E-Mart is like Korea’s version of the Wal-Mart Superstore, except it’s not open 24 hours (it closes at midnight) and it’s not that “super.” In any case, it’s still pretty big for Korea and it beats Wal-Mart in two areas: the food court and food samples (they even put Costco to shame). I’ve read that every big “mall” in Seoul has a food court similar to the one at E-Mart and I plan on hitting up every single one of them if they’re as yummy as E-Mart’s.
As I’ve discovered, food courts are wonderful places for the n00b to try Korean food. Most of the restaurants I’ve seen while walking around Seoul have no picture menus, and while I can read Korean and understand some of it, I still don’t know enough to avoid ordering “entrail stew” or “kimchi silkworm larvae.” All you need to do is look at some pretty plastic models of the food being served, point a little and use your ten fingers to tell the cashier which entree you’d like to order.
Here’s part of the food display:
I ended up ordering this beautiful plastic dinner. It was a combo with Jajangmyeon (it’s a Korean take on a Chinese dish that’s only served in Korea — confused yet?) and sweet and sour pork for $7 bucks.
Here’s what I was served. Not bad compared to the idealized plastic version, eh? The taste was great. The Jajangmyeon had a delicious soybean paste sauce that was neither too salty nor too strong in flavor. It had a ton of onions in it that were cooked, but still “al dente.” The sweet and sour pork was good too. Most of the time in the U.S., sweet and sour pork is either too fatty or too greasy and usually drenched in an unnaturally red sauce. This one was much more flavorful and the meat was lean, yet moist. Dang it, I’m getting hungry just describing it…
Not related to the food court, but found in E-Mart. I don’t know what kind of animal a Pocari is, but I sure as heck wouldn’t want to drink its sweat out of a can.
(Actually, I think it’s a sports drink like Gatorade.)
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