I love food.

I eat it all the time, I think about my life in terms of what to eat next, I socialize with people preferably with food at hand.  It’s a great way of uniting people – after all, who doesn’t eat food?  I even go around taking pictures of all the food I am served at various restaurants and gatherings.  Sometimes it’s the presentation that makes it almost too good to dig into; sometimes it’s the delicious aroma that makes your mouth water and your heart fill with happiness.  Seriously, good food can lift your spirits!  The best thing is, it can be enjoyed over and over again – sometimes alone, sometimes shared, sometimes a little, sometimes a lot.

Since I think about food so much, it’s not unusual that I often get cravings for things.  The family soup that I never get sick of, the ice cream that I can only take so much of, the kimchi fried rice that I’ll take spicy or sour, the pickles that crunch just right, the chicken pot pie that fills me right up, the blueberries that I gobble up – ah, the wonders of delicious food!  Sometimes I get gluttonous and eat too much, then lay around exhausted by the effort, but I always enjoy it when I’m eating.  My taste buds are happy (though sometimes get a little burnt by my over-eagerness), my nose buds (smell buds? scent buds?) are tickled, and my mind is thoroughly pleased with the results.  It’s a pity I can’t eat as much as I used to as a child, for I find myself with a lingering desire to eat more even when I physically can’t take it anymore.

One of my favorite places to go as of late (and unfortunate for my health, I’m sure) is all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ.  Between the cute little appetizer dishes, the tasty salad dressing, the rice paper, the egg soup, and the scrumptious brisket and bugolgi, what more could you ask for?  Sure you come out smelling of meat and smoke, but that’s not exactly a bad thing, is it?  I’m also a huge fan of BCD’s (which I like to joke is missing an A), which is a Korean tofu house that’s open 24 hours.  Who needs Denny’s or IHOP when you can get those Korean appetizers, a small yellow fried fish, a bowl of fresh rice, a stone pot of boiling tofu soup, and a toasty rice soup at 2 or 3 in the morning?  Granted, for those poor vehicle-less souls living on campus, I guess they have little choice, since they can’t get out to K-town.  But hey, as long as you’ve got motorized wheels, you’ve got no excuses!

One new thing (gosh, everything I like these days seems to be Korean!) that I want to try is the Kogi trucks that go roaming around LA.  If I ever catch one (or decide to chase after one), I’m sure it’ll be a fun experience to order some delicious food from the truck after standing in line for ages.  It’s kind of like Sprinkles, where part of the experience is to stand in that ridiculously long line.  In Kogi’s case, if you’re into tracking them down and getting a meal, you’ll have a blast.  In Sprinkles’ case, if you’re into getting fresh cupcakes and observing the “please keep this door closed to keep our cupcakes fresh” sign, you’ll feel like those desserts were worth the effort.

The great thing about LA is that you never run out of good food to eat.  I can’t wait to go back to Buddha’s Belly in Santa Monica for some Asian fusion and chocolate fondue, or over to Daphne’s for some amazingly tasty shrimp pita, or out to cha for tea to get the best boba in town and some yummy treats as well.  There’s still plenty to explore, like this other place that has chocolate fondue (which I only knew of from pictures that Opti put up), or the various places lining the streets I often drive along.  From Chinese to Greek, from Korean to Persian, from Japanese to Brazilian, there’s a lot more to try!  It’ll be slow going though, until I find myself a job and have an income again!  For now I’ll just take advantage of UCLA Young Alumni events (like the one tonight) to meet people and try new restaurants.

Oh, and let’s not forget the wonders of potlucks, BBQs, or just cooking with your friends!