During my return trip to Appleton, I've had a chance to visit some of my favorite restaurants here. It's been a tad disappointing so far, I'm afraid to say. Perhaps my standards have been elevated by Shanghai and its marvelous restaurants, or perhaps things are starting to slide here. Yesterday, for example, I met some friends at Koreana for lunch and had a dish I've enjoyed many times at many places, including once at Koreana. Bee Bihm Bapp, with rice and veggies and bean paste. The array of veggies was great, but the brown rice was dry and hard to chew. My Chinese friends also complained about it. The ingredients lacked flavor and even the egg was poorly done. I had the tofu version, and the tofu was some of the worst I've ever tasted. Just a real disappointment.

My wife had bulgolki and the meat was dry and not very tender. The other couple didn't seem impressed with their food, either. Too bad!