seoul-a little bit of everything…

sweet summer eats in seoul… July 25, 2010

Filed under: seoul,seoul-a little bit of everything...,seoul-desserts — seoulinthecity @ 5:02 pm

yogurt berry bingsoo at coffee smith (garasugil) my absolute favorite!!!

This summer I’ve been eating a whole lot of bingsoo, which is a Korean shaved ice dessert. It’s normally served with red bean paste, fruits, rice cakes, ice cream…but the popular bingoo in Seoul these days is green tea bingsoo (along with other flavors such as yogurt, coffee, etc) with nuts, red bean paste, and ice cream. The red bean paste is usually on the bottom, so you have to mix it well to get the full effect. Is there anything better than eating bingsoo on a hot summer day in Seoul??? Absolute addiction…

green tea bingsoo at coffee smith-garasugil

i sooo wanted to eat both by myself!

great vietnamese iced coffee at 'little saigon'

pho at 'little saigon' garasugil...known to be one of the best in seoul!

waited in line for 40 min. to eat 'buldak' spicy chicken at 'gong pyung dong' restaurant in jongno

‘Gong Pyung Dong’ is a tiny restaurant in the Jongno area, that specializes in ‘buldak’-extremely spicy chicken cooked over fire. They do offer other items such as spicy squid and pork. However, they are best known for their chicken. This spot that’s over 20 years old, located on a corner near the bustling downtown business district of Jongno. While waiting in line, you begin to wonder why this place still has their original facade, with an interior that never had a facelift either! Quite the charm that customers love and will return to, not just their amazing food. The long wait was worth every minute!

grilling outside...they cook the meat before they serve it on your grill

'buldak' spicy chicken

green tea bingsoo at sugar bean lloyd cafe-garasugil

enjoying green tea bingsoo sugar lloyd cafe-garasugil

garlic squid cooked in foil...amazing!!!

enjoying chicken dukboki and garlic squid

spicy chicken at 'kuai' restaurant (garasugil) sooo good!!!

nice spread at 'kuai'

handmade dumplings at 'kuai'

'Tosokchon' samgaetang (chicken soup) restaurant in gyungbokgoong (exit 2)

preserved ginseng

alas...the best samgaetang (chicken soup) in seoul!

samgaetang served with shots of ginseng liquor

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Last Days of April… May 1, 2010

Filed under: seoul,seoul-a little bit of everything... — seoulinthecity @ 1:18 pm

lunch at 'take urban' cafe in gangnam

outdoor patio at 'take urban' cafe-gangnam...love the circles!

inside 'take urban' cafe-gangnam

amazing japanese izakaya spot my chef friend hyo yun introduced me to in hannam dong

these skewers were amazing!

fresh mochi dessert topped with grated wasabi-japanese izakaya spot in hannam dong

my boss recently brought these japanese red bean paste desserts from japan-just love the simple, yet beautiful packaging!

cherry blossoms bloom for a short 2 week period every april in seoul...

new menu items at eddy’s cafe-4th edition:

honey glazed apple and fig salad with crumbled brie, served with olive biscotti

eddy's cafe-chicken frittata with onion, bacon, baby spinach, oven roasted tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, and apple vinaigrette

eddy's cafe-breaded pork loin roulade, pickled mushrooms, with english mustard and orange cream and balsamic reduction

new menu item at eddy's cafe-vacuum cooked chicken with spring greens, red delicious chutney, topped with orange pommery vinaigrette

found this samgyupsal spot in my neighborhood recently-they add parsley, how random but it was sooo good!

sake/o-dang bar in garasugil

killer budae jjigae at 'ba da' restaurant-itaewon...and they add cheese!

amazing pastries at' passion 5' in hannam-dong

we weren't allowed to take photos inside 'passion 5' but somehow i was able to snap a few shots!

inside 'passion 5' cafe

this is too funny! starwars cafe in hongdae

love the paper lantern sign!

‘chamsae bangatgan’ in hongdae really has the best makuli (rice wine) and pajun!!! it was the perfect pair for a rainy day in seoul…

outside 'chamsae bangatgan' in hongdae

making the jun right outside the restaurant...everything looks sooo good!

absolutely the BEST kimchi jun (korean pancakes) in seoul-'chamsae bangatgan' in hongdae

inside 'chamsae bangatgan' in hongdae...

kimchi tofu @ 'cham sae bangatgan' in hongdae

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Kristi’s Taste of Seoul… April 16, 2010

Filed under: seoul,seoul-a little bit of everything...,seoul-touristy things...but not so touristy... — seoulinthecity @ 5:58 am

kristi taking a break in front of a cafe in samchungdong...

Good friend Kristi Wayman from Sydney, came to Seoul last week on a business trip. To my surprise, she is absolutely in love with this city! Within a few days, I was able to give her a taste of ‘My Seoul’…I cannot wait until she comes back with her German hubbie-Stephan

kristi was just amazed with the dessert they were making with just corn starch and honey. i always get sucked into buying a box! but have to admit, they are always quite entertaining!

the smell of fresh green tea at o'sulloc cafe in insadong...

the drinks and desserts were amazing...and the pottery was absolutely beautiful!

inside o'sulloc cafe-insadong. the danish modern furniture just stunning!

how cute is this!

cafe in apkujong...

cafe culture is amazing in seoul!

outside cafe 50 in apkujong-the 'no stress cafe'

relaxing with some wine at cafe 50...love the 'no stress cafe' sign on the wall.

after a full day of shopping and eating, kristi was finally able to relax!!!

how amazing is this building in shinsa-dong! first floor was the store of fashion designer 'ann demeulemeester'. we walked all around town to find this place, well worth it!

introducing kristi to korean drinking culture-dongdongjoo rice liquor in gangnam

trying to put this spoon of dongdongjoo in my mouth...maybe not a good idea!

cheers!

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My First Few Weeks in Seoul… February 28, 2010

Filed under: seoul,seoul-a little bit of everything...,seoul-samchungdong — seoulinthecity @ 10:38 am

: cute waffle cafe in gangnam

It’s been a few years since i’ve been here, and to my surprise, the food scene has changed dramatically! The globalization of food is pretty evident here…every corner you will find a waffle cafe, burger joint, pho noodle bar, and even mexican and indian restaurants! I’m excited to start my food exploration, and can’t wait to share my adventures with all of you!

tea house in gangnam-building is beautiful!

mexican restaurant in gangnam...i'm so amazed how the food scene is changing rapidly in seoul!

a pub in korea???

grilling pork belly (sam gyup sal) and kimchi-the best!!!

2 korean natives, and 3 girls from chicago!

smiling with the 2 joe kims-U of I friends!

love the lighting in this lounge!

getting late night snacks...best after having a few drinks!

crazy night crowd in myung dong!

there are so many kebab carts in korea!

these grilled squids were delish!

these could be sooo addictive!

the best spicy pork belly ramen! (but i forgot the name of the place!)

tonkatsu and curry combo is always good...

curry at 'vin' indian restaurant...it was not bad, but it was pretty funny how they gave us pickles and regular sticky rice! where's the basmati rice???