Making Mummified Chicken, Korean Style －韓国風鶏のミイラを作ること－

“Oh, God,” I thought, “Let the dessert be small!” 

I had already eaten crispy vegetables in batter, fruit wrapped in kimchee, toppogi (pounded rice), chijimi (a bit like a pancake), dak hanmari (a whole chicken and vegetable hot pot), and udon noodles.  I was full before the end of the chicken hot pot.  Like a soldier going into battle, I got through the hot pot and the udon, feeling my belly bulge against my waistband. 

“Maybe it will be one scoop of ice cream, or a single wafer of chocolate?” I hoped. 

Then the waiter announced annin dofu in lemon (a sort of sweet curd made from apricot kernel).  And I prepared for one last battle. 

I was in a lovely Korean restaurant in Ebisu called Suragan.  It was a birthday treat and so I ordered the 4,500 Yen lunch course.  It was very good value, and the chijimi was particularly nice.  I had only ever eaten it in cheap izakayas before, and I was surprised at how fluffy and light it was. 

But I really wanted to try the dak hanmari hot pot.  It was very interesting.  The waiter had us test the soup to see if it was acceptable, before we started, as customers test a bottle of wine before the waiter pours a full glass.  The soup was indeed very rich and tasty. 

The trouble is, especially for a blind person, it is rather difficult to eat a whole chicken in soup with chopsticks.  I had to pick a bit out with the chopsticks, try to find a bony bit, and then hold the bone with my fingers while I tore off the meat.  And the restaurant provided a little pot to put the bones into.  My wife commented that it put her in mind of the process of creating a mummy.  I know what she meant.  In ancient Egypt the embalmers used lots of little pots to put in various body parts that could not be preserved. 

For a Scotsman like me, one of the benefits of living in Tokyo is the quality of Asian restaurants.  Of course the Japanese food is nice.  But there are also lots of Koreans and Chinese living here.  And there are good Vietnamese and Thai restaurants too.  Scotland has good Indian and Cantonese restaurants, but not so many nice restaurants from other Asian countries. 

I’ll be sure to enjoy Korean food again.  But maybe a smaller course next time.