As seen on Tribe
Theres not much to report on these days beyond a lot of emotional turmoil (a great deal of which is self-induced) relating to work, personal and my housing situation - and it has no place on the world stage. But its been far too long since Ive updated, so what can I write about without getting into all the icky sticky stuff? Ah yes. MY FAVORITE RESTAURANTS!!!
Currently the only one of my favorites to get the 5-star rating is Seoul Garden BBQ Buffet. And it gets this coveted position out of shear extravagance. The extravagance does not derive from the surroundings to be sure. Its in a very humble part of Tustin in an aging grocery mall, and some of the storefronts are empty. But a few doors down from the little Mexican grocery, there are people crowding on the sidewalk in front of the red neon sign that spells SEOUL GARDEN BBQ BUFFET! Oh yea! Lets get crazy!
As you walking you will be greeted by a smiling Korean lady wearing a pair of surgical gloves? Depending on the size of your party, youll be guided to a 4-seat booth in the front section, or one of the larger tables in the back. The tables themselves have a ribbed rectangular metal grill cut into the center, with gas burners lit underneath. I had never seen anything like this until only a few months ago. The whole experience was truly spectacular (though I was perhaps a bit dazed by the heat).
Now if you show up to the place with 5 people or more, theyll seat you in the back. Its the back because the restaurant has two seating sections separated by an aisle with two long buffet tables on either side. omg. omFg. These were the most incredible buffet tables Ive ever seen. One table is covered on both sides with different trays containing gleaming mounds of raw meat!! Oh yes, all the meats you can think of: chicken (regular/spicy), beef brisket, marinated pork, spicy bacon, squid, octopi, eel, fish, etc etc.
The other table has the non-meat stuff: sushi, cucumbers, kim chi (eew), mungbean curd shaped like frozen ovenfries, glass noodles, and a really neat, cold cabbage soup that starts salty but finishes all sweet and spicy.
So get your raw meats on one plate (separate from your other edibles), and bring it back to the table. Throw it all on the grill and cook it to your preferred doneness with the thongs provided and then pig out. Pace yourself because youll want to go back and try everything theyve got. And theres no way youre getting it all in one trip. And I dont need to tell you that buffet eating requires you to eat virtually nothing all day in preparation. After serious gorging, you can make a dessert selection from: green jello, red jello, fruit salad, and self-serve, soft-serve ice cream! Yay! ^ ^
Oh , and also dont forget to get a pork chop or another thick piece of meat. After its done cooking, one of the smiling Korean ladies will pick up a nearby pair of scissors, swoop down at you, snatch up the pork chop in her gloved hands, and cut it into several pieces onto your plate. Its actually kind of fun after the first time when you realize that shes not trying to get you with a pair of scissors.
To tell the truth I dont feel so frayed just now. Ive just spent a serene 2 hours in my room with the lights off, watching Dial M for Murder and eating microwave kettle corn. Only 200 calories in the whole bag. And thats less than a 20 oz soda! Gonna cash in all these credits at the SEOUL! Woot!
(Btw, remember all that crap I said about plays adapted to film? Well watching this DVD, I discovered that Dial M was originally filmed in 3D, and then I noticed all these panning shots around foreground objects, movement towards camera, etc. And of course I realized that watching the film adaptation of a play in 3D is like actually watching the play!! Sort of.)
Theres not much to report on these days beyond a lot of emotional turmoil (a great deal of which is self-induced) relating to work, personal and my housing situation - and it has no place on the world stage. But its been far too long since Ive updated, so what can I write about without getting into all the icky sticky stuff? Ah yes. MY FAVORITE RESTAURANTS!!!
Currently the only one of my favorites to get the 5-star rating is Seoul Garden BBQ Buffet. And it gets this coveted position out of shear extravagance. The extravagance does not derive from the surroundings to be sure. Its in a very humble part of Tustin in an aging grocery mall, and some of the storefronts are empty. But a few doors down from the little Mexican grocery, there are people crowding on the sidewalk in front of the red neon sign that spells SEOUL GARDEN BBQ BUFFET! Oh yea! Lets get crazy!
As you walking you will be greeted by a smiling Korean lady wearing a pair of surgical gloves? Depending on the size of your party, youll be guided to a 4-seat booth in the front section, or one of the larger tables in the back. The tables themselves have a ribbed rectangular metal grill cut into the center, with gas burners lit underneath. I had never seen anything like this until only a few months ago. The whole experience was truly spectacular (though I was perhaps a bit dazed by the heat).
Now if you show up to the place with 5 people or more, theyll seat you in the back. Its the back because the restaurant has two seating sections separated by an aisle with two long buffet tables on either side. omg. omFg. These were the most incredible buffet tables Ive ever seen. One table is covered on both sides with different trays containing gleaming mounds of raw meat!! Oh yes, all the meats you can think of: chicken (regular/spicy), beef brisket, marinated pork, spicy bacon, squid, octopi, eel, fish, etc etc.
The other table has the non-meat stuff: sushi, cucumbers, kim chi (eew), mungbean curd shaped like frozen ovenfries, glass noodles, and a really neat, cold cabbage soup that starts salty but finishes all sweet and spicy.
So get your raw meats on one plate (separate from your other edibles), and bring it back to the table. Throw it all on the grill and cook it to your preferred doneness with the thongs provided and then pig out. Pace yourself because youll want to go back and try everything theyve got. And theres no way youre getting it all in one trip. And I dont need to tell you that buffet eating requires you to eat virtually nothing all day in preparation. After serious gorging, you can make a dessert selection from: green jello, red jello, fruit salad, and self-serve, soft-serve ice cream! Yay! ^ ^
Oh , and also dont forget to get a pork chop or another thick piece of meat. After its done cooking, one of the smiling Korean ladies will pick up a nearby pair of scissors, swoop down at you, snatch up the pork chop in her gloved hands, and cut it into several pieces onto your plate. Its actually kind of fun after the first time when you realize that shes not trying to get you with a pair of scissors.
To tell the truth I dont feel so frayed just now. Ive just spent a serene 2 hours in my room with the lights off, watching Dial M for Murder and eating microwave kettle corn. Only 200 calories in the whole bag. And thats less than a 20 oz soda! Gonna cash in all these credits at the SEOUL! Woot!
(Btw, remember all that crap I said about plays adapted to film? Well watching this DVD, I discovered that Dial M was originally filmed in 3D, and then I noticed all these panning shots around foreground objects, movement towards camera, etc. And of course I realized that watching the film adaptation of a play in 3D is like actually watching the play!! Sort of.)