For those of you who don’t know, Jonathan Gold is the Pulitzer Prize winning author of “Counter Intelligence,” a food critic book that introduced adventuresome ethnic dining to the uninitiated masses. Korean food generally plays a very prominant role in his reviews, which is likely because Jonathan lives in Koreatown, LA.
Jonathan typically writes for LA Weekly, a popular food and entertainment journal for Los Angeles, and earlier this week he wrote about his first trip to Korea:
For years, I had contemplated what my first dinner in Seoul might be like, whether I’d splash out on a meal of barbecue or find the bindaeduk that would put all other mung-bean pancakes to shame, discover a radically new radish kimchi or steel myself to try bosintang…
…Half of the party I am traveling with, a group that includes a deputy LAPD chief, a Garden Grove city planner, some senior detectives and officials from the mayor’s office, are so happy to discover an Outback in this kimchi-soaked country that they practically weep fat tears of joy.
Americans weeping over an Outback in Itaewon? Isn’t Outbank an Australian themed restaurant?
Interesting article, particularly the paragraph on 고래 육회.
{ 38 comments… read them below or add one }
So what you’re saying is…you’ve never been to an Outback Steakhouse, never seen its very standard American menu, and are somehow under the impression that its Australian theme means they serve exclusively vegemite and pie floaters.
How could an Outback Steakhouse providing comfort to average Americans unfamiliar with Korean food be anywhere near surprising, shocking, or even interesting to someone even remotely knowledgeable about the average American or the average Outback Steakhouse?
average Americans unfamiliar with Korean food
How can the city planner of Garden Grove be “unfamiliar with Korean food”?
Only blueballs could summon indignation at someone’s mischaracterization of Outback.
“Oh, snap! You really laid it on him! He’ll think twice before talkin’ smack about restaurants again!”
I’m glad we can count on IHBB to use his overwhelming negativism and biting sarcasm to keep things straight in the family-dining industry.
Go get laid, blueballs.
#1,
I can understand crying for some TGIFs, maybe a Bennigans. But an Outback? Yes, their menu is very American friendly, but isn’t it less than nationalistic to root for a restaurant who’s theme isn’t even in the same continent, let alone hemisphere?
#2,
Be suprised! Sure GG is choked full of Vietnamese and Korean restaurants, but many of the people in city government are white folks who are West GG residents.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Garden_Grove,_Garden_Grove,_California
It’s balkinization within the same incorporated city!!!
@1,
I sympathize. When I was traveling Europe, I cried fat tears of joy when I ran into a Chinese restaurant. All I wanted was some rice, goddammit.
But WK936 he’s the city planner so shouldn’t he be going places besides West G.G?
I could care less whether the “average American” knows about or likes Korean food.
I can understand crying for some TGIFs, maybe a Bennigans. But an Outback?
This is a very odd line of reasoning. TGIF, Bennigans, Applebees, they’re all basically glorified McDonalds that serve overpriced food that tastes like shit.
I’m not sure if you’re aware, but Outback is an American-owned, American-developed, American headquartered, American restaurant.
The average American desperate for some whitey food in Korea would weep tears of joy for an On The Border (Mexican theme!), Olive Garden (Italian theme!), or even a PF Chang (Chinese theme!).
The tears of joy of these cops and gov’t officials are not strange, but your ideas of nationalism based on restaurant decoration most definitely are.
Yes IHBB… I’m a strange one, ain’t I?..
Living in ethnically diverse LA, maybe Wangkon is unfamiliar with what Joe the Plumber looks like or eats.
A few years ago I attended the Canada Day celebration at the UN grounds in Seoul. We were served Outback steak and I was informed that it was an American company with an Australian name and Canadian beef. I don’t know what’s happening with Canadian beef these days so it could well be Aussie beef as well, now.
Always like Gold’s picks, but his writing has always been a little bit “Gee Wiz, everything is wonderful” for my tastes. I think somebody needs to tell him the difference between a real sausage casing and the stuff they use in most places in the states.
I also wonder if he will broach the subject that has been said quite a few times to me in whispered tones, as if blasphemy. Korean food in Koreatown is better than most anything than Seoul. While I do not agree with the proposition, it will be interesting if he tackles it. Good for him as well to point out the ho-hum that is most street food in Seoul
The nod to the mea culpa to satisfy some supercilious candy-ass in LA is amusing. I wonder if he has the balls to try poshintang, or will his delicate friends in LA never forgive him for the transgression.
I too weep at the metaphorical Outback, however not for the reasons some here knee-jerk to. Korea is much like the US. Most of the restaurants are Mediocre, and you get tired of the same meat-n-potato, or kimchi-n-soup, fare. In the US given a choice between Denny’s and Mr. Kim’s House of Galbi, I am dinning Korean, and would use a similar decision pattern in Korea given the choice of Noboo’s and Mr. Smith’s Pizza and Burger. Likewise, you go to an average restaurant in the US and you get a somewhat average level of service, decor, and otherwise, meanwhile that ethnic place may have something similar, but its all a bit different from your daily life. Korea again is no different, I can alway use a break from the ho-hum stainless steel water cups and plastic plates of the same pacheon.
Finally, and to refer back to my other comment. I was very disappointed here with the food in comparison to some of my meals back in Koreatown in LA and Garbage Grove. The so-galbi was always great cuts of fresh meat. The sollentang always had a great gelatinous texture with microscopic beef flecks that only comes from a good bone. Before I came to Korea I really like golbani-mochim, yet I come to Seoul and find the delicate balance of flavor ruined by an indiffrent slather of gochu-jang on everything.
The only thing Australian about Outback is the pathetic attempt to put Aussie names on the menu items. At least the one in Itaewon serves 4 XXXX and VB. I remember my first trip to an Outback in San Diego. All my buddies were excited on going and I could envision the cold Tooheys beer I would be drinking. We get there and stand in line and I’m stoked because I can see the 4 XXXX signs and even a Tooheys Old sign on the wall. Get a table and I find out they didn’t even have Fosters.
Now if you want real true blue Aussie tucker then forget lame Outback and head up the hill to Tony’s Aussie Bar and Bistro. Meat pies, best sausage rolls, Vegemite for real Aussies, even lamingtons.
http://www.tonysitaewon.com/map.html
Somehow, I doubt these Americans were feeling nationalistic — they were hungry.
I would have picked Anthony Bourdain. He certainly beat your horse on Korean food by a few years, even doing a video of a trip to Korea a couple years ago for his program on the travel channel.
Do the uninitiated masses watch Anthony Bourdain since he’s left the Food Network?
And yet for some reason you think the “average American” gives a shit what you know about or whether you like American food.
#16 Was I talking to you? No? Okay, then.
# 9,
Yes, we do have a dearth of white trash here in Southern California. Most whites in SoCal tend to be…
1) Yuppies
2) Hipsters
3) Ecotopians
4) Surfers
I have a cousin from Ohio (Joe’s home state) and in her trip to SoCal she was amazed that she didn’t see anyone wearing a John Deere cap, not even at WalMart.
I could care less if you’re talking to me or not. I’ll comment on whatever I feel like, whenever I feel like it.
Okay, then.
Only blueballs could summon indignation at someone’s mischaracterization of Outback.
“Oh, snap! You really laid it on him! He’ll think twice before talkin’ smack about restaurants again!”
I’m glad we can count on IHBB to use his overwhelming negativism and biting sarcasm to keep things straight in the family-dining industry.
Go get laid, blueballs.
It’s hardly “indignant” to brand his statement as strange.
Let me know what time you mom’s shift finishes at Denny’s and I’ll get that taken care of. But only if she has change for a $5 bill. It’s Friday night so I need more than a parking lot rim-job this time.
I don’t know what time Colontos’ mom gets off work but my mom would like to have a go with you. Just the other day she was peeking over my shoulder to make sure I wasn’t downloading kiddie porn and when she saw that sac of yours she told me that I should let her know if you ever make a “you mom” joke because that would be her in.
The Australian veneer painted on Outback is so transparent as to be almost clear. While some Koreans might be surprised to learn Outback has nothing to do with Australia other than its veneer, I haven’t met a single American who believes Outback is Australian or otherwise serves Australian-style food.
Also, in my experience with fellow Americans from my American company who visit Korea for the first (or 2nd, 3rd, 10th, etc.,,.) time, about half of them prefer to stick to TGIF, Outback, McDonald’s, etc.,. and are scared stiff to step foot into any place that looks semi-local. Fortunately, the other half are more adventurous and are willing to at least try local food.
So, I totally believe Jonathan’s anecdotal story.
Re: #16
BB, didn’t you know NK is a diety incarnate ? So, of course he gives a shit about nothing and we should all care about what he thinks.
Re: #17
NK, I bow before your superior opinions.
I was at some party a couple years ago for some foreign chamber of commerce, striking up random conversations as people do at these things, and I met some migook who said he was the blah-blah manager in charge of blah-blah for Outback.
“Oh”, I said, “are you from Orlando – or is it Jacksonville? You don’t sound like a Southerner.”
He looked at me with naked surprise. “I didn’t think anybody knew that,” he said.
“You think it’s a secret or something?” I asked.
“Well, no… But everyone I meet thinks we’re Australian.”
“I’m pretty sure the rest of the ‘everyones’ you haven’t met know that you’re an American chain. I don’t know anything about Australia, so I can’t say whether your stores scream ‘Australia’ at me; it’s just that everything about your stores so loudly screams ‘America’.”
I haven’t met a single American who believes Outback is Australian or otherwise serves Australian-style food.
I have. And my flag shows I’m in America so my anecdote beats yours.
U81 – don’t rely too strongly on your flag for cred. You may wake up one day and find yourself with me, in gay Paris.
Paris is so gay!
I think VANK-Australia needs to get on the Outback Steakhouse case. Whether they think it’s Australian or American image of Australia that sucks for Australians. Man up, blokes, or we’ll come steal your sheilas.
But really there are lots of people who think the chain is from Australia even if it seems Americanized. In Korea too. Those same people think that if they set foot in a 1950′s themed diner they are being literally teleported back in time.
Outback… Australian for Sizzler.
I actually liked Applebee’s all-you-can-eat riblets quite a bit… until I found out what “riblets” really were (i.e. pig spine slow boiled so the cartilage tastes like meat and drenched in bbq sauce so the cartilage will also look the part).
Already onto it. Our organisation (WANK), has a team of cyber diplomats working night and day to correct the yankie injustices, including the stealing of Outback. The reason why you think Australia is a “shrimp on the barbie”, in spite of the sound historical evidence, are because under American Occupation of Outback, American scholars twisted and bended Australian history to destroy the national pride and national identity of Australia. We are determined to correct this injustice in a 5-phase “mustard seed” conception process.
WANK hopes to share our dream and vision with all of you.
Man up, blokes, or we’ll come steal your sheilas.
They’re all yours.
My mom’s dead.
Cartilage is highly nutritious, full of minerals. However, I would avoid riblets as I do any factory farm meat.
Many years ago I had dinner with Gold and a small group when he reviewed a restaurant in a crappy nightclub on Melrose that’s long gone. That man ate more than the rest of us combined.
It’s true, Korean food in L.A. is generally better than in Korea, because the ingredients (vegetables and meat) are better. Also, like Dramman said, they don’t add a kilo of gochujang to every dish. The downside is it all costs three times more than here.
Actually, Dramman made some good observations.
WangKon936 — Seeing your reading comprehension from that description of “riblets”, I shudder to think how you’re mischaracterizing what’s in those annual reports you go through.
The article you linked clearly says that Applebee’s riblets are sawed-off rib tips — i.e., the part of the pig’s rib cage farthest from the spine — left over after the rack is table-sawed to be a uniform size for “St. Louis-style” barbecued ribs. The butcher picks those up off the floor and sells them to Applebee’s.
I wouldn’t eat it, though. It’s tough, gristley meat — say, that’s exactly the kind that Koreans like. I’d imagine a plate of riblets would go over big here: W27,000 when served with a shrunken baked potato or “rice pilaf”, in a 110dB family restaurant where Cokes are W4500.
Why the hell would anyone eat at Outback here, if not to stuff themselves of overpriced calorie-laden food? Their wines are laughably overpriced and predictable – Wolf Blass is okay, but not at their price in that place. They pour a thick goo of dressing over their dinner salads – Sonagi’s point about their cheese fries holds equally true for their salads. Their steaks are okay, but only because we starve for steak here in the Land of the Morning Calm. Lastly, their decor is so pathetically chain-like that they can’t even be bothered to buy actual kitsch to decirate their units, but instead use imitations of kitsch.
My advice is to either buy great steaks and barbeque them at home, or else head out to a much classier place and order steak (but no wine) and then head home for that nice bottle you’d already opened earlier.
# 35,
The ONLY point you should derive from that is not that I can read a financial statement but that I don’t know a lot about ungulate anatomy (or just mammalian anatomy in general).
Well… at least riblets are back on my personal menu…
hoju_saram,
I’d heard WANK was set up with the aid of TISM – any truth to that?
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