The Daily Kimchi - Korea Blog

Preparing for your Journey Teaching English in Korea

2009-02-11T01:05:00.005-08:00

Hey everyone! Hope all is well. Things have been busy back here in Canada. Life after teaching English in Korea is quite different. You start to recognize all things Korean in Vancouver and when you do see something you get this "wait a minute...I know you" feeling!

A lot of people have been emailing me about where to find a job in Korea, how to prepare yourself, etc. Well, for starters the immigration process in Korea has toughened up immensely over the past 2 years.

Just to reiterate, you will be required most of the time to...

- Have an undergraduate degree from a university
- Be a native English speaker, preferably from the USA, Canada, Australia, Europe, etc...
- Have no drugs in your system
- Have a clean criminal record
- Be interviewed at the closest Korean Consulate at your expense

If you have met the above criteria, you are sitting pretty. Most of the time, experience with children or teaching is a valuable asset. Also, if you have a TEFL certificate or equivalent, that will increase your chances immensely in impressing those picky Korean English Academy directors!

Below is a highly recommended online TEFL course being offered by i to i, and comes recommended by many across the globe.

i-to-i is a world leader in TEFL courses and TEFL jobs abroad. In the past 12 months alone i-to-i has trained 15,000 people to Teach English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) and assisted them in finding jobs across the globe and have also picked up a clutch of prestigious awards and nominations.

Get the advantage you need when you're applying for jobs to teach in Korea! Click below for a free trial:

Also, when you're sending in your resume and picture, make sure you look clean cut and not like a bum! In Korea, looks are everything, and this is especially important when it comes to landing that job overseas.

PS - Don't forget to read up on my Teaching English in Korea FAQ!

PPS - Now that you're armed with knowledge, get out there and start applying today!!!

PPPS - Already in Korea? Then you need this translated menu from one of the most popular Korean restaurants, Kimbap Nara.

Getting Married in Dubai

2008-12-27T05:21:00.009-08:00

Hello everyone! Yes, I am still alive and kicking. Apologies for the lack of updates but life has been just so busy ya know? Anyways before we get started just wanted to say a big MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR to all those people out there still reading this blog! Thanks for checking up on my updates and commenting. I hope everyone has been able to spend the holidays with their family and friends.

As for us, we have been spending the past couple of weeks again in the UAE! As most of you know we got engaged last year and just over two weeks ago we tied the knot in Dubai! It was a very small wedding on the beach, right outside the Burj Al Arab hotel and Madinat Al Saqr. It was pretty nice to be in the sun and out of the snow and cold that people back home have been "enjoying" to say the least. ;)

Here's a pic of our view from the Madinat Al Qasr:

Here's a pic of Dubai from the top of the Burj Al Arab, where we had brunch the following day. Can you see the world's tallest building, the Burj Dubai (which funny enough is being built by Samsung Corp!):

As you can probably tell, we are having a blast right now. The food at the Burj Al Arab brunch was downright incredible! A massive buffet that includes such a massive array of food that it was impossible for yours truly to even taste it all! I'm not joking! I tried taking a pic of every plate but I couldn't do it anymore to my body.

The seafood selection was pretty awesome though. Lobster, king crab legs, shrimp, mussels, clams, oysters, and even caviar! There was a dude there who's job was only to spoon caviar on your plate--hilarious. Also, there was a foie gras station as well. Buddy would take your order then freshly pan sear a slab of foie gras for you. Talk about massive calorie intake right? Come on, that's what you do when you go on holidays!

Here are a few pics of what I had to eat:

On top of getting hitched in Dubai, we just got back from our honeymoon in the Seychelles. Yes, life is pretty difficult right now as you can see. Until next time!! ;)

I Bought a New MacBook!

2008-11-06T23:30:00.004-08:00

Hey folks! Yes, I am still alive and well. Things have been busy at home so I haven't had much time to update the blog. But I recently did something very significant in terms of updating my computer collection: I bought a Mac!

I was waiting patiently for Apple to update their MacBook line up and I'm glad I did. I ended up picking up a 13" aluminum base model and I've been loving it! Using OS X was a bit weird at first, but I quickly picked up the differences after using Windows for the past 15 years!

I am happy to say that I will never have to format and reinstall XP ever again. What a great feeling to be liberated from the grips of Microsoft. It's really unfortunate that I never did get the chance to experience the wonderful upgrade in Vista. /sarcasm

Anyways, here is a pic for your enjoyment. If you have any applications you can recommend or good sites to visit, let me know! Until then, I'm happily enjoying my new MacBook to go along with my iPhone 3G. Does this qualify me as an Apple fan boy yet? ;)

Blog World Expo 2008 Contest Entry Take 2

2008-09-09T17:37:00.004-07:00

For those who have been following my blog still, you may remember my previous contest entry to win a full pass to the 2008 Blog World Expo from the notorious panda killer, John Chow. Well, unfortunately I didn't hit the jackpot that time, but here we go again. Enter Blog World Expo 2008 contest entry, take 2!

Zac Johnson is going to part of probably going to complete one of the most EPIC panels ever at Blog World Expo 2008. You're not going to find a bigger star-studded line up of bloggers and marketers then the likes of John Chow, Jim Kukral, Darren Rowse, Jeremy Schoemaker, and Brian Clark. These guys can afford lots of luxury goods I tell ya!

Why Do I Want to Attend Blog World Expo in Las Vegas?

I want to attend the Expo for a variety of reasons. Attending the Blog World Expo will allow me to meet so many of these influential bloggers and marketers whose advice I've been following all this time. It's through the help of people such as Zac Johnson, John Chow, Darren Rowse, and Shoemoney that have helped inspire my blogging aspirations. Their models for positive success has helped me achieve my own through my other blog, iPhoneinCanada.ca!

Moreover, I have already booked my flight/hotel to the Expo and I am excited to visit Las Vegas for the first time. I managed to book an Exhibit-only pass at Blog World. If I won this full conference pass it would definitely be the icing on the cake!

Winning this pass would enable me to witness history in the making by listening to some of my online mentors speak about what they love to do best! I'm also looking forward to meeting the Unique Blog Designs crew that helped design my iPhone blog too!

Hopefully this entry explains why I want to attend the Blog World Expo 2008. Looking forward to seeing you all in Vegas, thanks for the contest, Zac!

Food Consumed During the Summer (Goodbye Summer!)

2008-09-07T00:05:00.004-07:00

Helloooooo everybody! No, this isn't your eyes playing a sick joke on you, it really is Gdog coming at you with a blog update! How lucky (or unlucky) for you! Well, the summer has come and gone and it's been a busy one. I've been very busy with my iPhone blog and enjoying my first summer summer off as a teacher (it's going to be extremely difficult to wake up early again).

Anyways, aside from relaxing everyday and riding my bike around town, I've eaten a whole variety of different food here in Vancouver. You can eat any cuisine as the choice are just endless. I'm going to stop with the rant and jump right to the pictures!

BBQ salmon on a cedar plank:

BBQ Duck Noodles at Congee Noodle House on Broadway/Main:

Beef and black been sauce on rice noodles at McKim's Noodle house in Richmond:

Cedar plank salmon with chips and guacamole:

Fresh fruit salad (Yes, I made this) with fresh black plums, lychees, raspberries, cherries, green seedless grapes:

Fresh steamed mussels on the patio at Granville Island:

Some breakfast action at IHOP...look at those pancakes baby!!

Beef flank noodles with beef tripe...MMMmmm....mom's special recipe:

Chicken Shawarma plate...there was so much food here I could barely finish it:

The best egg benedict in Vancouver at Cafe Zen on Yew St:

BULGOGI downtown on Robson St (there's a mini Korea-town strip there):

Homemade lasagna with meat sauce:

Clubhouse sandwich with double the bacon...yes, that is a jar of Miracle Whip!

So there you have it, that's just a small sample of the food I've enjoyed eating this summer. The cherry season was cut short due to weather that affected the crop, which resulted in higher than average prices. These local cherries from the Okanagan are the highlight of my summers!

On a side note, I've been having some fun shooting photos with my Canon digital SLR and recently photographed my first wedding with my uncle. It was a great experience and you can check out our gallery here.

OH, by the way, I've been getting emails about teaching in Korea from lots of ya. Sorry if I haven't responded, just email me again. Anyways, if you haven't already, be sure to check out my Teaching English in Korea FAQ to help you answer some questions. Good luck and talk soon!

Aspiring to Head to Blog World in Las Vegas

2008-08-10T11:03:00.003-07:00

Hey folks, it's been a while since Gdog has posted on The Daily Kimchi. Anyways, the summer has been going great, keeping very busy. So busy that I've neglected this blog! Anyways, today I'm going to post about why I hope to win a ticket to the Blog World Expo, the largest convention on blogging that is being held in Las Vegas this September. My buddy John Chow is holding a contest giving away two free tickets and I'm hoping that I get one of them.

Why I Deserve the Pass to Blog World

First things first, I am free in September and am committed to going to Blog World. You won't be wasting giving away your tickets to someone who is not going. I want to go to Blog World to network and finally meet all the crazy bloggers in this world. Notable examples are Shoemoney, the UBD crew that helped setup my iPhone Blog theme.

To experience the chance to meet these influential bloggers at the blogging mecca would be an unforgettable experience that would add to my blogging repertoire. By actually attending the conference would help me focus my efforts on blogging and to become even more successful online.

I've been blogging since July of 2006, starting with The Daily Kimchi. I posted on this blog everyday for a solid year while in Korea--now that's dedication! This blog has become my online diary for blogging essentially, hence why I'm posting this entry here. For my iPhone in Canada blog I have not missed a daily post since its creation in December of 2007. It's this kind of dedication and commitment to blogging that proves why I am serious about showing up at the Blog World Expo.

I'm not going to play the pity card and create some sort of sob story about why I should win a ticket. The fact of the matter is I deserve to go because I understand blogging and have created one of the most successful iPhone blogs in a matter of 8 short months (1.1 million pageviews, 300,000 visitors, and 3100+ RSS readers in July!), plus one of the most popular Teaching in Korea blogs too. I have put in the homework to research and learn how to create successful blogs. These are the cold hard facts--the Blog World Expo is waiting for me to arrive!

What makes me different from others? I actually have implemented every single idea I've come across (including John's ideas), versus others that just talk about making a blog! What a simple concept to success! Regardless, if I don't win the free pass I'm going to put up the cash to buy a ticket and go anyways. That's how serious I am about heading to Blog World!

Also, John Chow owes me $4.25 in scooter gas money, so to win this pass I would accept it as a fair offer of paying me back. So there you go folks. That's my entry and see ya in Las Vegas!

The Quest for Shinpo Woori Mandoo in Vancouver

2008-06-30T10:11:00.004-07:00

I know what you're thinking and I already have the answer to your question--yes, we are still alive and kicking! This is definitely the longest break between posts but it's been busy busy buy here so updates have been slow. Now that I have the summer to enjoy, maybe expect a few more updates coming your way!

For those long time readers, remember when I visited Tommy Hilfiger's long lost brother, Tommy Atkins? That night we ate at Shinpo Woori Mandoo. On our first visit there I noticed there was a Shinpo location in Vancouver! So, out of the blue we decided to embark on a trek to locate this Shinpo location in downtown Vancouver.

First off, great news, we found the location! Bad news, the place has closed down! LOL. I don't know if they moved or not, but I thought of Western businesses failing in Korea (think Walmart) and then here we have Shinpo's chain closing shop in Canada. Maybe the owners went back to Korea or moved to another location. I'll have to investigate further.

So Shinpo was off the list for dinner. Where to? We headed down Robson Street, which on the northern end of the street is almost like a mini Korean-town. We went to this one restaurant that had some pretty darn good naengmyeon. We each ordered one and also a dolsot bibimbap! It was like being back in Korea again (well, almost). The restaurant had one table of Koreans that were speaking...Korean--pretty much drowning the entire restaurant in "OOOHHHHS" etc.

Anyways, here are the pictures!

It's been a while since we had the whole water jug on table experience...

Konglish is awesome...NANG MYEN BABY! It's "one of the most famous food in Korea"

This table made sure we knew they were Korean:

The side dishes...

The naengmyeon...it was actually really good.

Korean seems to taste reallly good in Vancouver. I don't know if it has to do with the ingredients, but the flavors taste fresher than the dishes in Korea. The thing I miss the most though? The price! Naengmyeon could be had for 2900w ($3CDN) in Korea, where as each bowl here cost $8.95/BOWL plus tax/tip...so yeah...Korean is cheaper in Korea. Hope everybody is enjoying their summer...I sure am enjoying mine! ;)

BBQ Season Starts with my Weber Q 300 Grill!

2008-05-19T14:15:00.005-07:00

Ahh, the joys of Spring in Vancouver means...RAIN! Well, it has felt that way for the longest time, but this past long weekend we were blessed with some of the hottest and sunniest weather we've had to date! What makes hot and sunny weather even better? If you guessed a "slip and slide", try again. If you said barbeque...now you're talking!

We recently moved into a condo and with that came a nice sized deck, enough room for me to fit my new Weber Q 300 barbeque! This bad boy retails for $399CDN or so, but I managed to pick it up for half the price used on Craigslist--and the unit was in excellent condition. This bbq sure does beat the el cheapo' $49 mini propane bbq I was using in Victoria. The conclusion is that cast iron grills are bad ass and will sear like no tomorrow!

This is something I definitely missed while I was in Korea--barbequing in the summer. Well, I did eat barbecue all year round in Korea, but it's not the same when it's only cuts of galbi and samgyeopsal! I'm talking big juicy steaks and burgers, too bad that would've cost about a few billion won in Korea!

Anyways, here are a few pics of some BBQ action. Too bad I've been sick during the past few days and I'm currently on antibiotics (drugs are awesome), but hey, I still got to do some grillin! muahahhaha!

Take at look at the grill marks on these top sirloin steaks:

Some grilled prawns were also on the menu:

I had some bacon in the fridge, so I grilled that too! The cool thing about the Weber Q 300 is that there is a opening at the bottom of the bbq which allows juices to drip down into an aluminum tray. I love this thing.

...and here's our table set for four people (Devante's brother and his girlfriend came over for the long weekend):

Okay let's move onto the next day, BBQ action round 2. I just so happened to visit Costco the day before and pick up some Angus Beef burgers there were on sale. These frozen bad boys are some of the juiciest (and high in fat!) frozen burgers you'll ever have. You gotta try them out, seriously! I've eaten three burgers in two days. Now if you'll excuse me I have to go jog for 50 miles, so my heart doesn't stop.

Of course, being the genius that I am I cooked the rest of the bacon for breakfast, which didn't leave me any bacon for my burgers. At least I had some cheddar cheese! Oh well, a Bullseye BBQ sauce cheeseburger was just as good:

Anyways, as you can see good food gets me going and it also motivates me to post on this blog. Hope everyone out there is still alive and kicking! Maybe next time I'll save you a burger or two. ;)

April Update...What's Been Going On...

2008-04-24T20:22:00.002-07:00

Hey everyone! It's been a while, hasn't it? Yes, we are still alive and well. Things have been really busy back home! The month of April has almost come and gone, and this month has been smokin' busy for the both of us.

I've been working pretty much full time as a teacher on call here in Vancouver. It's been a lot of fun so far, and the students have been awesome. I think teaching is my calling card--I enjoy the students and they laugh at my silly jokes! ;) Lately I've been working in a Grade 3 class. These students I must say are a great age group to work with. Still so keen and eager to learn!

This month it was also my mom's birthday near the beginning of the month. Happy birthday mom! Check out this mango birthday cake:

Stuffing my face full in Richmond has become a sport it seems. Everywhere you go there is always some restaurant or eatery where you can find a great deal (just watch out for some of the drivers, LOL). The following meal was from Ginger and Garlic on No.3 Road. Beef steak (it tasted like beef at least) and three pork satay skewers, along with Borshe soup and a drink for under $8!

I just started playing volleyball down by Jerico Beach on a team with my brother and some of his friends. Note to the wise: playing in barefeet on wet sand in mid April will result in frozen feet. Here's an awesome Mexican meal I had from Mexi Cali afterwards--a beef redondo, mexifries, and a lime slushy for $6 tax included!

We had time this month to make a run for the border--Washington State that is! We went down to the Seattle Premium Outlets to do some shopping. I frickn love shopping in the USA! Two pairs of shoes, jeans, and multiple shirts later satisfied my shopping needs. Of course, what is a road trip to the USA without a run to Taco Bell? It just tastes better in the US!

Here's a picture from our wait at the Peace Arch on the way back...we had no problems at Customs which was awesome!

So there you have it folks...a tiny update on what's been happening in our lives. Now that you have scoops on us, what going on in your life? I know many of you still follow my blog, which is super cool. Leave me a note in the comments!

Happy April Fools' Day, Hello Kitty!

2008-04-01T20:27:00.004-07:00

Hey everyone, you're probably surprised that you're reading a new post on The Daily Kimchi! No, this is not some sort of dirty April Fools' joke--but it's going to be close enough. A lot has been happening lately in our lives, we both are working full time and we recently just purchased our own home! How exciting!

Anyways, just here to wish everyone a happy April Fools' Day. But in particular, a Happy April Fools' day to the following mango dessert I recently devoured from dim sum on the weekend. The following sequence of pictures is dedicated to all those creepy Hello Kitty fanatics out there! Enjoy...

Gee, here I am naked without syrup...

What is this stuff you're dousing me with?

Noo, not of all things, my jugular...ahhh!

haha...if that wasn't good enough for you, please check out the following clip of me at work:

You've been RICK ROLL'D!

To Hell & Back at Hell's Kitchen

2008-03-14T22:41:00.004-07:00

This has been the longest period of time between blog posts! Anyways, I haven't had much time (same old story) to post stuff, so when all else fails why not just post about the meals I've eaten?

This time around our brunch took place at Hell's Kitchen--no, not that Hell's Kitchen but the one located in Kitsilano in Vancouver. We went there with my brother and his wife and this place is known for its decent grub. However on this day, I have to say they definitely had an off day...

For starters, the place was extremely understaffed (we had to wait a long time for drinks to come, and sugar packets were hard to find for our coffee). Service was not great and the cleanliness of the restaurant (we sat on the patio) was not the greatest. I've worked as a server before and in restaurants all my life--so I'm well aware of the hardships sometimes faced by servers.

On this day I felt like eating a burger so I went with that choice. Now, I know that Hell is supposed to be flaming hot, but who would've thought they would focus this to their burger patties?! When my burger arrived it looked extremely well done. I'm talking dark, charred grill marks. I love my burgers so I decided to take a bite anyways--bad decision! The entire mouthful of beef was bitter because the underside of the patty was just charred black--ouch!

See those "black strips" extending out from my burger? In the words of Ralph Wiggum, "it tastes like burning"...

Honestly though, just what the hell (no pun intended) are kitchen chefs/cooks thinking when they overcook a burger? "Hmm...it looks really black and will taste bitter...I think I'll just flip it over and try to hide it. That was easy (think of the Staples button)!"

So anyways, I let one of the servers know and they ended up making me a brand new burger with some "surprise" fixins'. After watching everyone else eat their meals (which included cold hashbrowns), I finally got my burger. It was good but nothing special. There is a positive side of this story. Hell's Kitchen did apologize for my burnt burger and took care of it on my bill (who would want to pay for a charred black burger?) which was nice.

The replacement burger 20 minutes later...yes, there is a patty underneath...

So that's my story...talk about going to hell and eating brunch with the devil. To top it off, our server's gang of girlfriends decided to occupy the patio and express their nightclub adventures from the night before out loud (quite entertaining). Ahh, the joys of eating in hell...

Eating Samgyeopsal in Richmond!

2008-02-24T22:38:00.004-08:00

I'll admit, I am dedicating a lot less time writing posts for this blog. Honestly, I've been so busy with work and other online endeavors that I have been neglecting this blog. However, I am grateful to all of you guys that still swing by here once in a while to check up on things!

Anyways, earlier last week went went for a Korean meal in Richmond--samgyeopsal and samgyetang to be exact! This has only been the second time we've had Korean since we arrived back in Canada. You can read about our first encounter in Coquitlam here.

Why you ask? Well, I think we both had more than enough of our fair share during our time teaching English in Korea. Plus, it's so darn hard to eat anything else but delicious and cheap Chinese food in Ricemond!

So our restaurant this time around was none other than Kyung Bok Palace (check out my visit to the REAL palace here) located inside Landsdowne Shopping Mall.

On the menu today, some samgyeopsal for me and some samgyetang for Devante. Let's take a look at the pictures, shall we?

This samgyeopsal was sliced very thin, unlike the thick chunks in Korea. I loved the thick slabs...mmm...pork fat...

The ajumma (aka a teenager) flipping my pork belly...they forgot to turn on the fan, which I politely reminded them to do so:

What is this stuff again? OH right...it's called kimchi!

Remember what I said about it being sliced too thin? It's like I had crispy bacon (yes, I know this is too well done, blah blah blah; I like my samgyeopsal crispy and not fatty)!

Overall, the meal definitely was overpriced compared to prices in Korea--by a long shot. This meal would have cost 26,000w in Korea, but it cost us about $45CDN after tax and tip (that's what I miss about eating in Korea--no gratuities!). The side dishes were really good and everything tasted fresh. Too bad their service wasn't up to par. We were 1 out of 3 tables, yet I had to ask for so many things.

Anyways...let's hope our next Korean experience will be a bit better. What should I eat next?

Namdaemun: Then and Now

2008-02-16T23:41:00.005-08:00

I've visited Namdaemun in Seoul on countless occasions. It is located in the heart of the city and I have taken lots of pictures of the beautiful monument, which sits at over 600 years old. So to discover that the ancient gate was set ablaze while I was perusing news headlines, I was surprised to say the least!

For those unaware, Namdaemun was set on fire just over a week ago. The entire incident was suspected to have originated from an arsonist, which proved to be true soon afterwards. A 70 year old man, known as "Chae" confessed to lighting Namdaemun on fire with paint thinner and a lighter.

Why the heck did this elderly man set the structure on fire? Well, his beef was about how he was not properly compensated by delevopers in the sale of a plot of land he owned. His cries for help went unnoticed so he took matters into his own hands!

Koreans are a very patriotic bunch, and to see their #1 National Treasure burn to the ground must have been devastating! They are planning to rebuild and restore the gate, but it obviously won't be the same. Let's take a look at some pictures of Namdaemun I've snapped up in the past...

...during the daytime (check out my post on Namdaemun Market)

...a few during the night...(from my trip to City Hall at night)

Pictures of the fire...here it is set ablaze with the wooden structure at the top crumbling to the ground (picture credit to the AP):

...and the aftermath (NY Times)!

Here's a clip of the inferno...

For those still in Korea...what is the general mood about the destruction of this national treasure?

View of the Highway from our Officetel

2008-02-10T20:58:00.000-08:00

I'm still receiving emails from some of you guys asking about my time in Korea. I apologize if i haven't responded as I've been very busy. Anyways, whenever people go teach English in Korea, finding out that your accommodation is a wonderful feeling. One of the best ways is to ask your employer for pictures. Most of the time they will send a few pics.

Anyways, here are a few pics of the highway outside our officetel in Mokdong. I've been meaning to show these pics, but never got the chance. These three pictures were taken with my Canon digital SLR, with my head stuck out the window, while I was getting a few breaths of (smoggy) air.

From the left (in front of that bus is the fire station, which is beside Homever; yes, buses are colored in South Korea):

Directly below (the bottom right, where those red tables and chairs are is the king crab shack):

To the right (the bottom right is a police station; we would walk 10 mins to work following traffic)

So there you have it...the typical view from an officetel located on the 13th floor in Mokdong!

A Pre-Chinese New Year/Birthday Dinner

2008-02-02T23:56:00.000-08:00

Another week, another post. Work this week was pretty cool, and subbing is a lot of fun. Every class in every school seems to have one or two or three Korean students. I was able to talk about my experience in Korea in a few classes, giving examples of the differences in life between our two countries (EG, not being able to buy certain things--deodorant; expensive fruit, etc)

This weekend I had some family come over from Victoria to celebrate a few birthdays (my little cousin and grandma). It was also a pre-Chinese New Year celebration at the same time. So what happens when you get family together in Richmond? If you guessed a big dinner at a seafood restauran t, you're right!

Tonight we went for dinner at Imperial Court, in the Staples plaza off No.3 road. It was a set menu that included a lot of seafood and other goodies. Let me warn you: the following pictures will make your mouth water! Let's go through the extensive gallery of MSG-laden dishes, shall we? ;) Get ready for a lot of pictures...

Here is my place setting...along with our first dish:

Some pea tips with shredded dried scallop:

Seafood stir fry with snap peas:

A ten pound Alaskan King crab...with LOTS of garlic!

Note to self: you will have garlic breath for the next two days:

Soup with crab and chicken and other misc. items...

Baby bok choy with Chinese mushrooms:

This was my first time trying this dish. Deep fried rock cod, smothered in sweet and sour sauce and topped with pine nuts! As you can see in the background, my uncle is another typical camera-crazy Asian like myself:

Don't forget the crispy skin chicken...

Most restaurants prepare the King crab in 2-3 ways, since there's so much meat. Here is the shell filled with curry fried rice with shrimp, topped with a cream sauce and baked:

Remember those two massive plates of King crab? Well, the server takes back the unused garlic and juice back to the kitchen to use as the base of our last dish, egg noodles:

Bring on the dessert...here we have some sort of deep fried pastry...which I didn't enjoy...

For those in Korea...here's something you might relate to...Chinese people love red bean just like the best of 'em! Red bean dessert soup, a staple in any Chinese restaurant:

These are steamed buns filled with lotus seed paste, and are usually served on birthdays. For some reason they remind me of rabbits...I don't know why...

...and last, but not least, the cherry on top for any birthday is an ice cream cake from Dairy Queen--with the Canucks logo to boot!

So there you have it...dinner was definitely served tonight. We walked away extremely full and some more. The food was pretty tasty at Imperial Court and came out piping hot. The only thing that was lacking was the service, as they seemed understaffed throughout the night. Plate clearing was pretty much non-existent. I'm stuffed, tired, and ready to sleep off this dinner. Hope you had a good week--goodnight!

Review: Phnom Penh Restaurant in Vancouver's Chinatown

2008-01-26T11:10:00.000-08:00

Another week of work gone by, and more encounters with Korean students at work! I taught at a high school on the westside this week, and two ESL social studies classes consisted of 50% Korean students. When I mentioned to the class that I had previously taught English in Korea for a year, their immediate reaction was "WOW (throw in a few golf claps)! Do you like Korea?"

Ahhh, the joys of teaching Korean students once again. My answer to their question was "I love all countries," haha. Most of them where here studying and living with homestays, some were here with their mothers (which they are still scared to death of) while their "salary-man" fathers are back in the motherland, and some have been living in Vancouver for quite a while. What I find humorous is how these students come over here to learn English, but they end up hanging out with other Koreans, which impedes their ability to practice English 24/7! I even caught a few of them dropping some "18's aka shee-pal's" in class, which I told them not to say. It was interesting to practice some of my limited Korean though!

Anyways, enough about the work recap, let's get onto the food. Last weekend I ate at Phnom Penh, a Cambodian/Vietnamese restaurant located in Chinatown. Named after the capital city of Cambodia, this restaurant is notorious for its famous chicken wings and "butter beef" dish, to recall a few. The last time I dined at this place was years back--so I was eager to get my eat on there once again!

With its location in Chinatown, get ready to wait in line for a seat at Phnom Penh. The place is always jam packed during the week, but since we went on a Sunday afternoon, we were lucky to avoid the lunch rush:

The menu at Phnom Penh is massive. There are over 100 items. Some of their popular dishes are their Cambodian dry egg noodles. Check out the one I ordered below, served with slices of pork, prawns, and liver. It comes served with soup, which you can add it, but by itself tasted very fresh and was deeeeelicous:

Here comes the moment you've been waiting for...Phnom Penh's famous chicken wings. These are seriously the best wings I've ever eaten in my life. They are seasoned to perfection and deep fried till crispy, yet not chewy at all. It comes topped with stir fried garlic, jalapeno peppers, cilantro, and a lime-pepper dipping sauce---hot diggity!

Alrighty...you're probably wondering what the heck "butter beef" is. According to their menu description, it's "Thin[ly] sliced specially prepared (medium rare) beef on a bed of brown garlic, cilantro, served with our special sauce" and butter! It's one of those dishes where you just have to taste it to really experience it, minus the looks. The beef is so tender it literally melts in your mouth--my mouth is watering!

So we finished the wings, butter beef, and my noodle dish. What's next? Another order of wings of course! There were 5 of us total, so we had to order another plate of chicken wings. The funny thing is, their consistency is not the same when it comes to portion sizes. Compare this picture below of our second order, to the first order above--what gives?!

Phnom Penh is one of those restaurants where you know whatever you order, it will be consistent every single time. That equals repeat business. Throw in efficient customer service and you'll have a recipe for success. The restaurant is located on 244 E Georgia St, Vancouver...Telephone: 604 682-5777. By the way, I'm heading back there tonight for dinner! This time I'll bring my SLR and get some real action shots!

Blog Review: The Thinking Blog!

2008-01-20T11:43:00.000-08:00

There are lots of websites out there on the internet. Some are interesting, some are not. One blog that I've stumbled across over a year ago was The Thinking Blog, which started in Dec 2006. The writer of this blog is ilker, and originally the blog was hosted on Blogger but now is on Wordpress. ilker is also a designer, and he has actually helped me out immensely over the past couple of months. Now it's my time to help ilker out by talking about his blog! :)

Going with the tag line, "Knowledge Grows When Shared," ilker's blog has some pretty cool and interesting posts, garnering just under 1800 RSS subscribers. That's what makes his blog unique, is that he always has something interesting to read. Some of my favorite posts are:

How To Eat Vegetables We Don't Like
7 Tips to Deal with TMI (Too Much Information)
Please Do Not Feed Internet Trolls
Weirdest Named Places On Earth
Top 10 April Fool Pranks 2007

You can check out some more by reading the Top Posts. The cool thing about his posts are pretty original and unique. It's pretty hard to sort through the millions of blogs out there on the internet. At least you know with The Thinking Blog the posts there have some high quality content that is actually interesting!

Some of you may have already visited my domain, www.thedailykimchi.com! As you know, it's been sort of a work in progress over the past couple of months. I am planning a transition over to Wordpress but I haven't really had the time to do so. It's an ongoing project that will get done, but it's going to take small steps at a time. So feel free to check it out and stay tuned for more updates!

Food I've Eaten in the Past Two Weeks

2008-01-17T22:31:00.000-08:00

It's hard to stay on top of updates when I'm not in the land of kimchi. However, I do try to maintain a connection to Korea with my life here back home. For example, you saw my post about the locally fermented kimchi. When I am teaching, I always give a short intro about myself. I tell students where I'm from and that I taught English in Korea for a year. I then ask if anyone is from Korea.

85% of the time, I have at least 1-3 kids say "me!"...then I like to drop an 안녕하세요 bomb on them and you should see the look on their faces! I've come to the conclusion that Koreans are everywhere...secretly hiding in places where you least suspect them to be. They're taking over...the world! In this one school, one student labeled a Korean student "kimchi boy". Of course, I made the kid apologize to "kimchi boy". Some students have picked up English super quick, while others are still trying to master the language. One student told me "I've been here 5 years, but my English still sucks." Hmm...maybe you should stop hanging out with fellow Koreans so you can practice English!

Anyways, to finish off this week I thought it'd be nice to take a look at some of the grub I've consumed over the past couple weeks. These are completely random and pictures were taken with my iPhone. Enjoy!

Curry seafood fried rice in a dim sum restaurant...

Pasta and ice cream from Boston Pizza...

Veal Parmigiana on my sister's birthday...

Craving pasta during last week, I made some homemade pasta (no kimchi was used)...

Flavorless Chinese food from the local mom and pop Chinese restaurant...

Fresh pomegranate and frozen yogurt...

...and Thursday night's dinner: Salt and pepper prawns, beef flank, and gai lan with oyster sauce:

That's it...hope you had a good week. Live long, and prosper!

A Long Awaited Kimchi Update

2008-01-10T21:27:00.000-08:00

Hello there, my name is Gdog and I currently am teaching English in Korea...errr...umm...wait a minute, that just doesn't sound right anymore! For all you patient people out there, I do apologize for not updating daily anymore. I wish I could, but now that I am busy working I don't have much time. Well, I have time now so tonight I'm going to give you a kimchi update--literally!

When I was in Korea, no matter where I went I always thought about "hmm...this could be a potential blog post!" Well, the same thing still comes to mind back home. Just yesterday I was at a local Asian supermarket chain, T&T Supermarket in Richmond. I was roaming down one of the refrigerator aisles and what did I see? You guess right--KIMCHI!

I've seen this kimchi/Korean aisle before, but today I decided to snap a few pictures. Man, Koreans who are living here must love being able to buy pretty much anything from back home in Richmond (and Coquitlam). I visited an Asian specialty shop and was able to find all sorts of Korean snacks, such as Pepero and those chocolate filled cookie thingies with cartoon prints on them (you know what I'm talking about--the pink and green boxes):

This little tub of kimchi goodness is made in Coquitlam...no time to make your own kimchi because you have to drive the kids to soccer? No problem, buy it here and save time!

As for a food update, it's been a while since I've posted about the morsels of deliciousness that have entered my body. Well, here is a picture of some homemade hummus (with lots of garlic!) I was eating yesterday with Stacy's baked pita chips (which is hiding under that tiny mound of hummus). It was darn good, but I think I might have gone overboard with the garlic. Everytime I burp, it still reeks of garlic. Awesome!

As for an update on the job front, I've been working pretty much everyday on call. It's been a mixture of high school and elementary school. Either way, I've come to the conclusion that Koreans are everywhere. I met a grade 11 student in my class today that lived in Mokdong prior to moving to Vancouver! Small world. Hmm... I thought to myself...let's see how Korean he really is...

I asked him about "fan death", the health benefits of kimchi, and if he had a "handpone". He wasn't sure about what "fan death" was, he said he didn't like the smell of kimchi, and when I dropped the "handpone" bomb on him, he replied "you're more Korean than I am." I was so overcome with emotion that I almost cried. Gee, thanks kid!

New E-2 Visa Regulations for Teaching in Korea

2008-01-05T15:04:00.000-08:00

If you haven't heard already, the application process for teaching English in Korea has just gotten a bit more complicated (before, it was just too easy). Anyways, the Korean government is now requiring all candidates to:

submit a medical health check,
submit a criminal background check,
and have an interview at the nearest Korean consulate (near your hometown)

On top of that, the ever popular visa runs to Japan will no longer be a possibility. These changes are a result of the recent problems that have plagued the education sector (note, the apparent pedophile that taught in Korea), such as fake degrees by so called "graduates". This is more common than you think, as we had one teacher from our campus fired because he lied about having a degree...way to go, buddy!

Anyways, I was surprised myself at how easy the application process was to teach in Korea. All we did was send in our resumes, a picture, and original copies of our degrees. Foreign teachers in Korea who have stayed in the country for years will have to do some traveling to renew their visas now. Who knows what will hold for the future of teaching English in Korea!

For more reading, check out Lao Ocean Girl's post and the report from Teaching Kimchi. Will these new visa rules affect you? Thought I'd post about this to hear how those teaching in Korea are going to deal with this. Let me know!

Welcome to 2008 Everybody!

2008-01-01T14:15:00.000-08:00

Just like that, another year has come and gone. Man, as you get older these years sure do whip by like lightning. Anyways, 2007 was an especially important year for us, as we both had so many fantastic travels. Thanks for reading up on my endless food posts and some other Korea-related posts too. Let's hope for an awesome 2008! Wishing you the best wherever you are. This blog will continue to be updated!

Anyways, I haven't finished compiling the top posts of the last half of 2007. That will come in the next post! So instead, I am going to leave you with some pictures of the Christmas lights from the 2007 Festival of Lights held at the VanDusen Botanical Garden in Vancouver. We went there an hour before closing, which meant it wasn't very busy. That meant perfect opportunities for pictures! These were taken with my Canon Digital Rebel XTi/400D. Enjoy!

The Daily Kimchi: 2007 Year in Review

2007-12-30T20:13:00.000-08:00

Can you believe how fast 2007 has gone by? It's like the older you get, the faster time flies. Anyways, 2007 has been an awesome year for us. Let's see here...we spent the first half of the year in Seoul, South Korea. We were happy to come home in the summer. We got engaged in the fall. I got a job in the winter. What's next?? Anyways, thanks to everyone out there for still kickin' around and reading my blog. Cheers to you for a happy new year!

Anyways, let's take a look at the top posts of 2007, shall we? Let's go month by month...this will be a great recap to a fantastic year.

January

February

March

April

May

June

Phew! That took me a while, but here are six months worth of "Top Posts" that have been posted on my blog. I added in some of my favorite posts too. Anyways, I have decided to split up my 2007 year in review because going through 600+ posts is taking much longer than expected. If you're a new visitor, read up because you're missing out! If you're a loyal reader, time to take a trip down memory lane. Happy New Year!

Win A Free Ruff PC Laptop!

2007-12-30T18:33:00.000-08:00

The Thinking Blog is currently running a contest that is going to giveaway a free Ruff PC Notebook. One of the finalists, the evil John Chow has made it into the final round of voting! John has decided to GIVE AWAY the notebook to one lucky reader that posts a comment on his blog! The only way you can win, is if you vote for him in the poll. If he wins, you win!

Yes, you read that correctly. Make a comment on this post and you will be eligible to win a free Ruff PC notebook. Given my prior luck with online contests (512MB flash drive, FOREX Trading book, Halo 3 Legendary Edition), let's hope I can bring home the bacon yet once again! Get voting!

Merry Christmas Everybody!

2007-12-25T16:31:00.000-08:00

Just thought I'd take a moment to wish everyone out there a Merry Christmas! 2007 has been quite the year for us! If you've been a long time follower of this blog, thanks for sticking around. I recently surpassed 600 posts, which is hard to believe! Anyways, thanks to all my readers for visiting and leaving comments. Wishing everyone a happy holiday season--be safe!

Christmas lights at City Hall, from 2006: