Beyond barbecue in Korea (Photo-essay)

There are many people who think primarily -- and maybe even only -- of barbecue when asked about Korean food.  And I have to say that the first two Korean dishes that appealed to me were indeed bulgogi and galbi (AKA kalbi).  

But while I had plenty of grilled meats on my 2009 visit to the Land of the Morning Calm, my mother and I didn't have a single meal that centered on barbecue on this most recent South Korean vacation.  Instead, we ate a greater variety of Korean foods -- all of which was enjoyably delicious -- with our only non-Korean concessions being Dunkin' Donuts and Krispy Kreme treats for breakfast on three occasions! ;b

 As it so happened, my first and last meals in Korea this time around

consisted of naengmyun (i.e., cold noodles) -- specifically, 

the spicy dry version on day 1 and the icy soup version on day 6

 On day 2 of my vacation, my mother and I shared this dish

of mandu (dumplings) at the main branch of Myeongdong Kyoja

which my mother likened to xiao long bao without the liquid inside ;b

Day 2 also saw my mother and I trying the infamous

squirmy baby octopus sashimi for the first time

For the record, not only did these already dead octopus bits 

move about still but they also had a tendency to stick together! :O

We also had spicy sea snail salad served with noodles

for dinner that evening

Dak Gangjeong (crispy fried chicken in a sweet and spicy sauce)

goes ever so well with beer, and was great to have at

the dish's birthplace - Incheon's Sinpo International Market

 This pot of many and varied clams was quite the

culinary as well as visual treat!

Since it was still pretty warm, we also had our share of cold desserts

-- with my favoring yummy smoothies and fruity shaved ice concoctions 

(while my mother went for such as nutty shaved ice options) ;b