The crunchy carrots, mushrooms, and spinach gave it a fresh bite, and the bits of meat made it even heartier. It was a perfect balance of soft, chewy, and crispy textures all in one dish! I was really hungry when I ate this, so I finished every last bite and felt completely satisfied!
At Yonsei University, the cafeteria serves different meals every day! To find out what's for lunch, you check the big menu board when you walk inside. If you like what's being served, you go to a special self-ordering machine to place your order. These machines are everywhere in South Korea! I use them more than talking to actual people. The first thing I do is look for a little American flag on the screen. Tapping it changes the menu from Korean to English, making it much easier to order. Sometimes, the machine is only in Korean! When that happens, I either look at the food pictures or use my phone to translate the words.
Once I pick my meal, I pay with my credit card, and the machine prints out a small slip with my order number. Then, I head to the pickup area and wait for my number to be called. Korean cafeteria meals usually cost between ₩5,500 and ₩7,000 (about $3.78 to $4.82). A typical meal includes a main dish, like Jjajangbap (rice with black bean sauce), Yukgaejang (spicy beef soup), or Japchae (glass noodles with veggies). There's also a self-serve bar where you can grab side dishes like kimchi, pickled radish, cold tofu salad, or soup. You even collect your chopsticks and spoon at the self-serve bar. But guess what? There are no drinks for sale.
