Okay, people! I know there was a lot of anticipation and discussion in the months when Taco Bell's coming to Korea was a mere rumor. Americans in the city were excited: Europeans, confused. Many, regardless of their nationality, didn't understand why anyone would desperately await the arrival of a taco chain that can no longer even call their taco meat "meat." But those people just don't understand Taco Bell, you see. Taco Bell is not about quality food. It's about deliciousness and wallowing in the pleasure of a truly American fast food experience.
For starters, Taco Bell is cheap. On my recent visit, I ordered a combo meal that came to 3,000 won. That got me two supreme hard shell tacos and a coke. Do you know how tasty the combination of taco and cola is? Really tasty!
Secondly, and maybe this is just my luck - the staff at Taco Bell in Itaewon was ridiculously nice. They spoke Korean, and seemingly a good bit of English too, because I was able to talk with them freely. They were super busy when I went in, but everyone was still smiley and helpful and lovely.
Thirdly! As already hinted at, my food was completely satisfying and wonderful. I especially loved the crunch of cold iceberg lettuce and the creamy tartness of cold sour cream. Combined with the satisfyingly crisp shell, the tasty "meat", and the adorable if superfluous diced tomatoes, a supreme taco really packs a power punch to knock out your hunger on a long day of shopping and strolling.
All that, and I got the added bonus of hearing the Korean couple seated next to me continually gush about how good the food was. Neither could get over how spicy or incredibly tasty their tacos were -- I think they talked about nothing else for the duration of my time next to them, say, 20 minutes. I sat next to the window on the ground floor since the place was packed, and let me tell you, I felt like I was in a Taco Bell commercial. No one pedestrian or bus passenger could resist openly staring into the window at the big line, and, perhaps, at the adorable couple next to me. And yeah, a few definitely checked me out too. I am sure watching someone who can't quite fit all that she is trying to bite off in her mouth is at least mildly amusing.
Moral of the story: I highly recommend the Itaewon Taco Bell if you love fast food, or are simply up for some cheap fun.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
shopping in korea: Zara
I've passed this place dozens of times as I go about my life here in SK, but it took me until today to actually set foot inside the joint. My friends have said good things about it, so I was curious to see what they had on the racks.
My general feeling is that Zara is very similar to H&M and Forever 21, but with higher price tags and less glitter. The clothing is certainly just as cheaply made, if not more so, so if you're looking for good quality, avoid this place. Sure, there are a few exceptions, but on the whole I was not impressed with material or make during by my admittedly brief observations.
Style-wise, things were fine. I did see a few items that were relatively unique on the Korean scene, so that was refreshing (items of note being tailored just-below-the-knee length skirts of muted colors). The clothing sale section also had a good amount of bigger skirt and dress sizes - I saw several things marked XL. Might be useful for those of you who have more trouble shopping in stores designed with tiny people in mind. Jeans run small if you're going by the US size listed below the European one on the tags. I'm a 0 or 2 at home, but I'm a 6 in Zara and Mango.
The shoes especially were kind of cool, and that was a surprise. Usually places that stock shoes below the clothing as a sort of afterthought don't carry things that wear that well. I liked some of the matte colors they came in, and they felt bendy with the potential to be comfortable. A few had that almost-vintage thick curvy heel, really much easier to walk in, and a much cuter look than the usual inexplicable stilettos that I see on the streets. They were not, alas, in my size. They did have smaller (7 and lower) and bigger (8-10), but unfortunately, no 7 1/2 in anything that I needed.
I already mentioned how Zara is like H&M and Forever 21. You could go to those places and find similar items. Mango would be an even better option, if you're okay with the slightly higher price tag and want more refined-looking clothing. Mango tends to be good about not dousing everything in sight with sequins, and their jeans are much better than Zara's, in my opinion.
What I bought:
My general feeling is that Zara is very similar to H&M and Forever 21, but with higher price tags and less glitter. The clothing is certainly just as cheaply made, if not more so, so if you're looking for good quality, avoid this place. Sure, there are a few exceptions, but on the whole I was not impressed with material or make during by my admittedly brief observations.
Style-wise, things were fine. I did see a few items that were relatively unique on the Korean scene, so that was refreshing (items of note being tailored just-below-the-knee length skirts of muted colors). The clothing sale section also had a good amount of bigger skirt and dress sizes - I saw several things marked XL. Might be useful for those of you who have more trouble shopping in stores designed with tiny people in mind. Jeans run small if you're going by the US size listed below the European one on the tags. I'm a 0 or 2 at home, but I'm a 6 in Zara and Mango.
The shoes especially were kind of cool, and that was a surprise. Usually places that stock shoes below the clothing as a sort of afterthought don't carry things that wear that well. I liked some of the matte colors they came in, and they felt bendy with the potential to be comfortable. A few had that almost-vintage thick curvy heel, really much easier to walk in, and a much cuter look than the usual inexplicable stilettos that I see on the streets. They were not, alas, in my size. They did have smaller (7 and lower) and bigger (8-10), but unfortunately, no 7 1/2 in anything that I needed.
I already mentioned how Zara is like H&M and Forever 21. You could go to those places and find similar items. Mango would be an even better option, if you're okay with the slightly higher price tag and want more refined-looking clothing. Mango tends to be good about not dousing everything in sight with sequins, and their jeans are much better than Zara's, in my opinion.
What I bought:
- "upholstery shirts" -- ridiculous, overpriced floral print shirts - 2 of them. when wearing them, i could either pretend to be a couch from the '70s or wallpaper from the '80s. nice tea colored background to the florals. the lack of glitter will help me retain my vision. i'll post pictures when i wear them out.
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