Dancing Queen in the Kitchen - Omo Rice

I don’t know how exactly to spin the lyrics of one of my all-time favorite songs, Abba’s Dancing Queen, into something for September's End of the Month Eggs on Toast Extravaganza, celebrity guest-hosted by Stephanie, the Happy Sorceress. All I can say is that Abba was pumping out of my stereo at volumes that are probably grounds for eviction in my building whilst I was doin' the hustle at the stove top. Hope that counts. And if not, what if I was wearing white knee-high go-go boots?! They were, uh, for halloween one year, I swear. LOL!

Well, now it's into October, and we’re long past the end of last month. Certainly le gran buffet of eggs has already been put together, but ah well, that’s what happens when it's friday night and the lights are low...

I am the dancing queen. :)

And this is Omo Rice, a Korean dish of fried rice covered by or wrapped in a thin egg omelette. Omo rice is comfort food, so it’s typically served at home. Or, when you're looking out for a place to go and end up at a Korean café, where they play the right music, you'll see omo rice on the menu, along with other typical k-café foods like kimchee dooboo, kimchee bok-keum bahp, and that very authentic Korean food, french fries. LOL! (Potato salad is on there, too, but that's a subject for another day.)

"Omo" refers to the omelette, which makes sense, but I really don't have any idea how the translation got so messed up. It’s a thin omelette seasoned with a dash of soy sauce, a dash of sesame oil, and sesame seeds. Usually, it’s simple fried rice with any assortment of vegetables under the omelette, but getting in the swing, I made spicy fried rice. Along with the soy sauce and sesame oil for seasoning, I added goh-choo-jahng, the same red pepper paste that is added to bibim-bahp. I need heat. You come in to look for a king.

Wait. Oops! Wrong place for that line ;)

The funny thing about omo rice and many of the cafe/bistro foods of other Asian cuisines is that they sometimes borrow the strangest, most un-Asian things from other cuisines. For example, I have friends and family members who put Spam and American cheese on their ramen. Spam doesn’t really count as un-Asian, but what about a slice of plastic-wrapped Kraft American cheese?! Omo rice doesn’t get as crazy as American cheese, but it is usually served with a giant glop of Heinz tomato ketchup right on top of the eggs. I don’t even like ketchup with French fries, so I left the ketchup off and chose kimchee as my condiment instead. :)

There are my eggs on rice (not quite toast, but this is Disco). Now I’m off to dance, jive, and have the time of my life...

*twirls out of kitchen with plate of omo rice over head*

You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life
See that girl, watch that scene, dig in the dancing queen

Friday night and the lights are low
Looking out for the place to go
Where they play the right music
Getting in the swing
You come in to look for a king

Anybody could be that guy
Night is young and the music’s high
With a bit of rock music, everything is fine
You’re in the mood for a dance

And when you get the chance...

You are the dancing queen, young and sweet, only seventeen
Dancing queen, feel the beat from the tambourine
You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life
See that girl, watch that scene, dig in the dancing queen

You’re a teaser, you turn ’em on
Leave them burning and then you’re gone
Looking out for another, anyone will do
You’re in the mood for a dance

And when you get the chance...

You are the dancing queen, young and sweet, only seventeen
Dancing queen, feel the beat from the tambourine
You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life
See that girl, watch that scene, dig in the dancing queen

tags :: food : and drink : cooking : korean : eotmeote : events