Osaka 2015 Day 8: Korea Town
I had no idea there was Korea Town in Osaka, but apparently it's pretty famous. It's basically this series of tunnels (much like the internet) outside of the train station that is full of restaurants, stores, clothes, and a market. There is no rhyme or reason to this place. A clothing store can be next to a butcher can be next to a restaurant. When you get off of the train, the whole train station pretty much smells like yakiniku. Once you exit, you're in the tunnels. Me and Kevin basically went in circles. It was difficult to navigate the place.
Popped into the first shop I saw and got some metal chopsticks, spoons, and bowls for me and my mom.
There were lots of vendors with all kinds of things!
We went down the alleyway pictured above and found a restaurant that served chigae. Before we even left, I wanted chigae. I wanted chigae from the night before. My mind was set, and I was excited. So when we ordered, I had to order for Kevin since he didn't know the food. I got him bulgogi, and then the waitress disappeared. I thought she was coming back, but she didn't. Finally I called her and told her I wanted chigae, but I guess she thought I wanted bulgogi too, even though when I ordered I said "hitotsu." By then the guy had already made the bulgogi and it was too late to change my order. I was mad. What irritated me most is that when we got deeper into the place, there were a ton of other restaurants, some that just did chigae!! SO MAD!
At least it tasted good, but it wasn't chigae.
There was a really kind looking man selling all kinds of pickled veggies. I asked if I could take a pictures and he was more than happy to let me. I think this is daikon in some sake lees.
Eggplant and cucumber in sake lees.
We came across the market area, which smelled...confusing. There were so many different scents in the air; fresh fish, dried fish, fermented things. It was amazing.
These older ladies gave us a bunch of samples of their dried fish and things, I tried some cuttlefish and dried sardines, which were really tasty. These are really popular snacks in Hawaii (goes great with beer!), but I didn't wanna stink up my suitcase so I didn't buy any to bring back. The ladies were really nice, they said my Japanese was good (when I asked to take pictures). I said we were from Hawaii, and one of them asked if I danced hula (lol). They were also more than happy to let me take pictures. Such nice people.
Katsuobushi was everywhere, in packages, and in massive mounds!
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| Is this garlic? |
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| Dashima |
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| I...don't know. |
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| Dat taegu. |
Overall I had a lot of fun there, and I wish I could have brought home so many ingredients. That dashima, the katsuobushi, the fresh gochujang and gochugaru, and even the homemade honey citrus teas. I still didn't get my chigae, so I'm just going to have to go back, I think.
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