RESTAURANT OF THE WEEK Conquering fiery flavors at Seoul's Persian Palace
“This is really red,” I tell myself as I stare down at a plate of roasted chicken and rice. I have come to Persian Palace, located in a tight alley across from Sungkyunkwan University's Seoul campus, on a personal mission. I’m a spice lover, and I had been told that this place has a special spice mixture and that the spice scale runs from zero up to 3.5. I have ordered the 3.5, which is three times spicier than "nakji bokkeum" (stir-fried octopus). Shapour, the owner, brings me my meal. “Be careful, many Korean ajeossi cannot eat this,” he warns me. I look down. Nothing is more daunting than staring down a meal that you know will be painful. The pain later is almost a relief, for knowledge and experience can bring growth and personal victory. It’s the anticipation and the fretting of hands on how much it will hurt that is the real stress here. I dig in, with the optimism only a fool could harbor. I pick up the chicken thigh with a trembling hand and tuck in. I’m pleasantly surprised. For all the bluster and muster I do sometimes have about eating the “spiciest food” I c
Dec 16, 2024By Kevin Grabb
