Today has been a catch-up day. I’ve prepped over 500 images from recent trips for submitting to my stock agency and compiled over 1200 photos to send in to the US Copyright office as part of my ongoing effort to keep my registrations current. Add to that the installation of various system and software updates and it’s just been one of those mind-numbing days that have to be endured.

While shuffling around all of these image files, I made a realization. I just happened to notice some photos that were dated exactly two years ago today from a trip I made to South Korea. Two years ago today, I had one of the best meals of my life. Happily, I had recorded it with my little Panasonic LX-1 — see the image above.

By March 30, 2006, we had been in Korea for 5 days and had eaten about every kind of dried and/or processed fish (and various sea-dwelling invertebrates), sprouts, leaves, and the always-present kimchi that you can imagine. Kimchi, I would say, is an acquired taste and our stay in Korea was not long enough for me to develop a full appreciation. By the time we reached this point in our trip I was ready for something a little more substantial.

We arrived in Daegu after a morning of Buddhist temple touring and walked into an all-too-familiar looking dining room in a small restaurant on an unassuming side street. Pale grass-cloth wallpaper, low tables with inset charcoal burners, and a hardwood floor with pillows in place of dining chairs. The tables were covered in small bowls of side dishes that included various sprouts, mushrooms, processed fish, pickled things, and — of course — kimchi. Pretty much the setup we’d come to expect by this point.

What came next was unexpected — at least to me. We were having a very special local Kalbi, or barbecue pork, marinated in herbs and spices. The meat was dropped onto the hot grills at the center of each table and the aroma began to hint at what was in store. The result was — as best as I can describe it — the best bacon you’ve ever tasted in your life. Thick, meaty chunks of herb-marinated bacon.

I’ll stop here because to describe it any further would be cruel. I’ll post part two of “memorable meals” tomorrow. It will describe the dinner I had the very next day. And it couldn’t have been more of a contrast…