In search for kimchi

There was a time when I ate kimchi at nearly every single meal. Simply eaten with just rice or wrapped in seaweed, kimchi was my sustenance when time was too valuable to waste on preparing an actual meal. Well, that time (aka college), is over but my love for kimchi is not. Even with fully prepared food available to me at every meal time (thanks Mom!), I still get cravings for that spicy, pickled goodness. 

Problem is, good kimchi is hard to come by in the Southbay. There isn't as large a Korean population in San Jose, so (good) Korean markets and restaurants are lacking. Back in the Eastbay, I used to take the bus to Oakland--a 20+ min ride on the rapid, 40 min on the regular line--to Koreana Plaza on Telegraph, where I would stock up on all sorts of Korean side dishes and of course, kimchi. I was spoiled then.

My quest to find good kimchi took me to Seoul Market, the only Korean market in San Jose (there are others in nearby Sunnyvale/Cupertino, but I didn't want to make the drive out there). I read the reviews on Yelp and they weren't so bad and I thought, "I've never had bad kimchi before, so what's the risk?" Well, how wrong I was.

Seoul Market is located on West San Carlos, in the part of San Jose I call 'old San Jose' because of all the old neon signs in that area that suggested it was once a bustling business area 30 years ago. Bustling wouldn't be the word I would use to describe it today. There's a lot of strip malls, vintage shops, used car dealerships that are usually empty when I pass by.

Finding the small market along all these strip malls was easy enough, what with the large sign jutting out. It's also located right next to an animal hospital. Funny, because in Vietnam a lot of meat shops were also located right next to veterinary services.

 

From the outside window lined with videos, the market looks more video store than grocery market. This is because the market doubly functions as a video shop in front and grocery store in back. Upon entering, you are greeted with posters advertising the latest Korean dramas.

 

The grocery store itself is nothing notable. It's like any other Asian market, a little grimier than I expected though. Not as grimy as a Vietnamese market, but much more than Koreana Plaza, which was always tip-top clean. The selection of side dishes was small, but they did look delicious. They didn't have the squid salad I was looking for, but I did pick up a box of seaweed salad in sesame oil.

The kimchi selection was also limited. I noticed right away that there weren't labels on the jars, suggesting that the kimchi was made fresh, on location. I was excited. I purchased a small jar for 8.99 (which was a bit expensive for its size).

 

When I got home, I immediately went about prepping my meal to taste my purchases. Like a sacred ritual, I laid everything out--the rice, shredded meat pieces, seaweed wrap, and my appetizers in front of me and went about the eating ritual (which my roommates and I affectionately termed 'poor college food').

 

Step 1: take a seaweed wrap and place rice on top. Step 2: Load up on as much appetizers to your liking. 

Step 3: Fold/wrap. And, voila! Easy peasy...

Okay, so the verdict on the kimchi. How can I put this...It was the WORST KIMCHI EVER. EVER. And this judgment is coming from a nonexpert who really could eat about any kind of kimchi, even the Safeway kind that is made to trick non-Koreans that they are eating something 'exotic.' This was hands-down the worst kimchi I've had the unfortunate opportunity of putting into my mouth. I can't say that it lacked flavor, because mind you, there was some undefinable flavor going on there. It really tasted like whoever made it cut the cabbage just that day and placed it into a wierd concoction of pickled juice, skipping the entire fermentation process that is crucial to the flavoring of kimchi.

It was so bad that when my dad tasted it, he asked for my permission to add some salt. I said yes because whatever he was planning to do to it couldn't have made it taste worse than it already did. My dad added I don't know how many tablespoonfuls of salt. It made me feel sick just watching him add so much salt. And, it helped! It tasted a LOT better. Passably edible. Now instead of retching from the nastiness of it, I will just eat it with the fear of hypertension in the back of my mind. Great.

The seaweed appetizer was the only saving grace.Very tasty. The only complaint I have is that there was a bit too much sesame oil, which left an oily filminess in my mouth. However, delicious seaweed appetizer is not enough to erase my food memory of the awful kimchi nor persuade me to make another trip out to Seoul Market. As I mentioned above, I was spoiled then. Sigh.

Oh! And here is a picture of me and Judy, way back when we went to Paris four years ago, enjoying what I believe is my first meal with kimchi. (Eating kimchi in Paris, the gastronomical capital of the world??! I know right? Again, emphasis on poor college food.) I have her to thank for introducing me to kimchi and all other types of Korean food. Thanks Judy! You made me a lifelong fan of Korean food!

Reason #328 why I love East San Jose

#328: Impromptu mariachi band appearances at parties

I don't know if it was all the alcohol I ingested or a newly discovered love for old school mariachi music, but the appearance of this mariachi band at a friend's party made me so incredibly happy. I had so much fun swaying, mumbling (gibberish) along with the music. Oh, East San Jose. You make me so happy to be a native here. I feel so lucky to be from an area where all sorts of cultures intermix. San Jose is a bland city without the East Side.  A collection of pictures below. 

 

 

 

 

Tequila shot, mid song. 

Not only did this guy have a spiffy mustache, he had the best facial expressions for each song.

Smug face

Awww...sad song

The look of love

Happy song!

 

"City Scenes," an introduction

I'm starting a new photo project entitled, "City Scenes," to capture images of San Jose as experienced by me. Since moving back here, this idea of how we, as individuals, experience our environment--through sights, sounds, memories--has floated through my mind quite a bit, especially while driving around this city. I'll see a certain image, such as a woman wearing a Vietnamese conical hat crossing the street, for example, and think, "That is just so San Jose."

So this project is kind of my ode to the San Jose that resonates with me and to capture images that defines the San Jose I know and am growing to (re)appreciate. Some of these images may come with commentary about some sort of nostalgia it might evoke or it could just be a standalone image that captures San Jose life, from the mundane to the...mundane. (I say that only half-jokingly.)

My first picture..."Neon Glory--West San Carlos St."

I love all the flashy, old-fashioned signs on West San Carlos. Some of them, I assume from the font styling, date back to at least the early 1960s. When driving down this street, I can't help but imagine how this section of the city must have been back in the day. They're city relics, I say! I'm going to go back again one day and do a whole series on these signs.

A much needed pick-me-up

You know those days when you're just not feeling...right. You don't necessarily feel "down", but you obviously don't feel "up" either. You can't exactly pinpoint what those feelings are or even where they originate from, but you just kind of feel unsettled and insecure. Well, I've been feeling this way, on and off, this whole week and...it sucks.

I've been trying to do little things to cheer myself up, like listen to a particular song or do some online shopping (I love Ebay), but they've all fell short of ridding this nagging downer I've been feeling. So, I turned to something that never fails to brighten my spirits nor that of anyone else I know---ice cream! And not just any ice cream, but "Thrifty" hand-scooped ice cream at Rite Aid.

If you never had Thrifty hand-scooped ice cream at Rite Aid, you've been missing out. Rite Aid's Thrifty brand of ice cream is dated way back when Rite Aid was known as "Thrifty Drug" and when it was still customary for pharmaceutical shops to also sell hand-scooped ice cream on its premises. "Thrifty Drug" was later bought out and renamed Rite Aid, but considering the generations of young'uns that grew up to love Thrifty Ice Cream, Rite Aid was smart enough to preserve the in-store ice cream shop (at least on the West Coast).

And so, this is where I headed to get that pick-me-up I so desperately needed. Of course, I had to pick up some buddies on the way and go through the requisite..."Wait, I'm lost...this is the wrong location...turn around, it's located at the OTHER Rite Aid." Apparently, not all Rite Aids serve hand-scooped ice cream. The closest Rite Aid (on the Eastside) that does have an in-store ice cream stand is located on McKee and White.

When we finally arrived and was immediately greeted by the "Thrifty Ice Cream" sign, I felt a little jump of excitement in my stomach, similar to those twinges of excitement I remember from childhood when my dad brought home M&M candies just because.

And really, who wouldn't crack a smile on their face when faced with the close possibility of eating delicious and very affordable ice cream. Because, it ain't called Thrifty ice cream for nothing! $1.29 for one sizable scoop of ice cream. Can you really beat that price? And (to me) it rivals the top ice cream chains in terms of taste and richness.

It also doesn't hurt when you know an employee at Rite Aid who can hook you up with extra servings! (That's why I love the Eastside, where I can always bump into old high school folks who are always more than happy to help me out) Thanks, friend!

On this particular day, I got the Black Cherry flavor. My buddy Amy got pistachio. It really was all I needed to take me away from the general 'blahness' I was feeling. Consuming this delicious cone of ice cream in the most unexceptionable surroundings... in the early evening, sitting outside in the Rite Aid parking lot, the sounds of shopping carts scraping concrete, over a chit-chat session with friends about random events, just enjoying the moment...yeah, that's exactly what I needed.

Fire near 101, McKee Rd

We saw the fire from a distance while driving around McKee and got a closer look on 101 North. Apparently, it was a grass fire that spread to a Kelloggs factory and brought down a Vietnamese radio station. Communist retaliation? J/K :)

Thanks to Amy for capturing the picture.