23 Apr 11's Power Lunch

I was seriously deprived of sleep for 4 consecutive days and woke up with a bad backache this (very early) morning. That's the price I've to pay for staying over at his friend's place instead of my MIL's. I take my hat of the Koreans. How can anyone get used to sleeping on a few layers of comforters laid on the floor? Am I too pampered?

We had to meet his buddies in Anyang for lunch today and I looked like I needed a paper bag over my head. Piles of concealer couldn't hide my panda eye rings... 45 mins of driving later, a street full of cherry blossoms and delightful cafes greeted us. My fatigue was soon overcame with anticipation. Sigh... If only I could renovate my home to look like that good.

The restaurant looked so welcoming, my appetite's whet before I even knew what's on the menu.





The restaurant staffs were really thoughtful. They divided the portions for us according to how we were seated. For starters, this fresh and tangy salad sure fired up my appetite. I've never tasted any salads this good.



I'm not sure if this black sesame paste was meant to be dessert. It was served right at the beginning of our meals. Anyway, it was rich and thick, not too sweet either. Would be great if the portion's bigger. Hehe...



Yikes! Prawns on jellyfish!!! Sorry, avoided this dish but it looked gorgeous for a shoot.



Oh, I love this! It's Water Chestnut Flour Jelly. It's tasteless by itself, but careful seasoning takes it to a whole new level. Thumbs up for this one.



I'm not quite sure what's this made up of. But it's yummy anyway.



This one's superb. Under those greens laid some ultra tender and juicy sliced beef with a crispy coating. Wrap them up in the green leafy veg and smear on some mayo and special chili paste, you'll get an explosion of flavors in your mouth. Cunning Mr. Blockhead almost left none for me!



The next one, Jap Chae, looked ordinary, just like the one you could order from KimBap Nara. And yes, it tasted like one too. BUT, Jap Chae never tasted lousy before. Perhaps I haven't come across one.



The upcoming one was amazing. The pork fat literally melts in your mouth! Not to mention that its meat's tender too. And its pairing with mustard - BRILLIANT.




Call me bias. But I had to try this one. The prawn looked like the crunchy sort instead of the usual texture... And boy, I was right! Absolutely crunchy, sweet and spicy.



I never knew kimchi could look this good. They usually look messy to me. It tasted as good too. This one was the "fresh" kimchi. It hadn't been fermented for long. Hence, the cabbage still retained its sweetness and crunch.



Here's the last dish on the menu - BiBimBap. No bells and whistles, though. It tasted typical like any other BiBimBaps would.



Wow. I could barely feel my waist after we were done. Great service, great food, great ambience and most importantly, D behaved well throughout our lunch. Wonderful dining experience indeed! :D

There wasn't any better way to burn off calories other than taking a stroll under the alpine skies and cherry blossom trees after lunch. Lucky D, he had the chance to see the cherry blossoms on his first trip here! And it was my first on my 8th trip. D must be my lucky star.