The members of the Gilmore Park Church community kitchen organised a field trip to a Korean Restaurant and a tour to a Korean Supermarket, led by Minnie and Lan. We went to Insadong, a Korean BBQ and Seafood Restaurant located at North Road, Coquitlam. We were told that dong means village in Korean language.

Upon entering the restaurant, there is a glass wall with display of some Korean dolls dressed in traditional Korean clothing; certainly brings out the Korean atmosphere into the restaurant.

Minnie and Lan, the Koreans among the group placed the order of the food. We ordered three dishes to share. We were served ‘rice tea’ and the rice came in metal tin with cover.

First came all the side dishes which come free with your order. The best is you can ask for free refill of the side dishes. The side dishes consist of kimchi, braised potatoes, bean sprouts, sliced daikon and spinach.

The first dish we ordered is Steamed Sliced Pork with Spicy Kimchi and Cabbage Wrap. This dish cost $19.99.

Minnie demonstrated to us how to eat this dish. First, place a slice of the cabbage on your plate. Dip a slice of the steamed pork in some chili sauce and place it on top of the cabbage. Then add some of the spicy kimchi on top of the pork. Lastly, add some fermented soy bean sauce on top and bundle up the cabbage and enjoy.

The second dish was Pan Fried Kimchi and Pork with Tofu. This dish cost $12.99. Again, Minnie showed us how to eat this dish. First take small piece of the tofu and place some of the kimchi and pork on the tofu and eat them together.

Lastly, we had the Pork Back-bone and Potatoes with Vegetables Hot Pot. We had two hotpots going as there are ten people in the group. This dish costs $34.99.

The soup is topped with some ground sesame. The hotpot dish has green onions, mushrooms and onions in it. The soup is relatively thick, perhaps due to the potatoes. It looks spicy but actually its not really spicy. I must say that this dish is a bit too pricey as it only has pork bones in it. There is no much meat in the bones.

The eight of us shared the bill as our appreciation to the drivers who brought us to this place. Each of us paid $12.50. We enjoyed the meal and had a great time learning about Korean cuisine.

After lunch, we went to HanAhReum Asian Mart to have a Korean groceries shopping experience. Click on the link below for photos from the HanAhReum Asian Mart.

Here are some of the products from the HanAhReum Asian Mart.

Various types of kimchi….

Hot Pepper Paste …

Rice Cakes …

Noodles …

Various type sauces, etc.

Minnie and Lan, thank you for the Korean field trip and its certainly help us to learn more about Korean cuisine and food.