This is what America greatly lacks – street vendors/foods. In Asia, for those who have lived or traveled to Asian countries, they’re everywhere. It simply is the best food. It’s mostly I’d say Asian comfort food for hella cheap but the taste and quality is not bad at all. One of my fondest memories of walking around the city such as Seoul, are the delicious street foods I can eat for less than $3. It’s mostly finger-type food so I can either eat it while walking or sit down. In Korea, they have tents where you can eat there and believe me, the food is so good.
Why doesn’t the U.S. have this? Granted, there are couple of hot dog stands but that’s about it! Once in awhile, I’ll see roasted corn for sale. It’s sad. I terribly miss it. With the amount of food Americans eat, why don’t we have these type of food stands? Agh, it’s probably due to politics and economics such as zoning laws, high rent, competition with fast food joints, etc.
Obviously, it’s more feasible to have these in crowded heavily concentrated metropolitan cities such as Tokyo, Shanghai, Seoul, etc but even big cities like NYC or Chicago do not have them.
What’s a completely atrocity is white people taking this very idea and translating into “street food” for Happy Hour in fine dining type restaurants, such as Asian Fusion. Ridiculous! You can’t take this idea and present it in a nicely furnished fusion bar for happy hour! That’s just wrong.
Check it out!
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/restaurants/2010244573_thaihappy11.html
December 1st, 2009 at 8:44 am
Oh man the street food in korea is the best part of my night at 4 am after a longgg night.
December 21st, 2009 at 11:24 am
Our equivalent is the vendors at festivals, fairs and carnivals.
I love the Polish and Italian sausages with onions and sweet bell peppers.
March 2nd, 2010 at 12:41 pm
Yeah, Asians eat in a different way, and a lot of street food has to do with the drinking culture. Japanese love to nibble while they drink. Bar food here in the states sucks; greasy and just not well-prepared. Most bars consider food second, when it should be first. Japanese bars prepare really good food for cheap. It’s SO good.
I also think Americans don’t drink as much as Asia, and that’s why a lot of that good Asian food like yakitori/ramen/Korean grub doesn’t work here. Lame. I love the whole drinking culture over there, large groups, pouring drinks for your pals, ordering food you share, etc…
June 18th, 2010 at 10:38 pm
I agree….the street food vendors in Korea are the BEST! so damn good. and cheap. I get tired of hot dogs, sausages, etc. Sometimes, you just need SOUP!
August 8th, 2010 at 5:36 pm
I’ve never been to Korea, but I’ve eaten Korean food cooked by Koreans. I was invited to a dinner by a Korean friend. I tried everything offered, even the extra-spicy hot soup. I wasn’t really impressed, but I occasionally get a craving for kimchee and buy a jar.
I don’t agree with you that it’s an abomination for an American bar to serve “Asian-style” meat on a stick. It’s just meat on a stick, and if it were hard to prepare, it wouldn’t be street food.
I’d hate to live within a half mile of one of those stinking street food stands. That’s the main problem with your idea to wish into existence Korean street food vendors. It was bad enough when I had to live near a Chinese restaurant that reeked of garlic and sulfur. I’d hate to have to smell liver on a stick and intestines on a stick frying all day.
It would kill property values. You know how we evil Americans love our private property rights. American cities just aren’t zoned for food shops that cook reeking organ meats. The only smell we put up with is the stench of coffee.
Sorry, but your wish to have Korean drunk-food stands located conveniently near you has been denied by the zoning board. Good day.