If you ask any random Korean and ask them which area or city they think has the best cuisine, you'll receive a myriad of answers. Koreans tend to be nostalgic for their hometowns and say that area has the best food. Even though Korea is a small country. Its relative size is that of Indiana in the United States or of Great Britain, the country has a diverse food culture. And it doesn’t apply just to the south. I have interviewed North Korean Refugees and when I ask them if there is anything they miss from the North, they often say the food. Regional food specialties are one of the reasons to travel. If you go to a place of prominence let’s say to Gyeongju, Jeonju, or Jeju Island, your friends and family will expect snacks from that area to commemorate the journey. For business trips, you’ll often have to get snacks for colleagues. Now if you do go to an area and you don’t eat at the famous restaurant of the area, your friends and colleagues might think you were foolish for wasting t...

Nails Here is a cool picture that I found on my computer. It was taken at Sandang restaurant in Yangpyeong.

Sandang Today I am on a press tour and we are at Sandang for lunch. More pictures to follow.  Dan Sandang in Yangpyeon: 031-772-3959

It's the ultimate sign of respect and care when someone serves you a large array of different side dishes. Each dish may take up to 2 weeks to make (for fermentation). If you ask a Korean person who makes the best food, 9 times out of 10 they will say their mother. Why? Their mother would take the time to make all of the ingredients by hand and it's that extra care and knowledge of sharing that brings an extra amount of affection for the food. Sandang follows the principles of slow food and everything is made in-house with the idea that the person eating it will have be healthier because of eating it. Korean food is so colorful because each color and each dish is supposed to heal and nurture a different part of the body. I guess it's like having a delicious multi-vitamin everyday. Dan

Delicious.

The basket is made out of thin strings of potato that is woven in the shape of a basket. It is topped with fried mugwort that looks like stained glass and shatters like crystal. Around the basket are giant shrimp that look like they were fried alive in the ocean. This "Shrimp Basket" comes with lotus chips that I could eat all day, everyday, for the rest of my life. Other posts on Sandang http://www.seouleats.com/2009/08/crabs-walking-from-sandang-restaurant.html http://www.seouleats.com/2009/08/sandang-roasted-chestnuts-with-red-wine.html

They are grown behind the restaurant and they are roasted in alcohol right at the table. Visually it is stunning and the taste... not bad. Dan Sandang 0317723959

Crabs Walking: Tiny Fried Crabs served with a Mango Sun and Green Sauce. These days I have been able to go to some of the best restaurants in Seoul. One of these places is Im Ji-ho's restaurant, "Sandang" The restaurant means Mountain Village and the food was creative, lively, and delicious. His motto is: Food is a merger of Art, Science, and Health. It is in Yangpyeong, so you'll have to drive to get there. Trust me it is worth it. 031 772 3959 I'm going to tease one picture at a time, so stay tuned for me. Dan