Biting the Hand that Heeds

So, to the dismay and disgust of many, we did it.  We went to the restaurant and had dog for dinner.

Korean meals are served with many shared side dishes...three kinds of kimchi, pickled onion, dipping sauces, and some spicy peppers and raw onions.

The gave us water in bowls... at the dog restaurant.

Before anyone gets grossed out or whatever, let me give you a little knowledge (once again from my favorite reliable source): In Korea, there is a specific breed of dog for eating.  There are different words in Korean for a dog that you eat, and a dog that is a part of your family.  Linguistically, that's a pretty big deal- when was the last time you called your hamburger a 'cow patty'?  Oh, you were 10?  Got it.

Anyway, yes, the breed of dog is cute because dogs can be cute. And so can basically any other animal, depending on its stage of life... So just in case anyone was appalled, wait until you see the close-up photos.

This time we got smart and decided to order only two entrees between the three of us.  First came the side dishes you saw at the top of this post, along with that center dish which I hopefully suggested might have been some dark mushrooms.  Then they brought out the plate of boiled meat and greens on the right (one for each order), and finally two boiling bowls of broth.  Soup is often brought out still boiling, which makes for great presentation and often burned fingertips and tongues.

We each sampled the first dish.  They had a rubbery texture, not unlike the fattier skin on a piece of chicken.  I don't think we ate more than one 'mushroom' a piece.  The waitress and the chef (I think) were both kind enough to come over to our table and explain to us the best way to enjoy the meal. We put some of the meat into the soup; wrapped some pieces in the greens and dipped it into the sauces. The meat itself was pretty gamey, and didn't have much flavor.  We avoided the fattier pieces in favor of the meatier ones, and went for lots of the delicious dipping sauces.                                                                                                                                                                                            Our verdict? We didn't eat everything. For $15 a piece, the entrees are a bit expensive for Korean restaurants, but to my American mind, quite a deal-- tons of food, all those sides. Definitely worth the experience, but not something we will seek out again. We retreated to Pizza School, but not with our tails between our legs.                                                                                                                                                                                                 P.S. Shout out to my favorite dog, Winnie. Everyone should follow her on Twitter.  @RastaWinnie.