Comments on: Bargain Korean… Not http://www.saltshaker.net/20050805/bargain-korean-not Casting a little flavor (and a few aspersions) on the world of food, drink, and life Sat, 11 Feb 2012 22:16:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: dan http://www.saltshaker.net/20050805/bargain-korean-not/comment-page-1#comment-195398 dan Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:55:12 +0000 http://www.saltshaker.net/20050805/bargain-korean-not#comment-195398 Just a <a href="http://www.saltshaker.net/20100310/koreatown-caution" rel="nofollow">caution</a>.... Just a caution….

]]> By: dan http://www.saltshaker.net/20050805/bargain-korean-not/comment-page-1#comment-177534 dan Wed, 21 Jan 2009 00:18:23 +0000 http://www.saltshaker.net/20050805/bargain-korean-not#comment-177534 Oh, nothing would deter me - I love Korean food, it was our standard late night fare after work in NYC as most of the Korean spots stayed open most of the night! Oh, nothing would deter me – I love Korean food, it was our standard late night fare after work in NYC as most of the Korean spots stayed open most of the night!

]]> By: Coleen http://www.saltshaker.net/20050805/bargain-korean-not/comment-page-1#comment-177524 Coleen Tue, 20 Jan 2009 20:55:38 +0000 http://www.saltshaker.net/20050805/bargain-korean-not#comment-177524 Hmm... I'm really sorry you had that experience. I myself, as a Korean American, have had a taste of that in Seoul when I visited. My boyfriend at the time, clearly non-Korean-apple-pie-American was studying air pollution at Seoul University and being seen with him caused some antagonism with people we interacted with sometimes. Unfortunate, but rude people exist everywhere :( Sorry again; glad to see that this didn't deter you from continuing to explore Korean cuisine :) Hmm… I’m really sorry you had that experience. I myself, as a Korean American, have had a taste of that in Seoul when I visited. My boyfriend at the time, clearly non-Korean-apple-pie-American was studying air pollution at Seoul University and being seen with him caused some antagonism with people we interacted with sometimes.

Unfortunate, but rude people exist everywhere :(

Sorry again; glad to see that this didn’t deter you from continuing to explore Korean cuisine :)

]]> By: dan http://www.saltshaker.net/20050805/bargain-korean-not/comment-page-1#comment-177480 dan Mon, 19 Jan 2009 22:43:25 +0000 http://www.saltshaker.net/20050805/bargain-korean-not#comment-177480 Actually, Colleen, no it was not a fair price at the time. Now, yes. But three years ago, 44 pesos for lunch for the two of us made it one of the most expensive places to eat in Argentina - lunch for two typically cost us 15-20 pesos, at good restaurants. We were able, at the time, to dine out at top restaurants for a 3-4 course dinner, with wine, for 50 pesos. And, the restaurant is located in the middle of a completely Korean community - likely we were among the only non-Koreans within blocks of there - so the food appealed just fine to the local palate. Most Argentines didn't even know (and probably still don't) that coreatown even existed. No, the woman who was running the place was blatantly atagonistic, rude, was trying to get rid of us because, I would be willing to bet, she didn't want non-Koreans in her restaurant, and saw an opportunity to charge some "tourists" extra money. I've been back to the area many times since and eaten at other spots in the neighborhood, and no one else, even at the time, was charging anything close, nor treating us like that. Actually, Colleen, no it was not a fair price at the time. Now, yes. But three years ago, 44 pesos for lunch for the two of us made it one of the most expensive places to eat in Argentina – lunch for two typically cost us 15-20 pesos, at good restaurants. We were able, at the time, to dine out at top restaurants for a 3-4 course dinner, with wine, for 50 pesos. And, the restaurant is located in the middle of a completely Korean community – likely we were among the only non-Koreans within blocks of there – so the food appealed just fine to the local palate. Most Argentines didn’t even know (and probably still don’t) that coreatown even existed. No, the woman who was running the place was blatantly atagonistic, rude, was trying to get rid of us because, I would be willing to bet, she didn’t want non-Koreans in her restaurant, and saw an opportunity to charge some “tourists” extra money. I’ve been back to the area many times since and eaten at other spots in the neighborhood, and no one else, even at the time, was charging anything close, nor treating us like that.

]]> By: Coleen http://www.saltshaker.net/20050805/bargain-korean-not/comment-page-1#comment-177462 Coleen Mon, 19 Jan 2009 13:17:28 +0000 http://www.saltshaker.net/20050805/bargain-korean-not#comment-177462 Hey Dan, 44 pesos, or $15, isn't what you were paying for the usual Argentinian fare, right? Did you consider that maybe it's much more expensive, time and effort-wise, to serve authentic (ostensibly much more than a place like Bi Won) Korean food, particularly when it's not really appealing to the general local palate? Also, you mention that you got 2 portions of meat instead of 1; maybe this should have been corrected early (not sure if the lady who took the order didn't speak English or Spanish well and misunderstood) and that would have taken the bill down a notch. Don't get me wrong, of course there are businesses that gyp people everwhere/in every ethnicity, etc. So that's also a possibility. Can't hurt to minimize on the negative. Hey Dan,

44 pesos, or $15, isn’t what you were paying for the usual Argentinian fare, right?

Did you consider that maybe it’s much more expensive, time and effort-wise, to serve authentic (ostensibly much more than a place like Bi Won) Korean food, particularly when it’s not really appealing to the general local palate?

Also, you mention that you got 2 portions of meat instead of 1; maybe this should have been corrected early (not sure if the lady who took the order didn’t speak English or Spanish well and misunderstood) and that would have taken the bill down a notch.

Don’t get me wrong, of course there are businesses that gyp people everwhere/in every ethnicity, etc. So that’s also a possibility.

Can’t hurt to minimize on the negative.

]]> By: SaltShaker » Blog Archive » Trio of Tidbits http://www.saltshaker.net/20050805/bargain-korean-not/comment-page-1#comment-172087 SaltShaker » Blog Archive » Trio of Tidbits Sun, 12 Oct 2008 12:28:53 +0000 http://www.saltshaker.net/20050805/bargain-korean-not#comment-172087 [...] all the usual small dishes of ban chan - or whichever term one wishes to use, we’ve had this discussion before…. Not the best one I’ve ever had, and the spices were a bit muted, but it was [...] [...] all the usual small dishes of ban chan – or whichever term one wishes to use, we’ve had this discussion before…. Not the best one I’ve ever had, and the spices were a bit muted, but it was [...]

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