Seven steps to filling the stomach:

Seven steps to filling the stomach:

Food being the necessity of life that it is has made me pursue the knowledge of how to communicate with my fellow Korean peninsula dwellers that I need nourishment and, more importantly, that my wife needs food or else the proverbial feces will undoubtedly hit the fan and chaos will reign masterfully over our lives.

Much like Applebees, Denny’s, IHOP, and dozens of other semi fast-food chains in the U.S., generic pictures of the establishment’s food options are printed all over the menu in wonderfully detailed food porn. I am certainly not a master of any language, and especially not Korean, but I’m now confident enough to enter one of these establishments and order a satisfying meal. The words that have saved me are simple and yet at the same time beautiful. Just follow my advice when starving in Korea and all will be made well.

Step 1: Find a restaurant with lots of glossy images (sometimes while under the influence of being culturally overwhelmed it may seem a bit hard).

Step 2: Disregard whatever it is the person attending you may be saying and find a seat.

Step 3: Look through the menu carefully; don’t be confused by the fake stuff (I still don’t really know what that means).

Step 4: Get the waiters attention by saying, “Yogi,” which means over here or here- I am not sure which.

Step 5: Point at your selection and say, “Eeka chooseo,” which literally means this will have (“I” is inflected like Spanish is in some cases).

Step 6: Enjoy

Step 7: Pay and remember to say thank you, “Kam sa han mi da!”

josh