https://youtu.be/BU_ajsDlbe8

(인천공화춘)

1882년 임오군란과 1884년 갑신장병을 해결하고 친일 개화파와 일본세력을 제압하고 

청나라가 조선을 1894년 청일전쟁 때 까지 조선을 직접 지배했습니다. 이때 호떡등 

청나라 음식이 많이 들어왔다고 합니다. 인천에 차이나 타운도 이때 형성 되었다고 하네요.

그러나 짜장면집은 1908에 생긴 공화춘이 원조 랍니다. 

이선배님의 짜장면 이야기 재미있게 읽었습니다. 감사합니다. 

I read it with great interest. Needless to say that 짜장면 has been one of our favorites. 

Some Korean reporters made ambitious travel through the entire Chinese cities looking

for the authentic 짜장면 and its origin, but without any results. Pretty much like the American story

of Italian pizzas: American tourists made their determinations to eat the best and greatest Italian pizzas

in the city of Rome, but regrettably well-known restaurants don't have pizzas on the menus,

besides pizzas were not recognized in most places. 

Apparently pizzas must be poor-man's dinners much like Korean 빈대떡, which was originated

from 빈자(貧者) 떡=Poor-man's cakes. So much for 짜장면 타령. By the way, I like Chinese 호떡 too. 

On my next Korean visit, I will try Chinese restaurants for 짜장면 and 호떡.

Are these two favorite items a good combination?

What the hell should I care?

https://m.blog.naver.com/ariaart/221303606458

(순희네 빈대떡집)

대한민국 최고의 빈대떡집입니다. 먹거리 골목에 있어서 비좁고 허름한 공간에서 

먹어야 하지만 맞은 일품입니다. 

호떡은 남대문 시장에 가시면 1000원 짜리 호떡을 노점에서 팝니다. 줄이 긴 노점을 골라  

가시면 틀림 없습니다. 

https://m.blog.naver.com/PostView.nhn?blogId=7scent&logNo=221172102181&proxyReferer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F

(진아춘; 대학로 중국집)

학창시절에 짜장면, 군만두, 탕수욕등을 즐겨 먹던 진아춘은 지금도 있습니다.

원래 위치에서 좀 안쪽으로 들어가 있는 것으로 알고 있습니다. 

It sounds like chatting among  not-so-famous gourmet trio specialized in 짜장면, 호떡, 빈대떡 and the last not the least. Italiano pizzas. 

Shouldn't we meet at some place here in America or in South Korea and enjoy these YUMMIE's along with 막걸리 or 약주 instead of French red wine? How's that?

굶 주렸던 1-4 후퇴 피란 생활이 끝나고 1953 년  서울로 환도-- 국민학교 3 학년으로  전학온 나에게

어쩌면 유일한 락은 만화책-동화책 보는 것과 여름 방학 때면  집에서 한 10-15 분 거리에 있는 아버님 병원-clinic 으로 점심때 출근-- 사주시는 짜장면을  먹을 수 있는 즐거움이었다. 재수가 좋으면 탕수육 까지 곁 들여서--

양파를 춘장에 찍어 먹고는 배탈도 가끔 앓았던---꿈 같은 시절이었다

대학로에 있던 서울의대생들의 추억의 식당 진아춘--

지금은  주인도 바뀌었고(친척?) 옛날 자리에서 이사 골목 속으로 옮겨가 있다. 서울시 문화 유산 건물의 하나---

짜장면 맞도 탕수육 맞도 모양도 옛날같지 않다.

Good to know you share my feeling/impression on the 짜장면 with no longer same taste, Dr. Choh!

As said, one of the first disappointments when I got back to Korea in 1994 was a different 짜장면 they serve either by the local restaurants, Korean run, or famous restaurant like the one at Shilla Hotel with Chinese chef, etc.

Yes, the 짜장면 they serve in these days are not the same one we used to have during our childhood. Generally speaking, they are too sweet and too many lumpy potatoes and onions and some stuffs I couldn’t figure out.

Of course, I went back to new(?) 진아춘 now at different location, as you kindly showed its photo, with my old friends remaining at SNU Med School soon after I started to work at SamSung Hospital in early '90. Yes, the 짜장면 at 진아춘as well had not the same taste I expected although the 탕수육 was the same taste by surprise. The owner of 진아춘, a nephew of the original founder, who immigrated back to Korea from the U.S., came by to chat with us and again, he said the taste of Koreans has been changed so that many prefer the sweet one. Excuse?

Interestingly, many years ago when I visited to Taipei with my senior Japanese colleague, Prof. Nakajima, one of his Chinese students took us to one old Chinese restaurant near by National Museum and voila, they served exactly same 짜장면with same taste of Korean version as well as same smell. But I also found out the 짜장면 they served is a Kobe/Japan style, Prof. Nakajima loves most, to surprise me.

Believe or not, it was right!  We confirmed his claim on Japanese 짜장면 when we visited to China town in Kobe not only its taste but also such familiar 청요리 smell - I am sure you recall the smell pouring out from the home delivery box/wooden container when the delivery man opened to take out the dishes!-.

Well, sadly, those 짜장면 as a 청요리 we enjoyed is no longer available in Korea but amazingly you could enjoy it in Japan, not only in Kobe but also in Nagoya and even Kyoto market place my wife claims the best, I let you all know!

Warm regards,

BB

KwanHo, if you would visit us to Washington, I would be happy to give you a tour for the Korean 짜장면-탕수육 though they are not exactly same one we used to enjoy but quite close! Yes, we do have pretty(?) good quality of 짜장면-탕수육 at one Korean Chinese restaurant in a new Korea town at Chantilly, here in Northern Virginia, as well as one in Maryland suburb - Washington metropolitan area holds more than 150,000 Koreans having two different Korea towns at Annadale and Chantilly. They even have a 찜질방 if you happen to like! -.

Indeed, when any Korean friends visiting us to Washington should insist to taste Korean Chinese foods with priority, we always take them to these restaurants to offer 짜장면-탕수육.

So, buddy, feel free to come to Washington DC and be my guest!

Warm regards,

BB

P.S. We, however, always propose/offer Greek, Turkish, Persian/Iranian, or Afghanistan foods first since we believe no other places throughout the country, even in New York cannot provide same quality. Indeed, such Middle Eastern foods are much better than Chinese foods, and Washington DC offers such unique opportunity of a great variety of excellent cuisines throughout the world because many chefs of the embassies throughout the world never go back but settle here to open the restaurant for their native food; even we have an excellent Nepalese restaurant to serve Nepalese foods like Dal-bhat and Momo, Nepalese version of 만두).

Dear BB. Thanks for invitation to DC. I don't have any current plan for travel there, but there is such a proverb, "Never say never". Whenever I have an unexpected chance to visit the Nation's capital, I'll certainly remember you and call you for sure. Not only tasting these rare foods, there should be tons of talks such as 漢詩 and the related stories which could be never ending.

My mother was a learned person with an excellent education of Chinese literature from a famous 한문학자, 즉 유명한 정다산의 손자.  Chinese poems and proses were almost all related to the historical background. I had heard from mother. 

My family was originated from 경상도 진주, but my mother is 한양 native, living there for several hundred years. They were poor 양반 for several hundred years. What does that mean? Maybe 남산골샌님???

So my maternal family was truly 한양 Native. Mother retained the very auathentic Seoul accent better than anyone I've seen. I haven't seen any Koreans commanding better authentic Korean language. 

My father was 경상도 토백이셨지만, after ten years American education in his very younger days starting age 10 or 11!, when he returned home, he couldn't call mother when he embraced his mother(my grandma) since he could speak only a few words. Afterwards he became the first YMCA English teacher and made many, many friends mostly from the literarsociety including 이광수, 염상섭. etc,etc. So he relearned Korean language, which is just mixture of 서울말 and 경상도사투리. 

Lately I began to develop my 잡담, but the real 잡담인 in our class was 이종욱, whose 달변 I still miss. I would call him a 최고 달변인. 

Thank you very much for eveything. 

Kwan Ho

How interesting story, KwanHo! Your comments on 서울말 and 경상도사투리 reminds myself, speaking dual tones, 서울말 and 경상도사투리, although I was born and raised in Seoul. Indeed, entire surrounding condition  of the house I grew up was a typical 경상도 status since whole group of the servants were either from my mother side, 영양 or my father side 영천despite I seldom had a chance to visit to 경상도. Naturally I spoke in 경상도 사투리 all along whenever I talk with the family member to surprise my friends to come to our house.

But, interestingly, after I moved to the States, my brain somehow started to confuse with my memory of Korean language, to bringing up 경상도 accent unconsciously whenever I meet old Korean friends and talk making me get embarrassed!

Anyhow, even though I do speak quasi 경상도 사투리 as my wife always make fun of it, I felt so bad this 경상도사투리/dialect accents really ruined/contaminated genuine 서울말 I found out when I went back to Seoul in 1994. A new strange Korean accent made me feel so offended and I was barely able to understand the half of such strange language.

One thing I felt so good when I left Korea 2004 was I no longer need to tolerate such funny weird accent as the outcome of the contamination of damn 경상도 사투리!

BB