As you all know, one of the things Abe and I complain about the most in Amman is the lack of cuisine from the rest of the world. From around the Middle East there is an abundance of variety: Lebanese, Syrian, Iraqi, Yemeni, etc. Then there are the "American" options: KFC, McDonald's, TGIFridays, etc. And that is all. Or so we thought.
Last night humbled us and proved that there is a lot more to Amman than is visible on the surface. It also reinforced the idea that connections truly are everything ("wasta" in Arabic, which people snarkily and resentfully refer to as "vitamin w"). We got together with a small group of friends and went to one of Amman's underground Corean restaurants, led by our friend who is a Corean diplomat. Apparently it was called "Egg Hotel," but there were absolutely no signs or markings to confirm that. After leading a cab driver on what seemed to be a wild goose chase ("are you sure there's a restaurant out here?"), we stopped in a dirt parking lot on a back road of some isolated residential neighborhood. No businesses of any kind were in evidence. Trusting our friend, though privately thinking she must have her addresses mixed up, we walk into a regular apartment building and go downstairs to the basement apartment. Surprise surprise, the apartment's living room is filled with tables and chairs, a few of which are occupied by Corean families. THEY ARE DRINKING WINE. Amazing smells of Corean cooking waft out of the personal-sized kitchen. I feel like I've just entered a speakeasy, except the prohibited item is kim chee.
To follow was the best, most legit Corean meal I've ever had. More bulgogi than you could shake a stick at. Put Oakland to shame. Sure, it was a little pricier than we're used to, but it was so worth it, and the company could not be beat. Simple as it was, it was one of those indescribable and joyous moments that I know I won't forget.
