t ask them if they had ordered that, and frankly, I don’t want to know or ever taste that. My culinary adventures don’t extend to congealed ox blood.
The most disappointing part of talking to them was telling them all about our blog, giving them a hand-written note with the blog info on it, and ultimately noticing that when they left, our note was on the table for the staff to throw away! <sigh>
Dumpling Soup for breakfast.... give me a waffle any day. ~ Judy
Yum! Pat and Judy - have you visited Korea yet?
Pat, have you watched Dali and the Cocky Prince? ML was brash & boorish (but with a heart of gold) & owned a string of gamjutang restaurants (the implication was that this was low-class food). FL was refined owner of an art museum. Rom-com ensues.
Those people didnt know what they’re missing out on! Love this blog!! Anyhow if you are willing to try blood sausage theres this place called 8th st soondae in ktown which is amazing! I took my team there for breakfast when we’re in LA! Lol
I don’t eat breakfast but if I would I would love to eat the way they do in SK. But than would have to get someone to make it for me because cooking right out of bed like that …
I was in November and ate only Korean food (stayed in K-town), so good. I could eat only that for the rest of my life. And when I’m in SK in April/ May I want to try all kinds of food, including hangover soup with the blood.