Dinner at JooMak [ 주막 ]

Was craving for some Korean food so decided to pay a visit to Joo Mak. 

Joo Mak is a Korean restaurant which is situated at a small corner nearby the hawker centre, and at the top level of Beauty World. Joo Mak is one of the restaurant that served  really authentic Korean food and some Korean food ( eg: Spicy Octopus [ 낚지 볶음 ] ) that is uncommon is Singapore can be found in Joo Mak. 

Wanted to try dishes that I have never tried before so decided to order Spicy Rice Cake with Ramyeon [ 라볶이 ] and also Seafood Soup With Noodles [ 짬뽕전골 ] but was told that Seafood Soup With Noodles [ 짬뽕전골 ] was not available. Changed the order to Fish Cake Soup [ 어묵탕 ]. Was disappointed though as I really wanted to try  짬뽕전골.

It so happened that there was a gathering there so waited for quite awhile for the food. 

Spicy Rice Cake with Ramyeon [ 라볶이 ] 

The 라볶이 was spicy enough for me but I feel that the rice cake might have been cooked for too long, so it become a bit too soft and lost the chewy texture of the rice cakes. However, the rest of the ingredients inside the 라볶이 was really tasty as they had absorbed the aroma and taste from the sauce especially the fish cake which was totally spicy and also sweet at the same time. 

Will recommend this dish if you want to experience a combination different taste and texture in one dish.

Fish Cake Soup [ 어묵탕 ]

Fish Cake Soup [ 어묵탕 ] arrived with a pleasant aroma and I can't waited to have a taste of the soup. The bowl is really filled right to the brim of the bowl with lots of ingredients in the soup. 
The soup taste sweet upon the first mouth and it makes me crave for more. ( Couldn't stop drinking the soup ). Although there chilli is being cooked together with the soup but you won't feel any hot and spice at all. 
As the fish cakes and fish balls get lesser and lesser, you will start to see other ingredients appearing. Was quite surprised to see clams inside the soup. Also saw radish inside the soup too.....guess the radish add on to the sweetness of the soup. 
The boss is really generous with the ingredients of this soup and we couldn't finished the fish cakes and fish balls in the soups as there's really too much. 
Will recommend this dish if you are really a fish cake or fish ball lover. 

We paid a total of about $42 for these 2 dishes and is shared among 2 person which I felt that it is reasonable. Another thing to take note : Joomak only charged for services but not for GST. 

Joomak is located at:
144 Upper Bukit Timah Road
Beauty World Centre
#04-01

Tel : 
6466 7871 / 8378 1036
( You can call to make a reservation if you have a larger group )

Opening Hours :
Lunch :  12pm - 3pm
( No lunch hour on Monday )
Dinner : 6pm - 11pm

Chuseok [ 추석 ]

Chuseok [ 추석 ], one of the most important festival celebrated in Korea. Chuseok which is also known as Thanks Giving Day which is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar. Chuseok is a celebration of good harvest, giving thanks to ancestors for the year's harvest and also sharing abundance with family and friends. 

Chuseok Customs
During Chuseok, people who packed up and make a trip back to their ancestral hometown, where they will then dress up in their traditional clothing ( Usually for the children and the newly wed bride ) , cook delicious food and most importantly - paying respect to their ancestors. 

On the morning of Chuseok, family members will gathered at their home and memorial service - Charye [ 차례 ] will be hold in the honor of their ancestors. Formal Charye will be held twice a year - during lunar  new year and during Chuseok. During Chuseok, the main representative food are food make from freshly harvest rice, alcohol and songpyeon ( a kind of rice cake ). 

Table setting for Charye ( Credits to Gyeong Min for the photo )

Visiting of ancestors grave and paying respect to them is also a traditional custom that is being carried out during Chuseok. This practice is called Seongmyo [ 성묘 ], which is a form of duty and expression for devotion and respect for one's family. 

( Credits to Anes for the photo )

Chuseok Food 

Songpyeong [ 송편 ], a kind of rice cake that is prepared and eaten during Chuseok. Songpyeong which is the representative food of Chuseok is make from newly harvest rice. It's an small crescent-shaped rice cake that contains healthy filling such as sesame seeds, black beans, mung beans, cinnamon, pine nut, walnut, chestnut, jujube, and honey.

Songpyeong [ 송편 ]

Pine needles are usually steamed together with Songpyeong. The pine needles not only contribute the fragrance of  the pine to the rice cake and also contributing to it's beauty and taste. 

On the eve of Chuseok, families members will gathered together and contribute their effort in making Songpyeong. There is an old saying that the person who make the most beautifully shaped Songpyeong will will meet a good spouse or give birth to a beautiful baby. 

After the whole day of work or after Charye, family members will gathered and sit down at the table to enjoy the good food. 

( Credits to Anes ) 

Traditional Games

There are also some other traditional games that were being played in the past but due to the technology and also the progress of the generation, these games are being neglected and forgotten. Let's hope that the traditional of Chuseok can be carried on so that more people will be able to understand the importance and the meaning of Chuseok.

( Credits to 민경 )

Chuseok is all about a festival of gathering with families and friends. People who are working or studying in other cities will take the chance of Chuseok  and return to their hometown and gather together with their families and friends. 

Last but not least, although Chuseok is over, I still wanna wish everyone a happy Chuseok. 
행복하고 풍요로운 한가위되세요!!!

First Post

This blog is to share about my love for Korea. I will be sharing about food ( In Singapore and also in Korea itself ) , festivals of Korea, cultures....basically everything about Korea. 

I am also taking the chance to learn more about the cultures of Korea thus please pardon me and correct me if u spotted any mistake. Hope that I will be able to share my interest and getting more people to enjoy and understand about Korea. 

This is a just casual blog to share about my interest so do not mind so much for the language mistakes.