Kyotofu- the award winning Japanese dessert and sake bar from New York has made its mark in Seoul!
This new family member in Hannam-dong (next to Itaewon) is one to be noted.  I have developed a 'sweet addiction.'  

Pure decadence: their signature sweet tofu=insanely delicious!

The arrangements of the desserts are delectable, each carrying subtle nuances.  The portions of the mains are handsome, and the service is sincere.  I have to restrain myself from over-indulging, with each visit. Seriously. It's a good thing I dine there in pairs! Otherwise, I may just pop a few buttons...
Kyotofu serves New York style brunch on weekends, and their sake list cannot be compared. One of the few spots that serve sake flights in Seoul! 

***Mention 'Seoul in the City' and you will receive a special dessert take-away!!!

Become a Kyotofu fan on facebook, and check for their specials! And of course be sure to mention 'Seoulinthecity' in the email drop box:)

Kyotofu Facebook Page (click here for link)

Kyotofu
Yongsan-gu, Hannam-Dong 682-1 1F, Seoul/서울시 용산구 한남동 682-1, 1층
Tel: 02-749-1488 
Subway: Hangangjin Station (Line 6), exit 3 (walk about 100 meters) Kyotofu will to your left.



 

Matcha creme brulee with yuzu sorbet & vanilla bean tuile

The first crack...yum!

Curry cranberry chicken sandwich

Kyotofu cream pasta made with soymilk, prawns, clams

This tofu dessert is served with cherry azuki beans & edible flowers...


 

Kyotofu signature sweet tofu with kuromitsu syrup...my absolute favorite!!!

Tofu tiramisu with mascarpone, citrus Japonica, Valrhona chocolate

Truffled sake infused mac & cheese

Their weekend brunch menu!!!

Welcome to Seoul in the City!

I would like to thank my avid readers and followers since 2009! I'm absolutely blessed with all the encouragement and continuous support that inspires me to keep up with my journal.  I will abide with my fellow partners, and hope that 'my love affair' with food, travel and design will never cease...

As my first official post for my new site, I would like to re-introduce one of my favorites-coffee bangatgan-커피   방앗간 in Samchungdong.  It's a treat when I go to this spot, since it's a bit far for me. Their novelty: to leave your mark, you can write notes or doodle on their custom napkins, and just tape it anywhere in the cafe...literally. 

Whenever I go back, I try to look for the notes I left behind the previous time...but never can find it! Perhaps it blew away...or someone loved my note and snatched it away? hahaha...

The photos below will make you hungry...such a tease...Enjoy:)

honey stand in insadong-the best ginger honey!

braised pork @채운

 amazing chicken from 채운 chinese restaurant-sinsa dong

inside the tea museum-insadong brisking the cold on a sunny day... you can find one of the best spicy octopus @ 뱃고동 (baetgodong) in apkujung...it's a chain around seoul also famous for this squid tempura...but i didn't fancy this as much...wasn't crispy, but i think that's their concept

the best part-making fried rice with the left over squid, banchan, seaweed

the beautiful bar

I'm about to reveal this hidden treasure in Apkujung...

Good friend Tina and I have discovered this bar this past summer, making a pact that it would be our 'secret' bar. Sahm. Needless to say, it's THE perfect spot for us!  There is simply no other bar like this in Seoul! They opened their doors late spring of 2010, mainly attracting folks in the bar/entertainment industry.  It's tucked away in the alleys near the famous Rodeo drive in Apkujung, so it's hard to spot stragglers just dropping a visit.

The owner and former model Jonghwan Shin, has been working in the industry for over a decade, and brings his honed skills to create 'his sanctuary'.  Not to mention the 2 other bartenders are currently models as well...uh hum. Well, this isn't the sole reason why Tina and I make this our second home, as everyone teases us about.  To me, Sahm is where 'The Green Mill meets The Violet Hour'. Two Chicago bars that are truly dear to me, and absolutely miss!

The lure: making your perfect drink.

I was a bit disappointed when I didn't find makers mark on their list on my first visit, but after having a deep discussion with Jonghwan about how it's a must to make manhattans, it was on the shelf on my next visit! This is when I knew, that this place was something else...

On New Years Eve, Tina and I decided to share this home with some of our friends.  Their response? They couldn't believe we held back for all these months, AND they might see us more often there now.  We hope to see you guys there as well:)

Happy New Years!!!

Sahm

Gangnam-gu, Sinsa-dong 660-17/rodeo star a-104

070.4125.6413

*address is sinsa-dong, but it's across from galleria shopping center in apkujung, near rodeo drive...next to mick jones pizza

guinness on draft

my perfect makers manhattan-jonghwan knows how to make mine just the way i like it :)

sitting in 'VIP' section at sahm on new years!

jonathan and bobby

'hotty toddy' the perfect drink for a cold winter day

preparing a hotty toddy-equal parts whisky, hot water, honey, and cinnamon stick!

bobby choy making 'hotty toddy's' for everyone...he got all of us hooked on this!

waiting for the countdown

watching the countdown

the owner and the boys cycle to work...that's pretty awesome!

the boys behind the scene-young joo on the left, jonghwan in the center, parker on the right

audrey at her 1st birthday-february 2010

i call this the sarah jessica parker stroll...in the streets of chicago!

following the footsteps of 고모 (me!)

first snowman...and i missed this!

so she looks a little better in a hat than me...kkk

father and daughter...matching pjs!!!

matching headbands...audrey at 6 months at my parents house

audrey's 1st birthday-this was a collaboration with good friend sarah kim-'truly smitten'

the table spread-audrey's 1st birthday

flowers for a's 1st birthday, designed by me:)

more flowers...you can never get enough of the peonies!

twirling like a princess

my brother ray, baby A, sister-in-law jiye

too cute!

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red velvet cupcakes 

audrey in her hanbok with halmoni (jiye's mom)!

amazing hand drip coffee at 'cafe may' in garosugil

For my readers out there, you may have noticed that I have so many 'favorite' spots around Seoul...but I wanted to blog about a few spots that are truly dear to me, and love taking my close friends to! I was tempted 'not' to blog about this for a while...but oh what the heck! Sharing is caring :) This is to my fans out there...perhaps I'll bump into you at these spots one day!

inside 'cafe may' in garosugil

customers can pin their point cards on the wall, and just use it again next time!

inside 'cafe may'

pastry chef chad from 'the spice' made pepero to give out to our guests on 'pepero day' in seoul-11.11

han choo bar/restaurant in sinsa...a 10 min walk from my place!

crispy stuffed jalapeno peppers

the pork stuff jalapeno peppers @ 한추, just can't enough of these!

thoroughly enjoying the peppers...

inside 한추

my favorite sake bar in garosugil...right @the entrance of garosugil (sinsa side)



inside 정든집...



the chilled sake with extra ice @정든집 sake bar-this is an absolute must!



Seoul in the City's fans-Rodney & Ivy  came to visit me at 'The Spice'! Thanks for visiting, I was thrilled to meet you guys in person...hope we meet up soon!

open kitchen at barlin german restaurant

Barlin (Baerlin)

Jongno-gu, Susong-dong 85, Seoul
Room 103, Somerset Palace Hotel 1F 
02.722.5622  

Subway: Anguk Station (line 3) Exit 1 or 6 


beef tartar

you mix the tartar, then mold...

then spread the beef tartar on rye...yum!

finally, proper sausage in seoul, found at barlin! it was delish!

Then the 2010 Seoul light festival...absolutely beautiful!!!

seoul light festival at cheongyechun









beautiful!

Kristi recently explained the term ‘yummy mummy,’ which is a trendy, urban mom who mostly spends time taking care of kids, doing yoga, and having coffee at the parks with their other yummy mummy friends! Not to mention, they have the resources to really take advantage of the ‘yummy’ part. Hrm...this sounds like some of the mom’s I know in Chicago! Last week, we spent an afternoon at Centennial Park with Kristi and some of her friends...enjoyed a picnic lunch on a beautiful day, with 2 adorable kids! I was just amazed at how many mums and their kids were at the park, on a Thursday afternoon...what a life I tell you! It seems like Sydney is a great place to raise a family-so green, the pace of life is great, and people here take their ‘free time’ seriously. I guess when the weather is perfect almost all year round, how can you not be out and about with outdoor activities!

  the cafe at the park

i love how most places use biodegradable disposables!

kids playground, very nice!

uma and i made sand pies for everyone...

menu on the wall at the cafe...very nice...

single origins special breaky

In search for the best macaroons, I recently went to 'Adriano Zumbo'-the best French patisserie in Sydney! They are known to have the best macaroons, so how can this girl resist! It was quite a trip to get there, but I had to check it out. Tiny bakery, with a long line...but it was definitely worth it!

breakfast tamale at single origin...yum!!!

the baristas at single origin were so shy when i was taking this photo!

the muffins look so tempting...will have to get one next time!

pastries at adriano zumbo

of course i forgot to take photos of their macaroons, which is what they are known for!



asian bakery on broadway

the most random cafe, total hole in the wall on cleveland st...

the goody bag i got from single origin...

love this spread at brasserie bread





don't ask why i take these photos...

paperless muffins at BB




my breaky at BB-florentine panini...i think this was for 2!

sourdough pancakes with berries...it was sooo good!

chatting away...

The photos will speak for itself...  

the best scones ever!!!




kristi and claudia

beautiful ceilings!

we were so full and content!

spiral stairs...

stunning stained glass windows...



ladies just having fun...

Then people started coming up to me about how they would love to go to visit 'Alinea'! I soon found out most of these chefs have been to Chicago, specifically to visit Alinea and Charlie Trotters. Of course I had to give my plug on other Chicago favorites. My 'Chicago' connection has never sparked so much interest from these chefs, when I was asking for their autographs. I was able to get 3 more minutes of their time, more than the others that were eagerly awaiting to shake their hands. Woohoo for me!

Edward Kwon was one of the chefs that I definitely had to meet! He is one of the top chefs from Seoul, who has a restaurant and his own cooking show. During his segment, I think all the Koreans from Sydney came out of the woodworks, just to see him. I had a chance to meet him after his demo, I presented him my business card and discussed Chicago, (spoke to him in English the whole time, he's quite fluent!). I also had a great discussion with one of the top food critics of Paris-Sebastien Demorand. He is a fan of Rick Bayless, and loves Chicago. Even though I gave him my contact info, I forgot to get his...and ever since I have been pounding my head for that.

Here are the chefs I met at the Chef Showcase (all from just one program, there were 6):
Sergi Arola (Madrid-www.sergiarola.es/)
Alexandre Bourdas (Paris-alexandre-bourdas.com)
Cheong Liew (Adelaide-www.thegrangerestaurant.com.au)
Edward Kwon (Seoul-www.edwardkwon.com)
Justin North (Sydney-www.becasse.com.au)
Alvin Leung (Hong Kong-www.boinnovation.com)
Peter Gordon (London, NZ-www.longrain.com)
Sebastien Demorand (Paris)
Matt Preston (Host of the Master Chef Australia)

chef sergi arola from madrid

fresh dumplings during our morning break at the showcase

chef alexandre bourdas and food critic sebastien demorand

prepared by chef bourdas-snapper with oyster, local vegetables, seaweed and lemongrass

lunch time at the showcase...very nice!

chef edward kwon (left) and one of his assistants (right)

'chilled chicken with ginseng'-a deconstruction of the traditional korean dish-sam gye tang, prepared by chef kwon. absolutely amazing!

chef peter gordon, chef alvin leung, and sebastien demorand