Yummy!

One of my friends and I went on Korean culinary adventured today. We started out at one of the restaurants that my student X. had suggested. If your in the Houston area I highly suggested trying it out. Nam Gang is located at 1411 Gessner just north of Long Point.

We enjoyed it very much. More so than the previous place we had searched out on our own several months ago. The waitress was very friendly and helpful. This had not been the case at the other place.

We had Korean style BBQ which you cook at your table on an in the table grill. For all of the BBQ you order the meat you prefer which could be beef in several styles, pork, seafood, or a combination. We went with beef today (last time we had a beef and seafood combo). In addition to the meat you are brought a whole bunch of different side dishes. Today the sides included egg cake (which I love), Kimchi, lotus root, pickled green beans, watercress, pickled Korean cucumber, and more. If you eat all of one side, and want more, then they will bring you more. We have just enough left over to tease Frig when he gets home from work.

After lunch we went to the H Mart. This time I came with a list of key ingredients I will need to start making dishes from the Korean Cooking Made Easy book I purchased some time ago. We were struggling a bit with finding some of the items. We just had no idea where to look for them. After awhile we enlisted the help of a kind stranger, but her English wasn't quite where it needed to be to help us with everything we were looking for.

The very kind stranger suggested that the dried mushrooms would be in produce. Despite my best judgment I went to take a look and boy was I glad that I did. I found one of my students from last year and his VERY helpful mom.

Mrs. H. showed where to find the last few items, but she did so much more than that. She showed me the dried fish she thinks Christian is eating and told me how prepare it. She showed me the regular seaweed he most likely eats and how to serve it as well. They were giving samples of seaweed and rice balls, SUPER easy to make, and she encouraged me to buy a bag. I was very pleased to be able to tell her that I already had a bag in my cart. She pointed out several more easy items she felt a two year old would be very happy with eating and that would be very easy for me to serve. Mrs. H. also instructed me on the fine art of purchasing Kimchi - best brand, how color corresponds to when it was made, and what to do with it if it is a "fresh batch" to make it "the way Koreans like it". She said several times that if I did what she suggested "he will feel just like he is in Korea".

We parted by her offering to help me whenever I need it - pointing out that her phone number is in the school directory. I plan to take full advantage of the offer!