Cultural Post with Artifact

[Felicitas G. Heinzel]

During my trip to Toronto I stayed in Chinatown and decided to look for an authentic Korean restaurant that is not too westernized. I wanted to try authentic Korean food to get to know Korean culture better. I ended up going to a restaurant called Biwon, or 비원, which means “taste of secret garden”. It was very authentic and run by Koreans, soley speaking Hangul with each other. I received six plates with small portions of various side dishes, called Banchan, as well as a pot of Korean tea, Boricha, upon ordering the food. The side dishes included Kimchi, Sukjunamul, Kkadugi, Japchae, Mu Saenghae, and Gaji namul. As a main course, I ordered Dduk Bokki and Bulgogi, or marinated sirloin beef and rice cakes. The person accompanying me on my trip to Toronto ordered Bokeum Bap, stir fried rice with chicken. It was a great to experience an authentic Korean meal, including Banchan and Boricha, to get in touch with the culture related to my target language through this experience, and to hear people speak Korean in a natural setting.

[Global Studio]

Wow!