Maeuntang 매운탕, or spicy fish soup, is difficult to recreate outside of Korea because of the fresh water dropwort (Minari 미나리) and chrysanthemum greens (Ssukgat 쑥갓). I have no idea where to buy these herbs.
This soup is very, very spicy. Indeed, “Maeun” means spicy.
Yellow corvina fermented in barley and green tea rice. The cook first brought the grilled fish in one piece and then asked me something I didn't understand. I nodded. After five minutes he came back with the fish in pieces and had apparently fried the separate pieces.
The green tea rice was a bit of a mystery to me until the waitress explained. I had to put the rice in a bowl of cold green tea. I can imagine that this dish is served with hot green tea in winter.
The banchan (반찬) were really excellent in this Gunsan (군산) restaurant. Main ingredient: yellow corvina (gulbi: 굴비). I have not found a recipe for yellow corvina fermented in barley (보리) in English, but you can use gulbi-gui 굴비구이 instead: pan fried dried yellow corvina.
A bowl of green tea (녹차) on the left.
