zippy the pinhead

If I could get good roach-coach bibimbap for lunch, I'd prolly eat it three times a week, at least, whether it was airplane food or whatever. As long as it was decent.

Regarding the whole better-in-Miguk vs. better-in-Korea debate, I've had some awesome benchmark-quality meals in Korea which I know will never be replicated in SoCal: whole roast pig, fresh saltwater eel grilled over real charcoal, fresh octopus stew, and many more. Now, if I could get such from a roach coach, and it was comparable, oh my goodness...

But when it comes to beef-based meals, there's just nothing like high-grade corn-fed beef (i.e., American beef) prepared skillfully. We buy USDA prime boneless short rib at Costco, and it makes beautiful LA style Kalbi. I cook it at home over mesquite or oak charcoal, and I've never had the equal in Korea.

A_Lee

I have a lot of experience in the past comparing Korean meals in LA vs. Korea. Initially I preferred the taste of LA Korean restaurants because that's what I was accustomed to. But after living in Korea for many years I think the opposite is probably true. But it does depend on the dish. Dak-galbi is great in Korea and I never tasted anything close in LA Koreatown. Bibimbap with lots of beef in LA restaurants is probably better if you like the taste of lots of beef in it, because very seldom will you see bibimbap with a lot of beef in Korea, and most times none at all. I prefer barbequed squid in LA to Korea. In general though, I think I prefer authentic Korea food in Korea, because initially the dishes were designed with the local ingredients in mind, and when in LA or elsewhere not all of the ingredients are likely available and they need to substitute something else.

I agree with what's said about bossam as well. From my understanding it takes a lot of time to prepare correctly and probably they try to take shortcuts in the U.S., or maybe it's just a lack of some key ingredient that goes into making it taste the way it does.

A disclaimer: most of my experience goes back many years ago, and isn't current, being I don't typically eat Korean food when I'm on travel these days, and also have modified my diet a lot such that I don't even eat typical Korean meals in Korea much anymore.

zippy the pinhead

I had some dak-kalbi in Choonchun once and while it tasted great, the preparation was careless, IMO-- lots of bone fragments in the dish, some fairly sharp-- which greatly diminished the enjoyment. Admittedly, this was some years ago, so would it be true today? It wouldn't surprise me if it was, but hard for me to say. (The last time I was in Seoul was eight years ago.)

Here in the states, I would typically expect the preparation would be more careful: chicken properly boned, not chopped up with a dull cleaver, if only to avoid being sued.

Of course there are always exceptions; it is not just in Korea that one finds that sort of thing. But I think it is fair to say that what passes for reasonable preparation in one place may not pass for reasonable in another.

agjil

Why is KE doing this?
Are their planes flying out empty out of Houston?

A_Lee

Still done. Not just for dak-galbi, but for just about any chicken dish that calls for bits of chicken. It's just the way they prepare chicken here and lots of other places in Asia. Used to drive me nuts at first, but I've gotten used to detecting and spitting out the bones.

s0ssos

I think the disclaimer is that you're Korean. It is almost impossible for us non-Koreans to get good food in Korea, given the menus aren't in English, they don't speak English, there are no pictures.
Though I guess we do experience the differential treatment here it is nothing like in Korea, so I think most of us non-Koreans cannot have good food in Korea (unless we go with a Korean) and thus LA food would be better.

But the difference between Chinese food in China and the US is that in China there aren't any regulations (well, there are, whether they are followed is another thing) so I think in terms of having food it may be more "authentic" in China, as in made how it has been for centuries. The caveat is that you don't get sick, cause otherwise you won't appreciate the food.

ek3728

Not necessarily - its just another marketing method.
I flew into ICN from Houston last month and the flight was packed - 2 empty seats in Y and 3 in J (No idea about F)