First Birthday - Dor

[Gastro888]

Try them out for catering. If you're looking for good korean places there are some really good ones.  Let me know and I can send you name and directions to these places. 

As for the next party for us, it will be the annual summer bash.  We usually do the grilled meat thing but I hope to do a pig roast someday.  May be this will be the year.  I've heard about these "chinese box" for roasting pigs. Actually invented by couple of guys from miami.  anyone use it?

Soup

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Sweet, I would loooove a list of Korean places - either PM or post the names of a Korean place where one can get authenthic, non-Westernized food. And I want the name of what you think is THE BEST kalbi place.

Oooh Pig Roast...oh wow. You're lucky I don't know where you live as I'd soooo crash your party.

Never used a Chinese Box before but there was an article in the Washington Post last year about it. Try searching the archives.

Good luck!

[jschyun]

Hey, what's toljabi?  Please explain, thanks!

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Toljabi is a ceremony where you set a bunch of stuff in front of your 1-year old and you let the child pick an item. Usually the parents will put out a caligraphy brush, a sword (a pretend one for a baby), money, rice cakes, and some other stuff, I can't remember what else. Whatever the baby picks is supposed to predict her/his future occupation. The caligraphy brush means s/he'll become a scholar, sword - a soldier, money - wealth, I can't remember what everything else meant. Anyone else?

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Pfft. Parents always make the kid choose the calligraphy brush. Worked for our family, can't complain, but such a load of you know what.

[Soup]

Sweet, I would loooove a list of Korean places - either PM or post the names of a Korean place where one can get authenthic, non-Westernized food.  And I want the name of what you think is THE BEST kalbi place. 

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Here are the place we go to.

The best Kalbi is at Woo Lee Oak (Joyce St in Crystal City, walking distance from pentagon city mall). They have the best side dishes and the best cut of meat. Also the most expensive.

Almost as good, are two places in Annandale. First is Sorak Garden on Little River Turnpike. A korean place with those multi-page menus and they do Karbi well. I like the restaurant but service can be maddening. Second place is call Yaechon (just off the beltway on hummer road off little river turnpike). If you go there, go with two or three friends and get the grill sampler. About $60 and they bring out a lot of different variety of meats and seafood to grill. The place is one of those multi-page menu places but the food is always consistant. They are open 24x7. I used to love going their after a night out (with kids those days are long gone).

Last hint on the Karbi places, don't go to the buffet places for the ribs. The meat quality is not as good.

There are non-karbi places also. I've like korean restaurants that specialize in a specific type of dish. In annandale, there are three I frequent. First is "light house Tofu or VietGol" on columbia pike behind burger king. They make a stew from fresh soft tofu that is really good. The tofu doesn't have a form and is very custard like. Second place is Seoul SoonDae. They do blood sausage. Really good. I like the soup and the sausage combo. They are on markham road off little river turnpike. The third is the lunch box. It is directly behind Yeachon. They do fresh hand pulled noodles which is served with blackbean type sauce or in a spicy seafood soup call Jampong. Excellent.

Hope that helps.

Soup

[jennahan]

Hey, what's toljabi?  Please explain, thanks!

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Toljabi is a ceremony where you set a bunch of stuff in front of your 1-year old and you let the child pick an item. Usually the parents will put out a caligraphy brush, a sword (a pretend one for a baby), money, rice cakes, and some other stuff, I can't remember what else. Whatever the baby picks is supposed to predict her/his future occupation. The caligraphy brush means s/he'll become a scholar, sword - a soldier, money - wealth, I can't remember what everything else meant. Anyone else?

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Bowl of uncooked rice- Treasure/ wealth

Thick string (the kind used to sew the covers on traditional Korean blankets)- long life

Spoon- A life of good eating

Caligraphy brush- Scholar

I've never heard of the sword though. Maybe regional.

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I had a highly unorthodox one for my son. As we come from a long line of doctors, my mother also placed a stethoscope on the tray...he picked the stethoscope, which made my mother quite happy. I picked the spoon at mine. You?

[Soup]

I don't know what I picked but I was comparing the pictures of myself @ my Dor and my two son's at their Dor as we were deck out in the full outfit. It was amazing to see we looked alike. And, I think we all look pretty good.