Showing posts with label JeonJu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label JeonJu. Show all posts

Wednesday, 2 September 2015

The Serenity of Kaeamsa Temple 개암사

Somewhere just out of JeonJu, South Korea
One of life's treats is when places of delight are shared amongst friends.
I had such an experience not long ago when a native JeonJuen took me to her favourite temple just near her hometown in the countryside outside of JeonJu.
This temple has been in existence for over 1000yrs, it is small but indeed very special.
The setting is serene, tucked under the twin peaks of a mountain surrounded by the forest.

Grand Entrance



Lush Forest
Twin Peaks





The inner sanctum

beautiful carved dragons adorn the ceiling


 
This statue is over 800 years old


some artistic license
the back end of the gates

Saturday, 27 September 2014

Deconstructing the Luncheon for Two

What follows is my unashamed foray into the dark world of food porn.
I have flirted on the side in the past with certain posts dedicated to certain dishes or foods but this time I'm going in deep. I will attempt to breakdown the spread that appeared on the table whilst dining at midday on the outskirts of JeonJu.
It was a journey of almost four hours from Busan to reach this meal and via a city famous for its Bibimbap and chocolate cakes. So what was so good about this food, why forgo famous dishes and travel so far? Well let me try to explain through a detailed deconstruction of what appeared on the table.

훈제오리 정식 (full meal of Smoked Duck) lunch for two

OK so that's the spread!
actually there are a few items missing.
There was an appetizer of warm pumpkin soup and just outside the frame is a plate of pancake (3 different colours/flavours). Also only one of the three different teas presented is visible in the photo.

Legend 

1.              The hero of the dish, Smoked Duck (훈제오리), thinly sliced about the size of a fifty cent piece
2.              Fried Mackerel pike (꽁치)
3.              Lettuce leaves
4.              Sweet Mustard Sauce
5.              Bean paste
6.              Roast pumpkin with rice on the inside. The rice is a purplish colour and has dark grains and beans in it.
7.              Leek Salad, thinly sliced leek leaves, plus some other salad leaves, quite spicy.
8.         Crab legs
9.         Coleslaw
10.       Leafy Salad with some sliced beef
11.       Fried Glass Noodle & vegetables with soy sauce (잡채)
12.       Kimchi
13.       Beanpaste Pottage Soup (된장국)
14.       Tea
15.       Garlic (raw & sliced)
16.       Eggplant side
17.       Kimchi, V2
18.       Salted Spicy Octopus with garlic
19.       Spinach Salad
20.       Mushrooms in Ground Perilla Seeds Sauce
21.       Dried Anchovy with Peanuts

Essentially the way to eat this was to grab a lettuce leaf and put a dollop of rice, a piece of duck, some paste, one or two or maybe three of the sides, roll it up into a package and plop it into your mouth. Yum!
So as far as full meals go, this one was pretty intense and just so delicious in so many ways, it seriously played all the palette notes with precision and gusto. Just delightful!
Now to really blow you away for those concerned more with the wallet than taste.
₩30 000 for two!! that's a bit over AUD$34.00. WOW. cheap cheap & exquisite.