Seoul Gastronome

A week in Barcelona

2014-02-17T19:42:00.001+09:00

Chicken, Catalan style from Els 4gats where Gaudi and Picasso used to hang out.
P.S Good food but terrible service.

I'm taking another long break from Korea and am traveling for the first time in Europe. First stop is (was) Barcelona, Spain.

I came to Barthelona with very little expectation and very little knowledge of what to see and eat. My only plans were to see Sagrada Familia, eat lots and lots of tapas and drink while eating. I've accomplished all of the three and more! I was traveling solo but met a few people on my second night at a tapas event. I had a great time and somehow found myself safely at my hostel a little after midnight. I almost never stay out late when traveling alone but I felt safe so I decided to do it. Drunk as we were (or maybe just me), we found our way to Plaça de Catalunya where we part ways. The girls tried to find a bus back to their hotel and I walked a block to get to my hostel.

I woke up the next morning with a nasty hangover (red wine will do that to you) but it was totally worth it. I slept in and later woke up to explore beautiful Barcelona some more.

One of the best things about Barcelona are the restaurants. They stay open very late which means taking a long siesta late afternoon still means you can have supper once you wake up. So, you won't have to run to the nearest fast food joint if you decide to get up at say.....9pm. GUILTY! (My hangover).

I ate, drank and saw so much. I was happy I chose Barcelona as my first stop in Europe. But to come and think of it, I made up my mind years ago when I got my William Sonoma cookbook (from my ex). One recipe which I use a lot and almost know by heart is the "Flam" recipe (it's basically flan). Of course when I brought up "flam" no one knew about it except for one girl. And that was fine with me.

I indulged so much in the food and drink that I was glad I traveled alone because what crazy person would run around searching the city JUST to eat? One food discovery that made my trip even better was the Food and Wine Festival which was held in front of the Barcelona Cathedral. It happened the last day I was there so I was able to enjoy it for a couple of hours before my flight to Toulouse.

I used those two hours (or more?) to consume as many tapas, free samples and cava my little body would allow me to (this is after I already had my brunch...see photo below).

My brunch with cava.

The day before my departure, I even had a chance to meet a friend who used to teach in South Korea. She is now living and teaching near Barcelona (oh, how I envy her). We had a beautiful paelle lunch with wine and headed to the National Museum for the free entry. Only, we made a quick but rather long stop at the beach where we saw a lovely young NUDE couple laying on the beach. We made it to the museum 15 minutes before they closed. I zipped through two parts of the museum to see some Renaissance art (my favorite) and something I can't remember now.

Food and Wine Festival. I was in heaven! Free samples too!

My absolute favorite thing that I saw was Casa Batlló . I didn't have time to go inside but the outside took my breath away so much that I am determined to return JUST to see that one day. The entire city is stunning to say the least. I couldn't have asked for a better experience in my first of seven countries in Europe.

-Ch

Follow me on Instagram for more Barcelona photos: ch_eng
Or stay tuned for more photos at Flickr at hellaOAKLAND

Café des Arts : Cheap French food in Seoul - Too little, too late

2014-02-11T10:21:00.002+09:00

Photo by HellaOAKLAND at Flickr

Located near Seoul Station on the 18th floor of an office building is a hidden French restaurant.

When I first heard about Café des Arts* I was skeptical. Only 33,000 won for a three course meal and wine? It seemed too cheap for French food. In addition to that, the location was rather strange. It's no where near Seorae Village or other foreign friendly areas. In fact, it's located on the same floor as a library in a quiet business building.

Since I discovered this place I've come at least once a month to enjoy the different menu - alone or with friends. Dining alone here isn't bad. It's never crowded, especially during lunch hours. The view is nice and the place is clean. Service is always great too.

Each month the restaurant creates a new seasonal menu which has been very different and has more than just one option. There seems to always be a light and heavy option which is very smart.

I can't say which is my favorite dish because I've loved every dish I've eaten there except the chicken cordon bleu but it's not the restaurant's fault. I for some odd reason detest this dish, this was my second attempt to like it but to no avail.

Duck Confit. Photo by hellaOAKLAND

For just 33,000 won I got a starter, entree, dessert and a glass of red. No where else in Korea or the USA can you get fine French food for this cheap! If you don't want wine, it's only 27,000 won. And remember service and tip are already included. The free bread and butter is addicting!

Sadly, I was looking up the map for this place and they closed!!! This blog is a little too late! I should have posted this entry last year. Oh well, the cafe has a sister French restaurant in Itaewon which is as good or better but a little pricier. I've never been there due to my busy schedule but they have great photos to go along with their menu. The place is called Le Saint-Ex. The restaurant's website isn't that foreigner friendly so you might want to check out the reviews on Trip Advisor.

I'll post two more blogs in the next few days on French food in Seoul, Korea. So, come back soon! Until then bon appétit!

salmon. Photo by hellaOAKLAND at Flickr

Petra in Itaewon - Fine Middle Eastern food

2014-02-09T07:14:00.000+09:00

Hidden on top of the hills in Itaewon towards Noksapyeong Station is Petra, one of the best Middle Eastern restaurant in my opinion.

All the dishes we got were really delicious, except for the falafels. It was a little too dry for my taste. I think Marrakech, which is close to the Taco Bell near Itaewon Station, has better falafels. Middle Eastern food is a little pricey in Seoul because it's not as available as Italian food so except to pay a little more than the usual. The food is worth the extra few dollars(won).

Here are some of the photos I took at Petra. The menu has photos to help guide you. I suggest doing it family style so you can try more than one dish. The more people you have the better.

For directions and a little more information on Petra go here

Petra Restaurant (페트라 아랍 식당)
552 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul (서울시 용산구 이태원동 552)
02-790-443

*More blogs coming soon.

Shakshuka for Brunch

2013-07-10T16:29:00.000+09:00

My friend Hanh is the best cook and baker I know. She makes amazing food and what's more impressive is that she's self-taught.

Recently, she made an incredibly delicious brunch for the two of us. Looking at her spread, you'd think that she's making brunch for 4, but nope, it's just for the two of us. I love to eat and she loves to cook more than I love to eat. So, she cooked, we ate and I washed dishes.

One of the dishes I fell in love with is a dish called Shakshuka. It's a very simple but delicious vegetarian dish said to have originated from Africa. It's so good you'll forget that it's vegetarian. (I'm a big meat eater).

I love trying new recipes but my busy social schedule prevents me from doing so.

After each meal I have from Hanh, I'd ask her for the recipe but I never get around to using it. But this time, I did. And I'm happy I did. The dish is very easy to make. You can also make the sauce a day in advanced so you can entertain your guests and instead of making everything on the same day. Just scoop the sauce into a baking dish, add the egg and let it bake for about 15 minutes. Simple, but delicious. I've made it twice and each time my friends loved it and have asked for the recipe.

Here I am sharing this Shakshuka recipe with you. Yes, I love it that much.
Tip: If you don't have caraway seeds, just use fennel seeds. I used large cherry tomatoes- blanched and peeled.

The photo below was my attempt to make Shakshuka. It was delicious but it didn't look as pretty. I forgot to make an indentation. And I may have baked it for too long...or maybe I shouldn't have the top heat on. I need to test it out again. =)

For more of my photos, go to: hellaOAKLAND on Flickr

"Shakshouka means "a mixture" in Arabic slang. In Hebrew, it means "all mixed up."^[3] According to a cookbook about Jerusalem cuisine, the name is derived from the Hebrew verb leshakshek, "to shake." " - Wikipedia.

English Afternoon Tea at Park Hyatt in Seoul

2013-05-09T09:55:00.000+09:00

Nothing is more wonderful to me than to end my weekend with good girlfriends.

Initially, I had plan on setting up our afternoon tea at Shilla Hotel but due to renovations (they don't open until August 1, 2013) I settled for afternoon at Park Hyatt in Gangnam.

This was my first time having "high tea" but I knew it wasn't the best. The tea didn't seem top grade and the pastries were boring. Yes, the flavors were different (grapefruit, rose, hazel nut, chocolate, lemon custard) but I would have preferred these flavors in a different pastry type - chocolate cheesecake, rose cream cheese muffin, hazel nut tart, lemon custard fruit tart, etc. Overall, the puff pastries were a little too sweet. The breading from the puffs didn't do much to help the over bearing sweetness.

To me, the pastry chef went the lazy route: made some mediocre puffs, filled them with different flavors and added some decorations. The sandwiches were okay. The egg sandwich was what I excepted but the tuna sandwich was a little awful (the bread was stall). The strawberries weren't the best but the fresh cream was good, but I think anyone could have made the fresh cream.

The madeleines were disappointing. They weren't moist and the exterior was a little crunchy. Had it not been a madeleine, I would have been okay with the texture but I love my madeleines super moist and falling apart in my mouth not on my plate. Freshly baked ones are even better.

The view from the table was exceptional but I didn't like that the view of the elevator was in plain sight. I think a partition would have helped create a more intimate feel. I did however enjoy the swimming pool next to The Lounge.

For 33,000 won, we didn't finish our pastries which wasn't much. Worth a try if you can't find another high tea place =)

Fortunately, I don't think high tea is always like this at the Park Hyatt. I saw an old photo that displayed a more traditional high tea spread. I might return again if they go back to what they used to serve.

The Lounge
English Afternoon Tea Set: Daily, 2:30 pm – 5:30 pm
Price: 33,000 won/person
Number: 2 2016 1205~6

For more photos go to HellaOAKLAND/Seoul Gastronome

Take Out Drawing cafe in Seoul

2013-02-06T09:41:00.004+09:00

Like most cafes in Seoul, this cafe is one of a kind. It's huge window, bare minimal concrete walls and and glass front makes for a very unique cafe. But it's the cafe's popular drink, Paul's Meringue Factory espresso, that pulls people in. Who's Paul? I have no idea. But the drink (the meringue) is pretty and the espresso that comes underneath the meringue is quite good too.

The cost for this lavish drink will cost you 7,500 won. It's a little more pricey than most cafes but it's worth at least a visit just so you can Instagram your drink. =)

It was really busy when I was there, we were lucky we were able to find a table.
My friend went on his own and they ran out of the drinks. I'm not sure what that was all about. I was told that while he was still at the cafe they made more drinks, he tried ordering again and they ran out again. I think they just didn't like him (kidding).

Here's the link to the cafe: Takeout Drawing Cafe
Phone: 02-797-3139

Directions: (This is the long way (it's closer to Hannam Station), but this was how I got there).
Take exit 3 at Itaewon Station, go straight for about 10 minutes. It's on your right, you can't miss it (English teachers know this joke). If you get to the Hannam Station you went too far.

For more photos go to my flickr page: hellaOAKLAND

Braai Republic in Itaewon

2013-02-05T16:03:00.002+09:00

Hidden in the alley on the second floor behind McDonalds in Itaewon is a cozy bar called, "Braai Republic" which is owned and operated by a very nice South African. The bar serves South African food and drinks. What is South African food, you might ask? It's "braai" or what we Americans call bbq.

Braai is delicious meat grilled over a flame to perfection.

In addition to the delicious meat, this place also serves a heavenly cheese cake that's too good to pass up. Tip: don't share the cheese cake, you'll regret it. You can also take a piece to go if you're too full.

And there's also biltong which is synonymous with South Africa. You can't go to a South African eatery and not order biltong at least once.

I've heard so much bad press about biltong but it's not bad! I like it, but probably because I LOVE beef jerky and meat in general. Biltong is slightly different than beef jerky -- it doesn't jerk back when you tug on it (ok, that was my bad attempt at a joke). The texture is a little moist giving me the impression that it's been hung dried for a short period of time.

I recommend you have biltong when you're drinking your cider. In my opinion, Savannh Cider goes well with the biltong. Hunter's was a little bland for my taste.

My South African friend said the biltong we had was not as wet as it should be but still, it was the perfect snack before our meal.

The meat platter is a good buy but bangers aren't quite a South African thing. I'll just go for the lamb chop with spinach and potatoes.

The chicken lemon pie was great too! It was prepared after we ordered it so it was fresh! If you're starving don't order this as it'll take awhile to come out.

Braai Republic is small and it wasn't that crowded when I was there, which was from 7:30 to about 9pm. But this place can get really crowded and the owner has had to turn away customers. You might have to reach deep into your pockets for a nice meal here but it's well worth it. Be careful though, we almost had to pay 10,000 won extra (mistake by the girl who took our money). I figured 100 was way too much for several glasses of wine, the meat platter, extra lamb chop, garlic bread, two Savannas, biltong and a Hunter's Cider.

Directions: Itaewon Station, Exit 4. Go straight. Turn left before McDonalds. Go straight until you seen Braai Republic on your left (it's on the second floor). Call them if you get lost, they all speak English.

UPDATE September 17, 2013: Tuesday is ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT lamb chops! For only 15,000 won (cash). I was sad to find this out too late =( Check with them before going. Enjoy!

For more of my photos of other dishes (lemon chicken pie). Go to my flickr page.

hellaOAKLAND

63-4 Itaewon1-dong, Yongsan-gu 서울특별시 용산구 이태원1동 63-4
Phone: 070-8879-1967

A Croissant That's Drool Worthy : The Old Croissant Factory in Hongdae, Seoul

2012-02-04T12:41:00.001+09:00

The Old Croissant Factory

After hearing about a café where the croissant is better than the ones in France I was determined to find the café and meet the person who makes them.

After researching the internet on Naver I saw a map and figured it’s very close to the Coffee Prince Café. I ventured my way up to Hongdae on a cold winter night only to walk around in circles for 10 minutes.

The café is hidden inside an alley and if you don’t look hard enough you will miss it.

But my mistake was that I didn’t walk far enough. I thought I knew Hongdae pretty well, I guess I don’t.

I finally found the place. Went into it and found myself in a lovely café that felt like home. I bought a plain croissant and a chocolate covered croissant and devoured both of them on the spot. I didn’t bother to order any drinks as it was already expensive to buy the two croissants (over 3,000 each). I had fulfilled my croissant desire and my curiosity of having possibly the best croissant in the world, but then I found out from my French friend, who told me about the place, that I had over looked the best croissant in the café. The croissant isn’t shaped like a crescent, it’s shaped like a muffin. (I’m not a muffin person).

I was determined to go back for a croissant drizzled with caramel sauce and topped with candied nut, but after two unsuccessful attempts I was beginning to think that it’s just not meant to be. (The croissants I wanted were out and it was closed the second time). But I was still determined to get my hands on a muffin croissant. I’m not the type to give up that easily if I want something.

But the last time I finally went to The Old Croissant Factory, I told myself that I vowed never to come back to the café if it were closed. Now, that was just a lie I made in my head in the hopes that it would be open. (I sometimes do this when I run/jog too…I tell myself, “Okay, you can stop after 5k” but I push myself a little more).

To my relief the café was opened! And there were four caramel muffin croissants! I bought not one but three muffin croissants! And ordered a large cup of cappuccino. I ate one and gave the others to my French friend(she was making dinner for us/me and it was the least I could do). I’m very sensitive to caffeine and sugar so the large cappuccino and sugary croissant got me shaking for awhile. It was well worth it though. =)

Phone: 02-337-3636
Location: Map-po Gu, Seogyo-Dong, 327-44 1F
Operation Hours: 10 -10pm (I'm not 100% sure about the open time, but closing time is 10pm for sure).

For more photos please go to my flickr page : The Old Croissant Factory Set on Flickr

El Bliss in Hongdae

2012-01-12T02:07:00.004+09:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

If you're looking for a chic lounge that's not too big or crowded in Hongdae, El Bliss is the perfect place. Not only is the ambiance fabulous for drinks with friends or a small birthday gathering, the food is also really good.

For my 32nd birthday I booked a table for ten at 6pm but didn't show up until 7pm. I felt horrible, but it wasn't entirely my fault. Despite me being fashionable late to my own soiree, we all had a great time.

The food was good as I had done my research (ate there a few days prior) before my birthday dinner (Agio was the alternative). I'd say the vongole is a little better at Agio but El Bliss is classier and modern. Agio is more of a casual and rustic place—a perfect place for a Sunday afternoon lunch outdoor.

The entrees at El Bliss start at 16,000 won. Both the vongole and carbonara were 16,000 won. The appetizer (smoked salmon bruschetta) was 9,000 won. The pasta dishes were good, especially the cream for the carbonara, it wasn't watery like most Korean Italian establishments in Korea. The smoked salmon bruschetta was a little disappointing. I couldn’t really taste the smoked salmon and the bread wasn’t good.

I didn't order the asparagus and shrimp, but I had a taste of asparagus and it was cooked to perfection! It wasn't overcooked or undercooked, which is easy to do sometimes.

As a birthday treat EL Bliss didn’t give me a cute dessert- I was given me a glass of brandy which was on fire. Sadly, I didn't get to see it get set on fire as I was busy trying to record it. The brandy was nice, it was a manly drink but had a sweet aftertaste. (I have to go back for that drink). A few sips gave me a pretty good birthday buzz. =)

Everyone liked the place and the food so I was very happy. It was a beautiful night. =) We all had a great time, especially me! The gifts were great but the cards were even better, especially the one from a friend who's helped me a lot through some hard times last year. I got a little emotional reading her card so I couldn't finish reading the card. =)

(In case my friends are reading this – THANK YOU for a wonderful birthday celebration. It was the best).

I'd go back to El Bliss, hopefully soon!

~Happy Eating!

Directions:

Grean Line (Line 2), Hongdae Station, Exit 9. Go straight. Turn left at the light. When you get to the 2nd light, you'll be at the front gate of Hong Ik Uni. Turn right. Go until you see 711 on your right. Turn right and walk about 100 meters. El Bliss is on your right.

Number: 02-326-2599

“Dine With Me” Meet Up in Seoul, Korea

2011-10-10T21:58:00.002+09:00

Meets Ups are a great way to meet new people with the same interest as you. Being newly single at the time it gave me the opportunity to reach out into a community I wouldn’t have done otherwise. I first discovered MeetUp.com when I was searching for the number a of French restaurant, La Celtique in Sinchon.

I saw several Meet Up groups in Seoul, but nothing really struck my interest until I came across “Dine With Me” which was promoting a French Cooking class for 35,000 won.* The meetup organizer said participants would be making beouf Bourginoun, crepe, and quiche. I couldn’t pass it up so I signed up. I felt a little awkward going by myself but it turned out to be an uplifting experience for me.

The people I met there were unbelievably kind and sincere. Two people offered me a place to stay for the night if I needed it. I was very touched. The host (the person teaching the class is French and is also the wife of a French chef) gave me some life advice and was also so genuinely welcoming and warm to me and the rest of the guests. The host was so kind, she made beautiful cupcakes for everyone to take home. I took home two.

When we got there all of the preparation was done. The beef cut, the dough already made, etc.

All we had to do was drink wine, listen to the instructions and participate if we wanted to. I helped with patting dry the beef before the host sealed in the moisture of the meat by searing it.

We each had a chance to roll out our dough for the quiche and line our own pans. I thought I did a good job so I wanted to make sure I ate my own quiche. In the end I don’t know if I did but it was fun trying to figure out which quiche was mine.

For dessert we made crepe. The caramel sauce was the best part, but unfortunately and fortunately we didn’t make it. We watched the host make the sauce. (I helped a little).

The best part of the Meet Up besides the wonderful people is that you don’t have to committee to anything. You can attend one event and never go back or go back months after and it still feels like “home.” I know because I’ve only attended two events.** Maybe I’m just speaking for the “Dine With Me” meet up group, but I’m pretty sure all of the groups are very similar. The people are genuinely good people who are also interested in meeting others like them- in this case it’s people who love to eat good food. Consuming good food with others who are as enthusiastic as you about food makes the food taste even better.

The spots to join the classes are limited to 10 or 12 people. Classes cost 25,000 to 35,000 won. Sometimes the organizer cooks and you go eat and learn about the food. If you're interested in joining or learning more about the group, please leave me a comment with your email address or send me an email.

getting instructions on rolling the quiche dough

*Some of you might think that 35,000 is pricey, but you have to count in the time Rachelle (she’s the organizer) puts into shopping and prepping for the class/meetup. It’s hard work! And don’t forget she does the cleaning too! (I’ve been thinking about doing a tiny version in my town but I’m not sure if I can handle all the pressure).

** I’ve attended three meet ups as of October 10, 2011 (the last one was yesterday). The next one is October 23^rd, Macarons!!!! I’m EXCITED, especially because the same person who hosted the French class will be teaching the baking class. Stay tuned for more photos. (As of today, I’ll be posting 2 blogs a month or at least one).

I was never a quiche person....this quiche has changed my mind about eating quiche.
Quiche with bacon and lots of cheese.

BEAUTIFUL cupcakes from H (the host). Carrot cupcake.
The most delicious carrot cupcake. I loved that the carrots had texture (not too soft).

Peking Duck in Seoul

2011-07-16T01:40:00.002+09:00

If you’re too afraid or just don't have the time to go to Beijing for Peking duck, Mong Jung Heon in Seoul is the closest thing to getting authentic Peking duck. Before dining at the restaurant, you must place your order a day or two ahead. Be warn, it's not cheap but it's well worth the money. One order of Peking duck can feed two hungry people. At first sight you might think that there isn't enough food but don't worry, after you eat the skin (the Peking duck), the meat of the duck will be served to you.

The Peking duck was served with thin rice paper, thinly sliced cucumber and scallions and a delicious black sauce, which I think was hoisin sauce or something similar. It was so delicious we couldn't help stuffing ourselves. The cucumber added a nice texture to the wraps (that's what I'm calling them). The skin was so thin and crispy, it was hard to believe that it wasn't burnt, overcooked or chewy. The skin had a sweet taste to it and with the sauce it tasted even better.

We also ordered some vegetable (chive) dumplings which were by far the best dumplings I've ever had, even better than the one star Michelin Star restaurant I went to in Hong Kong. =) (Yes, that good). I didn't think that dumplings with just vegetables would be good but I was proven wrong. The texture was perfect and the flavor was very nice. I could tell that the ingredients were fresh and that the dumplings were freshly made. It wasn't soggy on the outside like most steamed dim sum.

The ambience reminded of a museum and a Zen garden. We had our own private room with a curtain. Jasmine tea was unlimited. This place is known for its congee too but I didn't have any room for it. I bet it's delicious.

Mong Jung Heon - Dim Sum and Congee
Seoul, Jong Ro- Gu, Hwa Dong
Tel: 02-730-2051
Hours: 11:30am-10:00pm

Photo by HellaOAKLAND. For more photos from Mong Jung Heon in Seoul click here.

Hong Kong. It's been a long time

2011-06-04T13:08:00.002+09:00

It's been a long time since I last blogged. I've been busy, life's been hard and I also forgot my password!
Those are a few of my reasons....excuses. =)

I'm glad to see even though I haven't been blogging that people have found my blog useful or at least I think it's useful since they've found it in search engines.

I miss typing about food in a space where people might or might not read my blog. I often wonder who reads my blog and if I have any followers. I haven't been blogging much so I don't think I have many but I hope that'll change. =) (Yay! And thank you to the 4 people who have already subscribed to my blog).

Where do I start?

I know that this blog is called, "Seoul Gastronome" but I'd like to occassionally throw in a few restaurants from another city or country.

That being said.....

Let's start with Hong Kong.

I first booked my ticket to Hong Kong because my work visa expired and I was waiting for my employer to get a budget approval so they could re-hire me. Later, it was a much needed trip to to find myself and to escape from Seoul.

I had the splendid idea of inviting my sister to meet me there. Despite one not so great night, my sister and I had a great time together, especially because she's a big foodie. We ate at many places but a few places stuck out.

We had a very interesting experience that we'll never forget at Lin Heung Tea House. I've never had to fight for a seat just to sit at a table with strangers. The strangers turned out to be a very nice old couple. The food was very good too but it was the experience that made the place unique.

We had wanted to dine at a 4 Star Michelin restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel, but failed to get a table since I didn't make reservations (Oh, the joy of being young!). Had we tried to make a reservation then, it would've taken 2 weeks to get a table. So, we opted for the second best dim sum restaurant in Hong Kong, a 1 Star Michelin restaurant called Tim Ho Wan. Tim Ho Wan is by far the cheapest Michelin Star restaurant in the world! For only 170 HKD we ate our fill. We wanted to try everything but unfortunately we were only able to try 13 dishes. The BBQ pork buns are extraordinary. I almost wanted to place a second order but felt that we were already eating too much. (Our table neighbors were already starring after our 8th order came). In the end we had some left overs. =) This is a MUST go to restaurant and the BBQ pork buns are a must order!

A stop on Cheung Chau Island was the highlight of the trip. The seafood and the perserved duck eggs were incredible. Not only was the food delicious, it was also very cheap! My favorite dish was the spicy shrimp.

My sister and I had street food, freshly made coconut juice, snake soup. We ate and drank under the stars. This is by far the most relaxing trip I've taken. No museums, no unnecessary long walks, and no getting lost.

I went to Hong Kong for a culinary adventure but during my trip I found some inner peace at Wong Tai Sin Temple.

I'll always look back at Hong Kong with fond memories. Thank you Hong Kong! You were awesome to me! =)

For more photos and info. on this Hong Kong trip, go to Hong Kong - by hellaOAKLAND on Flickr

Sushi Hyo

2011-03-09T22:46:00.002+09:00

It's been awhile since my last blog. A LOT has changed in the last 2 months. But one thing hasn't changed is my love for good food.

Some of you have probably wondered about the sushi photo in the background.

It's a photo that I took at a sushi restaurant in Gangnam called Sushi Hyo. I went there in 2007 when I first got to Korea. It was and is the best sushi I've ever had.

My first time there was very memorable. We sat at the bar. We were treated very well. We learned about the bar table, the chef and the names of each sushi. Of course I don't remember much. I only remember that the bar table was made of one single tree and that it was very expensive. Now, I don't know much about trees, but I've taken two woodshop classes to know that a lot of work was put into making that piece of wood feel like satin.

Out first time there we were treated to this white delicacy. It was good. Later, I was told it was milt. Maybe I enjoyed it more than since I didn't know what it was. But than again, I've always been able to enjoy more much adventurous things than most people.

Each year after that I went to Sushi Hyo to eat the "to die for" fatty tuna (toro). My favorite is the one that's torched and sprinkled with sea salt (aburi toro). After eating the aburi toro my first time there, I dreamt about the piece of fish for many nights. I would have gone back sooner but it's a little expensive. It cost about 50-75,000 per person depending on how much you eat.

If you love sushi, you must try this place. Save your money and try it at least once. Sit at the bar and tell the chef to serve you anything. You won't regret it. Whatever you do please don't ask for a "California Roll" !!! I was once there with a party of 4 and this American asked for that! I was so embarrassed-- to say the least. Good thing that was the first and last time I saw that guy.

Here's the link to my flickr page with the directions and more photos and details about each piece of sushi. Yum. I'm a little hungry thinking about it.

SUSHI HYO

In my opinion Sushi Hyo is one of the best restaurants in Korea.

For directions please click on the picture of the building. BTW, there's one near the U.S Embassy now.

Here's the picture I had as my background.

La Paella in Hongdae - Birthday lunch

2011-01-19T17:47:00.016+09:00

28,400 won

2011 has arrived so quickly that I'm still trying to finish things that I had to finish in 2010. Unfortunately, I have a backlog of things I need to do for 2011 too! One of them is to blog about La Paella in Hongdae.

To be honest, it would have taken me longer to blog about La Paella if I didn't get a comment on flickr from SeoulEats about using my photos for their blog. I thought I blogged about it, but I guess I forgot.

Anyway, back to La Paella.

I heard about La Paella on NYE. On New Years Day...(unfortunately and fortunately also my birthday) We went to La Dinette for some coffee but it was closed. So, we walked over to Hongdae for lunch. I didn't want Italian because we always have Italian in Hongdae (Agio). I wanted to try something new. I heard that there was a Spanish restaurant near Tony's Greek.. so I set out to find it. It was hard to find because it was right under my nose.

We walked around for about 10 minutes trying to find La Paella. At the time we didn't even know the name of the restaurant but we knew it was near Tony's Greek. One thing that helped us find La Paella was the fact that D mentioned the sign was yellow. It was still a little hard to find because La Paella is located on the second floor and the yellow sign is tiny, but we found it.

Service was good. We walked in and got seated right away. The place is tiny, there were about 6 people there. The atmosphere is warm and inviting. We choose a window seat (better lighting). From the window we could see Tony's Greek. As a matter of fact, if I didn't know any better the two places are owned by the same people. The menus were similar in that they both had suns next to their specialty dishes. And they both have sangrias. I'm kidding about the sangria, but I'm serious about the menu.

I forgot what we had planned to order, but they didn't have the appetizer that we wanted to order. I think we wanted to order the sample appetizer but we ended up ordering jamon serrano (dry-cured ham, known as prosciutto in Italian) instead. The ham was delicious; it came with micro greens that were drizzled with a balsamic vinegar reduction. There was also a hint of olive oil on the thinly sliced ham.

11,800 won

We also ordered croquetas. To my surprise the croqueta de granja were delicious. I was expecting them to be bland and oily but they weren't. The dipping sauce made it even better. I even used some of the balsamic vinegar reduction as a sauce. They went well together. (Mmmmm, I can't wait to take my friend there next week for her birthday).

For our main course we ordered the combination paella (seafood and chicken). It was our first time having paella in Korea and we wanted to cover all our grounds. The paella was delicious. It's the best paella I've ever had, but it was expensive. Now, I know I'm American and I always want everything big, but for 24,000 won I wanted at least 10% more rice. The menu is misleading if you don't understand Korean. The price said 14,000 won, but that's actually per person. This is a common practice at some/most restaurants in Korea. It is uncommon for Koreans to dine alone in public. (That's my theory). There was so little food in the pan that we almost scraped the pan...or did we? It was that good and yes, we were that hungry too.

I didn't have any complaints about the food but my sister (who probably knows more about food than me) said that it would've been better if they had used tentacles too. Tentacles or not, the food was delicious. If you want something besides Italian food in Hongdae, you should make a stop at La Paella. For directions see the entry for Tony's Greek or see below.

Thanks for stopping by!

Location: Seoul, Mapo-Gu (near Hongik University),
Sugyo-Dong 345-3 2nd floor
Telephone: 02-322-8870

6,400 won

Directions:

Take line 2 (the Green Line) to the Hongdae (Hong Ik University) Station. Take exit 5 (the one near KFC) and make a left. Go up the street. Don't make any sharp turns, just try to follow the road. "Lens Story" should be on your right.* You will see "Shooters" (or Shooters and Cock/s?) on your left. La Paella is on your right, on the second floor.

*Lens Story is new and I'm not sure how long it'll be there. I'll try to find another establishment to refer to next week.

51,000 won for everything above. A little expensive but it's different and it's good for a special occassion dinner/lunch.

Cocao Boom - Belgian chocolate

2011-01-07T13:07:00.003+09:00

After dinner at Tony's Greek we went for hot chocolate at Cocaoboom. It's not your ordinary hot chocolate. The hot chocolate is called, "Devil's Hot Chocolate."

The hot chocolate at Cocaoboom is made with real chocoalte -Belgian chocolate and it comes in an espresso mug. The size is perfect because the chocolate is really thick - it's melted semi-sweetened chocolate. The chocolate is so thick you can almost peel off the top layer. I can't fully explain the experience, I'd say it's similar to licking melted chocolate...only you're drinking it and it's a lot. It's an experience all chocolate lovers should have, and hot chocolate lovers too. The hot chocolate came with a piece of chocolate. Just remember not to burn yourself. Drinking the hot chocolate can get a little messy so be careful.

Cocaoboom is small like your usual cafe. It seats about 20 people max. They also make chocolates there. They have classes there too, but everything is in Korean so you should probably learn some Korean before taking the class.

The chocolates look delicious but are a little expensive. The hot chocolate was only 5,500 won. It's a good price given that a good cup of hot chocolate cost around 5,000 won and plus you get a piece of chocolate candy.

When entering remember to slide the door, don't push. We saw several people trying to push the door. (Just a tip incase you're taking a date there).

Tip: DON'T go to Cocaoboom to get a mug of Americano. Order the hot chocolate! It's different and it taste good!

The place is a little hard to find. I can't give you directions but here's the number to the place and the cafe's website.

02-3141-4663

http://www.cacaoboom.com/

For more photos click on the entry blog title.

UPDATE: Another Cocaoboom is opening in Samcheong-Dong. How exciting is that!!! February 6, 2013.

Tony's Greek restaurant in Hongdae, Seoul HAS BEEN closed

2011-01-07T00:19:00.007+09:00

Update:
March 4, 2013.

I tried to dine here with my girlfriends on Friday and discovered that the space has been converted to a burger joint. I should have asked what happened to Tony's Greek but didn't.

*****

On NYE we went to Tony's Greek for my early birthday dinner. This place is small, it seats about 20 to 30 people. But we got seated right away.

Between the four of us we ordered the grilled kalamari (my favorite), fried kalamari, chicken gyros, pork gyros, emambaldi, moussaka(similar to cottage pie), Greek salad and two orders of dolmades. I also had a Sangria. Some of the entrees and apppetizers came with a small portion of Greek salad and chips. The food tasted great. It was the best Greek food I've ever had. The friend, who recommended the restaurant, said it's better than the food he had in Greece. (My favorite thing was the tzatziki dip).

The service was great too especially being that it was New Years Eve. The place was packed but everything came in a timely order.

The appetizers are around 5,000 to 8,500 won. The entrees are 14,000 to 19,000 won. Everything cost a little under 100,000 won, which was less than half of what I was planning on spending on everyone. (Yes, it was my birthday but I paid. It's a Korean custom. I don't normally follow Korean customs but for birthdays I don't mind).

Getting to the restaurant is really easy. Take line 2 (the Green Line) to the Hongdae (Hong Ik University) Station. Take exit 5 (the one near KFC) and make a left. Go up the street. Don't make any sharp turns, just try to follow the road. "Lens Story" should be on your right.* Go past "Shooters" (or was it Shooters and Cocks?). Shooters is on your left (it's a bar with really expensive but good lemonade). Go a few more feet and Tony's Greek is on the second floor on your left. It's above a cute shoe store called, "French, New York Sole."

Update:

Unfortunately, the service was bad when I went back for lunch on a weekday. The place was half-empty, I don't know what the problem was. The entrees didn't come out the same time and instead of 5 dolmades we got only 3. If I knew Korean I would have said something to the waiter, but I don’t. I would go back to Tony's Greek but only for dinner or a weekend lunch. I think they have more people working there for dinner so the service and the food is better (a few pieces of my chicken gyros was extremely overcooked - too crunchy to chew).

If you go to Tony's Greek I would recommend ordering the dolmades, grilled kalamai, moussake and chicken gyros. NEVER order the avgolemono soup. For 5,500 you get something too simple and too little - you get about 4 spoonfuls of soup. I can't remember if they have dessert. Maybe not?

* I'm not sure how long Lens Story will be there.

Location: Mapo-Gu, Sugyo Dong 346-51 floor 2

Phone: 02-324-8871

Teacher Dinner and Semi-live octopus

2010-12-24T07:28:00.003+09:00

My school rarely have teacher dinners. I think this semester we had a total of three. And of the three, two took place this month. I was fine with two dinners but some of the teachers were wondering "why" we had to have two dinners. They were both only one week apart.

The second dinner wasn't exciting. We just ate pork ribs. The parents treated us. I'm not sure which parents but I recognized the head of the mom's committee. She's also the same woman who got us the bouquet of flowers for teaching the Genius Science Class this past summer. For some reason some teachers didn't feel comfortable accepting the "thank you" dinner or whatever dinner it was. I wonder if it's because they think it's a bribe. I understand that in the past there have been a lot of bribing in the Korean schools in Korea, but come on teachers! It's not a bribe! Please think and figure it out. It's just a "thank you" for teaching their kids. At least that's what I think. Bribe or no bribe the pricipal said the teachers had to go to the dinner and so they went.

On a side note, one teacher asked me "why" when I told her that a teacher I knew in the U.S got a $50 gift card from her students' parents for "teacher apprecition week." (The other teachers also got gift cards). She seemed to think it was wrong. Good thing I didn't tell her that the group of U.S teachers also got served a nice breakfast every morning for a week! Ahahaha. I tell y'all.

Anyway...back to the dinner. The first dinner of this month was pretty interesting- we went out for seafood. I finally had another chance to eat some semi-live octopus. There was another seafood item that was somewhat alive(I introduced them later - see video on flickr). I'm not sure what it was but I think it was a sea slug. It was hard getting the pieces of octopus from the plate because they were moving and sucking the plate. I was a little scared at first even though I've eaten it before but after the first piece I was fine. After you put the octopus in your mouth and chew it dies.

everything was raw seafood except for the sweet potatoes (the purple stuff)

I hope you enjoy the photos and videos. =) For more photos and awesome videos please click on the pictures or the title of the entry.

Have a Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! Happy Boxing Day! Happy Kwanzaa (as a kid I celebated this once at school, but never Hanukkah...maybe because there were no Jewish kids at my school).
Happy holidays!!!

Stay warm and hope you all have a wonderful time with your family and friends or if you're by yourself-- may you enjoy your time alone. =)

P.S Can't wait to open the two gifts I got from my students even though I already know what they are. Ahahaha.

That's not me laughing. =)

German Traditional Christmas Market in Seoul, Korea

2010-12-18T12:24:00.002+09:00

my favorite of the 4

I was surprised to find out that there was a German Traditional Christmas Market in Seoul, Korea. I was even more surprised when I exited the subway station to find that the market was right next to the exit. I was also surprised that it was tiny ! I was expecting at least 5 blocks! But it was just one tiny corner. Yes, a corner. Tiny or big, it met all of my food and drinks expectations. I enjoyed some delicious homemade traditional German sausages, goulash, hot wine, waffle and some Krombacher beer. I even got a sample of what looked like a fruit cake. It was my first time eating goulash and German sausages.

Everything I ate and drank was really good. I especially loved the hot wine(my first time too!). I loved that it was warm, it's perfect for the freezing weather in Korea! I also loved the sweetness and the spices they put in the wine. The soup was good too, but for 5,000 won I would have liked more soup please.

During my one hour at the German Traditional Christmas Market I consumed 2 cups of hot wine (I would have liked 1 more), 1 cup of beer, some sausages (we shared 3 types - 4 flavors), soup, and some waffles. I really need to fine a recipe for the hot wine -- I like sweet drinks. =)

I'd go again next year. Can't wait.

Btw, the guy who made the sausages owns a restaurant in Itaewon. My friends tried to explain where it was but I'm not that fimilar with Itaewon so I had no idea what they were talking about. All I remember was something about Gecko and Hamilton Hotel.

Maybe I'll try to find it this Christmas break.

Happy Holidays!

Vegetable Samosas- My first attempt

2010-12-13T15:07:00.005+09:00

Ganga in Gangnam, Seoul (basement of the Samsung Headquarters).

Samosas are one of our favorite Indian dishes/snack. Every time my boyfriend and I eat at an Indian restaurant we have to order samosas. We like to compare them to other Indian restaurants. I think we base our like and dislike of the restaurant somewhat on the samosas (and vindaloo). So far the samosas we've had in Seoul have not been memorable. Well, except for the samosas at Ganga, but Ganga doesn't count because they are SUPER expensive for Indian food. I've eaten there 3 times. We were treated twice by M's cousin. And we took M's student and my sister there this summer. I surprised at how much it cost us but being that it was M's student's first time eating Indian food we wanted her to experience the best. We spent about or over 200,000 won for 4 people - with that much money we could have eat at Sushi Hyo instead (which is just a block away from Ganga).

M ordered 6 different kinds of naan but we only got 5. Too bad we didn't, or I didn't, know about it until after we had left. We ordered so much food that we had a lot of left-overs (the left overs were put in a nice expensive looking paperbag). We insisted that M's student take the left-overs home to her family. (We found out later that her parents weren't into it but her brother loved it. Goody!). The food was good, but when my sister (N) ate there she was saying that it's not 100% authentic (I forgot her reason, I think it was something about the spices). 100% authentic or not, it's good and it's much better than the other Indian places I've eaten at in Seoul. Plus, the vindaloo is actually spicy! The link that I included in this blog takes you to a homepage with a few locations, but I'm not sure if the one I've been to is on here. The one I've been to is located in the basement of the Samsung Headquarters in Gangnam (line 2, Gangnam exit).

ginger, green peppers, cilantro, boiled potato, onion, canned peas, tortilla, fennel seeds

Anyway, not too long ago, I made my own samosas. I saw a photo posted by a flickr contact of mine and since then I've been wanted to make some "homemade" samosas but have been extra lazy about it. It was something about getting the spices that seemed so hard for me to do. I finally requested that my sister send me some garam masala from the U.S. I should have asked her to send me chutney too because I couldn't find any here and I didn't bother to try to make any.

I looked up two recipes (I will post the links later when I get home) and sort of made it my own. I think all of the recipes call for freshly made dough, BUT I used something that made making samosas a lot easier. I used flour tortilla instead. Yes, I did! My friend's wife (they're both Indian and their samosas are awesome! His mother is a chef) told me that she uses flour tortilla. I was told this years ago but have been unmotivated to make them even with that piece of information.

I basically used everything that the recipes suggested but I didn't measure anything. The key is add spices to your liking. I found that adding a lot of lime gives it a kick. Yum. Also, I didn't use any garlic since I thought it would be too over powering for the ginger. I used coriander seeds that I didn't plant (yes, I did). I found that if you refrigerate the filling overnight, it'll taste better the next day. Why? I don't know why but I think that the lime soaks into the potatoes and it makes it softer or just makes it taste better.

The first batch that I fried was horrible because I over fried them, but they were still edible. Since tortillas are pretty much half cooked and are thin you have to lower the temperature. The second batch came out nicer. I think I also made a mistake using soy oil, at least I think it's a mistake because it smelled like oil for hours after I was done frying the samosas. I think next time I'll use canola oil instead.

Since I was using tortilla, I made a flour paste to glue the tortilla together. Just mix flour and water until you get a thick paste, not too watery and not too thick. Make sure that you don't put too much filling into the tortilla or it'll be hard to seal. Also, one important thing is to press/squeeze the tortilla dough once you've added the flour paste. This helps it hold its shape better and it won't open up. (will post photos later).

We didn't have chutney so we just used lime juice. My boyfriend tried a few bits with strawberry jam, I don't remember if he said it was good or not so I guess it wasn't good. The next day I cut up some cilantro and added some lime juice. I spooned the lime juice and fresh cilantro onto the top of the samosas and it was pretty good. If I wasn't so hungry I would have ground / mashed the cilantro, but I was hungry.

I'll post the rest of the samosas photos later, but for not enjoy the photos I've uploaded.

The next blog will be on the German Traditional Christmas Market.

Rice was for the chicken vindaloo. This is the 2nd batch. The ones on the second day looked better. Both were good and crispy on the outside.

A black tongue and a German Traditional Christmas Market

2010-12-11T21:39:00.000+09:00

Since the black tongue isn't related to FOOD please to my other blog.

I've been sick and haven't had the chance to blog about the samosas that I made. I still might not blog about it tonight though...still not 100% well. Just 95%...I think. =/

But I'd like to share that I'm going to the German Traditional Christmas Market tomorrow. It sounds pretty fun so I suggest that if you're in Seoul or near Seoul you should attend it. I am looking forward to the traditional food especially the hot wine. Can't wait to take pictures, eat and drink. I just hope it isn't too cold.

Stay warm everyone and happy holidays!

~Will try to post the German Traditional Christmas Market photos ASAP.

p.s I finally got a Christmas tree, it's tiny and fake but it'll do since I'm not a huge fan of Christmas and M's a Christmas hater. Really, he is.

New Discoveries

2010-12-01T00:03:00.003+09:00

I love discovering new things, especially when the new thing was right under my nose. I've been grocery shopping near this bakery called Bbanggoomtec(k?) for over a year but have never been inside. When I was on the way to Sahruga market I saw a lady with a mini cake box that looked similar to a box that my favorite bakery in Yeongju also used. That gave me the idea that maybe I should go to the bakery nearby and buy myself a treat.

After I went shopping for some food items for the samosas I was making I stopped in the bakery and found a couple of items that I was very excited about.

The box is generic but cute

I first went there in the hopes of finding a mousse mango cake. Of course I didn't find it. But I did find some sort of berry cheese cake...or at least that's what I think it was. The texture is very soft like a tiramisu cake.

I was pleased to find the handmade chocolate, which was only 1,800 won each. It came in a tiny cute golden box. On top of the box it says, "For You." I was really surprised that they put it in a box for me, I think 1,800 is pretty cheap. I think they make a great "just because" gift or treat. They have green ones like the one I bought and other designs (heart, rabbit, etc). They even have pigs, but you could only get the pig ones if you buy a box set. =(

I walked around some more and spotted the cute wedding cake cookie. I'm not sure why they were selling that, but I was happy that they had it. It cost me only 1,500 won for the cookie and it tasted good too! It was an unexpected surprise since most sugar cookies I've had weren't good-- hard and tasteless.

I'm going back again next weekend. Hopefully I'll find something new. If not, I'll just get another piece of cake.

I was a little afraid to eat the beads

potential gift? Hopefully one day I'll give them out at my wedding. =/

Next entry.....my first attempt to make vegetable samosas. =)

p.s the candy was strawberry flavored....I don't like strawberry flavored food items. I love the fresh ones too much.

aA Design Museum

2010-11-27T14:16:00.002+09:00

After our early Thanksgiving charity dinner we decided to go to a cafe. I refused to go to Starbucks or Caffe Bene. I suggested going to Addis Ababa but Reb said she knew a really cool cafe near her place in Mapo so we went there instead. Reb took us to a cafe called "aA Design Museum." When we walked in I was really impressed with the place. I loved the atmosphere. Saying that the place is unique, I believe, is an understatement. I tried to take photos of the interior but the photos came out bad. But today I found their website and it has a pretty good shot of the interior. At least of the main room. When I was there I didn't notice how beautiful the floor was. It looks almost like my expensive floor in Cafe World. Hahaha.

We sat near the smoking section in the corner. The photos on the webpage doesn't show all the chairs and tables. I think they made some changes since the last time the photos were taken. At one point D went to the smoking area to smoke. He was sitting on the other side of the glass window next to us.

Reb ordered a lemon hot tea (or something). I ordered a Kahlua Cinnamon Ice drink. My drink was really good but it kept me up all night. Good thing it was a Saturday night. I also ordered a red velvet cup cake. The cream cheese frosting was soft and delicious and not too sweet. The cake itself was dry and tasted old. I wonder if they over baked it or if it just doesn't taste good. The cakes they bake here in Korea are good, I'm not sure why they can't get cupcakes right in Korea. It was hard getting a good shot of the cupcake but I tried my best.

G went downstairs to use the restroom and came up saying that there was an interesting room downstairs with a big shark hanging from the ceiling. Reb told me how scary it was and that I shouldn't go downstairs. That made me even more curious. We all went to look and to take pictures. It turned out that it wasn't scary at all! She claimed that it used to be scarier because of a huge mirror...emmm, mirror or no mirror, it wasn't scary at all. Maybe if all the lights were off and the place was closed it would be scary. But it wasn't scary at all. The shark was hanging in a room where they kept a bunch of furniture. While I was down there I used the restroom (G also said the bathroom was interesting- at least the one for men). The restroom was interesting. The stalls had names of designers (interior designers I believe) along with the day they were born and the day they died.

Speaking of furniture the cafe also sold furniture. The furniture is displayed near the entrance of the cafe. I saw a simple wooden chair that I would love to have in my home. There was also a Goofy table....that I would never want in my home unless I had a kid. The table was high quality though.

For more information on the cafe or for directions please click here. I would try to give directions but without street names it's a little hard.

For more photos click on the blog title. It'll take you to my Flickr Set for aA Design Museum Cafe.

Thanksgiving in Seoul, Korea

2010-11-22T23:26:00.002+09:00

This past Saturday I had my first Thanksgiving dinner in Korea. It was nice. And it was even better that a couple of unexpected friends joined us. Too bad M was too busy working though. There was so much food I almost couldn't keep it down. (This was the same day as the Meat Party-- just 3 hrs later).

The Korean-Koreans at my table didn't eat the bread! WHY? It was GOOD!

The Thanksgiving dinner was for a charity (some kids in Seoul). The price was pretty good - 15,000 won per person (20,000 at the door). I think some people got seconds but we didn't stay long enough to find out. The food was good too except for the stuffing (too chewy).

Here's what I ate: Cajun turkey(too dry- there was also traditional), ham (moist=good), mashed potatoes+gravy(good), green beans (too over cooked -- VERY American, I think), yam (sweet and delish), salad, mac and cheese (it was okay), bread (pretty good - soft), cranberry sauce (yummy), and stuffing (chewy). I had a glass of white wine (it wasn't part of the meal). And finally PUMPKIN PIE!!! It's the same pie from Costco -- it's pretty good but I've had better from America...but it's Korea so that will do.

R was shaking from laughter so I couldn't get a decent photo

We had a good time eating and talking but had a better time when we were eating our pie outside by ourselves.

We finished eating and were leaving when I heard, "pumpkin pie." I got excited and yelled out, "They have pumpkin pie!" to R. R got really excited too and we got back into line for dessert. I waved and rushed over to my other friend who just got there to tell her that we were staying for dessert...but then decided to leave and eat outside.

While we were outside my friend mentioned that he saw a cute guy sitting behind him. We were curious to see who the cute guy was so when my friend went back inside to throw away the plate we after him giggling like immature school girls. To our surprise when we got inside the 50+ people were watching a silent video. Yeah. Luckily for me I went in last so I picked up on what was going on when I heard R stop laughing/giggling. I wasn't too embarrassed. We stood there for a couple of minutes and then left. I hope my friend who invited me didn't see us do that! She'll probably be a little unhappy...but oh well. We didn't know.We had a good dinner -- our paper plates didn't burn the place down although my plate did catch on fire once. (They had tea light candles at eat table).

Happy Thanksgiving!!! Hope you have a wonderful one. =) I'll be bringing pumpkin pies to school on Friday for my Special Class -- well, that's the plan. Let's hope I will be able to buy some on Wednesday or Thursday evening.

P.S The food was from the Army base. Man, it's like they never left America! Lucky them (food wise). They get awesome Korean food and the American food they still love(except for In-N-Out). =) Jealous...especially because the food isn't overpriced like the foreign foods outside of the base.

opps (cute guy not pictured)

Meat Party

2010-11-21T14:43:00.005+09:00

Samgyupsal (pork belly) is pretty pricey in Korea.

On Friday three of my 6th graders came to my class and gave me three invitations to their "Meat Party" which was to be held the next day - a Saturday. I don't work on Saturdays but I decided that it was important to go since they invited me and plus they were so happy and sweet about inviting me that I couldn't refuse. When I first heard, "Meat Party" I had to ask again. They said, "go gi" which means "meat" in Korean. It seemed a little strange but not really because I do love meat. I asked them if I needed to bring anything and they said, "no." Later I asked my co-teacher and she said I didn't have to bring anything but if I wanted to bring cider/soda that would be appreciated.

I came home on Friday and thought about things I could buy for the kids. Since the Meat Party is the last party they're going to have as 6th graders I wanted to buy/do something special for all the 4 classes (over 120 students). I thought about buying two jugs of salsa and 4 large bags of corn chips. But I decided that it was too heavy and bulky to travel an hour with on the subway and bus. I then thought about marshmallows or pumpkin pies. But M said they might all be too weird for them since they're Korean kids. I would have thought that they would LOVE either one since they taste good and it's something new. Well, then I thought about it some more and decided to just buy something for the 3 students that invited me. I was thinking of just buying soda since I was stressing myself out a little over what to buy the 4 classes. I told M and he suggested that I buy each of the three students something different. I decided on buying cookies and marshmallow and maybe cider. I really didn't want to buy soda because it's so heavy and my Nikon was about 5 pounds already.

One of the 2 girls (I think a profile pic is not showing too much).

I knew I wanted to get cookies and marshmallows but couldn't figure out the last item until I was already on my way to Home Plus. Right before I got to the store it hits me that soft dark chocolate would be perfect. That way they can make smores if they wanted to. I ended up buying chocolate marshmallows because they were out of the classic American marshmallows...I bought two bags (30 pieces per bag) of chocolate marshmallows for one of the students and one bag for myself. I bought two packages of gingersnaps and two boxes of soft dark chocolate. When I got to the school I found all 3 students and 2 other students sitting on a mat getting ready for the Meat Party. I didn't know that they would be in a group and I didn't realize that there were going to be 2 other students. Being really dumb I just gave the 3 students who gave me invites the things I brought BUT I told them to share them. I told them that in America when you're invited to a party sometimes you bring things for the person who invited you (that's true right?). They were all really happy about the treats I got them. They got even more excited when after the grilled pork I suggested that we make smores. I had to show them how to do it. I thought that the piece of chocolate was too much(too sweet) but they said it was fine. They were nodding their heads and saying that it was delicious (in Korean). Then they said it in English to me. Soon a bunch of the kids from the other groups stopped by to look....or drool. I gave some of the girls marshmallows (not roasted). The two girls above got some too but they stood around waiting to get roasted marshmallows. The kids in my group were busying making and eating their smores. It was funny. The marshmallows disappeared so quickly that I had to take my bag of marshmallows out. At one point 4 or 5 girls were chanting, "I love you Maria" (my student's name). Maria shared her roasted marshmallows with them...but the last one had to be decided on Rock-Scissors-Paper (something that Koreans do A LOT of in Korea). I think there were about 10 students standing around us. It was pretty crazy - in a good way. I heard one of the boys from our saying "Home Plus." I think they were saying that I got the items from Home Plus. I think they want to buy some? Maria had two choco pies in her lunch bag and she mentioned roasting it. I said, why not. It's just like a smore...chocolate bread and marshmallow in the middle. After she roasted it she offered it to one or two girls and they said No...but one brave girl tried it and said it was good so they all had a bite. I think we were the last group to clean up. There were chocolate candy and marshmallow wrappers everywhere! The marshmallows were individually wrapped like a piece of candy.

I'm so glad I bought marshmallows. And I'm so glad the kids loved it.

Btw. the students were good hosts. At one pointed I needed tissue/napkin to wipe my hands. I was going to go to the bathroom to get some when Maria said that she would go get it for me. I said I could get it myself and she said she can't let me because others will think they're not treating me well. They were treating me very well. They gave me lots of meat and lots of whole grilled garlic (SPICY! ). I mainly spoke with Maria at first because I don't speak Korean and Maria speaks English. But later one of the boys asking how many brothers I had and I told them about my family. The girl who was doing all the grilling talked a lot too. I found out that day that she really likes me (Maria told me). I was a little surprised because I always thought she was annoyed by me since I'm always bugging her about doing her work. I do however help her out a lot in class. She also asked if I liked children and I said, "yes, that's why I'm a teacher." But she said she meant babies. I told them that I liked babies if they're not crying. Sorry, but it's the truth! Was I wrong to say that? lol. She said she liked babies even if they're crying. I found out a little more about her too. They asked me where I lived and how long it takes to commute to school. It was good getting to know them. I asked about their Korean names, which I partially forgot, but I'll ask Maria again. Also, one student from another group came by and gave me a piece of meat wrapped in lettuce. I was very surprised she was the one to give it to me, but I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. =) Overall, it was a very good experience for me. I told Maria that this was my first Meat Party and I didn't know what to expect but next time I'll know what to bring (side dishes, maybe some rice, wet naps(wet napkins), napkins, music!). These good experiences with my students are things that keep me wanting to continue teaching young students. I think it'll be different if I were to teach adults.

Open faced salmon melt sandwich

2010-11-17T18:54:00.001+09:00

Okay, why an "open faced" sandwich and why not a complete sandwich? Well, I don't know about other people but I'm watching my processed carbs. I still eat lots and lots of carbs(white rice) but when it doesn't make a difference I skip it. I especially like to skip it if it means being able to taste more of my food.

Being very lazy one night and not really having a lot of food at home I decided to make an open faced tuna melt. But when I opened the cupboard I saw that there was only 1 tin of tuna left. I had to save it for M. There was a tin of salmon so I decided to use that instead (M hates/dislikes salmon). It was my first time eating canned salmon. When I opened the tin can I was a little grossed out by the looks of the salmon. Tuna is usually cut neatly and it fills up the tin can perfectly. But the salmon looked like someone had squeezed a matzo ball and forgot about it, hence the pink color.

I made it pretty simple. I opened the can and I put the salmon on a piece of foil (like I said before I'm so sick of washing dishes). I added some freshly crushed peppercorns, about 3 tablespoons of lard (just kidding - mayonnaise), a little salt...and maybe some Sriracha (I can't remember). I took a piece of "rye" bread (I quote because it's so not rye bread, but it's trying to be) and poured some salsa (El Paso from Costco) on top. Spread the salsa evenly and then tried to spread the salmon evenly (it was still a little lumpy after mixing it with the mayo and all). I added some grated pepper jack cheese (yum - I think I'll go have some right now) and threw it in the toaster oven for about 8 or 9 minutes. Both the top and bottom heat was on.

I was surprised that it tasted pretty darn good. I wanted to eat another one but I was being kind so I saved the other half of the salmon for M. Of course when M came home I told him about it and he declared (again) that he doesn't like "tuna melts" and doesn't understand why "you people" like it. So naturally I tried to convince him that it was good -- even if it's salmon...which he hates. Being me, I just made it and had a bite even though I was full by the time he got home from work. Being M, I nagged him to try it and he did. He probably liked it because he ate it all. =)

If you try this "recipe" let me know what you think. You can do it with canned tuna too. =)