Posts Tagged ‘Gaju Market’

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Jujunbury and Myjingo in Koreatown

Wednesday, November 18th, 2009

Remember Myjingo from the seafood “festival” in Koreatown? Well, the peanut-butter-flavored squid called ojingeo is now available in front of Gaju Market on Western Avenue! Sign on the right in picture below.

Momzzang (몸짱) is the squid’s body; a serving costs $4. Darizzang (다리짱) refers to a serving of squid legs; price is $5.

Jujunbury and Myjingo at Gaju Market in Ktown

Also… Myzingo has a companion product at this stall: Jujunbury, which sells 군고구마 (roasted sweet potatoes) — two pieces for $3, four pieces for $5. I’ve got to tell you they are huge pieces. There’s this sign by uncooked samples that says 만지지 마세요 (Don’t touch) because people have been fondling the tubers, amazed at how ginormous they are.

You can also see part of the sign on the left that states County of Los Angeles Department of Health Services Permit #132053. The stuff is all cooked at high heat, so there’s little risk of food poisoning.

Jujunbury in front of Gaju Market in Koreatown

The guy in the picture got sort of ticked off at me. He thought I was going to order, but I said I was just going to take pictures with my iPhone.

I’m giving him free publicity now. For roasted sweet potatoes and pb-flavored squid, head on over to 가주마켓 (California Market aka Gaju) at 450 S Western Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90020. Map here.

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Lotte Butter Coconut Biscuits

Wednesday, September 9th, 2009

Had a hard time making out what this was from afar. The prominent Korean characters said it was 빠다코코낫 (bbada kokonaht). The coconut part I got but what’s bbada? Sounds almost like 바다 (bada), which means ocean.

Lotte Butter Coconut Biscuits

Closer inspection of the English lettering revealed that it was Butter Coconut Biscuits. Another part of the label said it was Biscuits with Honey. Whatever… I’ll try anything new and on sale, so I bought a box without checking the ingredients, which by the way contained high-fructose corn syrup (yuck!).

You’d think with such a sweetener, they would taste good, but these biscuits were unremarkable. Crisp in texture, but bland in flavor.

Most of the information on the box is in Hangul, but there was a square sticker on the back side listing the ingredients and nutrition facts in English.

Product Name: Butter Coconut 100g. Ingredients: wheat flour, sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, salt, leavening, (sodium bicarbonate, ammonium bicarbonate), dry beta-carotene 10%, sodium bisulfite, wheat fiber, vegetable shortening (palm), margarine, corn starch, coconut powder, artificial flavor.

Allergy information: contains wheat and coconut.

Nutrition Facts. Serving size: 1/3 pack (33 grams). About 3 servings per container. Each serving: 125 calories, 40 from fat. Total fat 5 grams: saturated 4 grams, no trans fat. No cholesterol. 131 milligrams of sodum. Total carbohydrates 20 grams: 1 gram dietary fiber, 7 grams sugars. Protein 2 grams. Percent Daily Value: 8% vitamin A. No vitamin C, calcium or iron.

Net weight: 100 grams (3.52 ounces). UPC 8 801062 247035

Manufactured by Lotte Confectionery Company, Limited. Seoul, Korea. Tel: USA (213) 688-8806, Korea 2-2635-8722.

Lotte Original since 1979. Promise the Best. There’s a man dressed like a doctor on the side of the box holding up the box. He is identified as the head developer of these biscuits. Quote: “I made this while thinking of my family.” (High-fructose corn syrup???)

Anyhoo, the box says the suggested retail price is 1,000 Korean won. California Market is currently selling it for 50 American cents. These biscuits are not even filling, so don’t bother.

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Mandoo (Korean Dumplings) at California Market

Sunday, September 6th, 2009

On one side of the Korean supermarket California Market (Gaju Mah-ket)

MANDU: Korean Dumplings at California Market

HONG KONG MANDOO = 홍콩만두

I found the name interesting because the initials of Hong Kong, HK, also stand for HanKook, which means Korea. California Market’s chief competitor in this area of Koreatown in HK Super just a few blocks north.

The window sign says “Please knock.” When you do, it opens and you can ask for what you want. They sell fried dumplings, king dumplings (hwang-mandu, which could actually be “emperor” dumplings), steamed bread (jjinbbang), kimchi dumplings, pork dumplings, cold dumplings (neng mandu), shrimp dumplings (se-u mandu) and boiled dumplings.

Price seems to be $7 for a dozen. I’ll check next time I’m there. Mmm, you can probably just go inside the supermarket and order while enjoying the air conditioning, and even sit down to eat. You can buy a bag of mandoo (Aisle 7, frozen foods) and fix them up yourself at home.

The phone number shown (213) 385-2174 has been disconnected.
Gaju Address: 450 S Western Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90020

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Maeil Black Soybean Drink with Calcium

Monday, July 6th, 2009

Another wonderful variant in Maeil’s line of Soy Drinks! 검은 콩

Maeil Black Soybean Drink INGREDIENTS: Soybean milk, Filtered water, Granulated sugar, Calcium phosphate compound, Soybean oil, Black soybean extract, Black sesame paste, Brown rice syrup, Black rice extract, Caramel paste, Barley extract, Glycerin esters of fatty acid, Cellulose gel, Salt, Flavors, di-Methionine, Carrageenan, Vitamin A, Vitamin D3, Vitamin B2

Allergy information: This product contains soybean, black soybean, black sesame.

The label is in Korean on one side and English on the opposite side. Plus, the narrower sides also contain French translation of most of the information.

Maeil Black Soybean Drink is made from black soybean, black sesame, black rice and enforced (!) with calcium. You can enjoy better taste and nutrients than any regular soy drink. (They mean “enriched with calcium” of course.)

On the side of the drink box: Enjoy valuable nutrients found in soy bean with calcium. Maeil Soy Drink with Calcium is the best alternative to milk and provides you essential nutrients along with the calcium. Calcium is essential for building and maintaining strong bone for children and adults. Maeil Soy Drink with calcium contains many of nutrients found in the remarkable Soy Bean.

Manufactured by : Maeil Dairy Industry Co., Ltd.
C.P.O. Box 4008, Seoul, Korea. Product of Korea

NUTRITION FACTS: Serving size: 1 pack (235 ml)
Amounts per serving: 180 calories, 80 from fat
9 grams total fat – 1.5 saturated, no trans fat
No cholesterol. 180 milligrams of sodium.
15 grams of carbohydrate – 11g sugars.
8 grams of protein. 14% Daily Values of vitamin A. No vitamin C. 24% DV of calcium. 7% DV of Iron.

No Cholesterol. No Lactose. No Preservative. No Artificial Color.

UPC bar code number: 7 65444 19531 5. 7.95 fluid ounces (235 ml)

Only after reading the label closely did I realize that this is a great milk substitute for lactose-intolerant individuals. I always just thought it was a hip thing to drink.

Retail price at California Market: 89 cents!

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Oh ~ Good! Lotte Cereal Choco Snack

Monday, July 6th, 2009

Oh ~ Good! Lotte Cereal Choco Snack
오 ~ 굿 ! 쌔리얼 초코

Crunchy squares filled with chocolate

귀리 (oat) 칼슘 (calcium)

Lotte “Promise The Best” Since 1992

Ingredients: oat, sugar, vegetable oil, cocoa mass, whole milk powder, lactose, corn syrup, corn flour, wheat flour, honey, egg calcium, rice flour, corn starch, sodium bicarbonate, soy lecithin, salt, vanilla flavor, ferric citrate, chocolate flavor, nicotinamide, tocopherol, vitamin B2, vitamin B1.

English label as sticker on back of hangul-covered box:

Product name: Cereal Choco
Nutrition Facts: Serving Size 1/2 pouch (21 grams)
Amount per Serving: 109 calories, 29 from fat
5 grams total fat = 4 g saturated fat, no trans fat
No cholesterol. 14 milligrams of sodium
13 g of total carbohydrates = 1g dietary fiber, 7g sugars
2 grams of protein
No vitamin A or vitamin C. 1% DV of calcium. 1% DV of iron.

Allergy Information: contains milk, soy bean, wheat, egg

Manufactured by Lotte Confectionery Co., Ltd. Seoul, Korea.
Net weight: 42 grams (1.48 ounces).
Tel: USA 213-688-8806. Korea 2-2635-8722
UPC Bar Code Number: 8 801062 242364

Retail price at California Market: 2 boxes for 99 cents (on sale!)
Korean box says the price in South Korea is 700 won.

The hangul label also seems to emphasize the oats’ calcium content, which is given as 56.2 milligrams per pouch (8% DV). Appears to be a discrepancy with the information in English.

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Pear Garden Bean Sprouts

Sunday, April 12th, 2009

I had a hard time washing these sprouts clean. There were even little bugs in the mix. I should’ve just thrown it away, but I dislike wasting food. Anyway, I argued, boiling would kill the nasty stuff. 이화원 콩나물 (무공해재배)

Pear Garden Bean Sprouts

Pear Garden Soybean Sprouts
NATURALLY 100% GROWN

자동 오존시스템으로 청결하고 맑은 위생적인 청정수로 키워낸 아삭아삭하고 고소한 무공해 콩나물입니다.

Ingredient [sic] : Soybean, Water

Manufacturer [sic] by Pear Garden: 250 N. Juanita Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90004. Copyright Pear Garden Produce

PERISHABLE. KEEP REFRIGERATED 냉장보관

PRODUCT OF USA. NET WEIGHT: 14 ounces (397 grams)

NUTRITION FACTS: Serving size 3/4 cup (85 grams)
about 4 servings per pack
30 calories, none from fat. No fat, cholesterol or sodium.
5 grams carbohydrates — 1 gram fiber, 3 grams sugars
3 grams protein. 20% DV Vitamin C, no Vitamin A
2% calcium, 4% iron

UPC 0 22466 20020

From California Market. Price: $1.39

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Surasang Sesame Oil

Friday, April 10th, 2009

수라상 참기름 골드 (Surasang Cham-girum Gold)

Surasang Sesame Oil

수라상 (Surasang) is the brand. 참기름 (cham-girum) means sesame-seed oil. 골드 is Korean transliteration of the English word gold — Koreans like using it to connote high quality.

Price of 160 ml bottle at California Market: $2.99. 5.41 fluid ounces

우리 전통의 재래 압식 방식으로 그 맛과 향이 진하고 고소함니다

PRODUCT OF KOREA. 한국산

DIRECTION: A few drops of sesame oil enhance the taste of Korean dishes, tempura and all other kinds of vegetable dishes. Keep cool after opening.

INGREDIENT: Sesame. 원료명 참꼐

Serving size 15 ml = 120 calories = 13 grams

The print on the label is to small for me to make it all out.

ITEM NO. 13461. UPC 0 87703 13461

Glass bottle with plastic cap. 재래 압착식. 재래 압착식

Distributed by Wang Globalnet. I take it that Surasang is a brand of Wang, the same way that Shirakiku is a brand of the Japanese-products distributor Nishimoto.

French on the label: Huile de Sesame

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Korean ‘Sora’ Bread

Thursday, April 9th, 2009

I was looking over the baked goodies at the Bosco Cake Salon section of California Market when I chanced upon the label 소라빵 — “Sora Bread” .

Mmm, not soda bread. Sounds nice. What is it? I asked the woman behind the counter and she smilingly told me that they just called it that because the pastry was in the shape of a conch shell — 소라. It’s not like a name of a specific type of pastry. She said there was some chocolate inside.

Price: ~ $1.20. I bought it to try. It was blah. Just regular fluffy dough with a thin, pale mocha filling. It was sort of yucky actually.

Still this won’t deter me from buying stuff from Bosco Cake Salon in the future, especially since the women behind the counter are always nice and friendly, unlike the kids at Paris Baguette a few blocks north.

My recommendation: Their many variants of the Japanese kasutera (castella), which Koreans call kastera 카스테라… Though I have to admit it isn’t appealing to the American palate spoiled by an overdose of sugary treats. I keep hearing, “But it isn’t sweet-sweet.” Compared to the very subtle flavor of Japanese food, Korean baked products are sweet.

California Market @ 450 S Western Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90020

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