Dining out with Koreans is great (unless you’re trying to lose weight) as more often than not, you end up eating in a few different places.
Recently I was out with my wife and some of her friends and we went to several restaurants, ate and drank lots and then ended up using some of the photos I took for a recent article in Metropolis magazine by Japan’s most celebrated drinks columnist, Nick Coldicott. For the article we also had to go round Tokyo’s Korea town in Shin Okubo with my wife and drink some more…hard life 
Anyway, back to the dining part. As I said, we went out with my wife’s friends for dinner and we ended up in 3 restaurants. First off, one of my favourites, Korean BBQ. A meat lovers heaven if ever there was, a big table with a grill in the middle and mountains of meat and veg to pile on, cook and enjoy whilst washing it down with a few beers.
After that, off to a seafood grill restaurant for seconds, this time a bit of a lighter meal in a very basic no frills restaurant where the seafood is plucked out of a tank, sometimes mixed with some herbs and cheese and then plonked on your table grill and washed down with some soju (rice wine) which doesn’t taste so great, but does pack a punch.
After that when we were full to bursting and had already had a fair bit to drink and were feeling quite merry we were off to a makgeoli (sometimes spelt makkoli) bar for more to drink. Now, makgeoli is a fine drink, it’s a bit of a milky rice wine, very easy to drink, served from a stone bowl into smaller wooden bowls and supped slowly along with some Korean snack food such as pajon, a kind of savoury pancake. This bar, along with a couple we went to with Nick made for the main body of the recent article in Metropolis which you can read hereif you are interested. Anyway, I was glad we had ate a lot as we had a few bowls of it and if we hadn’t ate so much I think I would have been crawling home…don’t actually remember how we got home, just as well the photos turned out OK. Maybe I should drink more when I shoot…
And here are some of the out takes from the magazine anyway.
12 Comments
You officially married now. Congrats!!! And eating korean is never a chore. Nice job! I miss some good spice here. Have found one Thai place that doesn’t defang the food but I rarely get a chance to go there. Did go out in Shin Okubo with three Korean girls (all above board and innocent in case mY wife reads this!) and it was great.
Nice story and shots. is that your wife?
Talk soon
Damon
Hey Damon,
Yep, all officially married on paper now, just need to organise some kind of celebration of it later on in the year. Thanks for the well wishes anyway
Was out in Shin Okubo with my wife Sue (it’s her friend in the pics) and the writer, Nick. In Seoul however we were out with Sue’s best friend and her boyfriend. Sometimes we go out in a semi large group of Korea s in Shin Okubo though, some of Sue’s friends know some top quality nosh in bare bones type of restaurants with no menus and only Korean is spoke, Seoul prices as well.
Like a nice bit of spicy Thai food as well when I can, was in the Kaffir Lime (?) in Harajuku the other day, not a massive plate of food but I did like it…bit more spice would have been nice though.
Take it easy.
Will
Nice shots. You shooting with available light? I think I have a bottle of the same soju in my fridge right now. The expensive stuff, at nearly $1 per bottle. Cheers!
Great colour tones, nice shots
Nice serie of pictures taken while enjoying life. I love the last one before the article. Is it your wife on the previous picture?
Hey Rob,
Was shooting with a mix of available light and bouncing my flash off the ceiling. It all worked out OK.
Akaruiphoto san, the girl is my wife’s friend, but you can see my wife’s hand in some of the shots…lovely hands they are too.
The Eastern food always is appetizing. Good takings.
Warm greetings
great indoor shots; a very helpful and informative site. thank you…
Lovely pictures making my mouth watering Will!
Geez, i won’t eat tonight, my eyes did !
Love the photos with the spoon, like old paintings from Netherland’s masters !
I read your blog after my dinner, but I feel that want to go to eat Korean BBQ now!!
Korean foods and drinks are my favorite.
Many cheers to ya Will:) your vow made to Sue (good thinking HA!)
Picturesque pictorial – keep shining!
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