Sunday, February 14, 2021

MAD IN JAPAN: NAGOYA, JAPAN ADVENTURES PHOTO-VIDEOS

 From 1988 to 1994, I was a Monbusho scholar at Nagoya University, Japan pursuing a graduate degree in M.Eng. and D.Eng in Civil Engineering. Doing research and studying the academic courses are stressful activities for a Filipino student in Japan especially if he/she is not well versed with Nihonggo. To make life in Japan fun and enjoyable and to relieve the stress, you have to interact with you Filipino friends - students and working Pinoys. To remember those years with my friends in Japan, I compiled my photos and covernted them to digital images to produce these photo-videos. Thank you to all my friends - Filipinos, Japanese and other nationalities. 

NAGOYA ADVENTURES - 1: Highlights are Nagoya Expo Design, Nagoya Port, Tsurumai Park, Osu and Nagoya Castle. Activities include biking around Nagoya, Games at Meidai Gymnasium, O-bon Odori festival and Pinoy gatherings at my apartment.

NAGOYA ADVENTURES - 2: Highlights are trips to Higashiyama Zoo, Toyohashi, Gifu and Inuyama.


NAGOYA ADVENTURES - 3: Highlights are Kyoto Golden Temple, Nagoya University Foreign Students' Nights, and Pinoy "Kainan" at Nagoya University Foreign Students House.

Wednesday, February 3, 2021

Korean Delights from a K-Grocery

 


Watching K-Drama at Netflix influences our love for Korean food like kimchi, tteokbokki, gimbap, japchae, jjajangmyeon, ramyeon and more. When you see the actors eating with delight korean dishes, your craving for them is induced. I posted this photo of korean delights we bought in a Korean grocery at Bagong Pag-asa, Quezon City at FB and it created a craving to one of my FB friends who is also a K-Drama addict. His comment is as follows: 

“ … Just got back from there as my wife was salivating because of your post. We spent almost 2K for all things Korean. Sumobra sa kakapanood ng K drama! She’s probably more korean than a local korean! …drove through traffic. Left the house at 4 and arrived at korean mart at past 6. Got home at past 7. Did nothing but drive just to satisfy her cravings for Korean! Anyeong Aseo! Kamsa Hamnida!”

We used to buy korean goods in one K-grocery at Kalayaan Ave., QC. But this K-grocery at Bagong Pag-asa (Road 8 corner Road 1) which was opened just a month ago sell good kimchi and appetizers. Their price is relatively cheaper than the other K-groceries. And it's nearer our house. 

Here is a list of korean dishes we have tried so far in restos and from the groceries.

  • Jjajangmyeon (짜장면) - a Chinese-style Korean noodle dish topped with a thick sauce made of chunjang, diced pork, and vegetables.
  • Kimchi (김치) - made by salting and preserving fermented cabbage in a bed of pepper, garlic, ginger and scallion.
  • Samgyeopsal (삼겹살) -  a rollicking party punctuated by soju shots, pork strips sizzling on a grill and shouts for "one more serving, please!"
  • Instant noodles (라면) - ramyeon package to boil water and sprinkle in the spice packet, 
  • Tteokbokki (떡볶이) -steamed and sliced rice cakes (tteok), cooked with fish cakes (oden) and scallions in a sweet and spicy sauce made of chili paste.

  • Samgyetang (삼계탕) - a thick, glutinous soup with a whole stuffed chicken floating in its boiling depths and mixed with ginseng.

  •  Bibimbap (비빔밥) - lunch-in-a-bowl mixes together a simple salad of rice, mixed vegetables, rice, beef, and egg, with sesame oil and a dollop of chili paste for seasoning.
  • Gimbap (김밥) - Sauteed vegetables, ground beef, sweet pickled radish, and rice, rolled and tightly wrapped in a sheet of laver seaweed (gim), and then sliced into bite-sized circles.
  • Japchae (잡채) - a side dish of cellophane noodles, pork, and assorted vegetables sauteed in soy sauce,
  • Bingsu (빙수) - summer dessert, sweetened red beans (pat) and tteok are served on a bed of shaved ice (bingsu).


Soju!

Korean Noodles

Fresh Korean Appetizers

Korean Mart at Road 8 corner Road 1, Bagong Pag-asa, QC