One Restaurant, One Table, Two Happy WoCLA

By:  Brittany S

One of the things I love most about Korea is the random acts of kindness that occur between Koreans and expats.  The other day, I was waiting for my friend to meet me at 7-11 so we could pop fireworks for 4th of July.  Korean 7-11s have patios with patio furniture on them.  I sat in one of the chairs near a family that was enjoying a meal they brought from home (picnic at 7-11?).  They saw me and immediately tried to get their timid toddler to say "Hi" to me in English.  I smiled and waved at her, then the family started trying to include me in their picnic!

In the same week, my ["Woman of Color Living Abroad"--WoCLA] friend, Perl, told me that her former employer wanted to take her to a very special restaurant and wanted her to bring a [WoCLA] friend to share in the experience.  Up until this very day, I had never heard of this woman, nor her of me.  But, she drove to my apartment to pick me up and take me to this unique restaurant.

I've said this before and I'll say it again--Love knows no language.  My Korean isn't as great as it used to be (thanks to 6 wks in America), but Koreans are very patient with my attempts and they put forth the little English they may know.  Meeting new people is no longer intimidating because of a language barrier.  We always work it out.  Even silence is now comfortable.  On our 30 minute ride up the mountain, the silence allowed us to take in the breathtaking view.

The city I live in is considered a somewhat rural area.  However, there is a rather thriving city life here, so you can avoid the countryside experience if you so choose.  This restaurant was up in the mountains, therefore placing it on the outskirts of town, on a lot of back and windy roads without street signs or signals.  If someone where to ask me today how to get to that restaurant, I'd have nothing to go off of except the more green you see around you, the closer you are getting.

When Perl first told me this restaurant only had one table, I thought either something was lost in translation between her and her former employer, or this place was extremely exclusive and required reservations months in advance.  Neither was the case.  I jokingly said "are we just going to someone's house for dinner?" but when we arrived, that was exactly what it was!  This particular family had chosen to split their home into two parts closed off from one another.  One part served as the restaurant and pottery barn (as all the dishes they use there, from bowls to serving trays to mugs, etc, they make and sell) and the other the residence.  The restaurant was designed with traditional Korean paper all around the interior, and hundreds of hand-crafted items lining every wall and shelf.  The low table was handmade as well.

Our waitress/chef/host was very friendly and very curious about the WoCLA who came to visit her on this day.  We were her first expat visitors!  We spoke as much Korean as we could and filled in the blanks with English.  They did the opposite for us.  When the food arrived, we were given two different kind of salads.  The most interesting part of this was we were served a salad with FLOWERS in it!  I was very surprised that the most satisfying part of the salad was a petal!  My friend and I devoured this part of the meal, thinking this was the main/only course.






Soon, lightly fried eggplant, pumpkin, and mushrooms arrived, as well as a plethora of side dishes.

 



The side dishes looked like different shades of green of the same plant (with a few other variations).  We tried them all.

 



As if that wasn't enough, she brought out a soybean stew and traditional (purple) rice.

 



We wrapped up the meal with omija, a traditional tea that is famous for having "5 flavors" on your tongue.

 


There was so much food leftover and I couldn't believe that we had a 100% organic and vegetarian-friendly meal that was completely satisfying and delicious!  The best part about it was that it cost 10,000won per person (about $9 USD)!

The owner was so happy we came that she gave us our choice of pottery to take with us.  I was so glad Perl invited me to take part in this experience.  Below is a video she made of our experience.  Check it out!

 

(Perl's comment about eating the dog is because we passed my restaurant that I ate dog at on the way here.  That is another story...)

A Midnight Gondola Ride With Him…And His Missus Is Ok With It

By:  Brittany S

Last weekend was magical.  Even though I couldn’t understand what he was trying to say to me, I could look in his eyes and stare at his hands; they told me everything I needed to know.  He wanted me right here with him…and she knew.

 

Who is “he” you ask?  My Oppa  (오빠 "big brother")!  Who else?!  I know it has been a long time since I last wrote about him, but he and his family are still very much a part of my life.  Now that I live in a different city, I don’t see them nearly as often, but we definitely keep in touch!

                One day I messaged my Uhni (언니 "big sister") and she invited me to join them at a resort over the weekend.  ROADTRIP!  WOOHOO!  I was a bit nervous (as I always am when I go out of town with them, but last time it worked out alright), but I agreed.  They drove two hours to pick me up, then another two to our destination, with a random pit stop in between.

                On the way, 오빠 made a pit stop at a SHEEP FARM.  Yep.  I guess this isn’t very fascinating to me because I have driven and walked past fields with sheep many times in America, but for them, it was special.  But when my family found out there was a fee to get closer to the sheep (less than $5USD), they decided it was too expensive, so we left…but not before they fed me.

                Even though I ate before getting in the car, I was immediately handed Mandarin oranges and a hot sweet potato. At the sheep farm, they bought me a corn dog.  There was even a point where I was forced to bite off one of theirs, after they gnawed at mine.  Sharing is caring!  But they weren’t done!  They know I love meat more than vegetables, so they make it a point to cook a lot of meat anytime I am around.  This time was one for the record books.  They bought a TON of steak, links, and hot dogs (and were very apologetic that it wasn’t American beef, but Australian.  *shrugs*).  They made so much meat I thought I was going to be sick!  I ate until I couldn’t anymore, then a little more just for them.  We laughed and talked in broken English and Korean until we moved on to games.

                I usually just play “Blue Marble” with all the kids (like a Korean ‘Monopoly’), but this time the adults decided to play a game as well.  They taught me (with gestures, 2 or 3 English words, and Korean) how to play Yutnori.  We played with our family (오빠, his son, and me) against the other family (they traveled with us last time).  We won the first game and lost the next two.  I blame the player substitutions!  While I was playing with the kids, 오빠 said he wanted to go on a “Gondola ride date” with me and asked if that was ok.  I looked at his wife for clarification (as there aren't any Gondolas at the ski resort right?) and she said yes and go.  I STILL have no idea where this gondola came from, but I suppose this is our next adventure?*

After games, dinner, and drinks, we headed outside to check out the resort premises.  Even though we hadn’t had the first snow, ski season had begun so there was artificial snow everywhere, with the ski slope directly outside our windows.  One of the men in the group is a professional photographer.  I don’t know if it was the soju or his wife, but he suddenly was inspired to have an impromptu photo shoot on the snow using only his camera phone.  As we giggled and ran away from him (he drunkenly chased us, too!), he snapped pics.  He finally convinced us to start posing and he told me he loves my silly poses.  That’s all I needed to hear; I went into full Naomi mode, making the rest of the Koreans to blush. We had a good time!  It was fun to watch the rest of the men and boys have a snowball fight.

She laughed so hard she started crying haha

What? He told me to pose in the snow! She wasn't ready...

                By now I am worn out, but they are still going strong.  The children were instructed to perform to “Gangnam Style” for the adults.  They were even assigned parts and given an iPad to go watch the video for practice.  That was fun.  It was funny to see the kids being forced to dance in a totally different culture than my own; moments like that make me feel at home here.  I stayed awake long enough to watch the performances, then was dismissed to go to bed.  My family could see the fatigue all over my face so my 언니 came to the ladies’ room (we stayed in a 2 bed/2 bath condominium villa) and tucked me in my floor mat.  She laid her mat out next to mine and for a minute I thought she was about to try to share a mat with me.  Instead, she gently caressed my face and said she loves me as if she was putting her little girl to bed.  Sometimes you would never guess that she is only 13 years older than me!

The beautiful wife who inspired this photo shoot. (LEFT)

                Later, 언니 returned to go to bed.  When she thought I was sleep, she held my hand and fell asleep.  Even though I don’t understand everything she says, I always understand everything she does.  She really loves me.  We slept hand-in-hand for hours (when I finally fell asleep that is!  I was laying on my back and she on her stomach.  After so long, I was uncomfortable!  I wanted to roll over!).  Around 5:30am, I woke up to use the bathroom.  Little did I know that one of the other ladies was awake and would start talking to me when I returned.  That eventually woke the other ladies, who woke the children, who woke the men.  The whole house was awake and LIVELY before 6am!  Next time I will just hold it :-).  I just KNEW I was going to be able to lie back down and continue sleeping!  WRONG!

                I had to leave the resort earlier than everyone else because I had an appointment in Seoul.  Before I left, 오빠 insisted on making me breakfast.  He even Westernized it a little for me by making fried eggs and Salisbury steaks to go with the meal.  Because I am not much of a drinker, everyone made it a point to keep my glasses filled with OJ and water.  The men drove me to the bus terminal and one of the women even rode the bus with me to Seoul to make sure I would be ok.  They are sooooo considerate and hospitable.  오빠and 언니 announced to everyone that they want to be able to communicate with me more fluidly, but they are old so they will not study English.  Instead, I have been instructed to continue my study of the Korean language.  I am trying…people like that are all the more motivation for me to learn.  (OPPA AND UHNI, I LOVE YOU!...오빠랑 언니, 사랑해요! )

*My 오빠 believes we are closer than his wife and I are, so he insists on his 1-on-1 time to further his lead if you will.*

Dining Out In Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia

By Stephanie McCreary

In the sticky heat of the late afternoon I hear the sound of high-pitched Hindi music blasting in invisible swirling coils from crackling speakers of old radios. I see softly strung silken necklaces of yellow and orange marigolds decorating hawker stalls selling everything from DVDs, to jewelry, to handbags to Indian desserts. I am walking through the cobblestone streets of Little India in Georgetown, the capital city of Penang island in Malaysia, checking out Indian restaurants.  Kapitan has the best tandoor breads, Restaurant Meena is South Indian, and Woodlands Restaurant is strictly vegetarian.

The potent aroma of chilies, curry leaves, black peppercorns and cardamom overwhelm my senses, yet I hesitate to eat Indian food here. I live in Oman where it is chock full of Indian expatriates and Indian food. But to eat this cuisine in Malaysia is immersing oneself in an integral part of Malaysian culture. Malaysians of Indian descent make up a sizeable portion of the population of the country, the other two groups being ethnic Malays and Chinese. Many Malaysian Indians are second or third generation and call Malaysia home, much the same way I am an American of African ancestry.

I choose Woodlands Restaurant on 60 Penang Street, well known for its bargain banana leaf lunches. I walk into the cool, dim, air-conditioned establishment and see a space decorated with mirrors framing the perimeter and artwork depicting women dressed in deep purple, red, and fiery orange saris in between each one. I sit down at one of the tables and listen to metal clanging, echoing throughout the room, like bells signaling thali lunchtime. Thalis are metal trays with five or six different compartments for entrees. At Woodlands they are round and deep with a banana leaf cut into a circle that fits perfectly inside accompanied by several small metal bowls.

After perusing the menu, I order the Madras thali unlimited banana leaf meal. About ten minutes later, it arrives at my table looking like a rainbow of healthy vegetarian food.  In the center of the leaf is a heap of white rice, surrounded by an arc of bowls that contain spinach garam dal, puriam, sambar radish, tomato rasam, kulumbu, sundakai onion mix, buttermilk and yogurt with coriander, and payasam.

The spinach garam dal is stewed with yellow lentils and seasoned with garam masala, a mélange of black peppercorns, coriander, cumin, cloves, cinnamon, chilies, and turmeric. The ingredients of garam masala vary by region but in South India, it is often made into a paste with either coconut milk or vinegar, and in North India, it is pure powder. The golden lentils temper the heat of the rich green leaves that although cooked, have retained the slightly crunchy, vibrant taste of fresh spinach. Puriam is a dish made of carrots, green peas and green beans with a peppery zing. All the vegetables are perfectly cooked, but a challenge to eat without biting into a peppercorn. Black pepper is used liberally in many South Indian dishes as Kerala; a state in the southwest of the subcontinent is famous for pepper production. The other dishes in the thali possess varying degrees of flavor from cumin, fenugreek, coriander and cardamom, and the buttermilk and yogurt with coriander is a welcome and cooling accompaniment to smother the fire of the piquant dishes.

Dessert is a sweet, warm soup called payasam with cashews and tiny tapioca balls that float like iridescent pearls to the surface. Spiced with cardamom, the taste is subtle yet festive. To add to the sweet decadence, I order a masala chai and Mysore pak. Most of the time chai is drunk simply as black tea with milk and sugar, but masala chai is for special occasions, and contains some or all of the following: cardamom, black pepper, ginger, cloves and cinnamon. But it is too foamy and more spicy than sweet. The Mysore pak, however, is like a little block of edible gold and doesn’t disappoint. This treat made of chickpea flour, clarified butter, and sugar, is believed to have originated in the town of Mysore, in the South Indian state of Karnataka. Soft, perfectly moist, and just a little crumbly, it melts in my mouth.

The entire meal comes to RM (Malaysian ringgits) 15, about 5 USD. Entree prices range from RM2-10, and both North and South Indian vegetarian food like palak paneer, channa masala and masala dosas rub shoulders on the Woodlands menu. There are a wide variety of hot and cold beverages like hot lemon and ginger tea, rose milk, and pineapple lassis that will only set you back about RM 3. Woodlands is a quality, inexpensive, meat-free place if you’re on the go and seeking a healthy and satisfying meal in Georgetown.

Woodlands Restaurant
Hours: 8:30am-10pm
Address: 60 Penang Street
Phone:04-263-9764
Fax: 04-261-1868

Dining Out in Muscat

by Stephanie McCreary

I moved to Oman a little more than a year ago and since then I have been living a double life. During the week I am a resident of Nizwa, a conservative small town in the interior of the country where I have to cover my arms and legs whenever I step outside. On the weekends however, I escape to the capital city of Muscat where I wear short sleeves,  Capri pants and indulge in activities that are unavailable in Nizwa. As a food lover, one of the things I love to do is patronize great restaurants. Aside from a couple of decent Indian places and a smattering of hole-in the-wall Arabian joints, Nizwa doesn’t have a whole lot to offer in terms of fine cuisine. Muscat has more options, and since I’ve stayed in my small town for the past four weekends, I have a strong desire to sample from the capital’s culinary platter. After waking up early and eating a rushed breakfast of shredded wheat, I hit the road.

An hour an a half later, I get my hair cut at the Intercontinental Hotel in Shatti Al Qurum and a pedicure at Totem Nails. As the end of my pedicure approaches, I feel my stomach growling and begin to envision lunch. I know that I want a special dinner later so I  need something light and fresh. I choose Automatic, a Lebanese restaurant conveniently located in Shatti Al Qurum. I walk inside to find a fast food restaurant in a casual dining setting: open and bright, with tables covered in black, white, red, and green cloths. I find a seat away from the bright October sun streaming in through the window side and peruse the menu, which offers a wide array of Lebanese food, including appetizers ranging in price from 1.200 to 2.100 OMR. Hommos, hommos with meat, and tabouleh are a few of the featured starters. I choose the rocket salad and fried kebbe. The salad is crisp and fresh, a mix of verdant green arugula leaves, fiery red chopped tomatoes, and red onion, drenched in the sweet tang of balsamic vinaigrette. The fried kebbe, torpedo shaped Lebanese meatballs made of fried bulgur stuffed with ground beef, onions, and seasonings, leave something to be desired. The bulgur coating falls apart too easily, and I have to sprinkle lemon juice and salt on the filling to add flavor.

For entrees, Automatic has a good selection of fresh juices like pomegranate, avocado, strawberry and apple, ranging in price from 1.100 to 1.700 OMR. Grills include lamb chops, chicken kebabs and chicken wings starting at 2.300 OMR. The lunch menu features sandwiches like the classic vegetarian falafel to the not so vegetarian sheep’s brain  from 300 to 450 baisas.  For early risers, there are breakfast dishes like foul, and eggs with meat that range from 1.200 to 1.700 OMR. If you like seafood, grilled hamour, kingfish, and grilled prawns have a place on the menu. If you care for a sweet ending, there is a variety of sweets including Oum Ali, a middle eastern style bread pudding, and Kataif, a pastry made from shredded wheat filled with cheese and topped with a fragrant syrup.  The total cost of my quick lunch: 3.700 OMR. Automatic has four locations: Shatti Al Qurum in the Bareeq al Shatti building, Al Ghubra, Seeb, on North Hall Road, and Al Khuwair, across from the Radisson SAS.

After a few hours of shopping, I meet my driver to go for dinner at Mumtaz Mahal. Oman has a large Indian expatriate community, so there is no shortage of Indian restaurants to choose from, but Mumtaz is without a doubt the best. Sitting atop a hill in Qurum overlooking the city, this establishment recently underwent renovations and the new décor is subtle yet warm, elegant yet inviting.  The ceilings are chocolate brown and beige, with dark wood tables and chairs with beige cushions.  A small stage is at the front of the spacious dining area with sophisticated paintings in earth tones and deep reds hanging on creamy walls. As I sit at my table and look through the menu, I notice the gold placemats in front of me that compliment the amber hued lights hanging from the ceiling and pillars.

I start with the prawn and coconut soup. Light, with a delicate citrus bite, this is a mellow introduction to the rest of my meal. I feast on American corn saag masala, a pureed spinach dish with Indian spices, punctuated by plump, sweet, sun yellow corn kernels and served with steamed basmati rice. Next, I try the tangy tandoori potatoes. Marinated in raw mango pulp, coriander, and mint and roasted in the tandoor, these are some of the most delicious potatoes I’ve ever tasted. Their outer coating is red from the marinade and flakes slightly  when touched with a fork. I sip the sweet truth of a ripe mango in a lassi, the perfect fruity, ice-cold dessert. As I finish my meal, live sitar and tabla music ring out from the stage and lend a mystical and enchanting atmosphere to the evening.

The extensive menu reads like a tantalizing novel, featuring dishes like tandoori whole lobster, cajun spiced chicken tikka, chicken and lamb kebab platter, and desserts like strawberry phirni brulee, a chilled rice flour pudding infused with strawberry puree sauce. Starters range from 2.200 to 3.200 OMR, soups from 2.000 to 3.000, chicken entrees from 5.000 to 5.500, vegetarian dishes from 3.500 to 4.000, seafood from 6.900 to 18.000 and lamb from 5.500 to 6.000 Rice dishes range from 2.500 to 18.000, breads from 200 baisas to 1.800 and desserts from 1.800 to 2.600. My entire meal set me back about 16.000 OMR. If you’re out and about in Qurum and need a fast lunch in a clean family restaurant, head over to Automatic. If you want to be transported to India encapsulated on a hill with a sparkling  nighttime view, have your dinner at Mumtaz Mahal. Reservations are recommended.