Eating in or Take Out?

Food

It's one of the most important factors of living, we need to eat to survive and we also need to know how, what and even where we can get and prepare food to sustain our very hungry bodies. My experience in Korea has shown me a very diverse menu of things I can eat, but buying food seems like a whole different scheme than what I was used to back home. I'll certainly have to go into detail about this here, especially for those who plan on coming here in the future.

One of the biggest things to note, and this was something I was trying to figure out before I arrived, is it cheaper to eat out or buy your own food and cook at home? It's a tough question to answer, but the long and short is that both can be feasible; sure, it can be cheaper to eat out, but it's also a good idea to eat at home sometimes, let's say during the cold of winter of heat of summer that just wants you to stay inside. Buying food, depending, can either be cost effective or often overpriced; fruit, vegetables, and a few things like cereal and milk are a bit pricey, coming a bit close to what we pay at home if not a bit more. Things like cheese and butter however are outrageously priced; a large brick of butter costs 8 bucks where it would cost that much for four of them, and cheese can be upwards of 6~8 bucks a pack. Beyond that, everything else you can buy is fairly well priced. Purchasing food, say for a month, if you did it all in one shopping go, would come to almost 100 ~ 150, which sounds reasonable, purchasing things like cereal, milk, eggs, some fruit and veggies, bread, snacks, rice and anything else that might tickle your fancy.

I'm not sure what it is, but expiration in South Korea seem a tad too...close...to the time of purchase and some things even last only a week before going 'bad' (which they don't often do from experience.) Many times, because South Korea often doesn't have preservatives in many of their food stuffs, a lot of time it can only last a few days, maybe a week before going 'past the best before date.' Now, I've had some things a few days after the expiration date and haven't an issue with them at all; I've gone as far as having some milk a week after expiration date, it smelled fine, looked fine, so I drank it and was fine. Other items, as well as how long it's still around should be thrown out, but it still bothers me food doesn't last long enough to hold a decent amount of time, especially the things like Milk.

Did I mention Baskin Robins is here too?

Pizza can range between 5 dollars to 25, depending.
Most of the big name brands charge more than
Pizza school

Eating out isn't too bad either; though there isn't a great deal of diversity were I am (Itawon, being more catered to foreigners has plenty) I have found a great success with Noodle Places, Pan Fry, and the occasional McD's. A lot of places have not only a great selection of food, but some even have English menu's and staff who are willing to help you if your Korean is lacking. Many times I've gone to places that have English on their menu and its quite easy to pick out some satisfying foods that they serve, and I for one am always willing to try new things especially since they open the door to great new tastes. Not only that, but prices are fairly inexpensive when you eat out; a bowl of Bim-Bap, which is rice in stone bowl with veggies and such can cost around 5 bucks (compared to the 12 dollar counterpart back home.) Likewise, many food places often rarely exceed 20 bucks for a decent meal; you can eat for two people for less than 40 bucks in a decent restaurant (fancy places I have yet to see, but we're talking for Expats who just want to go day by day.) Some of my personal spots for food often only break me at 18 bucks, but the food is often amazing and quite plentiful.

A lil non-kosher, Pan-fry serves a massive plate
of chicken tenders for less than 20 bucks including the fixings

So, which is better, eating out or in? The truth, it's difficult to really say; both ways are good, both ways are also a hassle, but in the end, there isn't really one answer; both work, and both can make due when you're either not in the mood to cook or not in the mood to go out.