it's not like i've stopped eating...

치즈 돈가스 (Cheese Donkasu) 

I know the tator-tots look good, but i'm talking about the mass covered in jalapenos. It's not traditionally Korean, in fact it's a Japanese dish. It's a deep friend pork cutlet, with mozzarella cheese stuffed into the middle of the pork, hence why it has cheese in the name!

The meal is great for hangovers, and typically whenever you want a large piece of deep fried pork(some people have that craving). The breading they use is very comparable to a tempura batter, light and flaky.  Most donkasu comes covered with thick gravy, and sits like a lead weight in my stomach.

These photos were taken from my favourite donkasu restaurant near my work. The batter isn't any different, but the toppings are what makes this donkasu special. It's covered in a light soy sauce, with jalapenos, onions and shredded cabbage. It was easily the best I'd ever had. The  meal was cheap as well with a price tag of $6.50. Unfortunately this restaurant has become another victim of turnover, and is now a doll and flower shop.  

                                                

                                                      산낙지 (live, or raw octopus)

This is a Korean dish, and not an overly common one either. I've been told that it is a popular touristy thing to eat, and it's understandable. This marks the second time I have tried the grub and I sucked my parents along to try it as well. 

If you decide to watch the video(below), you can see the plate move. The octopus was alive a few minutes prior and nerve impulses keep the tentacles twitching, and suckers um... sucking. While not an easy meal to eat, as you to first catch the tentacle, and then make sure the it is fully chewed. You will often find the suckers sticking to the roof of your mouth, and the sides of your teeth.

Honestly, I can understand the fascination with this food, and why it's a popular tourist hang out. But the meal itself is pretty tasteless. There isn't much taste to octopus, it's just a squirming version of undercooked calamari (oh, and not fried of course cause it's raw, duh!).


My parents liked the novelty, and my father was impressed (below) . My mother spent most of the meal shuffling in her seat and gawking at my father and I. She wasn't as open as my friend who decided to give some love to the octopi (right). OCTOPUS LOVE!!

스파게티 (okay, that says sepagehti, and this is an Italian place...)

Jenny's Cafe is a tiny restaurant in Hongdae that serves some of the best Italian food I've had since coming to Seoul. It's usually hard to get a table, and that's usually a good sign in any city. All the food is served with bread that is baked at their bakery (not pictured) which is also amazing. 


I really wish that I could give more words to accompany the pictures, but the food is great, and most of you are aware of what Italian food is. The fettuccine (right) was great, with a thick sauce that was heavy on the cream, and very filling. Actually most of the food in the restaurant's food was rich in flavour, texture and left your pants stretched.

The interior of the restaurant (large above) is really cool, and fits with most niche restaurants in Hongdae, they all have their thing, and this restaurant isn't any different.

The risotto (left) disappointed my friend, as they said they didn't use the proper rice. I have no idea what this means, but I'm sure from all the Hell's Kitchen episodes that I've seen that it would mean that Gordon Ramsey would throw it on the floor. The gnocci (below) was great, and much like the fettuccine, filling.




















Finally, we have a salad (right) that was unreal, and as great and as colourful as it looks. Didn't you know that colour is a flavour? my students would agree anyway, if you don't understand I've been away too long.














A friend of mine once pointed out that I travel by eating desserts. I remember desserts more than any other meal when I travel. Anywho, All of these shots are taken at Coffee Labratory in Hongdae. A coffee shop I've shown before, and one of the highest ranked coffee shops in Seoul.









Above, you can see affogato,or espresso and ice cream. This was amazing, although I prefer the ice mocha (right). Basically the perfect summer drink, haha, opinion.

햄버거 hembeogeo, not hamburger...

A review: Jacoby's Burger

I've never really done a review of a restaurant in Seoul. I find my vocabulary is rather limited when it comes to food. I mean I teach my children adjectives, and how to correctly order and sequence them. Yet I find myself at a loss when I attempt them use at all. I was recently recruited to write a piece on street food in Seoul. I was really excited, although I was informed that my photos would not be included in the publication. I sat for weeks staring at a blank page. I couldn't find a way to connect what I saw in the photo to words. I had some stories, and in hindsight perhaps that is what they wanted. While my review is not going to be on street food, or even Korean food.

It's summertime in the city, and as much as I love Korean food. I'm not sure how well a lot of Korean dishes translate in the summer. There is nothing that I have found that equates the taste and essence of summer quite like BBQ does. I like BBQ, and perfecting grill marks on individual grains of rice would be monotonous, and not really my style. Yet I love grilling unusual fare, I once successfully BBQ'd pierogies, with onion and kielbasa skewers, anywho, off topic.

Hamburgers are one of the foods I first think of when it comes to summer and the BBQ. I don't think that this is really a concept that is lost on many N/A expats. It's a food that we (well not really me, but as a landmass) created. This review is also in somewhat of a rebellion against an expat magazine article. The article was about the 10 best burgers in Korea (inform yourself!). Although restaurant reviewing and sampling is all subjective, and people have differing tastes.


I believe the best hamburger I've had in Seoul is from Jacoby's, an institution that was not even included in the previously mentioned article. The place is located in Haebangchon, an area which has quickly become one of my favourite places in the city.

Here the burgers are made fresh and to order. This often leads to a long waiting time, yet this place is not fast food and good things do come to those who wait. Another advantage of this made to order system is that the beef slaughter system in Asia differs from the one in N/A. The beef used in Jacoby's is from Australia, and it doesn't follow the same mass production methods utilized by the USDA and CFIA. To some people you may wonder why this is important, it basically means that you can enjoy medium rare burgers here! Instead of having to burn the fuck outta the thing.

The burgers here are pricey, but I figure they are well worth it. I've always had this mantra that if you want something done right you have to pay for it. If you want crap you can always order from McDonalds or buy shit from China. Craftsmanship is something that takes time, and shouldn't be taken lightly. At Jacoby's the food is well constructed, although is not earthquake proof, and will fall over if the plate is shaken. All the meals in the pictures range from 10,000 to 14,000 including cola. Fries are considered an extra (add 3,000), and considering the size of the burger if you are really hungry, then by all means order them. I also hear that there vegetarian burger is good, I'll have to take the rumor on that one. I've never eaten any, so even if I did try it here I wouldn't have the faintest idea what to compare it to.

When it comes to flavour, the food here is great. You can actually taste meat in the burger unlike many other places I've been to in Seoul. I find that a lot of the competition in Korea seem to follow a mundane formula when they make their patties, and they don't include anything to compliment the meat. At Jacoby's your patty can come with rosemary or garlic, which add to the taste and texture of the meat. The shape of finished product also brings back memories of my father's burgers. They aren't flat, they come out looking more like oblong baseballs than flattened hockey pucks.

There are a handful of choices when it comes to toppings at Jacoby's and you can enjoy everything from a basic burger, to a designer burger on steroids. The more willing you are to test your palate the better, and Jacoby's has offerings that stir the imagination. From pineapple and guacamole to chilli and chips, along with numerous cheeses you can dress up your burger as exotic as you'd like.

One knock against the place is that food arrives off kilter. It's actually something I've become used to in Asia, they aren't really great on time planning meals. It does become rather bothersome when you travel here in groups. Mostly because the burgers are so juicy that one person is all greased up before others get their shot to moisturize their hands/arms/ lap (if you're unlucky) with burger drippings.

Some may say that the price, and waiting time should be considered a knock as well. I differ from that, mostly because I'm writing about good food, not quick cheap food. I think that if you are going to have a 'best' of something price shouldn't be a huge determining factor. The waiting time can be annoying when you are hungry, or watching other people grease up. I still don't see it affecting taste, the restaurants improper time management skills has little to do with the food, and perhaps it's better that these burgers are delivered randomly instead of waiting patiently under heat lamps.

How to get there: Noksapyeong (Line 6) take exit 2, when the road forks stick along the wall with the Kimchi pots. Walk about Two blocks up, and It will be on the right side of the road.

once is rarely enough...

Last weekend I ventured down to Chuncheon. The trip out of Seoul was Food tourism at its finest, although getting out of the city was a great bonus. Chuncheon is the city in SoKo that is credited for creating my favourite galbi dish DakGalbi. I wrote about this magical mix of chicken, cabbage and spices a short time ago (reread it).

The town is a short 70 minute bus ride outside of Seoul OR if you are into scenic routes, it is a meagre 2 hour subway ride. I elected to take the subway because Sundays are typically a bad day on the roads in any culture (the Sunday driver expression). The subway also offered views that a highway could not (the highways are often flanked by giant walls in Korea), and it was great to see how beautiful the countryside is.

Upon arrival, the foodism (food tourism) instinct took over, and my friends and I scoured the city map in search of Chuncheon's infamous DakGalbi streets. The first treasures the map revealed to our group was not the afore mentioned streets, but paragliding, white water rafting and a shooting range (all creating further reasons to return). It wasn't until a much closer look could we get past adrenaline sports and found the gooey chicken center we were looking for.

Once on the right path, and on the correct street (Myeongdong DakGalbi street) I flashed back to Amsterdam, and the red light district. I found the revelation extremely weird, but I feel that it was because this street existed down a narrow pathway, very similar to some streets in Amsterdam. We arrived around lunchtime and several of the restaurants had line ups out the door, and several had no patrons at all. I knew right away that I'd prefer to wait for a restaurant in demand, than simply sell myself short.

  

We went to the second busiest restaurant on the street, and had to endure a short wait. The Galbi was good, although one thing I immediately noticed was that it was not that spicy. It seemed to be a tame version of what I've enjoyed before. The mild feast was welcomed by a couple in my group who aren't fully up to snuff when it comes to Korean spice. I left the restaurant full, but not blown away.

We went for a short walk/bike ride after our meal in an attempt to work off what we'd just eaten. The town itself was nice, although sold more chainsaws than I've ever seen before. A short list of other attractions: The Virgin Soyanggang; She was a virgin who secretly pined for the affection of a man, not in itself an entirely original concept, but Korea seems to like to build things for virgins who never loved. The penis park in Samcheok boasts a similar origin story. Apparently this statue has a song penned under the same name though, take that penii statues! There was also a bridge that seemed cool at first, it had humps, many humps, humps that would please the black eyed peas. However, what looks cool often fails the test of time. Before I even reached the other side, I felt that the lady lumps were more of a nuisance than anything else.

While we were biking I caught glimpse of a temple on the top of a small hill, and once we finished I made a goal of reaching it. The only problem was that there was no visible pathway. At first we traipsed along the bottom of hill, and our first summit attempt landed us in some Korean vegetable gardens. Our second attempt was fizzled as we thought we saw a path, but then we didn't know if it was a path, then thought it could be a path, but that it probably led back to the vegetable gardens we'd recently explored. Hope came in the form of a dirt trail, with a sign I'm sure read "do not use" but the Hangul was ignored, and the third summit attempt was underway. The path was super steep, yet that didn't falter our group of valiant hikers, and we found our way to the top. Slightly out of breath, the view was even more breathtaking. It was sunset, and the orange glow took a yellow gleam as the yellow dust was out in full force.

Along the route, we managed to meet a backpacker. She had an interesting story, about a month ago she was working, enduring the daily grind, when it was time for a change. She decided to volunteer teach in Cambodia, and booked a flight to Seoul (I'm still somewhat confused about her geography skills, but she wanted to see Korea). Her material possessions now reside in her car in her parents garage. She had already spent a couple days in Seoul, and was working her way down the coast to Samcheok (to see the penis park). We thought it was strange that she arrived in Chuncheon without hearing about DakGalbi (perhaps the allure of virgin monuments??). With that, we thought we should bring her into the fold

Hence the reason for our return to DakGalbi street. It was later in the evening, and the crowds we faced earlier had resided. We went to the busiest place on the street. On our previous visit, this establishment had a long line up out the door. We felt it must be worth it, and my oh my was it ever. This DakGalbi was amongst the best I have ever had. It was a great introduction for our new friend, and it enabled our group to leave Chuncheon full and blown away.

streetfood... a very fried sequel

Not all streetfood is healthy, actually I`m not really sure if any streetfood is really healthy. However, in Seoul you can easily find a whole whack of deep fried foods, which are the best enjoyed with alchohol, or the following morning.


I put my favourite fried food first up, fried mandu! (pictured right) Mandu is a very basic dumpling, it can have a variety of fillings, but usually meat with sprouts or rice noodles. This simple dish is then wrapped in dough, and fried. These are cooked right in front of you, and their popularity ensures that you will be eating fresh. 

Freshness is actually a concern when it comes to fried streetfood, as you will see with several of the pictures below. A lot of the food is sitting in pyramids already fried (above & below).


While I brought up freshness as an issue, it is not like the food was cooked elsewhere and sold in the street. It is true streetfood, it is cooked on the street, and they are constantly cooking some type of food. The most common sight is deep fried vegetables (left). While some people might be wary of cold deep fried vegetables, worry not! Although they will no doubt be cold when you order them, the cooks throw them back into the bubbling oil to give them a quick reheat

My favourite part of the calgary stampede are the corndogs. I don't know why, but deepfried hotdogs and batter create an irresistable combination. You can also find a variation of corndogs in Korea (left), except their batter has an extra feature, french fries. Right before the battered dogs hit the fryer they are rolled in crinkle cut french fries. Personally I think they took a great thing, and made it better.

In the red cups (below) there are paper thin slices of fried potato. I'd call these french fries, but they are more like potato sticks. They are brittle because they are so thin and thoroughly fried. Beside the red buckets are layers and layers of dried squid. This is a chewy snack comparable to jerky. Koreans love the taste, and I can't complain about it either. I think it's become an aquired taste.














Brian (left) is eating some of the sausages I mentioned in the last streetfood post. I also grabbed some and tried them out, they are pretty decent, although I wasn't a fan of the sausage filled with rice cake, but the yellow one was a pretty decent curry sausage. 


Finally, chestnuts (left), a non fried streetfood alternative! You can find roasted chestnets rather easily any time of the year in Seoul. I rarely eat these, not because they aren't good, but because they just make me think of Christmas. In Korea as I've mentioned before there is little connected with Christmas, so to Koreans these are just roasted nuts. 


What I love about streetfood in Seoul is it's availability. It seems where there are large crowds of people, there is streetfood. Luckily I live in a city with 27million people, so crowds aren't hard to come by!

dieses ist Galbi...

Of all the Korean foods Galbi is the most popular. While there are many varieties of Galbi I have found two in particular that I enjoy more than any other, gal megi sal, and dak galbi.       

When it comes to traditional galbi, samgyeopsal, is the most popular amongst Koreans, personally I'm not the biggest fan. I prefer galmegisal, and there was a place by my old house that consistantly served great meat. I would frequent this place monthly, and last time around I finally remembered to snap a few photos.

First up, the uncooked meat, which is brought to the table (above left). along with the sides. At this place they bring Kadan Mari (egg souffle, pictured left), and lettuce, for wraps (below right). The peppers can be eaten raw, or they can be grilled on the BBQ alongside the meat (below left). Another popular item to girll is slices of garlic (not pictured).

Once you are given the heating element to the BBQ in the center of the table, you thrown the meat on and cook it.  The meat takes anywhere from 5-10 minutes to cook. A simple trick in flipping the meat is not to pick up the pieces one at a time. Simply roll the meat with the tongs along the grate, and you will look like a pro!

Dak Galbi is my favourite galbi to eat. Even moreso than galmegisal, I think the reason is because it is a great blend of flavours and textures. There are several components of Dak Galbi, and you can see several of them pictured (left). There are mushrooms, rice cake (chewy rice noodles), perilla leaves, sliced cabbage, scallions, chicken, and of course red pepper paste. All of these photos were taken at my favourite dak galbi place, which also happens to be near my old apartment. 

Once the ingredients are cut up and mixed together the whole dish is stir fried together. Dak galbi takes a while longer to make than regular old galbi. This is for several reasons, first and most importantly you don't want to eat undercooked chicken (pretty common sense). Secondly the whole dish cooks down quite a bit and the vegetables and rice cake soften up substantially.

Sitting and waiting for dak galbi can get frustrating if you are hungry right away (above right & left). However, the first thing to finish cooking are the rice cakes (pictured below left). The red pepper paste in the dish heavily seasons the cakes, and makes them quite spicy. 

A minute or so after the rice cakes have finished cooking the chicken, and rest of the meal is ready to be devoured. At this point of the meal you focus very little on the side dishes, and mostly gourge on the main dish.  Little warning though, dak galbi can be supremely spicy, and it is a spice that often times builds as you eat it.

I recently read a magazine article in which dak galbi was voted as the top Korean food by voters (see the whole list here). Considering my experience with the food, I whole heartedly agree. As does Corwin (below left).