Category: Top Posts – Winter

Shrimp Burger vs. Squid Burger: The Fast Food Face-Off You Didn’t Know You Needed
Fast Food in Korea: McDonald’s in a Hanbok
Despite Korea’s deep-rooted culture of health consciousness, fast food chains have set up shop with reckless abandon. McDonald’s even dons its own metaphorical hanbok, offering up bulgogi burgers and other Korean-specific menu items to reel in the local crowd.
But the real player in this game? Korea’s very own chaebol (mega-conglomerate) Lotte, with its flagship fast food chain: Lotteria. This place is like the Burger King of Korea—though foreigners tend to give it the side-eye. Why? Well, Lotteria isn’t the place for a typical burger fix. If you want a greasy, cheesy double cheeseburger, you’re probably better off somewhere else. But if you’re after a little adventure, Lotteria has some unique artery-clogging delights.
Shrimp Burger vs. Hot Squid Burger: Let’s Get Weird
Every time I find myself at Lotteria, I make it a point to try something new. Today, it’s the battle of the seafood titans: the Shrimp (“Sae-u”) Burger (새우버거) versus the Hot Squid (“Ojingeo”) Burger (오징어버거). You heard that right—fast food seafood burgers.
In Korean fast food lingo, anything on a round bun is automatically called a “burger.” Sandwiches, patties, fried bits of sea critters—it all qualifies. So, let’s dive into this showdown.
Round One: The Shrimp Burger
I’ll admit, I was skeptical of this one at first. One of my foreign friends raved about it, but I had images of a sad, flavorless shrimp-flavored patty dancing in my head. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
The Shrimp Burger comes dressed in a black sesame seed bun (because aesthetics matter), with a crispy fried shrimp patty, iceberg lettuce, and a “special” sauce—a marriage of tartar sauce and Thousand Island dressing. The magic happens when you bite into it: it’s actually packed with shrimp, not some weird mealy filler. It’s like someone took a Cajun poboy, compacted it into a fast food burger, and sent it overseas.
I’m hooked. It’s become a guilty pleasure of mine, and I’ve even managed to convert other foreigners into Shrimp Burger fanatics. Sorry, waistline.
Round Two: The Hot Squid Burger
Enter the Hot Squid Burger, which—unlike the round shrimp patty—comes in a weirdly rectangular shape. The bun is the same black sesame seed variety, but this bad boy is loaded with creamy sauce, a sweet and sour hot sauce, and the trusty iceberg lettuce. If the Shrimp Burger is all about nostalgia, the Squid Burger is here to spice things up. Literally.
It’s freakin’ spicy for fast food, which I didn’t expect. The squid itself? Pretty flavorless (because squid is more about texture than taste), but it has a satisfying chewiness that works well with the sauces. The hot sauce packs a tangy punch, making it a much bolder option than the shrimp burger. But beware: you might need to wash it down with something cold. Beer is my recommendation.
The Verdict: Shrimp Wins, but Squid’s a Fun Sidekick
After much deliberation and a borderline food coma, here’s my final take: the Shrimp Burger takes the crown for sheer volume of tastiness and nostalgic poboy vibes. But the Hot Squid Burger is a solid runner-up if you’re in the mood for something a little wild—and spicy.
So, next time you’re in Korea and feeling adventurous, skip the basic burger. Head to Lotteria and grab yourself a Shrimp Burger or, if you’re feeling spicy, the Hot Squid Burger. Just make sure to pair it with something cold—your taste buds will thank you.
November 3, 2005
Gogi Buffets in Korea: Where You Can Cook Your Own Mystery Meat Adventure
Meat Buffets in Korea: Not Your Typical All-You-Can-Eat
When my co-workers Julia and Lars wouldn’t stop talking about gogi (meat) buffets, I figured, “Why not?” I mean, I’ve been to buffets before. Grab some meat, maybe some soggy veggies under heat lamps, right? Wrong.
This is Korea. And in Korea, everything starts raw until you cook it—DIY BBQ, if you will.
How a Korean Meat Buffet Works
Imagine walking into the meat section of your local grocery store. Now imagine you can take a plate, load it up with any kind of raw protein you see, and then cook it all yourself. That’s a Korean gogi buffet. No mystery-meat under heat lamps here.
At the buffet, the options were endless. We’re talking pork, beef, chicken, duck, gizzards, intestines, four varieties of octopus, shellfish, marinated eel, shrimp—basically, a butcher shop on steroids. Some cuts we didn’t even know—we just cooked them to see what they tasted like (always a gamble, by the way).
The Distraction of Side Dishes
But here’s the catch: these places would go broke if you just gorged on meat. So, they cleverly lay out an army of delicious side dishes to distract you from piling your plate sky-high with protein. One of my favorites is todok root—a crunchy, sweet-and-sour vegetable that’s a pain to prepare, which is why it’s usually expensive. But here, it’s part of the buffet. Grill it, and thank me later.
They also had one of my personal faves: raw marinated crab halves (gejang). If you’ve never tried sucking salty-sweet crab meat straight from the shell, you’re in for a slimy, glorious surprise.
So… What Do You Do With All That Raw Meat?
The beauty of Korean meat buffets is that the cooking happens right at your table. Grab your chopsticks, toss your raw meat onto the grill, and listen to the sizzle. No frills, no fancy atmosphere—just raw meat and an open flame. The vibe is very much like your local steakhouse back home, minus the faux wood paneling and tractor décor.
Lars and I made a beeline for the weirdest stuff in the case (because why not?). We dove into cuts that looked questionable, only to circle back to pork and duck. Duck was a surprising hit. Seven plates of meat later, we were starting to wonder if we’d eaten our body weight in BBQ.
The Sneaky “Don’t Waste Food” Rule
And just when we thought we were done, Julia drops a bombshell: if you leave food on your plate, there’s a per-dish financial penalty. So yeah, it’s all-you-can-eat, but it’s also “eat all you take.” Cue the mad scramble to finish every last bit of fat, gristle, and whatever-that-was from earlier.
By the end of the meal, I was feeling like I could easily swallow a box of nails—my throat was so slick with grease. I thought this would become a regular tradition, but let’s be honest: living in Korea has seriously cut down my tolerance for fat and grease. Now I feel woozy just thinking about it.
Final Thoughts: Worth a Try, But Bring Your Appetite
If you’ve got limited time in Korea and want to experience the full spectrum of meat dishes and sides, a gogi buffet is your ticket to adventure. Just be ready to cook your own food, explore some weird cuts, and avoid that food waste penalty at all costs.
And remember, while it’s fun to try everything, your stomach might hate you for it later.
November 1, 2005
Zen’s Kimchi Jjigae
Recipe: Zen’s Kimchi Jjigae
Summary: After tasting other people’s Kimchi Jjigaes and introducing some of my more western preferences, here’s my latest recipe for Kimchi Jjigae. Like my chili recipe, it’s constantly evolving.
Ingredients
1/2 lbs. Bacon or Samgyeopsal (fresh pork belly), thick sliced, salted or unsalted
1 Onion, sliced
1 Tbsp. Ginger, minced
Handful of Garlic Cloves, smashed and whole
1/2 lbs. Kimchi, preferrably old
2 Tsp. Sugar
Salt to taste (depending if you have salted or unsalted bacon)
Fresh cracked Black Pepper, lots of it
Rice Vinegar (optional)
1/2 bottle of Soju (Korean traditional liquor)
Instructions
Brown the Bacon in a hot wok. When it is brown, move it to the side.
Brown the Onions in the bacon grease.
Add the Ginger, Kimchi, and Garlic. Stir fry for a while.
Fill the wok with water until it’s covered the ingredients. Boil for five minutes. You will end up with a rich red broth.
Add the Sugar and Black Pepper and taste. Adjust the Sugar, Vinegar and Salt until a nice balance of salty, sweet, and sour is achieved. The Kimchi should give it enough sourness, but vinegar should be at the ready just in case.
Throw in 1/2 bottle of Soju to give it that extra kick. Drink the rest with due caution.
Let it boil for a few more minutes. Serve it hot or boiling (if possible) with steamed rice to balance the strong flavor of the stew.
Variations
You can also substitute a can of tuna for the pork. Not only is it healthy, it’s a surprisingly good tasting alternative. Something magical happens with Chamchi (Tuna) Kimchi Jjigae. It’s sweeter and has good depth.
Preparation time: 10 minute(s)
Cooking time: 20 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 4
My rating 4 stars: ★★★★☆ 1 review(s)
Culinary tradition: Korean
Calories: 399
Fat: 27
Protein: 8
Microformatting by hRecipe.
September 25, 2005