No Room for the Blues

Irish Potato Restaurant: A Good In Between Meals Snack ^__^

2013-09-27T11:00:00.000+09:00

Irish Potato is a Korean chain restaurant that offers french fries with sauce on top. You can choose from many different sauces like Honey Mustard, Onion Dressing...at least 12 different sauces. Choose your sauce and size. They also offer tea, coffee, and beer. The fries were delicious and now you have the option of getting sweet potato french fries! Prices go from 3,ooo - 5,ooo won.

For their website: www.irishpotato.co.kr (Korean)

Where to Eat in Myeongdong: Potala Tibetan Restaurant

2013-09-23T10:00:00.000+09:00

A great choice for vegetarians.

With 2 locations: Myeongdong and Jong-no 3-ga

We went to the former and had a great lunch.

First thing to note is that the interior decor is absolutely stunning.

Almost every corner of the restaurant is garnished with Tibetan artifacts.

From the table clothes to the lighting fixtures, this restaurant is beautiful to look at.

This is the Vegetable Polao. Basmati riced sweetened with raisins and given a great crunch with cashews. Slightly bland but with the cilantro cutney served on the side it was delicious.

This is the Potala Special Soup and Rice. It was salty but pleasant filled with hearty veggies like cauliflower, carrots, and cabbage.

These are the Vegetable Fried Momo which are cute little dumplings filled with cabbage, carrots, and a potato curry. The dipping sauce was paprika based (or at least I suspect) and had a nice kick at the end. It was quite intense but complimented the Momo very nicely.

We received complimentary iced tea ^_^

A great way to finish the meal.

We highly recommend this place for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. We hope to try more Tibetan dishes as well as some of the Indian/Nepali dishes.

A great place for lunch or dinner. Definitely check it out!

Check out their website for a full menu and how to get to either location.

http://potala.co.kr/

Where to Eat in Shinchon: Nolita Pizza and Pasta Italian Restaurant

2013-09-20T10:55:00.004+09:00

This place is right past the Artbox and Taco Bell on the 2nd floor.

They have a pretty good lunch special that you can see below.

This place is rather cold so bring a sweater!

Oh and during lunch time you get a free soda whether or not you get the lunch special! So that was a very pleasant surprise :)

This was the first time we saw lasagna on the menu so of course we ordered it. It was not your traditional lasagna, too saucy and drowned in cheese but the sauce was actually just a basic tomato sauce which was great!

We also suspect the cheese may have been actual mozzarella ^^

Now that we have tried this place it puts the other lower priced Italian restaurants to shame.

With that in mind we give this place 7/10.

Te Ate Bene Italian Restaurant in Seoul

2013-09-11T23:28:00.004+09:00

Located in Jong-ro 2-ga this is one of several options for Italian food on this popular street.

Te Ate Bene is located in the basement floor so its a little inconspicuous but still easy to find.

Jacky's Rating: 6/10

Ashley's Rating: 5/10

We ordered the Gorgonzola Spaghetti which was very rich and filled with mushrooms. For me this was much better than the pizza we got.

The cream-based sauce was rich but not over the top.

Complimentary bread is a plus but mine was stale tasting :(

The restaurant was small but still roomy.

This is the second item we ordered it was the Margherita Pizza.

Now this is where my 5/10 rating kicks in. This pizza was loaded with cheese. I mean it was basically crust and a lot of cheese with the only other flavor coming from the tomato on top which was very good but not enough to distract from the gummy cheese.

The flavor of the cheese was good but the texture was just not good.

We took half the pizza home to see if we can enjoy it better when reheated.

The pizza cost 13.0 won and the spaghetti 12.8 won. This was definitely pricey.

The grand total was about 26,000 won which is the most we have payed yet for a pasta and pizza.

So beware that this is not necessarily a cheap eats kinda place.

NOODLE BOX Restaurant

2013-09-10T17:05:00.000+09:00

This has to be the only noodle place we have found that serves non-korean noodles. What do we mean? We mean these are stir-fried and packed with flavor.

They specialized in Thai and Vietnamese style dishes both noodle and rice based.

We have only tried the Pad Thai (not pictured), Pat See Ew, Mi Goreng.

Prices are so reasonable we couldn't believe it! We loved how the menu is very explicit and tells you whether it has meat, egg, and the level of spiciness. The menu is also in English for those of us who aren't Korean. The most expensive things on the menu was 7,300 won which is quite hard to beat for a box full of noodles. The interior of the place was really simple and casual which is always a plus.

This is the Mi Goreng topped with yummy peanuts. The menu said this was not spicy but it actually was. I had to switch boxes with Jacky because it was just too spicy. The packaging is super creative! Who would have thought a to-go style carton would look so appetizing and it makes for easy take-home-and-eat-later use.

I asked them to omit the pork and he said Yes! I still found like 2 pieces but I was alright with that.

This is the Pat See-Ew it was filled with veggies and wide flat noodles. This was the winner of the night. I wish both of us had ordered it. It was not spicy and was packed with bok choy, bean sprouts, and onions. It was to die for and I really hope we go there soon so I could order this again.

There is just something about the stir-fried style of cooking that intensifies the flavors of all the dishes cooked in that one pan. We haven't found anything this delicious since we have gotten here.

OOTD: Fall in Seoul Looks Like Spring

2013-09-10T09:38:00.000+09:00

Pronto Restaurant: Italian Food in Seoul, Hongje Station

2013-09-07T15:08:00.003+09:00

This Pronto Ristorante Italiano is in Hongje Station.

It is right off Line 3 and has a very nice look to it!

We went in on a whim and were quite surprised.

The interior decor was definitely a key point of this restaurant. They went for a rustic modern feel, something we really appreciated.

Off the bat they serve you some tea in a pitcher which was very tasty.

Everything on the menu is moderately priced for a small italian restaurant in Seoul.

Ranging from 8,000-13,000 won.

We ordered the Tomato Pasta and a Gorgonzola Pizza.

One thing to note is that the cheese was so plastic! I mean the first slice we had was really good but by half of the second slice it was starting to dry out so we had to just deal with the cheese.

But the pasta was really really good!

The sauce was fresh tasting and had a good amount of onion and garlic so they didn't skimp on that.

OVERALL RATING 6/10

We recommend getting the pasta dishes and maybe trying the salads!

^__^

UPDATE: Ashley's Buffet Brunch Geongdok Location

2013-08-29T01:17:00.000+09:00

All you can eat brunch equals Ashley's.

For 9,900 won you can't beat that.

The Geongdok station is by far better than the Myeongdong location. The selection is greater and the quality of the food was just better.

UPDATE:
Starting 09/02 Ashley's is no longer offering their brunch salad bar but instead they are offering a Waffle, Pancake, French Toast, or Hamburger set for 7,900 won, the hamburger was slightly more expensive. Drinks are still free!

We ordered the French Toast option:

Fruits, yogurt, salads, bread, coffee, the choice of a waffle or pancake, hashbrowns, scrambled egg, and a lot of other random goodies are available.

I can't wait till we go again.

Take the subway to Geongdok Station on the Purple line 5 or Brown Line 6, and exit 3. Walk past a couple of banks and past the VIPS, Ashley's will be on the B1F of a tall building. There will be signs.

Happy Brunch!

Shopping in Seoul: IFC MALL in Yeouido

2013-08-27T11:24:00.000+09:00

Earlier this month we went to the relatively new IFC Mall in Yeouido.

Right off the Yeouido station stop we have this amazing western style mall.

If you have seen malls in Seoul many of them resemble large department stores with little room to sit and just hangout.

This mall is packed with everything you need: Movie theaters, food court, and three floors of stores including a bookstore and other large chains.

The CGV movie theater at this mall was amazing and it is a new experience for both of us. It was visually appealing and it had a retro modern feel.

And they offer gourmet popcorn.

I'm love chains. I don't care what people say about chains but I think that you can get quality food at a chain restaurant. Tomatillo is definitely one of those places.

The place was pretty packed with families and couples all in the mood for Tex-Mex.

For about 8,000 won you can get a pretty big burrito filled with goodies.

You can pick your meat (or the vegetarian option).

It was absolutely delicious.

솔레미오 Solemio Pasta and Pizza @ Yeonsinnae

2013-08-26T01:06:00.002+09:00

Jacky and I have been on a pizza and pasta whirlwind. Its all we ate for 2 weeks! (just about lol).

This led us to the chain Solemio (솔레미오). We passed by it countless times around Yeonsinnae but never cared to stop.

We ordered the Margharita Pizza and the Bolognese pasta.

We liked it very much ^__^

Of course the pizza's cheese was typical Korean cheese, not very good. BUT compared to other korean cheeses it was one of the better ones, it didn't become rubbery too quickly. AND the pizza actually had some sauce on it. I know that there are legit pizza joints in Seoul but not for this price and size. For now, we are looking at budget places.

Jacky, an avid pasta lover, really like their pasta. The tomato sauces was not sweet which tends to be the case.

If you are looking for an affordable Korean Italian food chain, Solemio is a pretty good bet.

The Yeonsinnae location is located just past the station, across from Mcdonald's and just next door to Pizza Hut.

Prices average from 7,000 won to 13,000

빈스빈스 Beans Bins Waffle Cafe Myeongdong Location

2013-08-26T00:51:00.001+09:00

This is probably one of the best chains to get your waffles at. The waffles were just right -not soggy or too sweet. The first one is a Belgium Waffle with sliced grapes on top instead of strawberries. It is served with blueberry and strawberry jam on the side.... delicious!

The other waffle is the Apple Cinnamon Waffle. It is more of a softer waffle and a little sweeter.

Café Delicious Coffee Cat in Samcheon-dong

2013-08-22T21:53:00.001+09:00

A really cute cafe in Samcheon-dong.

Inside, it was cozy and just as cute as the outside.
The place was really small with only 3 tables on the first floor.
Drinks and desserts here are pricey. A hot Americano is about 5,000 won.

Where to Eat in Myeongdong, Seoul: Myeongdong Gyoja

2013-06-18T16:51:00.000+09:00

Myeongdong Gyoja (명동교자)

Here is what we ordered:

Soybean Soup 콩국수(cold)- This is a summer favorite!

Beef and Dumplings Soup (갈국수)

Each of these soups was 8,000 won. You have to pay right when you order. There are plenty of attentive waiters ready to give you more kimchi. We saw some people request more broth and they were give more in an instant for no extra charge. Apparently the Kimchi is really famous but we found it to be too strong for our tastes and that is coming from me who really really really likes kimchi.

The soups are very filling and honestly I have tried the bean soup in one other place and it doesn't compare to this one which was just the right thickness and temperature. This soup is served in the summer especially because of its refreshing taste. And Jacky gave her guk an 8/10. If you can't handle spice then I suggest you get this soup because it is not spicy at all.

We highly recommend this place and we look forward to going back soon!

How to get there:

There are 2 location in Myeongdong.

If you get off Myeongdong station, find the main central avenue (Migfiore on one corner and Uniqlo across it). Start walking away from the station until you see Dunkin Donuts on your left. Stop there and make a RIGHT turn, then you can make a left turn on the first corner or make a RIGHT down the first corner. Both branches are located near each other.

Just look for this sign.

P.S We ate at the Main Restaurant.

This is map from the website.

Enjoy!

애슐리 Ashley's Buffet in Seoul Pt.2 - Myeongdong Location

2013-05-21T18:06:00.001+09:00

We finally checked out the Ashley Buffet at Myeongdong! (on Buddha's Bday Friday, May 17th) during their lunch period but we got charged the weekend/dinner price: 19,900 :(((
It was still awesome. Sorry, couldn't get pics of Ashley's Ashley Meal. bahaha

This one is next to Everysing by Spao on the 5th floor. For front entrance, take the elevator to the 5th floor. If you take the escalators, turn left and find your way to the host.

They had a lot less vegetarian options :((
They didn't have Ashley's favorite mashed pumpkin and squash salad. (like a purée)

This location offers BRUNCH! Mon-Sat from 9:00-11:00AM

Link to Ashley website here.

Counterclockwise from pizza: Alfredo Pasta, Spicy seasoned potato from roasted pork entree, Sweet Maple Dimsum Dumpling, California Sushi Style Ball of Rice, Seasoned Potato Wedges

All very yummy!

Once seated tell the waiter you want the salad bar for however many people you are with. This is what they call buffet I guess.

Other options involve ordering actual entrees that are prepared for you and delivered to your table. (pricier)

There isn't as much variety as the one in Yeonsinnae.

There was only one soup option.

Free Wifi in Seoul

2013-05-18T18:27:00.000+09:00

Free wifi here usually means you have free access to the hotspot, some of the more popular ones are Olleh, U+zone, and T-wifi. To login in to these hotspots you either need to have purchased a code, as is the case with Olleh, or you need to have a valid korean cell phone number and alien registration number to access the free wifi. A tourist has limited options.

Places with truly free wifi:

Seoul City Center- if you find yourself walking through Seoul’s more central areas then chances are you can connect to their city wifi. But the signal is often weak and not as stable as others. Some subway stations also have this service.

***iptime and anygate usually don't require pw.

Cafes or Restaurants:

Dunkin Donuts-

Nokbeon

Eungam

Jong-ro 3-ga

in Yeonsinnae Station

Bulgwang
Sinchon

Angel in Us- most have their own wifi passwords on the receipts

Bulgwang Station (next to Dunkin Donuts)
Jong-ro
Sinchon

***Best bet for us has always been Angel - in - Us cafe. They always have their own free wifi and are open 24 hrs, best location to stay in all night with a laptop or for studying.

Crispy Pie at Yeonsinnae

Paris Baguette

Eungam

Dokbawi

Seoul National University Station

Myeongdong across from the hidden Mr. Pizza by Friday's

Starbucks -most of them usually have their own wifi

Yeonsinnae

Holly’s Coffee

Sungnyemun by Namdaemun Market

Krispy Kreme

Jong-ro

Myeongdong, 1F

Mcdonald’s

Yeonsinnae

Zoo Coffee, Myeongdong

Kimbap Cheonguk at Yeonsinnae

Gongcha Bubble Tea in Myeongdong

5/15 Teacher's Day in Seoul, South Korea

2013-05-17T20:11:00.003+09:00

Teacher's Day was filled with lots of fun for the kids and plenty of cute presents for the teachers yuhhsss. assaaa!!

Here are a few of the precious moments lol.

[5/13-5/16] This week in teaching....

2013-05-17T19:21:00.001+09:00

Dunkin Donuts Challenge (self-proclaimed)

2013-05-15T12:00:00.000+09:00

I'm just going to post small entries every time we hit up a Dunkin Donuts.

05/13/13

Simple Pleasures:

Blueberry Eclair
Bubble Green Tea Latte
Iced Cappuccino
Orignal Cake Donut

~^__^~

05/11/13

Change up on what we usually order!

Dunking Donuts Iced Cappuccino and a Bubble Milk Tea. Munchkins for me and some Hash Brown "Potatoes" for Jacqueline.

05/07/13

Today we had....

Iced Sweet Potato Latte, Iced Bubble Milk Tea, Blueberry Cake Donut, Green Tea Chewisty

All very good ^__^

Yesterday...

Iced Cappuccino (so cute and refreshing!) and a Bavarian Donut, Dunkin Cafe Mocha Roll

Serendipity Cafe by Dokbawi Station, Bulgwang, Seoul

2013-05-13T06:30:00.000+09:00

Serendipity Coffee is a small cafe and a great place to just hang out enjoy a cup of coffee. It is right across Dokbawi station on the brown line 6, you can't miss it.

It is nice to go to a privately run cafe when the streets of Seoul are saturated with Paris Baguettes, Dunkin Donuts, and Tous Le Jours (not that we don't enjoy those ^__^)

This place is also great if you order to-go. You get a discount if you order out. Sitting in is quite nice though and the prices are average for a cafe in Seoul at around 4,000 a drink.

The lady who runs this place is very kind~! So that makes the experience all the better :)

A Day in the Life of a Kindergarten ESL teacher in Seoul

2013-05-12T03:30:00.000+09:00

I think we are going to do these posts regularly just to record our days and stuff and give people an insight into our lives as teachers.

Enjoy!

KIMBAP HEAVEN : Cheap Korean Food

2013-05-11T13:33:00.000+09:00

Cheapest Food in Seoul: Kimbap Heaven (김밥 천국)

Meals start at 1,000 won (the simplest kimbap roll) and don't exceed 6,000 won.

Jacky has tried a bunch of things and they have all been good. Here she ordered the Tonkassu and I got kimchi kimbap.

The food is filling and comes with sides and a soup (most of the time).

Opening a Bank Account in Korea as A Foreigner (American Citizen)

2013-05-11T13:15:00.000+09:00

Today is the day we try to open a bank account here in Seoul, our target bank is CitiBank.

We are gonna check out the Bulgwang Branch and see if they can help us out. If not then the search will continue.

I heard that U.S with a valid passport and a social security number can open an account with no problems and it actually easier to send money from Korea back to the states.

So wish us luck!

I will update this post later today with our findings~!

UPDATE 05/11/13

We waited to be helped by someone who spoke English. The lady who helped us was very friendly and spoke English very well. She handed us papers that we would've need to fill out to open an account. However, we were confused when we saw that one of the forms was a W-9 Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification Form. We asked her why it was necessary and she said that the IRS might charge interest to our account, since we're American Citizens and taxpayers.

Since we were confused we decided to not open up a Korean account with Citibank in Korea. Instead, we're thinking of opening an American Citibank account online. On their website, it says that they can send a check card to wherever you're at.

If all goes well, and we each receive our check cards by mail, we plan on depositing our monies at the Citibank ATMs in the Korea.

If anyone knows about this or understand the system better than we do, please tell us about it!

Thanks~

Update 05/07/13

So my friend and I just came back from the Bulgwang-dong branch CitiBank. We weren't able to open an account but the people at this location were kind enough to help us out.

We got our number, waited and then spoke to the teller. Unfortunately, we don't speak very good Korean and they dont't speak enough English (which is understandable). They contacted the headquarters here in Seoul and I spoke to the man who asked if we had our passport, foreigner registration card, and social security number. We had all of this but the lady said it was "difficult" to open an account for an American. I actually thought it was the opposite but I believed her because I can imagine how hard it must be when you can't communicate.

Any who, we settled on the fact that we are going to have to make our way to the Jong-no Branch.

Here is a map of the "GLOBAL BRANCHES" in Seoul, where you can find bilingual assistance.

I will update again when we go to Jong-no...Wish us luck~!

Contemplating our life over Coffee and Pie (a tart lol)

2013-05-11T13:00:00.000+09:00

Career changes require a lot of thinking.

And a lot of thinking requires caffeine and the occasional slice of cheese tart.

Jacky and I have different dreams (or rather the same nonexistent dream, does that still count?).

But we know we want to do something for ourselves that can support us in the future.

Here is a list of some of the careers that we have come up with:

Foreign Language Teacher
Accountant
Middle School Teacher
Elementary School Teacher
School Counselor
Web Designer
Makeup Artist
Real Estate Agent
ESL (abroad)
Hospitality management

This is probably not all of them. But can you see how we obviously have no true goal? That doesn't mean we don't want to have a passion, we just haven't found one.

-Ashley S.

Good Eats: 신기소 , Sinkiso Japanese Noodle Restaurant

2013-05-04T12:12:00.000+09:00

We weren't looking for anything in particular that day but we were lucky enough to have run into this Japanese chain restaurant!

Meals start at around 5,000 won and are a decent size, the service was also very good.

We really liked the presentation of the food, this definitely made it more appealing ^__^

All in all, if you run into a Sinkiso I would give it a try~

We got the Udong and the Tonkatsu dishes.

Crispy Pie and Coffee Cafe at Yeonsinnae, Seoul

2013-01-31T18:16:00.001+09:00

Coffee and pie!

We tried the Cappuccino and a cafe latte iced. Both very good ^^

We have yet to try their pies but it seems they are quite popular.

The place is usually pretty full so its hard to get a seat (lots of couples).

Atmosphere is good and you can definitely spend some time here. Prices are reasonable however the pie is slightly expensive ranging from about 3,000 won to about 5,500 won per small slice.