( Deulkkae kalguksu / 들깨칼국수)
So this is one of my favorite new dishes that I've stumbled across here in South Korea. I've had it twice so far, once on an extremely hungover Saturday evening (it was the first time I'd ventured out of the house that day) and once again last night, on what was by far the coldest evening I've yet to experience here. So, as its definitely delivered me comfort on two occasions otherwise characterized by discomfort, I would call this comfort food.
The restaurant that serves it is a quaint little place about two blocks from my apartment; exactly the right kind of spot to find unexpected food treasures. The first time I went the staff found it curious and amusing that I was there. Last night, I slipped in around closing time without a second glance or sideways stare from anyone. I think that cleaning my bowl the first time expedited the process of acceptance from the staff.
Kalguksu is a "Korean noodle dish consisting of handmade, knife-cut wheat flour noodles served in a large bowl with broth and other ingredients". I happened across this particular type of kalguksu by absolute providence. As has been my habit here, I asked the server what was the most popular dish and five minutes later a bowl of steaming goodness was delivered to my squat Asian-style table. The broth has a decidedly grainy texture and is fairly thick, white in color but tinted by beige/brown flecks of unidentified material. This "unidentified material" turns out to be perilla seed. Along with the thick, chewy noodles, potato, zucchini, a bit of clam (or some shellfish), and a sprinkle of dried seaweed on top and served with kimchi and spicy peppers with soybean paste dipping sauce, deulkkae kalguksu makes for a filling, savory (and only slightly spicy) restorative vessel of food enjoyment.
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