Soondae, a kind of traditional Korean sausage, is not for everyone. It is made with clear noodles and pepper and cow's blood. For added "flavor," it is served with big chunks of pungent steamed liver. Thus, it comes as no surprise the folks at the Traditional Soondae Town in Sillim-dong prefer the soft sell when marketing their product to non-Koreans.
"We are not planning any special promotions to attract foreigners for the World Cup," said Chung Tae-ok, the owner a small restaurant in the cavernous four-story Soondae Town complex.
"I think there are other Korean foods that tourists should experience first like bulgogi and kalbi, before they try soondae," said Chung. A minute later she added, "Maybe this is one Korean food that is only for Koreans."
Don't pity Chung, or any of the 20 other independent shop owners in Soondae Town, for their being shut out of the tourist trade. On Friday and Saturday nights nearly all 2,000 seats are filled with hungry Korean soondae lovers.
Most soondae in Korea is sold and eaten at carts on the street, where it is steamed and eaten after being dipped in salt.
However, Soondae Town's specialty (all shops have the exact same menu and serve basically the same food) is "soondae and kopchang bokum" (5,500 won per person), which is soondae, slices of pigs intestine, cellophane noodles, glutinous rice cakes, carrots, bitter greens, sesame leaves, green onions fried right at your table in corn oil and red pepper paste in a flame-heated large stainless steel hot plate. The intestine-averse can order the dish minus the kopchang.
The finals result offers a myriad of interesting textures for the mouth - the rubbery taste of the soondae and rice cakes, the chewy intestines and the tender boiled salad of the greens, carrots and sesame leaves. And it is hot, and gets hotter the longer it simmers.
Those in need of a "meal" will leave some behind to be made into fried rice (2,000 won per peeeeeeeerson) cooked in the very same hotplate.
Cotton aprons are provided for those worried about getting soondae smoke on their clothes.
Lately some places have added "paek soondae bokum" (5,500 won) or "white soondae," which has less of the vegetables and is eaten wrapped in lettuce leaves. But it has failed to catch on, as has the more expensive "ginseng soondae" (10,000 won) some places offer.
Other dishes available are "ojingo soondae" (6,000 won) or "squid soondae," which is not a sausage at all, but a squid stuffed like a Thanksgiving turkey with rice, tofu and spices. "Ojingo pulgogi," (6,000 won) roasted squid eaten wrapped in lettuce leaves, is popular with many at lunchtime.
Of course no meal at Soondae Town is complete without a bottle of soju (2,500 won for standard Chamisul). Beer, makkoli and chongha (rice wine) are available but ordering one will likely earn you more stairs than being a foreigner who likes soondae.
The clientele is a democratic mix. Hunched over their grills on any given night will be red-faced and boisterous groups of Korea's future leaders from nearby Seoul National University, salarymen, housewives, families and waiters and touts from the neighborhoods many nightclubs.
"We don't like soju, so we are only drinking one bottle," said Park Hun-chul, a graduate student at Seoul National who was enjoying a soondae kopjang dinner with his girlfriend who, perhaps in fear of her family and friends finding out that she dates Park and loves pig intestines, refused to give her name.
"When the economy turns bad everyone wants to eat soondae," said Park. "It is cheap and it is a good way to get drunk and have a good time when you have troubles."
But shop owner Chung denies that she or any of the other owners are rooting for another economic crisis, even though the last one in 1998 saw soondae kopjang bokum become one of the nation's hottest dishes.
"Koreans will always bbee eeaatting soondae," she said. "It is better if everyone has money."
Soondae Town is open daily from 10 to 10. To get there take the green No. 2 line to Sillim station and leave via Exit 3. Turn right and walk up two blocks and take a left. Signs in English and Korean are there to guide you or you could just follow the streams of loyal soondae lovers.
(AW) - Korea Herald
2001.02.09
|
Newsdesk