The Tim Tam Slam

The KSA Redux

Go Zen

Zenkimchi was sited in Seriouseats for his story about Korean Fast food.

Awesome job Joe, you are a rock star. Here's the story.

The First Korean Fast Food Chain in America
Posted in: Out There

Asian Week reports that Sorabol, a family-owned Korean fast food chain, currently has 15 stores in California, Nevada and the Philippines while looking into opening locations in Seattle, New York City and Washington, D.C. As of now, they’re concentrating on the food court market, dominated by Sbarro and Panda Express. The difference is that they’re not Americanizing their food. According to them, they serve authentic Korean BBQ, noodles and soups, including Yukejang 육게장. And if their stores typically look like the ones on the web site, they look kick ass.

I’d say it’s a welcome healthier alternative to the usual food court findings and proof that you don’t have to drench everything in grease to make it fast food.

UPDATE: Asian Week seems to be having a lovefest with them. Here’s another story.

NOTE: They have a little section on their web site where you can tell them your location if there is not a Sorabol restaurant in your area. Don’t know how seriously they’d take it, but I’m sure some good response is helpful.

Cheeseburger in a can!!!!

Brilliant!

Gross!

Grossly Brilliant!

This is from our fine friends over at gizmodo

This is a cheeseburger. In a can. It's a cheeseburger in a can. I honestly can't figure out how I feel about this: is it the greatest achievement of mankind thus far, or is it an abomination of foodstuffs that deserves to be hucked back into the gaping maw of whatever food processing plant it was spewed from? I just don't know what to think anymore. Would you eat a cheeseburger in a can? Keep in mind that it'll look nowhere near as delicious as the example above when you pull it out of the can.

Japanese Hot Beer!

This is from Robyn Lee, who is one of my favoritist foodies of all time.

How would you like to gulp down a frothy, steaming glass of...beer? According to American expat in Japan Peter Payne Japanese beer company Kirin is introducing Hot Beer, beer that is heated to about 120°F and accompanied by a cinnamon stick and sugar cubes. "The heat of the beer is supposed to bring out flavors not present when served cold, including a deep aroma not unlike that of coffee." If you're curious enough, you can try this at home by microwaving your own beer.

Today's Tidbit of Zen

Zoom in to see.

Blasphemy ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Thanks Richard for posting it on facebook.

Hawaii on a Dime by Matt Gross

Here is my friend Matt's Story about how to travel frugally in Hawaii.

THE beauty of the Hawaiian islands is hardly subtle. Jungle-smothered volcanic peaks loom around every highway switchback, verdant plants sprout flowers as brilliant and meaty as hallucinations, and surrounding you always is the Pacific Ocean, by turns coral blue, crystalline green or shimmering golden with the light of the setting sun. Hawaii is easy, Hawaii has nothing to hide. Hawaii is, touristically speaking, pornographic in its single-minded baring of its assets.

Getting around on the bus in Seoul

The bus system in Seoul is extensive and very reliable, but- like most foreigners- I was utterly intimidated at first. Here is a website that gives you a grid of the city and then you can click on the starting point and then the ending point and then it'll give you list of the buses you can take.

This only works in Internet Explorer and you have to download Twinkle, which is kinda like flash.

http://bus.congnamul.com/SeoulRouteWebApp/view_english/map.jsp

If you need a reliable subway map here is the link for cyberstation.

Dan

Decorated Herb Bread

This is so cool. Bread can be art. You can read all about it at BoingBoing.

Dan

How I spent my Sunday

I've had a lot of coffee this morning so I'm getting a week's worth of blogging together in one day.

Yesterday, Terry came over and so I made her a lunch of stewed lamb chop. The rosemary in the tomato sauce cut that lamby flavor. I microwaved the potatoes for a bit and then added them to the sauce and threw the whole thing into the oven for about 15 minutes.

I'm all about yogurt these days and I am constantly trying for find new ingredients to marry with this bacterial fermentation of milk. I find if I add a bit of lime juice it cuts the dairy-ness and cuts the thickness so it can be used like a dressing. Yesterday I added chopped roasted cashews and cranberries to the yogurt and then tossed in some steamed broccoli. It was alright, but I think it needed some garlic.

The Beef Enchiladas tasted great. I bought 200 grams of ground beef and 100 grams of ground pork and sauteed it with white onions and seasoning. The tomato mole was just tomato sauce with added flour, butter, dark chocolate, and other seasoning. Next time I think I'll just make a Mexican lasagna.

Oh, random tangent. I LOVE MIKA! I know it's so like 3 months ago, but I've been listening to it nonstop for a couple days now. I love their musical sensibilities.

Rancho Zabaco 2001 reserve was a real treat. I love boomy, red zins but I often find they have a bit of a harsh finish. This one was smooth and deserved much better food then I was able to provide.

The quesidillas are a work in progress. I need to add some meat to it and add more kimchi next time.

Dan

Banned Korean Commercial

I don't know why they would ban this^^

hahaha

The bibimbap song

Silly Weiguk,
bibimbap is for kids.

Minimal Techno at Ape with Pipe

Saturday Night I joined my good friend Terry for Minimal Techno and martini's at Ape with Pipe in Itaewon.

It was an excellent crowd with a great music. I'm a big fan of the atmosphere at Ape and they added to it with the really cool paintings and photographs on display there. I hope they do their Martini night again at some point.

Dan

Australia Day at the Aussie Shop

Tony of the Aussie shop celebrated Australia Day in style and had a turnout of the finest blue blooded Aussies in Korea.

I highly recommend his restaurant. It's always a fun time and the food is wholesome and has that homemade feel. In my opinion, he has the best fish n chips in Korea and his meat pie is the perfect food for a stomach full of beer. I have people claim that Tony makes the best burgers in town- I met some guys that came all the way from Daegu just to have a burger.

The Aussie shop is on the hill opposite of the McDonalds in Itaewon.

Here's the link.

Dan

Stump the Chef

two words:

watermelon aioli

Dan

Loft

No, not that Loft but the new one to the left of Rocky Mountain Tavern.

It is impressive. It's a beautiful place and I think I'm going to go back there on Monday. The menu had foie gras, lamb chops, pastas, and beef tongue. That's interesting, huh? I'm going to have to go try their food at some point. I went there with some friends for some wine and the wine ranged from 35,000 to 300,000. We had a 2004 Saint Emilion that started off like a nice cognac, but opened up to a nice licorice, herbaciousness.

The interior is awesome- and it's going to get even better when they open up the outdoor terrace.

Dan

Thai Garden

The jury is out on Thai Garden right now. I'm going to go back in a week or so. The food was good, but it wasn't Thai Orchid good. I understand that it is the middle of winter and getting authentic Thai ingredients is difficult, but there should be an attempt. OK, my major pet peeve is that they didn't use the bright, spicy, citrusy, Thai bird peppers. You know what I mean- the tiny peppers that come in green and red; they make dishes Thai. Also, they didn't use lemongrass- I don't think at all.

And while I'm on my soapbox, most of my favorite Thai staff members are gone.

I'm going to give them a week and then I'm going to try again- I have to check out their seafood.

Dan

Australia Day

Hurry and go to this it's on the 26th at the Aussie Shop.

Dan

Toque February events

Dear Toque Friends,

Happy New Year!!
I hope you are all having a good start to 2008.
Toque and our staff had a blast meeting every one of you last year.
I hope you enjoyed our food and services and we will be working even harder to make this restaurant a better place for you to come and enjoy and just chill.
We have many events planned for this year as well and the first one coming up is our Valentine's Dinner.
I know that Valentine's Day itself may be an unwelcoming day for some of you(including me...: ( ) but it doesn't have to be a day just for couples.
We have a very special dinner course that will be prepared for just that day.
I encourage all gastronomists and food enthusiasts to come and experience a very unique dinner.
Our Valentine's Day Dinner will be a 6 course dinner, all consisting of chocolate and strawberries.

\40,000 per person(VAT included)

1. Fresh Oysters and Seared Scallop with White Chocolate Champagne Sabayon
2. Roasted Red Pepper-Strawberry Soup with Strawberry Chips
3. Beet and Strawberry Salad ith Chocolate Dressing
4. Balsamic-Chocolate marinated Duck with Balsamic-Strawberry Sauce
5. Ribeye Steak with Red Wine-Chocolate Sauce and Seared Strawberries
6. Chocolate Lava Cake with Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries

I know many of you are wondering/questioning how the menu would taste so I urge you to come by and try it~!!: )

Keep warm and healthy and hope to see you soon!

jane


장정은 Jane Chang
Owner/Chef Toque Diner
682-1 Hannam-Dong Yongsan-Gu, Seoul
Tel: (02)794-3834
Fax: (02)794-3828


P.S. We still have our Tapas Special going on (Order a bottle of wine and get 2 tapas free) and we will also be changing our menu slightly within the next week so come check out what's new!!

A Blog Post in Five Minutes

Last night I made my lamb chops again with the sweet potatoes and green beans. I added some cardamon, cloves, and dried cranberries to the green beans and they had a very interesting flavor. Next time I think I'm just going to use the cloves and cranberry. I found the cardamon to add a bit of an astringent flavor.

Thai Garden- previously Thai Orchid has opened back up and I'll be checking it out later this week.

I passed by the Yellow Submarine and pizza place like all the time and I never see anyone in there. Has anyone tried their pizza?

Elinza's Carrot Cake will be making it's return to Indigo in Haebangchon- yay!

It is snowing in Seoul and nobody knows how to drive. I would recommend you stay off the roads.

I'm going back to phase 1 of South Beach today, or tomorrow or the next day.

Dan

Zaza's Tea Party

I went to Zaza's wonderful tea party and these are some of the treats I indulged in.

Dan

Tidbit of Zen

Hopefully this will help you get through your Monday^^

Check out Cacaoboom and il Cacao's website.

Dan

Artisan Chocolate in South Korea

Here's a neat site I found about how different countries celebrate Valentines Day around the world.


Interestingly, the custom of Korean girls giving chocolates to men on Valentines day has it's origins in Japan.

"Japan
In Japan, Valentine's Day is celebrated on two different dates...February 14 and March 14. On the first date, the female gives a gift to the male and on the second date...known as White Day and supposedly introduced by a marshmallow company in the 1960s...the male has to return the gift he received on February 14. Thus, strictly speaking, a Japanese female has the luxury of actually choosing her own gift. Chocolate is the most popular gift in Japan. However, since most Japanese females believe that store-bought chocolate is not a gift of true love, they tend to make the confection with their own hands.

Korea
The traditional gift of candy takes place in Korea on February 14, but only from females to males. There is another special day for males to give gifts to females and this is celebrated on March 14. Very similar to the custom in Japan, March 14 in Korea is known as "White Day." On "White Day," many young men confess their love for the first time to their sweethearts. For those young people who have no particular romantic partners, the Koreans have set aside yet another date...April 14, also known as "Black Day." On that date, such individuals get together and partake of Jajang noodles, which are black in color, hence the name of the day."

What this article leaves out is that on March 14, in return for the gifts of chocolate, the men give gifts of hard candy. HARD CANDY...boo. It doesn't seem to be a fair trade for chocolate. I think this is why Korea had to designate April 14th as black day. The boys who gave their ladies hard candies were kicked to the curb out of disappointment.

Dan

I miss the original Iron Chef

Morimoto- Sushi Battle

My fascination with Korean Pears

Sorry that my last blog post was about the Macbook Air. Well, back to food.

Last night I got bored and I got hungry so I decided to make myself a descent meal. So I pan seared a lamb chop and then baked it in the oven with some roasted garlic, rosemary, and lemon zested butter that I happened to have left over from my baked chicken night. I also threw a half a tangerine, green beans and a couple of tomatoes into the roasting pan and popped it into the oven for 10 minutes at 250 degrees Farenheit.

I picked up a couple of Korean pears and I wanted to see if I could make poached pears in red wine. I poured the wine into the sauce pan and then made a light roux with butter and flour and popped it in with the wine and let it simmer. Then I threw in half of a skinned Korean pear with a bit of sugar, a cinnamon stick, cardamon, and half of a tangerine. I let this boil and then simmer for 30 minutes- hoping the pear would be soft and silky.

The pear wouldn't give into the heat. I eventually gave up and pulled the pear out and added a bit of 99% dark cacao to the wine sauce and the result was this luscious sauce that I plan on using when I make a coffee encrusted steak.

This is what I do when I get a night off and I get bored. Luckily, Terry was kind enough to come over and taste a few of my creations.

Alright, I'm going to the Zelen Wine Party now. I'll catch you all later.

Dan

Macbook Air

I know that this isn't about food, but damn I'm pissed and my friend Jason is right on about his criticisms of their new product.

This is from Jason

This is what I wrote on one of my favorite forums.

I know, I know, it's dangerous to predict that Apple will fail at anything (critics were harsh on the first Ipod, Lolwut). But this, is ridiculous: http://www.apple.com/macbookair/features.html

$700 more for *way* less features than a damned macbook? Oh, and $900 for a solid state drive that's *smaller* than the standard one? This is the first time I've ever seen an Apple product (since I started paying attention to them), and flat out said "no fucking way".

The whole damned thing is one big product purchase trap. From the website--


"Ahead of the curve.

In redefining thin, MacBook Air has shed something you no longer need: the optical drive. That's because MacBook Air is built for the wireless world. So instead of watching DVDs, you can rent movies wirelessly from the iTunes Store. And instead of backing up files to a stack of discs, you can back up files wirelessly using Apple's new Time Capsule.

However, for those times when you still need to install software on MacBook Air from a CD or DVD, a new feature called Remote Disc lets you wirelessly use or "borrow" the optical drive of a Mac or PC in the vicinity. So you can have full access to an optical drive without having to haul one around. "

Great, let's break that down.

1. Renting movies from the apple store? Awesome, or I could bit torrent them instead of picking through the music store's completely uninteresting collection (movies are the worst feature of ITMS right now, IMHO). Oh, but bittorrent can take anywhere from a few minutes to days. Thanks, apple.

2. Time capsule? I just spent $1700 on this fucking thing, now I have to buy one more thing? Awesome, thanks

3. Remote disc? Yes, that will work, cause everyone on earth will just let me install shit on their computer, no questions.

I'm already annoyed at apple today after hearing that they will charge Ipod touch users another $20 for the mail, weather, and stock apps, while letting *new* ipod touch owners get them pre-installed. What the fuck kind of shit is that?

I think I will have the 8in Eee pc if I want an ultra thin, and save myself $1000 (read that again....$1000).

This is *just* a dumb, poorly thought out product.

Antonio

I went to Antonio twice last week and I must say it was a pleasant experience. The atmosphere is quite upscale and quaint and it's food is cooked very well by a real Italian chef.

The first night I went with my friend Agnes and we got the grilled asparagus and broccoli salad, porcini mushroom pizza, and the grilled vegetables with scarmoza cheese. The asparagus salad was a bit disappointing- I think they used one stalk of asparagus in the entire salad and the dressing was simply a red wine vinegarette. The pizza was a delight- crisp crust and with plentiful basil and aged, thin slabs of Parmesan cheese on top. The grilled vegetables were awesome. They were thick cuts of squash, eggplant, mushrooms, and sweet peppers. The nicely charred vegetables paired off delightfully with the scarmoza cheese- which is like a smoky mozzarella.

I'll tell you about my second visit later. I've gotta go to work.

Dan

Macbook Air...meh

Meh.

Anti-climatic.

No wonder my stock dropped 11 dollars. I should have sold at $200.00. This is a product that's going to take 6 months before it makes an impact. I can see the other products in the line changing to become thinner. I'm sorry, but I'm not going to pay a premium to be an early adopter of a product when the specs are subpar.

The regular macbook is looking like a mighty fine bargain right now since it has the same graphics chip and everything...now I wonder if I can load an 64gig SSD hard drive into it.

And this is coming from one of Apple's biggest fanboys. I put off buying a new Macbook Pro and an iPod touch for this product. Now...I think I'm going to go with the touch.

Dan

Bangsan Market

You can find this article with pictures in the new issue of Eloquence Magazine.

Dan

Just flour, sugar, butter, an egg, a dash of salt, a bit of baking powder can turn your entire house into a time capsule. Baking cookies in the kitchen is almost every child’s first foray into cooking because of height and prior knowledge. Play-dough had trained us in the technical skills of mixing and forming cookie shapes and our height was perfect for peering into television like oven to see our creations transform.

Baking is problematic in Korea. Most households lack ovens- and if you do have an oven, you might not know where to get all the proper tools such as pans, spatulas, pastry bags, measuring cups, mixers, etc. Then the price of the ingredients is astronomical and subpar, so baking requires a true investment of your time and money. I posed this dilemma to my friend Elinza Pretorius, who has her own baking company; she pointed me towards Bangsan Market in Dongdaemun.

Go to Jongno 5-ga exit 7 and walk straight. You’ll cross a brick bridge that crosses over Cheonggyecheon river and you’ll see a sign that reads, “방산종 한시장.” As you pass through the gate, don’t be disappointed. It’s not the bakery wonderland that you may have expected. Walk about 50 meters and you’ll see a little bakery shop called “Seoil Total Bakery System (설토탈베이커리시스템).” They have a reasonable array of baking supplies-but don’t be deterred. Walk a little farther and you’ll see a red sign that reads “박스.” Turn into this alley and you’ll find a cluster of 10 or twelve bakery shops that sell everything from ovens and KitchenAid mixers to 1-kilogram containers of cream cheese, non-dairy whipping cream, and sprinkles.

Under a yellow canopy you’ll find “의신상회.” This was the bakery ingredients store that was featured in the Korean drama, “My Lovely Sam-Soon.” This store is well laid out and there is a vast array of flour, nuts, dried fruit, sprinkles, Dutch process cocoa, and canned fruit for pies such as cherries, blueberries, pears. The prices on bulk items are reasonable. A 1-kilogram bag of chocolate chips costs a mere 5,500 won and a block of Anchor butter will cost 4,000 won. This is also the place to get chocolate; they have a large variety of milk, bitter, and dark all of which are perfect for baking.

So you have your ingredients, but that’s not enough. You will also need pans and trays to transform your ingredients into edible works of art. I recommend, “d & b” and “경훈공업.” They both have friendly personnel and a willingness to discount their products for big ticket items. “d & b” is well laid out with different pastry tips, spring form pans, cake pans, spatulas, cookie cutters and mixers. They also have silpat and silicone heat resistant oven mitts. The KitchenAid mixer prices at “경훈공업” seemed to be the lowest out of all the places I checked out. Their mixers range from 450,000 won to 550,000 won.

If you just want ingredients delivered to you can contact Happy Baking at www.happybaking.com; however, the site is in Korean only. Their shop is located across the street from where you entered into the alley.

All the prices in the shops are competitive. I found it was easier to haggle if you buy in bulk or if you buy an expensive item. Most of the merchants aren’t willing to go down too much because most of the items are imported. All in all, Bangsan is convenient because everything is in one place. If you can’t find it the baking item you seek in Bangsan, it probably doesn’t exist in Korea.

Seoil Total Bakery System
2267-0871
suhilco@naver.com

d & b
2267-4000
www.bakingmall.com

Happy Baking
2268-6009
www.happybaking.com

Kyoung Hoon
2275-5902
www.kyounghoon.com

의신상회
2265-1398

Elinza Pretorius
elinzaza@yahoo.com

Tears of God- Wine Manga

Tears of God is a wildly popular manga in South Korea and Japan that deals with the enjoyment and procurement of wine. It's so popular, in fact, that any wine that is featured in its pages usually sells out in Japan in weeks and the prices of the wines reach exorbitant heights. Since the manga needs to be translated into Korean, by the time the manga is released; there is only a short supply of wines left for wine connoisseurs. Wine piracy has been a bit of a problem here. Overall, this comic is doing wonders for the current wine boom.

Here's a link from a Pendock Uncorked and an excerpt from their article:

Earlier this year I was in Singapore for the Singapore Airlines wine selection process. One of the highlights was meeting Nabi Hashimoto, a Japanese wine writer, who told me how manga, Japanese comics, have taken the cork out of Asian wine sales. Thanks to Melgab International I see that Decanter has now picked up on the story. I attach my April thoughts on the phenomenon that appeard in the Financial Mail.

Chicken and Strawberries

Send Foodie Love: Yakitate

Yakitate is one of my favorite animes and the story revolves around a boy named Azuma Kazuma: the boy with solar hands. What can a boy do with hands that can stay abnormally warm? Make bread of course. He makes the strangest confectionery and bakery delights like melon bread, naan in the shape of a volcano- so the naan is like a bowl that you pour the curry into, kabukinage bread that has a soy sauce and sake topping, and many many other breads.

Check out this episode and promise that you'll be a Yakitate addict!

Tahini Free Hummus

The price of Tahini in Korea is outrageous. So much so that I've considered making it myself since there is an abundance of sesame seeds in this country. That'll be a project for another time because I have a dinner party tonight that I need to get prepared for. Here's a no tahini recipe I found from mothering.com

I think I'm going to level it up with a bit of cilantro and some black olives. If I had a food processor I would add cashew butter.

Dan

Another big fan of Bobbi's Hummus here. I looked at their ingredient list and nutrition information and developed a recipe for humus that tastes very much like Bobbi's MY FAVORITE HUMMUS.

1 15 oz can (~1 1/2 c) chickpeas/garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
2 T olive oil
2 T safflower oil
2 T grapeseed oil (or more safflower oil, or any other mild-tasting oil)
6 T water (just over a third of a cup)
1/4 t lemon juice, preferably fresh
3/4 t salt
pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, add more to taste

Peel and crush the garlic. Let it sit a minute. (Letting garlic 'breathe' a little before cooking enhances ithe bioavailability of its goodness, or so I've read.) Put everything in a food processor. Blend until smooth, and chill thoroughly.

Other options: parsley, cilantro, roasted peppers...

Much cheaper than the $4-5 at whole foods!

Bobbi's uses soybean oil, which I don't have and I don't believe it's the healthiest. I tried using all olive oil, and the olive taste was overwhelming! I've never tasted a dish with olive oil that tasted so much of olives! I'm sure canola oil would work well also.

About the garlic: how much you use depends on when you're planning on serving it. If you're going to be eating it right away, stay a little leaner on the garlic. If you're expecting it to last you a few days, 2 cloves will by no means be enough. Once, I made the hummus on a Sunday, gave my daughter some on Tuesday - you could smell her garlic breath from across the room! - and then by Wednesday it was as bland as anything! Go figure! The garlic seemed to have dissipated overnight.

Enjoy!

Aven

Flying Pan Blue Review

Here is my review on Flying Pan, you can also find it in Eloquence Magazine. This is my "writer's uncut version." I had only given the restaurant 3 stars on the food, but my editor changed it.

A Flying Pan to the Face
by Daniel Gray

My first year in Korea was spent in Gyeong Ju and the closest thing I could get to breakfast was Isaac Toast. Isaac and I became great friends over that year. Since I’ve moved to Seoul, Isaac and I don’t see each other as much because there is a plethora of breakfast joints. Breakfast is a meal that’s hard to mess up, and so, many places get grouped in that “they make a decent scramble” category. But the one place that stands out in my mind is Flying Pan Blue.

Sure, the furniture doesn’t match, there is one big communal table in the center and getting to the bathroom is a bit of a hassle (you have to walk out and around to the back and down a flight of stairs)- but that’s part of the charm. And one last gripe, there are no free refills on the coffee; now I’m sure that refillable coffee and brunch were bound in matrimony.

Gripes aside, the pancakes are things of dreams. They are big and fluffy like clouds (possibly an allusion to their punny name-Flying Pan.) On separate occasions, I’ve had the “Fig Tree” - with caramelized figs, walnut, and ricotta cheese and the “Banana Walnut” with ice cream. The figs and the pancakes pair off like two kid’s wearing the same Spongebob t-shirts and the maple syrup is thick and plentiful- not like the eye dropper pourers from “Butterfinger Pancakes.” And it was a good thing I had 3 big banana flapjacks; I needed them to sop up every glob of ice cream and syrup on my plate. I didn’t have the French Toast, but I did see a skyscraper of toast, fruit, and whipped cream catwalk across the dining floor; it was sexy.

But wait, there is more to the menu. The “Flying Pan Breakfast” is fare for those sick of greasy bacon, eggs, and hash browns. What you have is a poached egg over sauteed mushrooms, with a hint of balsamic vinegar, stacked on top of wheat toast. It also comes with basil pesto, hummus, tomato, and potato salad. Eh, the tomato was a bit mealy (it’s winter after-all), but everything else worked. Oh, I’ve also heard good things about the eggs benedict with smoked salmon.

The sandwiches are made with hearty bread. The ham sandwich and chicken curry were delish. I’ve had the “Poached Pear Salad” which had brie, walnuts, figs and parmesan cheese. I admire the attempt, but the dressing didn’t have enough zing and the lettuce was a bit wilted. I haven’t had the entrees yet; I will- after I get sick of breakfast.

Flying Pan’s breakfasts are essentially dessert; but for those who want dessert after dessert, I recommend the “crepes with black cherry sauce” and the cheesecake. The cheesecake was crusty like a New Yorker after an all nighter.
Go there morning, day, or night and get the breakfast of your dreams.


Ratings (4-star scale):
Food: ***
Atmosphere: **
Service: ***
Value: **

Good Eats and "W"

I have always been a huge fan of Alton Brown and I was very happy to hear that the Food Network has just given him a contract for an additional 3 years. Now...I only wish I could get the Food Network in my apartment.

Check out the top video to see "3 chips for my Sister Marsha" to see one of my favorite reoccurring characters: "W." The second video is about how to make great chili.

Just type in Like the Hat into Youtube to find all things Alton Brown.

Dan

TasteSpotting Top 100 of 2007

Check this out of 100 great food items of 2007.

Dan

Big men banned from buffet

haha...this is just too funny. From Seriouseats.com

When does a person get charged double what everyone else is charged for eating at a buffet? When that person is 6 foot 3 and 265 pounds.

A Louisiana man and his cousin have been banned from a restaurant because they eat too much. The two men had been eating at the Manchuria Restaurant in Houma at least three times a week for about eight months. On their last visit, the waitress gave them a bill for $46.40, which is almost double what the regular price is. When they asked why they were charged that much, the waitress said "Y'all fat, and y'all eat too much" (it helps if you picture Paula Deen saying it).

Police were called, and though the restaurant changed their mind and gave them the meal free, they still banned them from the restaurant.

Yeon: The Traveler's Cafe in Samcheong Dong

There is more above the river than just Itaewon and Insadong. One of my favorite places to go is Samcheong dong. It is near Insadong, but it's pleasant walk away. You can get directions here.

The way I like to go there is by going out Anguk Station exit 5. Then I cross the street towards the Tours de Jours (which is a crappy bakery that makes spongy cakes that taste like sugary Styrofoam). I take the first right and keep walking straight past numerous stores and restaurants such as 목쉬돈나 (723-8089)- a place famous for dukbokki and past 천진포자-a snack place renowned for pork buns and past a strange cafe with pink dogs until I hit Samcheongdong.

Samcheongdong is a great cafe street and restaurant street. My favorite place for coffee is Yeon which is on an elevated walkway that has a ancient look to it. It's right near a toy museum. Yeon is the hippie cafe where the servers don't wear shoes even in the dead of winter and the interior has a traditional han-ok style, but like it has been refinished and repainted for modern times. The servers there are relaxed in a Zen way and the entire place induces a calming sigh. It's a bit of peace in the hectic world of Seoul Korea.

Yeon 734-3009

I'm also a big fan of the Book Cafe. The place has walls of books and you can browse through any of the books there and you can also get a great cup of coffee. I had a wonderful cappuccino that had foam so rich it could have been whipped cream.

Bookcafe 730-1087

Restaurants, I really like Gallery Hyun. It's a bit pricy, but they have a wonderful wine list and excellent lamb chops. The chops were breaded with panko flakes and served with a rich demiglace. It's not an ample meal, but great for when you wish to feel posh.

I also like "a Midi" which has amazing bouillabaisse. It's the closest that I've come to the famous French dish in Korea. Most places overly spice the soup so it tastes more like a Korean 찌개(stew) than what it is supposed to be. "a Midi" knows how to nurture flavors and make the soup subtle and welcoming rather than an evening in a sauna.

Samcheong Dong is a great place for a walk, a contemplative cup of coffee, and especially great for a date if you're trying to impress. Let's just not all go there at once so it keeps it's allure.

Gaon and Super Galbi

I went to Gaon today with Basil . Basil is a freelance photographer that is currently helping my friend Matt on a story about the food scene in Seoul. Here's a part of the journey we took today. We started by going to Gaon in Apgujeong and then to the street market in Dongdaemun. We finished our evening by going to Hong-ik Super Galbi.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year!

I wish everyone a Happy New Year and I hope you achieve all your goals for the coming year. I took a bit of a hiatus, please forgive me but I've been trying to figure out my New Year's resolutions. One of the first resolutions I've made is that I'm going to stop buying junk that I don't need and I'm going to get rid of waste. That's why I was selling my old stuff. I accumulate so much stuff that I don't need that it's simply ridiculous.

My second resolution is that I'm going to take better care of my health. I feel that I drink a wee too much and it just keeps on getting me in trouble. I am going to stay away from tequila entirely because I turn into a weeping, petulant chi