I always ordered #2 at Koreana. It is my absolute favorite dish, from this sketchy shack-like Korean restaurant at the back of an empty parking lot. I remember it like yesterday. We went fairly often because it was affordable and close to our dorm. It had a weird chemical/industrial smell usually and we’d sit at these flimsy plastic tables that never seemed clean. They also had a water cooler near the door. Freshmen year, it was maybe a 200 sq ft spot with 6 makeshift tables. By senior year, they had attached on a narrow hallway in the back which doubled the space. 10 years later, Koreana has “made it” and relocated to Rittenhouse Square with a proper restaurant storefront. So proud of them!
Item #2 was a huge bowl of dark red noodle soup with squid, vegetables, and noodles. It had a strong, fragrant spicy smell — you’d cringe at the sight of squid tentacles while I hungrily slurped away. You would order a vegetable bibimpop usually. Maybe sometimes dumplings. And you’d always eat with chopsticks too. Thinking about the weird way you’d grip the chopsticks far too low, near the food you’d pick up brings tears to my eyes because it was so quintessentially you, in a cute way. That was also how you insisted on eating your cheerios too which was hilarious.
It has been 10 years since I had Koreana. I eat Korean food all the time, but never encountered #2 on the menu because I couldn’t actually remember the name of it. This past weekend, I finally matched it up again with the item name, jjamppong, apparently. It tastes exactly as I remembered, deliciously strong, spicy but not too spicy, and the right amount of chewy squid tentacles. The only thing missing was you, my friend sitting across from me, chuckling and chatting about no doubt something silly. The taste was perfect, yet my reunion with Item #2 could only conjure up ghosts of the many Koreana meals we shared together.
