Tomorrow a friend of ours (Mason) is organising a brunch and he has promised that there will be scrambled eggs, bacon and pancakes! Hmmmm, it is at times like these, when you get all giddy and child-like about breakfast, that you realise you miss the joys of a western breakfast!
You see, in Korea, breakfast is very much like lunch and supper. The breakfast will be hot, Kimchi will be involved, rice is likely to be there and I am pretty sure there will be a soup of sorts as well. And while I love all of these foods (I really do) they just don't appeal to me for breakfast, except if I am hung over like a crazy person, because let me tell you something, a good Budae Jjigae (a spicy soup with everything in it) will fix you up one time.
Other than that though, I like an ordinary breakfast. You know, cereal and milk, that sort of thing. And although there is cereal available in South Korea it is often of an incredibly sugary descent (not good for your health eating that every morning) and it's expensive (not good for your wallet either). On top of that, sometimes you just want a change!!!
Yes, there are bakeries that sell pastries that make you want to cry because you don't know which one too choose, but still, there is something missing...maybe it's the greasiness and awesomeness that is bacon! Or maybe the sweetness just gets too much and you need something a little savoury in the mix. Does that sound contradictory?
Well, you see, breakfast in Korea is either totally savoury or totally sweet, no taste-bud balance I tell you! However, this is where western breakfasts have got it down!
Just last weekend, when Oli and I were rocking at the Seoul Fringe Festival, we came across a little restaurant that was selling western breakfasts to die for (our first on since leaving South Africa so it was doubly impressive). It came complete with crumpets, potatoes, bacon, vegetables, coffee, and sausage. Amazing!
When you haven't had something for a long time, it becomes easier to forget it but once the flood gates open again and the eating demon inside me awakens, I crave it like a mad woman thereafter (so Mason's invite came at a great time).
Another flood gate, which we also opened at the Seoul Fringe Festival was the wine gate!!! Holy Molly! I haven't had a sip of good red wine since we left SA. We found an amazing open air wine bar in Hongdae (there aren't any in Wonju that I have seen), the wine was expensive but when I put my nose to the glass and got a whiff of its pleasurable aromas, I almost wanted to cry. So we sat savouring its flavours for as long as we could (with some complementary cheese and crackers) but alas, the wine soon dwindled and we were left with nothing but empty glasses. Good news though, later that evening I found out you can buy an alright bottle of wine from your local convenience store for a reasonable price, I just need to find some decent glasses now!
Sorry, I deviated a little bit there. Went from my breakfast rant to my wine rant....
I am not sure what else there is to say, except for the fact that I am looking forward to tomorrow and I am already salivating!!! Hmmmm, I bet you are now too! Heehe!
Post by Claudia
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