What the ... Popeye's reference?!?!?

So, I am watching the latest, for me, episode of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations. He is in Penang and talking to a guy he has known for a while. Apologetically he mentions he had Popeye's chicken in the morning and I am immediately offended.

What the ... kimchi?!?!? He dissed Popeye's? Or did he? Fuck him! Popeye's holds fond memories from Korea and childhood. You just can't get it in Canada, at least not in the Maritime region.

When I was a kid travelling with my dad Popeye's was a treat we only got when he had a trip to the US. You just can't find it around here. The Maritime region if you are actually following what I type. I remember it best on the Massachusetts Turnpike. It was spicy, chickeny, and fast.

When I lived in South Korea and found Popeye's Chicken I was blissed out. It was a taste of comfort. It was something I treated myself to once a week. I had to earn it by not eating it more than once a week.  And I didn't. The spicy chicken and the buttermilk biscuits were ... joy.

Stig and I would enjoy a weekend afternoon with Popeye's. Buy some. Go to the Dunkin Donuts patio and get a coffee. Eat the chicken lunch. Drink the coffee with a cigar. Life was DAMN DAMN DAMN good. I miss those weekends. God damn I miss those times.

Ah Popeye's. I do miss you.

The Layover: Los Angeles

I posted about it on What The Kimchi?!?!?!? but it could have and should have been here. ;)

The simple things.

I was just watching episode 4 of the latest season of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations. He is in Lisbon, Portugal this episode and it starts off with him having a feast of sea food. It reminded me of the time Stig and I were in Jeju. Actually our last night in Jeju City. We found a seafood restaurant on a wharf and had a similar feast. God damn I am drooling just thinking of it!

I went back to WTK and tried to find a post about it ... and found none. Hmmm. May have to rectify that. But I digress.

I have said it before, and odds are I will say it again, often the simple foods are the best. The feast we had in Jeju was simple but great. The feast Bourdain had in Lisbon was simple but great.

Kitchen Confidential

I FINALLY found a copy of Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential at the used book store. Funny thing is I was looking for some Steven Brust, they had none I don't already own. On the way out I just happened to glance at a shelf by the exit and KC jumped out at me.

I am almost half done it already. It is hard to put it down once you start. :)

Anthony Bourdain - No Reservations - Japan

They were showing the episode of No Reservations where Bourdain went to Osaka a few years back on Travel & Escape. One of his comments when he was in a restaurant with 2 comedians was so true and so sad.

They were at a restaurant where you grilled up your own octopus balls. Bourdain quiped about how this would not flay in the US due to liability issues. He said something to the effect of "alcohol, hot grills, and sharp objects mean this would never work in the US". It is sadly true for Canada too. Their insurance companies would have a fit and jack their cost up until it was too high to pay.

It isn't even the combination here. In Halifax the Korean restaurant I knew of,before going to Korea served you the samkyubsal cooked. When asked why the owner said it was because the customers complained about the smell. What a bunch of wussies. So you smell of a little meat. Hell in Korea the restaurants usually have a bottle of febreeze or soemthing so you can get rid of the smell. If that is the only reason you don't like a place it is pretty sad.

Family Meals

"We know, for instance, that there is a direct, inverse relationship between frequency of family meals and social problems. Bluntly stated, members of families who eat together regularly are statistically less likely to stick up liquor stores, blow up meth labs, give birth to crack babies, commit suicide, or make donkey porn. If Little Timmy had just had more meatloaf, he might not have grown up to fill chest freezers with Cub Scout parts."

— Anthony Bourdain (Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook)

Before going to South Korea I would have scoffed at this. However, one of things I missed was the sit down family meal. Something I rarely engaged in but found myself wanting when it wasn't available.

I rarely ate at the table since my teen years. All meals were pretty much eaten in the living room, in front of the TV. Instead of catching up with family on what was going on in life I would catch up on TV. I never really knew what I was missing.

When I came home on vacation I started finding myself eating at the table. I would use the time as an opportunity to catch up on what my family was doing.

Now that I have been home for a year I find I always eat at the table. Even if it is just me there. I use the time to converse as well as eat. It feels good. I look forward to the big family sit down meals. It makes what Anthony said ring true with me.

A Cook's Tour - Mexico

I was watching A Cook's Tour - Mexico - Tamales And Iguana Oaxacan Style and some of the food started making me think about Korea.

Bourdain was given a soup called Menudo to eat. It is supposed to be good for hang overs and for stamina. It is made out of tripe (Bourdain's had belly, eye, heart, leg, lips, head, and liver. This is added to some crunchy veg and a hot spicy broth. All in all, it reminded me of sunjae haejanguk without the congealed blood but with the same colour.

Yes, Bourdain did crack wise about the Mexican group Menudo being named after tripe soup. And rightly so. :)

While I have never had a hangover my friends in Korea swore by haejanguk. I still remember the 1st time Dave had it. He was half dead when he started and within 20 minutes he felt human again.

When I lived in South Korea kamja tang was my comfort food. it reminded me of how my Mother made ribs. Now I find the reverse, Mom's ribs remind me of kamja tang and South Korea.

Anthony Bourdain - The Nasty Bits

"Travel changes you. As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life - and travel - leaves marks on you. Most of the time, those marks - on your body or on your heart - are beautiful. Often, though, they hurt."

No Reservations - Japan

They were showing the episode of No Reservations where Bourdain went to Osaka a few years back on Travel & Escape. One of his comments when he was in a restaurant with 2 comedians was so true and so sad.

They were at a restaurant where you grilled up your own octopus balls. Bourdain quiped about how this would not flay in the US due to liability issues. He said something to the effect of "alcohol, hot grills, and sharp objects mean this would never work in the US". It is true for Canada too.

No Reservations - South Korea

"You know, when I get back to New York I am going to be pouring that stuff on my cheerios in the morning."

Anthony talking about soju.

Anthony Bourdain - No Reservations - Vienna

I just finished watching Bourdain's show on Vienna. It was pretty interesting, definitely a great food place. Two things REALLY stuck out.

The first was a Puss Stick. Bad name for a cheese filled sausage but it looked delicious. They call it the puss stick because if you aren't careful grilling it the sausage will end up exploding. If cooked properly it sometimes oozes in spots like puss from a finger. They say it is good hang over food, especially with some schnapps.

The second thing was Krampus, or as they called him in English Bad Santa. He is supposed to be Santa's Helper. They ate a pork dish called Krampus which was named after him and it is traditionally eaten the day before Christmas.

Great show.

The Island of Mr. Sang

I like watching cooking and travel shows. In the last year or so I started watching Anthony Bourdain's show No Reservations. I had only seen episodes form the latest seasons, couldn't find a good torrent to download. Last week I found a good one on Pirate Bay with season 1-5.

I started watching Season 1 this week. Tonight I got to Episode 4 entitled "Vietnam, The Island of Mr. Sang." It sounded intriguing. Usually the titles just state the country being visited. This one was unusual.

It had all the standard No Reservations things. Bourdain partaking of the local cuisine and alcohol. He went to a Montangard village. It ended with him taking a boat to the Island of Mr. Sang in Ha Long Bay.

It started with him on a boat sailing to the island. His guide and crew were there as well as several guys in suits who were there because? We weren't quite sure.

When he arrived at the island it was like a scene out of James Bond meets Enter the Dragon. Basically it was a new resort that the government wanted free advertising for on his show. The resort didn't disappoint.

If I ever get to Vietnam I want to go to the Island of Mr. Sang!