A-Mao的快樂泉源: A Coda: The Best Kimchi & a Beef Soup in Busan

Surprisingly, Japanese is much more useful than English in Busan, the largest port city in South Korea. After googling, the result makes sense that this city is so close to Japan, and it takes 1.5 hour from Osaka by plane, whereas it takes 3 hours from Fukuoka by ferry. By the way, I changed tourist information with an old lady, a lonely & kind backpacker from Kumamoto, on my way to Beomeosa, a must-see temple. Let's get back to foods. When A-Mao arrived in Busan by KTX, an alluring smell of beef was floating in the underground passage connecting Busan station to the opposite Chinatown, or Shanghai Street. I therefore was liked a rat hearing the march from "the Pied Piper of Hamelin" and found this restaurant. One of their young waitresses speaks Japanese well and suggested their beef soup. The kimchi is all-you-can-eat which the best kimchi is in my whole life.

很意外的，在釜山這個韓國最大的港口城市，日語居然遠遠比英語還要通行無阻喔！回台灣Google一下，才發現原來釜山離日本那麼近，舉例來說：從大阪飛過去只花一個半小時；從福岡坐船過去也不過三個小時。（那麼用游的呢？）值得記上一筆的是，在坐地鐵去梵魚寺的途中，還跟鄰座來自日本「熊本」，一個人獨自旅行的親切歐巴桑交換旅遊情報咧！再回到吃的：搭了韓國高鐵KTX抵達釜山火車站，五臟廟早已在高唱空城記。從站前廣場走下通到對面看似比較有食物的地下道，在分別有左右往上走樓梯口，自一個可前進左轉的小小入口中，飄散出濃濃的牛肉香味；A-Mao如同聽到「斑衣吹笛人」之魔音的老鼠，只差沒手舞足蹈地茫然跺進這家餐廳。也許是當時一身旅人的行頭，一個韓國正妹（這妞兒一定也整過型）過來一開口，就用超級流暢的日文接待。她推薦了「超人気」的牛肉湯、並告知兩罈泡菜是「無料」地「奉仕」（愛吃多少就用力吃多少啦）。這，就是A-Mao此行嚐過“最最不凡”的泡菜。

From two jars, experienced A-Mao took a pair of scissors & a pincers to cut the daikon & cabbage kimchi. Firstly, it is spicy, spicy, and spicy! Secondly, it is juicy, tasteful, and balanced well with vegetables, pepper, salt, sugar & ocean flavor maybe comes from fish sauce or shrimp paste. Even though I was sweating a lot and might get a serious stomachache, I could not stop my hands & mouth. Finally, the beef soup stopped me. The broth is clear, flavorful but a little bit salty. Like the locals, I poured the bowl of rice into the soup for balance, and then it tasted so good that I composed this perfect meal as a coda of Korean cuisine in my 2007.

自桌上兩個小罈子中，各夾出一整片白菜及一大塊蘿蔔泡菜，有過雪濃湯之阿珠媽雞婆的幫忙經驗，A-Mao已經自己會用夾子與剪刀將泡菜處理成適合一口吃的大小。一吃，大驚嚇！好辣、好吃、好兩難：這……這味道已經嗆辣到破表（噴火ing，阿娘唯！辣椒是不用鋃喔）；這……這好味又讓人家不忍放下沉甸甸的金屬筷（啜泣ing，這甘甜美麗的蔬菜跟魚露還是蝦醬的海洋風味怎會醃漬成這樣搭咧）。不過最後，老子還是豁出去了！反正降溫滅火的冰開水、和擦拭汗水的餐巾紙也是「無料」，冒著胃會痛到在地上翻滾的風險，面對這泡菜惡魔……嗑下去！正當狼吞虎咽卻汗流浹背之際，韓國妹悄悄地送上了在加熱後過的石鍋裡保溫的牛肉湯。嘿！不要看這湯頭非常清澈，卻滿滿都是香味蔬菜與牛的精華好味道：蔬菜煮得又軟又入味，片得薄薄的五花牛肉肌理也很富有層次感；只不過這湯真的是有點給他鹹！因此A-Mao把整碗白飯倒進湯裡；湯汁不會滿溢出來、攪拌過後的鹹度竟也剛剛好、浸淫在牛肉湯裡的飯粒既好味又好嚼。滿足地吃全部光光後，結帳時差點要站不起來，因為除了泡菜與湯飯，A-Mao可能還足足灌了兩公升的水吧？特以此篇作為2007年之韓食終曲。