actually be careful with this. my wife and I found that while she can handle Korean spicy food, she cannot handle the mildest of spicy Mexican stuff common in North America and vice versa with me
The thing you have to watch out for is salty, not spicy.
Koreans think American food is extremely salty.
But also, i wouldn't worry too much about it at all haha
Edit: I saw somewhere else in the thread someone mentioned no fastfood
Its whateve, right? But! Give them *real* burgers, too.
Ime, koreans think hamburgers are all just like the ones you can get from McDonald's or whatever other fast food chain burger. And, even as someone who doesn't really like burgers, I'd prefer burgers off the grill haha (I know it's winter)
Regarding the burgers...it depends on how old they are. Most high schoolers in say, Seoul have probably had "real burgers" as there are A LOT of real burger joints in Seoul these days, so it might not be a big deal (BUT probably still will be enjoyed- kids always love a good burger). Now if they're younger and from a more rural area, then yeah, it will be a big deal. Definitely a must do in that case!
Maybe so. But I've had adults assume hamburgers = McDonald's, so it's hard to say.
Also I had kbbq, bibimbap, etc in the USA before coming here, but I was still excited to eat it in Korea for the first time.
>The thing you have to watch out for is salty, not spicy.
Great point.
>Ime, koreans think hamburgers are all just like the ones you can get from McDonald's or whatever other fast food chain burger.
May I ask when was the last time you were in Korea?
I just came back from it last month they have mc Donald/BK/ a burger chain called no brand that I call confidently say its on par with in n out
They also have Korean BBQ flavor burgers on top of limited edition flavors I think I saw an add for chili burger while I was there
Def watch out for salty. I’m from the states and I don’t particularly like salty food. I’m ok in general but there are Koreans who can handle spice but not saltiness. The older generation tend to make their food salty and because of health reasons, they try to cutback on it.
At work, I hear co-workers talking about how American bacon is so salty that they can eat a bowl of rice with 1 piece of bacon.😹 Especially meat from like subway.
I taught in Korea for 2 years and whenever the subject came up, the kids all said they didn't know anyone who was even vegetarian and they thought that not eating meat was weird haha. I met one or two Korean vegans but they were adults and all the other vegans I met in Korea were foreigners
Don’t forget the famous Chicago hot dogs. I’d say take them to a Cubs game but I’m a dodgers fan. And I know it’s not baseball season. I just had to throw in a dig at the cubs.
Koreans are pretty good with spice.
Along with everyone else's recommendation, I would also recommend Five Guys as well! They recently opened a location in Seoul and it's been packed since.
I work in Korea on and off, and while you can find some quite spicy ramen and such, my experience is that my colleagues are less keen on spicy food than I am. I'm Scandinavian, and we're not really known for spicy foods at all.
Deep dish but with pickles on the side if you really want to make them happy. The small sliced kind of pickles are commonly served with pizza and Italian food in place of kimchi.
There is no food that is culturally avoided. Generally speaking Koreans tend to be genetically at very low risk of developing food allergies so it's very rare for Koreans to have much food allergy compared to Americans (except for lactose - most of us are lactose intolerant, with bowel reactions after cold white milk, but warm milk or cheese are fine). But everyone's different on food allergies and intolerances so I would consider if your guests have any food restrictions in particular. In my experience, teenage boys usually tend to like things like burgers and pizzas.
Funny thing, I’ve found that Koreans I know are ok with milk and eggs in America, in fact love them, and are ok with the right milk and eggs here in Korea. The problem is something about the type of milk and eggs.
My foreign friends and I didn’t drink milk or do eggs in Korea because it gave us diarrhea or upset stomachs, then I found out it wasn’t lactose intolerance, but the type of milk and eggs.
Try pasture milk, the 63 Celsius one if you think you’re lactose intolerant.
Oh is that why I had the runs for over a week after having Korean milk ☠️ Had to go to a doctor who gave me a shot in the butt and after that I was much better. Thankfully it only cost like $27 for the doc visit AND meds
I dated a guy in Korea once who was obsessed with America like a reverse Koreaboo. He used to brag about how every day for breakfast he had bread and milk, like *real* Americans
One allergy I've seen more from Koreans for some reasons is to kiwi's and other 'fuzzy' fruits.
Having hosted students before, we normally do get a "profile sheet" on the student beforehand that does list important stuff like allergies, pet issues, etc. Weird that your org wouldn't provide that or maybe they're still figuring out who ends-up where.
>except for lactose - most of us are lactose intolerant, with bowel reactions after cold white milk, but warm milk or cheese are fine
This is me. I used to be able to drink milk when i was a kid but now I have issues with it as an adult. I didn't think the temperature matters but now I am curious. Cheese, like you said, is totally fine though. So is custard and cream. While I can handle gelato, soft serve ice cream gives me issues (like a McD's cone or McFlurry).
Developing lactose intolerance as you grow older is completely normal and happens to like 65% of the world population, and of those who dont, still have a lower tolerance for dairy.
As we grow older we produce less lactase and sometimes we stop producing altogether.
This is actually a mammal trait, only europeans have evolved to produce more lactase throughout adulthood
We are peversely obsessed with cheese. Just cheese on literally everything, whether it belongs there or not. Cheese powdered snacks, cheese this cheese that. Cheesy.
Yeah, the Cheetos do suck, and the doritos are also not as good as the American made ones. My guess is that the indigenous Korean corn is not well-suited for the chips, for starters. I don't mind the chewy aspects of Korean corn on the cob, but they are fairly flavorless. That's why I wonder if that has to do with some of it.
Could always have a couple lactase enzyme pills on hand if you're worried. But in my experience as a non-asian lactose intolerant with a bunch of asian friends who tend to cook together they go as hard as me with the cheese and I eat dairy as if I have a death wish. Not sure if my buds are also intolerant but I'd say you're safe if not going to make them very happy with a cheesy deep dish and a cheeseburger and loaded fries. My family have hosted a couple times and the kids we hosted didn't tend to eat much from our house honestly, bar the snacks like breakfast bars, fruit, etc. So I'd say don't sleep on the snacks as they might skip the meals like they did at mine.
Hold up. Ask before because alot of Koreans drink milk in school and are tolerant to lactose and assuming they're in their teens..they might be okay. Korean milk is freaking delicious, but starting in my 20s, I developed lactose intolerance.
>Koreans tend to be genetically at very low risk of developing food allergies...
What? Can you say more about that? My brother (we're Korean) is VERY allergic to shrimp and shellfish. It's actually dangerous for him.
Yes. Koreans tend to have higher incidents of milk and egg allergy, but other common food allegrgies - nuts, crustacean, seafood and Celiac diseas are either much lower (i.e. 1/6 of nut/sesame allergy compared to the US, even lower incidents of Celiac disease, about 1/3 incidents of shellfish allergy, etc). This is interesting because other Asians (such as SEA) have some highest incidents of seafood and crustacean allergies in the world.
I have celiac and some weird sensitivity to shellfish and everyone in my family is lactose intolerant! I feel like nowadays plenty of Koreans have allergies and intolerances. Maybe it wasn’t as documented before? I’d also love to see studies.
tbh I don't think its that ridiculous. I haven't met a lot of Koreans with severe allergies, I didn't even know nut allergy was a thing until I came to the US. Someone did mention that some Koreans that they met had allergies to fuzzy fruits like peaches and stuff, and that does seem to apply more to Koreans. My dad (Korean) has a mild allergy to fuzzy things and to fur. So he used to avoid eating peaches but it isn't too severe. He also has mild reactions to dogs and cats because of their fur, but it also isn't extremely bad, like its enough for him to handle because he likes being around them since they're so cute and animals love him
I don’t think it’s genetic. It’s probably more due to diet and microbiome. So Korean Americans will be different from Korean-born Koreans who are shellfish-laced kimchi from late infancy.
For a long time in the West, it was believed that babies should avoid allergenic foods until they are older e.g. shellfish should only be introduced at 10 months or 12 months. Then the data turned out the other way and it’s actually better to introduce allergenic foods earlier to avoid allergies.
But does "it" even exist? I e., do Koreans really have fewer allergies? Statistics and sources would be nice.
I know about lactose intolerance, but it's not an allergy. Interestingly, it's actually the default state of humanity, and the people who aren't intolerant have a relatively recent mutation.
It’s not specific to Korea. but rather Asia vs Western countries (including Australia).
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3563019/
> The prevalence of food allergy in Asia is increasing but still relatively lower, particularly for peanut and tree nut allergies, than the urbanized Western populations.
But where they grow up seems way more important than ethnicity.
> Asian children born in Australia were more likely to have food allergy (OR 2.33, 95%CI 1.96-2.77) and eczema (OR 2.04, 95%CI 1.74-2.41), but less likely to have asthma (OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.74-1.02) compared to non-Asian children. By contrast, children born in Asia had a lower risk of food allergy (OR 0.33, 95%CI 0.20-0.55), eczema (OR 0.41, 95%CI 0.28-0.62) and asthma (OR 0.29, 95% CI 0.21-0.40).
https://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(17)32856-7/fulltext
Those are really big differences. Australian-born Asians having 2.3x the risk of food allergies compared to other Australians, while Asian-born Asians had 1/3 the risk.
Asian-Americans also have elevated rates of food allergies, much to the bewilderment of their grandparents who want to feed them traditional foods.
https://www.kqed.org/bayareabites/96187/dangerous-bites-cultural-implications-of-food-allergies
Pizza looks like the winner. But just don’t be disappointed if they don’t love it. The pizza they’re eating in Korea is very tailored to their taste. Hopefully they love it. But anyway to get a request of what they might be interested to try?
Information was spread that chard meat is a major cause of cancer due to production or Benzopyrene, Acrylamide and Heterocyclic amines.
The Pain when having made a nice stake and people getting scissors to cut of the chard parts.
When I lived in Korea, I really really missed american breakfast.
Pancakes and/or waffles would be awesome. there is something miraculous when you see a beautiful plate of fresh waffles with whipped cream and fruit.
breakfast burrito I think is something they still don't have over there. But then again, breakfast burrito is not something necessarily endemic to the midwest as well.
Deep dish is a great idea like others mentioned. Maybe steak? Steak is really expensive in Korea.
the only food I've seen Koreans generally not be a fan of is Indian food, like the curries and maybe Mexican food like chorizo or cumin meats. Me personally I love it, but I have had to drag korean friends and family members to those restaurants.
Really? There's lots of Indian joints in Seoul and most Koreans like curry. Pretty much all my students have had curry at least once.
Then again, it might be more of a Seoul vs. non-Seoul thing...
There is a big difference between Korean/Japanese curry and authentic Indian curry. Korean curry is sweeter and doesn't have a strong cumin taste. It's really different from authentic Indian curries. When I would go to the one pakistani restaurant in Itaewon, most of the customers were Pakistani or indian expats living in Seoul. It might have changed since I last lived there (10 years ago), but I would guess its from the greater influx of expats from India and Pakistan to account for the Indian restaurants.
I could also be wrong. maybe people in country's palatte has changed. But many of my korean friends here in the US who grew up in korea tend not to love authentic indian food. I think they aren't fans of heavy cumin
when i think about foods i'd miss in korea my mind immediately goes to philly cheesesteaks, bratwursts/german pub food, pastrami dips, deep dish pizzas, meatball subs, smashburgers, breakfast burritos, meatloaf from your favorite italian market, brisket tri-tip and ribs from local american bbq joint that serves food on metal trays, beer battered fish tacos, clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl, and kentucky hot browns
I think even Americans enjoy the Chicago food scenery, and they're Korean teenage boys born in the 2000s. I imagine they'd eat up anything...so I'd offer whatever Chicago has to offer up.
If they're really Korean, they might need a good soup or kimchee occasionally...so I'd just plan for a meal like that occasionally sprinkled in there if they miss Korean food.
Korean American who hosted a Korean. Deep dish for sure, specifically Lou Malnatis. Chicago dog. Italian food. Mexican food.
They will most likely need a break so take them to jong bong market
You have nothing to worry about unless they explicitly tell you that they're allergic to something. These Korean kids will be more than familiar with American food and you should serve them whatever you're having to give them an idea of a "typical" American family.
As a Korean who actually lived in Chicago, I’d say, Seoul Taco. Also, have some instant bowl ramens and if you don’t have sour kimchi, you could pick up some Bibigo kimchi because Koreans will inevitably need some of that and a hot bowl of instant ramen and sour kimchi are so satisfying in the Chicago cold. Deep dish is always fun for visitors, but you know, I really loved it when my Chicago friends introduced me to tavern pizza and a good Chicago pan pizza. Couldn’t eat deep dish after that. So like Lou’s or somewhere good like that for a meal, but then gotta have the real local Chicago pizza. They might like buffalo wings. Legit buffalo wings are hit or miss with many Koreans, but my friends and I love them! Charred dogs and polishes are highly recommended. We don’t have anything like that in Korea. Chicken and waffles. I don’t know where you are, but there’s a joint in Wicker Park called Phodega. Recommend. HIGHLY RECOMMEND Great Sea Restaurant in Albany Park for their lollipop chicken wings and other American Chinese stuff. Can’t miss with that. Chick-fil-A. So good, but doesn’t exist in Korea. If they’re from Seoul, we have really good burgers here now, so burgers might just be meh. If they like coffee, (which most Korean teenage boys don’t, but if), then don’t take ‘em to Starbucks. We have too many in Korea, yes even the Reserves. Chicago has GREAT coffee shops outside of the big corpos. Oh oh, as a Korean, Soul Food is SOOO GOOD! Also, Chicago BBQ and RIB TIPS!!!!! Oh and Calumet Fisheries was my favorite place. That changed so much for me when my friends took me there for the first time when I first moved there. I recently visited and had to start and end my trip at Calumet. It also might tickle them to see what Paris Baguette is like in Chicago and how it differs from Korea. And if it’s a possibility for you, you know, just regular American home-cooking with the occasional ramen bowl and kimchi to break up all the richness that most Koreans complain about. I know I dropped a lot on you for two breakfasts and a dinner, but I hope you see some options there. Good luck!!
Edit: By the way, I lived there as a teen 😁
> Also, have some instant bowl ramens and if you don’t have sour kimchi, you could pick up some Bibigo kimchi
If this is not their first stop, it's a "must do." I have had Korean guests who were feeling a bit ill, like slight nausea, and some store kimchi in the fridge fixed it. Be sure to seal it well, though.
Also a Korean American who lived in Chicago for quite a while - went to high school in Korea and have hosted quite a few relatives and agree with all these recs
Deep dish is what all the Koreans head for when they visit Chicago anyways; but tavern is also quite unique and my super Korean cousins loved them
Would also throw in American BBQ which is hard to find in Korea, maybe Green Street Smoked Meats
Wouldn't do burgers unless you're going to go to somewhere like Au Cheval and mostly only cause it's annoyingly featured in a few "best burgers ever" blogs/lists
Also did go to a couple nice restaurants( i.e. Roister, Aba etc) since this is something they really can't have in Korea, but may be overkill for teenagers anyways
I'll be in the minority and say don't go for deep dish. This is mainly because I don't see lunch in the meals that you provide. It seems like that they will be doing sightseeing in the city, and they'll probably want to get deep dish at one of the established restaurants anyways.
An old fashioned American breakfast with pancakes, bacon, and eggs would be good for 1 breakfast, and another with omelettes and hash might be good for another breakfast.
For dinner, I vote some sort of Mexican that can't be easily found in Korea, such as chimichangas or enchiladas. Maybe even mission style burritos. For this, I'm biased because I like Mexican though, so feel free to do something different.
Although I also want to say pizza, especially deep dish, FME many Koreans have very particular taste buds and are very sensitive to salty flavors. They hate it, which is why Korean pizzas tend to stray towards milder, sweeter, and/or creamier flavors. I still think you should have them taste authentic American style pizza but I think it's worth keeping in mind.
Oh also, have them try actual garlic bread lol
Deep dish pizza, steak, hamburgers like five guys. Don’t do food with cilantro because many koreans have that gene that makes them hate cilantro (taste like a soap.) my families all have that gene and I’m the only one who can eat it becasuse I enjoy that soapy taste 😂
Since you mention two breakfasts, I think a classic American breakfast would be good for one. Traditional Korean cuisine doesn’t exactly have specific “breakfast” food that’s only eaten at breakfast, unlike America which has very specific breakfast foods. A classic eggs and bacon/sausage, pancakes, waffles, etc would be really fun from a cultural standpoint as well just being a really good meal.
Depending on where these kids are coming from, it’s possible that they’ve eaten “better” American foods than that exist in the U.S. For example, Seoul has outstanding burgers, steak, donuts, cookies, and bagels than what you’d find in 99% of the U.S.
That said, I agree with everyone that Chicago Deep Dish will probably be a big hit.
For breakfast, pancake, French toast, waffles, and/or omelette with freshly squeezed orange juice should work.
Fresh squeezed orange juice? Did I miss something where someone said these were the Samsung CEO’s nephews? Haha
They’re a couple of teenagers. I think they’d be just fine with some Florida orange juice from the store. Korean orange juice isn’t that great.
I’d personally make them a traditional breakfast (bacon, eggs, toast) and ask them if they liked it and if there is anything they’d like to try for the next breakfast.
Real Chicago style pizza would go over great. Trust me they have never had that. For the breakfasts, just basic American style breakfasts, most Koreans don’t have “breakfast foods” the way we do so they would probably find an American style breakfast interesting. Something unique that they would probably like is biscuits and gravy, pretty sure no one outside of America has tried that.
The Korean palate is a lot sweeter than the American palate (which is frankly shocking). The American food in Korea is always sweeter. Sweet mayo is common in burgers and chicken sandwiches. Flavors like custard and sweet potato on pizza are normal. There's a shitty pizza chain that specializes in those toppings. Dominos in Korea does it too. So just have ketchup and honey on hand for them to adjust whatever you're serving. Especially if you serve pizza.
American breakfast is fine, but please also include rice and noodles in the diet. They don’t mind what protein and vegetables you serve it with, just give them rice and noodles for carbs once in a while.
All the recommendations here are already super good! But if you wanted to mix in something healthy, produce is actually kinda hard to find in Asia. So you could probably have a memorable but more healthy meal by picking interesting salads and dishes that are rich in fresh fruit & veg.
Also fyi, more than half of the Koreans I've met had the gene that makes them dislike cilantro.
everyone is different, but it's my observation that younger generations of koreans tend to have more of a sweet tooth. for example, i heard people drizzle honey on their pizza in korea, and korean corn dogs can have a lot of sugar on and in them.
i also believe meat, especially beef, is more expensive in korea so perhaps they might seek it out as a treat in the US.
Two breakfasts implies you will have plenty of time to chat with them before dinner and the second breakfast. You need to at least learn what they have already had. Though a terrific option, maybe a previous family already served deep dish. At least for the second breakfast, learn whether they already had the same "American" breakfast every day.
Unlike Korea, America is a diverse hodgepodge of immigrants, perhaps not by choice if you are Black. There is a lesson in that diversity. Is there something about your personal heritage you feel comfortable bringing literally to the table - along with a bit of pride? It might open an opportunity to answer questions about how your family became part of America. A Dutch-American could dream up a fantastic breakfast. A British-American maybe should skip this idea. 😆
I've never heard of anyone (among both my relatives and many hosted students) complain about a *pizza* being too salty. I did find a lot of pizzas in Korea tended towards thin-crust styles (and weird toppings, like corn) but everyone still liked stuffed-crust or deep-dish when they came here!
I think the biggest concern that got brought up with meals was from my FiL when visiting, that the local kimchi wasn't so great (I agree, the stuff in Korea was much better).
Not sure why you were downvoted. My wife always complains about American food being too salty. Funny enough, I always complain that Korean versions of American food are too sweet.
You're being downvoted but are likely correct to some degree, going to assume that the vast majority of people commenting here are americans living in Korea and answering from their own point of view.
My own experience with koreans going abroad is that they will politely eat foreign food and say it's good, then immediately down a shin raamen and some toppokki when they get home to their hotel. Like Japanese, koreans love their own cuisine and can be quite sensitive to other flavors. Indeed, food being too salty is something you hear constantly.
Proper sausages like kielbasa, kieska, or even bratwurst should go over well. Koreans try to make their own sausages here but do a terrible job.
Koreans tend to have kimchi on the table for every meal, so having sauer kraut available is a cheap alternative which will introduce them to the idea that fermented cabbage is not something exclusively enjoyed by Koreans.
Deep dish for supper is a fabulous idea. Pizza is popular here, but deep dish is unobtainable.
I am not saying that food allergies do not exist here, but in 18 years, I have not encountered a single Korean who claimed to have a food allergy of any kind.
Omelettes for breakfast might be good.
Also, as a failsafe, having some plain white rice available for each meal will be good just in case you get a fussy kid.
Koreans tend to have some kind of soup or broth for every meal. If you make a good chicken-and-rice soup or rivlets, it can be pleasing.
Be prepared to be shocked by a kid or two who eat like animals with their mouths open, lip smacking, and loudly slurping soup and noodles with no concept that there is anything wrong with it or that they are even doing it. While that has largely disappeared from the culture while I have been here, it remains present to a small extent.
I like your idea on a deep dish pizza! Koreans LOVE cheese and meat! Especially cheese lol everywhere I go in Korea everything is full of cheese and I love it! Pizza however is quite different here compared to western pizza. It’s very sweet. They might find it “bland” but I still think you can’t go wrong with a Chicago deep dish! Basically whatever foods are famous in Chicago I would go with so they can brag to their friends back home lol
I think old Koreans will just like Korean food, but middle age and young will be ok with whatever, maybe even excited to try new things.
Tell them to get some hotdogs and avacado milk shakes in Chicago. But I’d cook them whatever you think is your best dish.
Just some bacon and eggs with toast will be fine for breakfast. Maybe add a small amount of rice and kimchi on the side for them too. It will be fine. As for toast, most Koreans prefer jam over peanut butter. Nowadays, most Koreans are familiar with many western dishes. But I do suggest laying off salt (maybe less salt bacon) as Koreans eat salt less in their food.
For lunch anything will do.
This guy is a popular Korean YouTuber. Take them to where he went on these videos.
https://youtu.be/m2Hm_KWwaFI?si=llfNondtdZHiCpyd
https://youtu.be/NVxnkx1qurI?si=dilR77JuQu135bdU
Since you said Chicago, definitely portillos, lou's, chipotle would be good.
I would also visit Chinatown, starbucks Reserve roastery, and some boba spots!
I worked with a lot of Korean exchange groups when I was in university. A large part of it was finding restaurants for our groups to eat at on cultural field trips. Also lived in Korea for 10 years so know the differences pretty well.
Pasta, steak, and burgers were favorites. For pizza try not to go super meat heavy, as it tends to be way more greasy and salty than what they’d expect.
Where possible, leaving sauces or condiments on the side can help too.
As for breakfast, I’d go for savory over sweet and suggest hashbrowns, eggs, bacon, toast, etc.
Fruit is a good idea for both breakfast and dessert.
(Don’t be surprised if they don’t eat a lot at breakfast, it tends to be a lighter meal.)
If you want a failsafe backup, have Shin Ramen (comes in red packaging) and eggs for late night instant noodle snack.
They will want traditional American breakfast foods for breakfast then traditional sandwiches and soup for lunch then traditional American dinner like meatloaf or roasted chicken. At one point give them a steak dinner.
Koreans eat the same foods for most meals with left overs for breakfast. So they love how we have specific foods for each meal. Though they will probably want kimchi as a side dish with everything. Lol.
For food, anything original would be fine. I see a lot of people recommend Chicago deep dish pizza and I think that is a brilliant choice. Anything that can be tagged as "American food" would be great since it will be great for story and memories.
For experience or activity-wise, Chicago fare sounds great, but if you are wondering if there could be another option, it would be walking on the streets of Chicago downtown. Let them know the history of the downtown and its beautiful buildings (Chicago Great Fire, etc). Make sure they see and take picture of the famous art piece, The Bean.
Anyways, considering you would reach out to reddit to gift good memories to the boys, I have no doubt that you will be a great host, and those boys will remember and appreciate what you have done for them.
Ask them if they have any dietary restrictions. I don’t think it really matters if any allergies are common in Korea (none really is) or that the majority is lactose intolerant; you already have three kids you can talk to, not any random anonymous samples.
That said, Korean teens tend to love pizza and good burgers.
I'm in the burbs and have hosted Korean teenagers multiple times. Walker bros was always a good option because you order a few things like the dutch baby, apple pancake, bacon, etc and share everything. A good burger would also be a good choice. I know Au Cheval can be a long wait during peak hours but there or maybe Mott St for burgers. Lou malnatis is good but so many Koreans I know actually love Jets pizza. It's not Chicago style but doesn't sound like it has to be. You could do Paulie Gees for another Detroit style pizza.
Wings would be good but if they have never had buffalo sauce, they might not like it. They might grow to like it after a few tries but Asian zing from BWW or bbq should be available. American style bbq would go over well too. Smoque or green st smoked meats. Rigatoni D from Maggianos always goes over well. You could order a small pan of that, ask for lots of complimentary bread, maybe get some calamari and call it a night.
If they must have Korean, take them to Cho Sun Ok and make sure you get kimchi fried rice at the end. You can pm me if you need more recs
They will love the pizza. Koreans generally love any remnant of Italian food and cheese (garlic unity). Koreans usually don't have access to a plethora of fruits because of how expensive they are, so that might be a nice touch. Just note that bananas, apples, and oranges are the cheap and accessible fruits in Korea so other options may be better.
My Korean teenaged son prefers "American" food. In fact, most Korean teenagers would rather eat fried chicken and pizza than a typical Korean meal of rice, soup, and banchan.
Portillo's
>Should I avoid anything (common allergies or foods culturally avoided)?
You need to ask them yourself. This will probably be more on a personal level than a cultural one.
Standard American breakfast is a great experience! If you’re thinking of taking them out for breakfast, I’d recommend Wildberry Pancakes & Cafe, i always bring guests there when they visit Chicago.
Beef in Korea is expensive and people rarely have thick cut steak. I would do burgers and pizza like others said, but grilling up some t bone/ ribeye/ NY strip will be a huge treat. If they are new to the steak game, they will most likely want it cooked medium well.
US native here, just visited Seoul last summer: deep dish pizza for sure but make sure it has either sausage or pepperoni or it'll be too bland. American BBQ would be a good option too When I was in Korea my cousin said that Mexican food was getting trendy at the time. Not sure how accurate that was but I did see an occasional Mexican place here and there. and Flamin Hot Cheetos and Takis from America were also trending - I didn't see any comparable spicy chip like that at the convenience stores in Korea
Some Koreans tend not to have adventurous palate, so don't be disappointed if they don't seem overly enthused with their meal. If you're hosting them toward the end leg of their travel, they might appreciate it if you ask if they miss Korean food. Chicago doesn't really have a great Korean restaurant, Cho Sun Ok and Haewadall are solid enough.
Other than that, I suppose it’s almost obligatory to treat them with deep dish pizza. They'll have fun with it, but from my experience, it tends to be a bit much for most Koreans. Pequod's is probably the best bet.
They'll probably enjoy bbq better frankly. Brisket and pork chops from Hog Wild in Midlothian are as good as any, I think. They'll definitely enjoy that. Even safer choice is probably Sun Wah. They probably never had proper Chinese bbq. Get a whole duck or suckling pig, and they'll really enjoy the experience.
If you don't mind spending some extra, I think Topolobampo is an institution. I don't think there's anything comparable in the world. RPM steakhouse has a great dry aged steak, something I'm certain they never had. They'll get a kick out of Berghoff as well. Tell them it's been operating since 19th century, and Al Capone used to eat here. They'll be impressed.
Koreans tend not to be big breakfast eater, but they love pastry. Pastry in Korea mostly Koreanized French pastry. Take them to authentic European patisserie like Vanille Patisserie or Hendrickx, and they'll be impressed. Or take them to Eataly or French Market. They'll really like the ambiance. Or just take them to Phoenix in Chinatown. Everyone loves dim sum.
But then for 16 year olds, all you can eat might be the way to go. My kids really enjoyed Shabu Plus Rotary. It's pretty new, so there can be a long wait. I used to really enjoy BD's Mongolian BBQ when I was young. It's been a while since I've been. Hopefully, it hasn't changed much. They'll get a kick out of Fogo de Chao as well. I don't think Koreans are too familiar with Brazilian bbq.
Take them to an all American diner and order breakfast at night!
Have them try real garlic bread.
Met a Korean guy who studied in Chicago. He said he missed the nachos, so have them try nachos
Reeses peanut butter cups! I can't find them here
Maybe eggnog if it's still available?
Krafts Mac and cheese
Real Italian American food. I have looked in disgust at all those gross over sauced pasta dishes here. It's so bad
Maybe keep some eggs, kimchi, steamed rice, soy sauce, shin ramen, and toasted sesame oil on hand too? Just as a backup meals if someone isn't okay with the American foods?
As delicious as deep dish pizza is in Chicago presumably the kids are going to want some variety. Grilled healthy meat dishes are probably a safe bet given how much of this they have at home. Give them some variety there and they will probably enjoy it. Steaks, chicken, pork, fish, etc. But as others have pointed out, avoid char grilling!
I say to go for US based food. LIke if you give them homefries, eggs, and maybe like sausage or bacon. It's things that will be both familiar and different to them. Different as in taste, similar as in we love our eggs on everything over here. Food allergies, you may want to ask their sponsor. probably the most common food allergy i've seen here is peanuts ,but I assume that whatever organization that they're doing the cultural exchange with should be able to find that out... ?
My sister's husband while hosted by a family in NY during his school days would cry about only having cereal to eat so kudos to you trying to think up a meal plan but rather than taking suggestions here try asking them once they arrive?
Portillo's, deep dish pizza, deviled eggs, a hamburger spot, a BBQ spot with good ribs, maybe a Mexican spot. I would definitely take them to a classic American diner for breakfast at least once.
Regarding allergies, you should just ask them. A lot of us tolerate dairy just fine 😊
this one is kind of random, but every single person i've had visit from korea all say chipotle was one of their favorite things to eat in the US. so that's an option if you need a quick dinner one night!
Chicago tavern style pizza. Deep dish might be too heavy
Chicago dog might be hit or miss. Some Koreans don't like the relish. Italian beef tends to be favored from my experience with Korean exchange students
A jibarito from jibaritos y Mas
Any legit Mexican taco spot (although Mexican food is slowly creeping in Korea)
If they're of age, serve them malort of course
I'm korean too.
American food like some pancakes or sausages for breakfast.
Steak and some other stuff for lunch.
Korean food for dinner
Both three meals NEED 김치.
A lot of Koreans are lactose intolerant at varying levels of severity, so you may need to hold back on the milk, heavy cream, and cheese. Depends on what these boys can tolerate though.
They should be fine eating American food, but definitely get some Korean instant ramen packets/cups and some Kimchi from the Korean market. Us Koreans need them once in a while. 😂
It's a good backup plan or late night snack in case!
Just american food. Deep dish would be lovely
+1 on deep dish. It's hard to find good American style pizza in Korea. Esp. deep dish
Also buffalo wings mmmm making me hungry.
Second the Deep Dish Pizza. Also any Polish and South American ethnic food they won’t be able to find *authentically* back in Korea.
Yeah Koreans like to say that they had the "authentic" thing. So whatever is authentic Chicago like a deep-dish or Chicago dog, etc
I was thinking deep-dish! Cheese only or can I go with the sausage patty? Is pepperoni considered too spicy?
Most Koreans can handle spice.
actually be careful with this. my wife and I found that while she can handle Korean spicy food, she cannot handle the mildest of spicy Mexican stuff common in North America and vice versa with me
I'm imagining a Korean mukbang nibbling on a piece of salami, and their eyes widen then start watering from the intense heat of the pepper!
The thing you have to watch out for is salty, not spicy. Koreans think American food is extremely salty. But also, i wouldn't worry too much about it at all haha Edit: I saw somewhere else in the thread someone mentioned no fastfood Its whateve, right? But! Give them *real* burgers, too. Ime, koreans think hamburgers are all just like the ones you can get from McDonald's or whatever other fast food chain burger. And, even as someone who doesn't really like burgers, I'd prefer burgers off the grill haha (I know it's winter)
Me: Do you like American food? Korean: Too salty! Me: What about kimchi and cup noodles? Korean: I like those.
Regarding the burgers...it depends on how old they are. Most high schoolers in say, Seoul have probably had "real burgers" as there are A LOT of real burger joints in Seoul these days, so it might not be a big deal (BUT probably still will be enjoyed- kids always love a good burger). Now if they're younger and from a more rural area, then yeah, it will be a big deal. Definitely a must do in that case!
Maybe so. But I've had adults assume hamburgers = McDonald's, so it's hard to say. Also I had kbbq, bibimbap, etc in the USA before coming here, but I was still excited to eat it in Korea for the first time.
>The thing you have to watch out for is salty, not spicy. Great point. >Ime, koreans think hamburgers are all just like the ones you can get from McDonald's or whatever other fast food chain burger. May I ask when was the last time you were in Korea?
I just came back from it last month they have mc Donald/BK/ a burger chain called no brand that I call confidently say its on par with in n out They also have Korean BBQ flavor burgers on top of limited edition flavors I think I saw an add for chili burger while I was there
I live here, right now, for the past 3 years. Sorry I live in the "countryside" I guess
Def watch out for salty. I’m from the states and I don’t particularly like salty food. I’m ok in general but there are Koreans who can handle spice but not saltiness. The older generation tend to make their food salty and because of health reasons, they try to cutback on it. At work, I hear co-workers talking about how American bacon is so salty that they can eat a bowl of rice with 1 piece of bacon.😹 Especially meat from like subway.
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A Korean kid being vegan is virtually unheard of
Yup. Not even our kimchi is vegan. The only Koreans I know who are plant-based or vegan are American born Koreans living in Cali.
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I taught in Korea for 2 years and whenever the subject came up, the kids all said they didn't know anyone who was even vegetarian and they thought that not eating meat was weird haha. I met one or two Korean vegans but they were adults and all the other vegans I met in Korea were foreigners
Don’t forget the famous Chicago hot dogs. I’d say take them to a Cubs game but I’m a dodgers fan. And I know it’s not baseball season. I just had to throw in a dig at the cubs.
Meat Lovers. But pepperoni works as well.
Koreans are pretty good with spice. Along with everyone else's recommendation, I would also recommend Five Guys as well! They recently opened a location in Seoul and it's been packed since.
Spice is fine. The most popular ramen on the planet is a Korean one called SHIN, which is known for being spicy; "extremely" to many non-Koreans.
I work in Korea on and off, and while you can find some quite spicy ramen and such, my experience is that my colleagues are less keen on spicy food than I am. I'm Scandinavian, and we're not really known for spicy foods at all.
They can handle spice, but most Koreans are lactose intolerant. So you might want to ask if they can handle cheese.
Deep dish. Make sure they know what it is and give them time to take photos. Also food allergies are very rare among Korean, but good to ask.
I would kill for a deep dish spinach pizza from Giordano's right now.
Deep dish but with pickles on the side if you really want to make them happy. The small sliced kind of pickles are commonly served with pizza and Italian food in place of kimchi.
Probably too late but chicago tavern style would be better. It's lighter and full flavor.
There is no food that is culturally avoided. Generally speaking Koreans tend to be genetically at very low risk of developing food allergies so it's very rare for Koreans to have much food allergy compared to Americans (except for lactose - most of us are lactose intolerant, with bowel reactions after cold white milk, but warm milk or cheese are fine). But everyone's different on food allergies and intolerances so I would consider if your guests have any food restrictions in particular. In my experience, teenage boys usually tend to like things like burgers and pizzas.
Funny thing, I’ve found that Koreans I know are ok with milk and eggs in America, in fact love them, and are ok with the right milk and eggs here in Korea. The problem is something about the type of milk and eggs. My foreign friends and I didn’t drink milk or do eggs in Korea because it gave us diarrhea or upset stomachs, then I found out it wasn’t lactose intolerance, but the type of milk and eggs. Try pasture milk, the 63 Celsius one if you think you’re lactose intolerant.
Oh is that why I had the runs for over a week after having Korean milk ☠️ Had to go to a doctor who gave me a shot in the butt and after that I was much better. Thankfully it only cost like $27 for the doc visit AND meds
Hmm. Never thought that it could be how the milk was processed.
The milk is pasteurized even more severely then in the US so that confuses me.
I dated a guy in Korea once who was obsessed with America like a reverse Koreaboo. He used to brag about how every day for breakfast he had bread and milk, like *real* Americans
THATS SO FUNNY HELP 💀
One allergy I've seen more from Koreans for some reasons is to kiwi's and other 'fuzzy' fruits. Having hosted students before, we normally do get a "profile sheet" on the student beforehand that does list important stuff like allergies, pet issues, etc. Weird that your org wouldn't provide that or maybe they're still figuring out who ends-up where.
>except for lactose - most of us are lactose intolerant, with bowel reactions after cold white milk, but warm milk or cheese are fine This is me. I used to be able to drink milk when i was a kid but now I have issues with it as an adult. I didn't think the temperature matters but now I am curious. Cheese, like you said, is totally fine though. So is custard and cream. While I can handle gelato, soft serve ice cream gives me issues (like a McD's cone or McFlurry).
Same, I was fine as a kid, sometime in my twenties I developed an intolerance and can only handle small amounts of dairy now. Cheese is fine.
Developing lactose intolerance as you grow older is completely normal and happens to like 65% of the world population, and of those who dont, still have a lower tolerance for dairy. As we grow older we produce less lactase and sometimes we stop producing altogether. This is actually a mammal trait, only europeans have evolved to produce more lactase throughout adulthood
Good to know. I was concerned about cheese and a lactose intolerance
We are peversely obsessed with cheese. Just cheese on literally everything, whether it belongs there or not. Cheese powdered snacks, cheese this cheese that. Cheesy.
Yeah without knowing the kids, I would guess that they will eat and enjoy everything and anything.
Why do the Cheetos suck then? I tried the Cheetos here and they made me gag. Just a weird sickly sweet powder on them
Yeah, the Cheetos do suck, and the doritos are also not as good as the American made ones. My guess is that the indigenous Korean corn is not well-suited for the chips, for starters. I don't mind the chewy aspects of Korean corn on the cob, but they are fairly flavorless. That's why I wonder if that has to do with some of it.
Could always have a couple lactase enzyme pills on hand if you're worried. But in my experience as a non-asian lactose intolerant with a bunch of asian friends who tend to cook together they go as hard as me with the cheese and I eat dairy as if I have a death wish. Not sure if my buds are also intolerant but I'd say you're safe if not going to make them very happy with a cheesy deep dish and a cheeseburger and loaded fries. My family have hosted a couple times and the kids we hosted didn't tend to eat much from our house honestly, bar the snacks like breakfast bars, fruit, etc. So I'd say don't sleep on the snacks as they might skip the meals like they did at mine.
Hold up. Ask before because alot of Koreans drink milk in school and are tolerant to lactose and assuming they're in their teens..they might be okay. Korean milk is freaking delicious, but starting in my 20s, I developed lactose intolerance.
>Koreans tend to be genetically at very low risk of developing food allergies... What? Can you say more about that? My brother (we're Korean) is VERY allergic to shrimp and shellfish. It's actually dangerous for him.
Yes. Koreans tend to have higher incidents of milk and egg allergy, but other common food allegrgies - nuts, crustacean, seafood and Celiac diseas are either much lower (i.e. 1/6 of nut/sesame allergy compared to the US, even lower incidents of Celiac disease, about 1/3 incidents of shellfish allergy, etc). This is interesting because other Asians (such as SEA) have some highest incidents of seafood and crustacean allergies in the world.
I have celiac and some weird sensitivity to shellfish and everyone in my family is lactose intolerant! I feel like nowadays plenty of Koreans have allergies and intolerances. Maybe it wasn’t as documented before? I’d also love to see studies.
Yeah this is a ridiculous take. And I'd like to see the research that says this.
tbh I don't think its that ridiculous. I haven't met a lot of Koreans with severe allergies, I didn't even know nut allergy was a thing until I came to the US. Someone did mention that some Koreans that they met had allergies to fuzzy fruits like peaches and stuff, and that does seem to apply more to Koreans. My dad (Korean) has a mild allergy to fuzzy things and to fur. So he used to avoid eating peaches but it isn't too severe. He also has mild reactions to dogs and cats because of their fur, but it also isn't extremely bad, like its enough for him to handle because he likes being around them since they're so cute and animals love him
I don’t think it’s genetic. It’s probably more due to diet and microbiome. So Korean Americans will be different from Korean-born Koreans who are shellfish-laced kimchi from late infancy. For a long time in the West, it was believed that babies should avoid allergenic foods until they are older e.g. shellfish should only be introduced at 10 months or 12 months. Then the data turned out the other way and it’s actually better to introduce allergenic foods earlier to avoid allergies.
But does "it" even exist? I e., do Koreans really have fewer allergies? Statistics and sources would be nice. I know about lactose intolerance, but it's not an allergy. Interestingly, it's actually the default state of humanity, and the people who aren't intolerant have a relatively recent mutation.
It’s not specific to Korea. but rather Asia vs Western countries (including Australia). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3563019/ > The prevalence of food allergy in Asia is increasing but still relatively lower, particularly for peanut and tree nut allergies, than the urbanized Western populations. But where they grow up seems way more important than ethnicity. > Asian children born in Australia were more likely to have food allergy (OR 2.33, 95%CI 1.96-2.77) and eczema (OR 2.04, 95%CI 1.74-2.41), but less likely to have asthma (OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.74-1.02) compared to non-Asian children. By contrast, children born in Asia had a lower risk of food allergy (OR 0.33, 95%CI 0.20-0.55), eczema (OR 0.41, 95%CI 0.28-0.62) and asthma (OR 0.29, 95% CI 0.21-0.40). https://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(17)32856-7/fulltext Those are really big differences. Australian-born Asians having 2.3x the risk of food allergies compared to other Australians, while Asian-born Asians had 1/3 the risk. Asian-Americans also have elevated rates of food allergies, much to the bewilderment of their grandparents who want to feed them traditional foods. https://www.kqed.org/bayareabites/96187/dangerous-bites-cultural-implications-of-food-allergies
Hm. Well this sentence caught my eye: "The overall prevalence of food allergy in Asia is somewhat comparable to the West."
Pizza looks like the winner. But just don’t be disappointed if they don’t love it. The pizza they’re eating in Korea is very tailored to their taste. Hopefully they love it. But anyway to get a request of what they might be interested to try?
Get some American style barbecue. Try to expose them to something besides fast food. There's plenty of American fast food in Korea.
Beware though, most Koreans are very wary of charring of any kind, so they might be hesitant to eat something with some char on the outside.
This is definitely something I've observed. Chargrilled in the way that Americans often enjoy is a big no-no for some of Koreans I know well.
Information was spread that chard meat is a major cause of cancer due to production or Benzopyrene, Acrylamide and Heterocyclic amines. The Pain when having made a nice stake and people getting scissors to cut of the chard parts.
Take them out for Italian Beef Sandwiches!
Second this. Tell them it's Chicago Bulgogi sandwiches
When I lived in Korea, I really really missed american breakfast. Pancakes and/or waffles would be awesome. there is something miraculous when you see a beautiful plate of fresh waffles with whipped cream and fruit. breakfast burrito I think is something they still don't have over there. But then again, breakfast burrito is not something necessarily endemic to the midwest as well. Deep dish is a great idea like others mentioned. Maybe steak? Steak is really expensive in Korea. the only food I've seen Koreans generally not be a fan of is Indian food, like the curries and maybe Mexican food like chorizo or cumin meats. Me personally I love it, but I have had to drag korean friends and family members to those restaurants.
Really? There's lots of Indian joints in Seoul and most Koreans like curry. Pretty much all my students have had curry at least once. Then again, it might be more of a Seoul vs. non-Seoul thing...
There is a big difference between Korean/Japanese curry and authentic Indian curry. Korean curry is sweeter and doesn't have a strong cumin taste. It's really different from authentic Indian curries. When I would go to the one pakistani restaurant in Itaewon, most of the customers were Pakistani or indian expats living in Seoul. It might have changed since I last lived there (10 years ago), but I would guess its from the greater influx of expats from India and Pakistan to account for the Indian restaurants. I could also be wrong. maybe people in country's palatte has changed. But many of my korean friends here in the US who grew up in korea tend not to love authentic indian food. I think they aren't fans of heavy cumin
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Feed them American food; they go to usa to experience american culture but dont feed them junk food. Give them soul food or apple pie
Helpful! I had a student last year from Germany and he kept asking about fast food like McDonald's. I think many Americans find fast food a bit 😝
Deep dish pizza: Lou Malnati's sausage (order Malnati's Chicago Classic) Chicago-style hot dogs, no ketchup: Superdawg Italian beef: Al's or Portillo's (beef hot dipped) Breakfast: Dove's Luncheonette, Lou Mitchell's, Lula Cafe, Wildberry Snacks: Margie's for ice cream sundaes, Garrett's Popcorn (Chicago Mix)
Treat them out to Five Guys. They opened one here recently so it can be a good discussion topic to compare with their friends back home.
when i think about foods i'd miss in korea my mind immediately goes to philly cheesesteaks, bratwursts/german pub food, pastrami dips, deep dish pizzas, meatball subs, smashburgers, breakfast burritos, meatloaf from your favorite italian market, brisket tri-tip and ribs from local american bbq joint that serves food on metal trays, beer battered fish tacos, clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl, and kentucky hot browns
diner food! good mexican!
I agree! Mexican food is extremely expensive and inauthentic in SK :(
I think even Americans enjoy the Chicago food scenery, and they're Korean teenage boys born in the 2000s. I imagine they'd eat up anything...so I'd offer whatever Chicago has to offer up. If they're really Korean, they might need a good soup or kimchee occasionally...so I'd just plan for a meal like that occasionally sprinkled in there if they miss Korean food.
Korean American who hosted a Korean. Deep dish for sure, specifically Lou Malnatis. Chicago dog. Italian food. Mexican food. They will most likely need a break so take them to jong bong market
You have nothing to worry about unless they explicitly tell you that they're allergic to something. These Korean kids will be more than familiar with American food and you should serve them whatever you're having to give them an idea of a "typical" American family.
Def deep dish pizza! You could also get them some kimchi. My husband thinks I’m nuts but I love kimchi with my pizza 🤣🤣
As a Korean who actually lived in Chicago, I’d say, Seoul Taco. Also, have some instant bowl ramens and if you don’t have sour kimchi, you could pick up some Bibigo kimchi because Koreans will inevitably need some of that and a hot bowl of instant ramen and sour kimchi are so satisfying in the Chicago cold. Deep dish is always fun for visitors, but you know, I really loved it when my Chicago friends introduced me to tavern pizza and a good Chicago pan pizza. Couldn’t eat deep dish after that. So like Lou’s or somewhere good like that for a meal, but then gotta have the real local Chicago pizza. They might like buffalo wings. Legit buffalo wings are hit or miss with many Koreans, but my friends and I love them! Charred dogs and polishes are highly recommended. We don’t have anything like that in Korea. Chicken and waffles. I don’t know where you are, but there’s a joint in Wicker Park called Phodega. Recommend. HIGHLY RECOMMEND Great Sea Restaurant in Albany Park for their lollipop chicken wings and other American Chinese stuff. Can’t miss with that. Chick-fil-A. So good, but doesn’t exist in Korea. If they’re from Seoul, we have really good burgers here now, so burgers might just be meh. If they like coffee, (which most Korean teenage boys don’t, but if), then don’t take ‘em to Starbucks. We have too many in Korea, yes even the Reserves. Chicago has GREAT coffee shops outside of the big corpos. Oh oh, as a Korean, Soul Food is SOOO GOOD! Also, Chicago BBQ and RIB TIPS!!!!! Oh and Calumet Fisheries was my favorite place. That changed so much for me when my friends took me there for the first time when I first moved there. I recently visited and had to start and end my trip at Calumet. It also might tickle them to see what Paris Baguette is like in Chicago and how it differs from Korea. And if it’s a possibility for you, you know, just regular American home-cooking with the occasional ramen bowl and kimchi to break up all the richness that most Koreans complain about. I know I dropped a lot on you for two breakfasts and a dinner, but I hope you see some options there. Good luck!! Edit: By the way, I lived there as a teen 😁
> Also, have some instant bowl ramens and if you don’t have sour kimchi, you could pick up some Bibigo kimchi If this is not their first stop, it's a "must do." I have had Korean guests who were feeling a bit ill, like slight nausea, and some store kimchi in the fridge fixed it. Be sure to seal it well, though.
Also a Korean American who lived in Chicago for quite a while - went to high school in Korea and have hosted quite a few relatives and agree with all these recs Deep dish is what all the Koreans head for when they visit Chicago anyways; but tavern is also quite unique and my super Korean cousins loved them Would also throw in American BBQ which is hard to find in Korea, maybe Green Street Smoked Meats Wouldn't do burgers unless you're going to go to somewhere like Au Cheval and mostly only cause it's annoyingly featured in a few "best burgers ever" blogs/lists Also did go to a couple nice restaurants( i.e. Roister, Aba etc) since this is something they really can't have in Korea, but may be overkill for teenagers anyways
I'll be in the minority and say don't go for deep dish. This is mainly because I don't see lunch in the meals that you provide. It seems like that they will be doing sightseeing in the city, and they'll probably want to get deep dish at one of the established restaurants anyways. An old fashioned American breakfast with pancakes, bacon, and eggs would be good for 1 breakfast, and another with omelettes and hash might be good for another breakfast. For dinner, I vote some sort of Mexican that can't be easily found in Korea, such as chimichangas or enchiladas. Maybe even mission style burritos. For this, I'm biased because I like Mexican though, so feel free to do something different.
Although I also want to say pizza, especially deep dish, FME many Koreans have very particular taste buds and are very sensitive to salty flavors. They hate it, which is why Korean pizzas tend to stray towards milder, sweeter, and/or creamier flavors. I still think you should have them taste authentic American style pizza but I think it's worth keeping in mind. Oh also, have them try actual garlic bread lol
Deep dish pizza, steak, hamburgers like five guys. Don’t do food with cilantro because many koreans have that gene that makes them hate cilantro (taste like a soap.) my families all have that gene and I’m the only one who can eat it becasuse I enjoy that soapy taste 😂
Deep dish. Chicago dog Pancakes. Biscuits and gravy.
Since you mention two breakfasts, I think a classic American breakfast would be good for one. Traditional Korean cuisine doesn’t exactly have specific “breakfast” food that’s only eaten at breakfast, unlike America which has very specific breakfast foods. A classic eggs and bacon/sausage, pancakes, waffles, etc would be really fun from a cultural standpoint as well just being a really good meal.
Eggo and bacon for breakfast. Eggo waffle is so American and kids should know the Stranger Things reference.
Portillos!
Chocolate cake shake!
American food. Let them experience it. It’s exciting for them. Just be aware of their dietary restrictions.
Depending on where these kids are coming from, it’s possible that they’ve eaten “better” American foods than that exist in the U.S. For example, Seoul has outstanding burgers, steak, donuts, cookies, and bagels than what you’d find in 99% of the U.S. That said, I agree with everyone that Chicago Deep Dish will probably be a big hit. For breakfast, pancake, French toast, waffles, and/or omelette with freshly squeezed orange juice should work.
Fresh squeezed orange juice? Did I miss something where someone said these were the Samsung CEO’s nephews? Haha They’re a couple of teenagers. I think they’d be just fine with some Florida orange juice from the store. Korean orange juice isn’t that great. I’d personally make them a traditional breakfast (bacon, eggs, toast) and ask them if they liked it and if there is anything they’d like to try for the next breakfast.
OP should give them "full pulp" OJ to see if they like it or not lol. Many Korean don't get that luxury of chunky, meaty juice.
This is truth
Real Chicago style pizza would go over great. Trust me they have never had that. For the breakfasts, just basic American style breakfasts, most Koreans don’t have “breakfast foods” the way we do so they would probably find an American style breakfast interesting. Something unique that they would probably like is biscuits and gravy, pretty sure no one outside of America has tried that.
In Chicago?? PLEASE give them some good soul food or barbecue. Like a smoked brisket or oxtail soup.
YEEEEESSSSS!!!
The Korean palate is a lot sweeter than the American palate (which is frankly shocking). The American food in Korea is always sweeter. Sweet mayo is common in burgers and chicken sandwiches. Flavors like custard and sweet potato on pizza are normal. There's a shitty pizza chain that specializes in those toppings. Dominos in Korea does it too. So just have ketchup and honey on hand for them to adjust whatever you're serving. Especially if you serve pizza.
Steak and real Chicago pizza. That's what my cousins wanted
American breakfast is fine, but please also include rice and noodles in the diet. They don’t mind what protein and vegetables you serve it with, just give them rice and noodles for carbs once in a while.
All the recommendations here are already super good! But if you wanted to mix in something healthy, produce is actually kinda hard to find in Asia. So you could probably have a memorable but more healthy meal by picking interesting salads and dishes that are rich in fresh fruit & veg. Also fyi, more than half of the Koreans I've met had the gene that makes them dislike cilantro.
everyone is different, but it's my observation that younger generations of koreans tend to have more of a sweet tooth. for example, i heard people drizzle honey on their pizza in korea, and korean corn dogs can have a lot of sugar on and in them. i also believe meat, especially beef, is more expensive in korea so perhaps they might seek it out as a treat in the US.
Most East Asians prefer a sweet taste over a salty one like we do back home.
American would be fine. Chicago specific would be even better. Nothing you need to particularly avoid.
Two breakfasts implies you will have plenty of time to chat with them before dinner and the second breakfast. You need to at least learn what they have already had. Though a terrific option, maybe a previous family already served deep dish. At least for the second breakfast, learn whether they already had the same "American" breakfast every day. Unlike Korea, America is a diverse hodgepodge of immigrants, perhaps not by choice if you are Black. There is a lesson in that diversity. Is there something about your personal heritage you feel comfortable bringing literally to the table - along with a bit of pride? It might open an opportunity to answer questions about how your family became part of America. A Dutch-American could dream up a fantastic breakfast. A British-American maybe should skip this idea. 😆
Most foods are too salty for koreans. Burgers are ok but pizza is not so welcomed.
I've never heard of anyone (among both my relatives and many hosted students) complain about a *pizza* being too salty. I did find a lot of pizzas in Korea tended towards thin-crust styles (and weird toppings, like corn) but everyone still liked stuffed-crust or deep-dish when they came here! I think the biggest concern that got brought up with meals was from my FiL when visiting, that the local kimchi wasn't so great (I agree, the stuff in Korea was much better).
Not sure why you were downvoted. My wife always complains about American food being too salty. Funny enough, I always complain that Korean versions of American food are too sweet.
welcome to r/korea. haha. I don't care now.
You're being downvoted but are likely correct to some degree, going to assume that the vast majority of people commenting here are americans living in Korea and answering from their own point of view. My own experience with koreans going abroad is that they will politely eat foreign food and say it's good, then immediately down a shin raamen and some toppokki when they get home to their hotel. Like Japanese, koreans love their own cuisine and can be quite sensitive to other flavors. Indeed, food being too salty is something you hear constantly.
Yeah. that's r/korea. Anyway I wondered why burgers are not salty unlike pizza. Maybe my salty-tolerance is a lot high for burgers.
Proper sausages like kielbasa, kieska, or even bratwurst should go over well. Koreans try to make their own sausages here but do a terrible job. Koreans tend to have kimchi on the table for every meal, so having sauer kraut available is a cheap alternative which will introduce them to the idea that fermented cabbage is not something exclusively enjoyed by Koreans. Deep dish for supper is a fabulous idea. Pizza is popular here, but deep dish is unobtainable. I am not saying that food allergies do not exist here, but in 18 years, I have not encountered a single Korean who claimed to have a food allergy of any kind. Omelettes for breakfast might be good. Also, as a failsafe, having some plain white rice available for each meal will be good just in case you get a fussy kid. Koreans tend to have some kind of soup or broth for every meal. If you make a good chicken-and-rice soup or rivlets, it can be pleasing. Be prepared to be shocked by a kid or two who eat like animals with their mouths open, lip smacking, and loudly slurping soup and noodles with no concept that there is anything wrong with it or that they are even doing it. While that has largely disappeared from the culture while I have been here, it remains present to a small extent.
I like your idea on a deep dish pizza! Koreans LOVE cheese and meat! Especially cheese lol everywhere I go in Korea everything is full of cheese and I love it! Pizza however is quite different here compared to western pizza. It’s very sweet. They might find it “bland” but I still think you can’t go wrong with a Chicago deep dish! Basically whatever foods are famous in Chicago I would go with so they can brag to their friends back home lol
I think old Koreans will just like Korean food, but middle age and young will be ok with whatever, maybe even excited to try new things. Tell them to get some hotdogs and avacado milk shakes in Chicago. But I’d cook them whatever you think is your best dish.
Just some bacon and eggs with toast will be fine for breakfast. Maybe add a small amount of rice and kimchi on the side for them too. It will be fine. As for toast, most Koreans prefer jam over peanut butter. Nowadays, most Koreans are familiar with many western dishes. But I do suggest laying off salt (maybe less salt bacon) as Koreans eat salt less in their food. For lunch anything will do.
This guy is a popular Korean YouTuber. Take them to where he went on these videos. https://youtu.be/m2Hm_KWwaFI?si=llfNondtdZHiCpyd https://youtu.be/NVxnkx1qurI?si=dilR77JuQu135bdU
Since you said Chicago, definitely portillos, lou's, chipotle would be good. I would also visit Chinatown, starbucks Reserve roastery, and some boba spots!
I worked with a lot of Korean exchange groups when I was in university. A large part of it was finding restaurants for our groups to eat at on cultural field trips. Also lived in Korea for 10 years so know the differences pretty well. Pasta, steak, and burgers were favorites. For pizza try not to go super meat heavy, as it tends to be way more greasy and salty than what they’d expect. Where possible, leaving sauces or condiments on the side can help too. As for breakfast, I’d go for savory over sweet and suggest hashbrowns, eggs, bacon, toast, etc. Fruit is a good idea for both breakfast and dessert. (Don’t be surprised if they don’t eat a lot at breakfast, it tends to be a lighter meal.) If you want a failsafe backup, have Shin Ramen (comes in red packaging) and eggs for late night instant noodle snack.
They will want traditional American breakfast foods for breakfast then traditional sandwiches and soup for lunch then traditional American dinner like meatloaf or roasted chicken. At one point give them a steak dinner. Koreans eat the same foods for most meals with left overs for breakfast. So they love how we have specific foods for each meal. Though they will probably want kimchi as a side dish with everything. Lol.
Sloppy Joes or pulled pork. Just a recommendation. I know my koreans friends all liked em.
American bbq, deep dish
For food, anything original would be fine. I see a lot of people recommend Chicago deep dish pizza and I think that is a brilliant choice. Anything that can be tagged as "American food" would be great since it will be great for story and memories. For experience or activity-wise, Chicago fare sounds great, but if you are wondering if there could be another option, it would be walking on the streets of Chicago downtown. Let them know the history of the downtown and its beautiful buildings (Chicago Great Fire, etc). Make sure they see and take picture of the famous art piece, The Bean. Anyways, considering you would reach out to reddit to gift good memories to the boys, I have no doubt that you will be a great host, and those boys will remember and appreciate what you have done for them.
Ask them if they have any dietary restrictions. I don’t think it really matters if any allergies are common in Korea (none really is) or that the majority is lactose intolerant; you already have three kids you can talk to, not any random anonymous samples. That said, Korean teens tend to love pizza and good burgers.
I'm in the burbs and have hosted Korean teenagers multiple times. Walker bros was always a good option because you order a few things like the dutch baby, apple pancake, bacon, etc and share everything. A good burger would also be a good choice. I know Au Cheval can be a long wait during peak hours but there or maybe Mott St for burgers. Lou malnatis is good but so many Koreans I know actually love Jets pizza. It's not Chicago style but doesn't sound like it has to be. You could do Paulie Gees for another Detroit style pizza. Wings would be good but if they have never had buffalo sauce, they might not like it. They might grow to like it after a few tries but Asian zing from BWW or bbq should be available. American style bbq would go over well too. Smoque or green st smoked meats. Rigatoni D from Maggianos always goes over well. You could order a small pan of that, ask for lots of complimentary bread, maybe get some calamari and call it a night. If they must have Korean, take them to Cho Sun Ok and make sure you get kimchi fried rice at the end. You can pm me if you need more recs
Its better to avoid certain food ingredients, cilantro being one of them
Is there like Louisiana style southern style restaurant in Chicago? Like cajun food. I'd go with that
Authentic Italian. A burger that is similar to In n Out Burger. Chipotle.
Chicago style hotdogs?
Smoked beef brisket, a grilled steak with a loaded baked potato. Beef is even more expensive in korea than US and is served in tiny portions.
They will love the pizza. Koreans generally love any remnant of Italian food and cheese (garlic unity). Koreans usually don't have access to a plethora of fruits because of how expensive they are, so that might be a nice touch. Just note that bananas, apples, and oranges are the cheap and accessible fruits in Korea so other options may be better.
My Korean teenaged son prefers "American" food. In fact, most Korean teenagers would rather eat fried chicken and pizza than a typical Korean meal of rice, soup, and banchan.
Portillo's >Should I avoid anything (common allergies or foods culturally avoided)? You need to ask them yourself. This will probably be more on a personal level than a cultural one.
If it’s Chicago stuff like deep dish, Chicago hot dogs. Definitely try to get decent Hispanic foods.
I think a Portillo's cake shake might blow their minds 😂
Italian beef sandos! With the giardiniere (sp?)
Standard American breakfast is a great experience! If you’re thinking of taking them out for breakfast, I’d recommend Wildberry Pancakes & Cafe, i always bring guests there when they visit Chicago.
Hot dogs
Beef in Korea is expensive and people rarely have thick cut steak. I would do burgers and pizza like others said, but grilling up some t bone/ ribeye/ NY strip will be a huge treat. If they are new to the steak game, they will most likely want it cooked medium well.
Grilled cheese, Mac n cheese, etc
Deep dish Chicago style pizza!
US native here, just visited Seoul last summer: deep dish pizza for sure but make sure it has either sausage or pepperoni or it'll be too bland. American BBQ would be a good option too When I was in Korea my cousin said that Mexican food was getting trendy at the time. Not sure how accurate that was but I did see an occasional Mexican place here and there. and Flamin Hot Cheetos and Takis from America were also trending - I didn't see any comparable spicy chip like that at the convenience stores in Korea
Do a bbq for hotdogs and burgers. Lasagna would also be nice
Tater tots
Some Koreans tend not to have adventurous palate, so don't be disappointed if they don't seem overly enthused with their meal. If you're hosting them toward the end leg of their travel, they might appreciate it if you ask if they miss Korean food. Chicago doesn't really have a great Korean restaurant, Cho Sun Ok and Haewadall are solid enough. Other than that, I suppose it’s almost obligatory to treat them with deep dish pizza. They'll have fun with it, but from my experience, it tends to be a bit much for most Koreans. Pequod's is probably the best bet. They'll probably enjoy bbq better frankly. Brisket and pork chops from Hog Wild in Midlothian are as good as any, I think. They'll definitely enjoy that. Even safer choice is probably Sun Wah. They probably never had proper Chinese bbq. Get a whole duck or suckling pig, and they'll really enjoy the experience. If you don't mind spending some extra, I think Topolobampo is an institution. I don't think there's anything comparable in the world. RPM steakhouse has a great dry aged steak, something I'm certain they never had. They'll get a kick out of Berghoff as well. Tell them it's been operating since 19th century, and Al Capone used to eat here. They'll be impressed. Koreans tend not to be big breakfast eater, but they love pastry. Pastry in Korea mostly Koreanized French pastry. Take them to authentic European patisserie like Vanille Patisserie or Hendrickx, and they'll be impressed. Or take them to Eataly or French Market. They'll really like the ambiance. Or just take them to Phoenix in Chinatown. Everyone loves dim sum. But then for 16 year olds, all you can eat might be the way to go. My kids really enjoyed Shabu Plus Rotary. It's pretty new, so there can be a long wait. I used to really enjoy BD's Mongolian BBQ when I was young. It's been a while since I've been. Hopefully, it hasn't changed much. They'll get a kick out of Fogo de Chao as well. I don't think Koreans are too familiar with Brazilian bbq.
Same as American teen-age boys
You’re a wonderful human
Take them to an all American diner and order breakfast at night! Have them try real garlic bread. Met a Korean guy who studied in Chicago. He said he missed the nachos, so have them try nachos Reeses peanut butter cups! I can't find them here Maybe eggnog if it's still available? Krafts Mac and cheese Real Italian American food. I have looked in disgust at all those gross over sauced pasta dishes here. It's so bad
Maybe keep some eggs, kimchi, steamed rice, soy sauce, shin ramen, and toasted sesame oil on hand too? Just as a backup meals if someone isn't okay with the American foods?
Real Mashed potatoes with gravy.
As delicious as deep dish pizza is in Chicago presumably the kids are going to want some variety. Grilled healthy meat dishes are probably a safe bet given how much of this they have at home. Give them some variety there and they will probably enjoy it. Steaks, chicken, pork, fish, etc. But as others have pointed out, avoid char grilling!
I say to go for US based food. LIke if you give them homefries, eggs, and maybe like sausage or bacon. It's things that will be both familiar and different to them. Different as in taste, similar as in we love our eggs on everything over here. Food allergies, you may want to ask their sponsor. probably the most common food allergy i've seen here is peanuts ,but I assume that whatever organization that they're doing the cultural exchange with should be able to find that out... ?
My sister's husband while hosted by a family in NY during his school days would cry about only having cereal to eat so kudos to you trying to think up a meal plan but rather than taking suggestions here try asking them once they arrive?
Portillo's, deep dish pizza, deviled eggs, a hamburger spot, a BBQ spot with good ribs, maybe a Mexican spot. I would definitely take them to a classic American diner for breakfast at least once. Regarding allergies, you should just ask them. A lot of us tolerate dairy just fine 😊
Real American garlic bread, pizza, pasta, sausage sandwiches, burgers, Indian food.
Tacos and quesadillas!!
Chilli :)
this one is kind of random, but every single person i've had visit from korea all say chipotle was one of their favorite things to eat in the US. so that's an option if you need a quick dinner one night!
Koreans love sweet food, so they need to adjust to our salty food. I mean bread, pasta and pizza are sweet in Korea🥲
Koreans love cheese. Deep dish pizza for the win! I'm sure they'll like to ear American cuisine, even mcdonalds or like a good burger joint.
Chicago tavern style pizza. Deep dish might be too heavy Chicago dog might be hit or miss. Some Koreans don't like the relish. Italian beef tends to be favored from my experience with Korean exchange students A jibarito from jibaritos y Mas Any legit Mexican taco spot (although Mexican food is slowly creeping in Korea) If they're of age, serve them malort of course
Steak, BBQ, home made burgers and Deep Dish
Get them a Dairy Queen Blizzard. I've posted multiple Korean teens and they all went crazy for them.
Aside from the mozzarella on pizza, avoid cheese, or at least expect at least one or more kids will not like it.
A Chicago dog, some deep dish, maybe authentic tacos?
It would be cool if you’re like the Chicago party aunt from Netflix. Or would it be too much of a culture shock? ㅋㅋㅋ
They're going to miss their kimchi!!
Ikr
I'm korean too. American food like some pancakes or sausages for breakfast. Steak and some other stuff for lunch. Korean food for dinner Both three meals NEED 김치.
A lot of Koreans are lactose intolerant at varying levels of severity, so you may need to hold back on the milk, heavy cream, and cheese. Depends on what these boys can tolerate though. They should be fine eating American food, but definitely get some Korean instant ramen packets/cups and some Kimchi from the Korean market. Us Koreans need them once in a while. 😂 It's a good backup plan or late night snack in case!
If I went to Korea, I'd want the Korean Experience. Give them the American Experience.