Customer Orders 40,000 Won Worth of Dakgalbi
Surprised by the Small Portion at a Glance
Self-Employed Struggles Continue Amid High Inflation
A customer's story about being shocked by the small portion after ordering 40,000 won worth of Dakgalbi has come to light.
The amount of dakgalbi sold for 40,000 won (serving for 2 people) at a dakgalbi restaurant in Suwon. [Photo by Online Community]
On the 15th, a post titled "How much do you think 2 servings of Dakgalbi cost?" was uploaded on an online community. As of 8 PM on the 16th, the post had recorded 3,100 views and 100 comments, becoming a major issue. The author, Mr. A, posted a photo of the ordered Dakgalbi, saying, "Prices have gone up, but I wonder if this price is correct."
Looking at the photo of the Dakgalbi posted by Mr. A, green onions, onions, perilla leaves, cabbage, sweet potatoes, carrots, and various types of rice cakes (sweet potato, cheese, wheat) are inside the pot, with Dakgalbi marinated in red seasoning placed in the center. Excluding the sauce, there are only three pieces of chicken. The portion looks insufficient at a glance.
Mr. A said, "I ordered 2 servings and paid 40,000 won including VAT," adding, "I held back from saying anything because I was afraid my words might upset the owner. Maybe I looked like a vegetarian." He expressed his frustration, saying, "I wonder if this portion matches the price," and "It's a Dakgalbi restaurant, but half of the meat was seasoning. It's really disappointing."
Netizens who read the story responded with comments such as, "At that amount, I would believe it was tteokbokki," "It's an amount a child could eat alone," "It looks more like stir-fried vegetables than Dakgalbi," "Is there even any chicken in the Dakgalbi? The red stuff seems to be all seasoning," "The portion looks too small," and "Paid 40,000 won and only ate seasoning." A netizen B, who introduced himself as a self-employed person running a Dakgalbi restaurant, explained, "These days, Dakgalbi restaurants seem to be the hardest hit," adding, "Cabbage prices are higher than chicken prices, and customers complain about the small portions. Because of this situation, many have closed their shops and want to reopen only when vegetable prices return to normal."
Meanwhile, the rise in cabbage prices is significant. The average wholesale price of cabbage was 18,923 won for 8 kg of top-grade cabbage at the beginning of this month, but on the 15th, it recorded 25,751 won. Agricultural product prices rose 20.5% last month, following a 20.9% increase the previous month, marking two consecutive months of over 20% growth. Apples (88.2%) and pears (87.8%) showed the largest price increases since January 1980 and January 1975, respectively. Amid the ongoing high prices of agricultural products and criticism that there is a lack of indicators for the public to gauge future price levels, experts predict that the high-price trend will continue for the time being.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
