The Hunt for the Golden Pig

Once upon a time, in a faraway land, five young hunters embarked on a long and perilous journey to find the elusive Golden Pig...
 
"So how do we get there?", I asked The Crazy Driver, after a successful harvest of peaches, plums, pickles, and peppers.

"I don't know, I only know it's somewhere in this area" replied The Crazy Driver, already munching on a sweet fruit of labor, "can anyone access Google Maps on their phone?"

Turns out, the Golden Hair One could access Google Maps from her Blackberry phone. I secretly wished that I could get a phone with GPS function one day, soon actually, as I will be taking my Driver's License road test in a few more days and will soon (cross your fingers) become a legal driver.

It also turns out, that one should not rely too much on technology. Even with explicit directions from Google Maps, we took the wrong turns, passed a side street and had to make a U-turn back, debated and argued with much gusto in The Crazy Driver's old yet loyal Honda Civic.

"I love the positive energy in this car!" I exclaimed with not so much as sarcasm but genuine excitement that we were on a road trip, with college friends, the way college is supposed to be like. And no road trip is complete without getting utterly lost, and without, of course, the ensuing argument of how to get back on track. The Evil Twin, the Golden Hair One, and the Lovely Sprite were all swiveling around in their seats, straining to spot the illusory road signs as we meandered through twisted and turning paths of rural/suburban Pennsylvania towns.

.......


Finally after 40 minutes, we finally arrived at the Golden Pig. It was a quaint little restaurant owned by a Korean family quite literally situated in the middle of nowhere (though according to the owner, we were only 20 minutes away from Pittsburgh city). The words "Authentic Korean Cuisine" was posted on the windows. A jingling bell on the door welcomed us as we stepped into the small yet homely restaurant. The restaurant was separated into an open kitchen where the owners could be seen bustling about preparing food, a bar facing the kitchen, and two small round tables with high bar stools placed near the windows.

We split up to sit at the two tables and perused the menu. Although the number of choices on the menu were very limited, all of the dishes seem to represent the most popular and traditional Korean dishes. I decided on the Buldak, a spicy marinated chicken dish "not for the faint of heart", while the Golden Hair One and the Evil Twin both decided to order the Bulgogi, most popular of the classic Korean dishes. The Crazy Driver, always the one for fancier foods, chose the Oh Jing Uh Bockeum (spicy squid). As a vegetarian, the Lovely Sprite did not have much to choose from, but in the end settled upon the Ramen Noodles, advertised as "Not the same old Ramen noodles you're used to!".

The food arrived in perfect Asian portions, served with a small side of glistening and fragrant Jasmine rice. My Buldak was spicy and slightly tangy and loaded my taste buds with intense flavors. The rice was the perfect consistency and texture. Although I am not a big white rice person, I devoured it all.  I tried my companion's dishes, and they were all equally lovely. At the end of our meal, The Golden Hair One asked for the check in perfect Korean, which delightfully startled the owner as she glanced up and realized who had spoken. We thanked her for the meal and exited the restaurant, taste buds and bellies satisfied, and we agreed it was worth the trouble to find the Golden Pig.

**Photo from Pittsburgh City Paper, taken by Heather Mull.