Hey guys,

We are going to have the BIGGEST Saint Patrick’s Day Annual Hooley Party!! Woohoo! Limited tickets! It will be sold out soon!! So don’t wait!  Early bird tickets are only available through February 29th!! Get your tickets today!

세 인트 패트릭스 데이가 한달도 남지 않았어요!!!!! 사전구매 할인은 일주일 밖에 남지 않았으니 티켓 구매 망설이시는 분들은 서둘러서 구매해 주세요~ 뒤늦게 후회들 하지 마시구용~^^* 티켓은 여러곳에서 판매되고 있기 때문에 생각보다 일찌기 매진이 된답니다…^^:

http://www.facebook.com/events/292908864084599/

Seoulite

010-7196-4262

So… Let’s get started.

Over the weekend I went to Baby Guinness in Itaewon for brunch. I went on a Sunday and we got there around 11:30 (that’s when they opened). I got a very spicy bloody Mary and the Guinness stew. The stew was good. It was hearty and you could definitely taste the Guinness. It came with a large side of mashed potatoes and a roll as well (which were both great for dipping into the stew). My friends got burgers and eggs. The fish n chips are really good.

My only complaint was that the food takes a long time to come out. My friend that ordered a cheese omelette got her order halfway through our meal. It was big, but something that should have been the last to come out.

Baby Guinness is located behind Hamilton Hotel in Itaewon.

Hi Seoul Eats Readers,

First of all, happy Valentine’s Day. I want to thank everyone that participated in the Tartine Too Brunch Poetry Contest.  We had a number of Korean people also participate. 감사합니다. We had 14 people participate and write some great poems for the contest. (Now to be cheezy), in my eyes you are all winners, but in order to choose who to pick as winners, Chef Garrett and the team at Tartine went through all of the entries and they have come to their decision.

The results are:

Hwang Ji-Young

오렌지빛 빛나는 조명아래에서
반짝이는 작은 타르트를 바라보며
나는 꿈을 꿔요 한 로맨틱한 일요일을.
Eggxcelent boyfriend과 함께하는 Eggceptional omlet breakfast
Brender’s Germen pancake breakfast 의 매력에 나는 완전 Surrendered.
그리고 무엇보다 소중한건 Chilling time with Chicago windy chili.
분명 멋질꺼예요. 우리의 데이트는.
반짝거리는 저 Tartine들만큼.

All of the winners, please email me so I can send you the gift certificates.

Thanks for participating.

Dan

King Crab

The Noryangin Fish Market is Seoul’s largest marine products market. Covering over 66,000 square meters the warehouse is a teeming wonderland of all that swims in the sea. There are over 700 small shops, and several bigger ones, that sell everything from shrimp, flounder, and live octopus to the exotic spoon worm, sea cucumber, and sting ray. If you can’t find your aquatic friend here, it probably doesn’t exist in Korea.

The market is open 24 hours. If you are up around 2am (except on Sundays and holidays), you can witness the wholesale auction. At the auction they sell everything from very high-grade fish to low-grade bulk products. Just don’t yawn, because you might accidently buy a couple hundred kilograms of fresh fish. The Toro and the giant squid tentacles fetch hundreds of thousands of won (equivalent to hundreds of dollars) each. And when these items go on the auction block, the room becomes very exciting because these fishmongers don’t like to lose.

When you enter the market, you will catch the strong scent of the sea and of, obviously, fish. The warehouse is cold because of the large amounts of ice that that are brought into the market to keep the fish fresh. It’s like a giant, open-air refrigerator. Here, many small vendors that sell shrimp, crab, flounder, oysters, and eel greet you. It looks like an aquarium at times because of the large number of tanks swarming with fish and crustaceans. You can buy things by the gram or individually. The prices here are usually about 30% cheaper than what you would get at supermarkets and department stores. Haggling is sorta expected, so haggle to get a discount. If you pay cash you might be able to get 15% percent or so off your food. Some places will take credit card, but don’t expect too much of a discount. Also, if you buy in bulk (or if the vendors like you) you might get a couple extra shrimp or maybe a something you’ve never eaten before.

Now most of you will probably go to Noryangin to see the spectacle and to eat some fish. The Korean specialty is Hwae. Hwae is a raw fish dish that is usually sliced Kwango (flounder), Wooruk (rockfish), and Nongo (Sea Bass). The sliced raw fish is placed on a leaf of lettuce and then topped with a sliver of raw garlic, a piece of green pepper, a dab of vinegared red pepper paste and then eaten. The fish is chewy and the clean taste pairs well with the minty garlic and the tangy sauce. You eat this fish with a plethora of different side dishes such as figs, fried vegetables, broiled fish, salad, kimchi and soju (Korean liquor). After your fish is gone, the restaurant will bring out a bowl of Maeuntang, which is like a spicy Bouillabaisse. The soup is made from the bones of the fish you just ate. The spicy and hearty soup is a great way to round out the meal because it will warm you and fill you up. Koreans always like to leave a restaurant full and happy.

If you are a bit more adventurous, you can go for the live octopus: sannakji. It’s not as scary as it sounds and it’s actually quite delicious. The octopus is first thoroughly cleaned and then sliced up. The nerves in the octopus don’t die right away, so they squirm around on the plate. The live octopus is first dipped in a salt and sesame oil sauce so it has a chewy, nutty, sea flavor. The best thing is that the little suckers will grip the plate, then the chopsticks, and finally the inside of your mouth as you chew away. It’s playing with your food taken to the highest level. It’s a delicious new experience.

In my opinion, the most delicious thing at the entire fish market are the king crab. They have varieties from Russia and Korea and during the winter months, they are the meatiest. They are big- like 2 kilos or more and they cost from 30-50,000 per crab (depending on the size). I love to take these crabs to the restaurant and then have them steamed. Afterwards, they will cut the crab open with scissors and save the butter part to make a fried rice. The rice is heavenly. It is like the best crab risotto you’ll ever have.

So hopefully you’ll make it out to the market. It’s not as intimidating as it might seem and it’s quite fun. It’s like fishing, but you don’t have to do any of the work and you always get the freshest and best catch. Let me tell you how you can do this.

1. Take a friend (or several) because you’re going to have a lot of food.

2. Go up to a fish vendor and look around for the kind of fish, or shellfish you might want to eat.

3. Point and ask the man, “how much.” (O-my-aio). At this point he’ll look at you and give you a price. Tell him you would like a discount, “Taka jusayo.” He might give you a discount or he might not. Regardless, you should say thank you, “Kamsahamnida” and walk away. At this point he’ll come get you and he’ll give you a better price. At that point you should say, yes, “Ne.” Take your picture with the man and your catch. He’ll go and slice it for you.

4. Now that you have your fish, you need to buy some shrimp, live octopus, oysters, and other fish to accompany it.

5. Then you take your fresh catch to a restaurant that’s nearby. There are many in the back row. My favorite is Jinnam Sushi Restaurant. It’s on the second floor in the back of the market. They have excellent side dishes and good service. (02 815-2732). Hand them your catch and they’ll prepare it for you as you have a drink at one of their comfortable tables.

6. Once the food is prepared they’ll bring it out for you and your friends to enjoy.

Directions

Take the Subway Line 1 to Noryangjin Station. It is on the dark blue line (line 1). At the station you’ll see signs that will direct you over a bridge and to the market. If you are in a taxi then tell him, “Noryangjin su-san shi-jang.”

First of all, I would like to thank everyone that participated in the restaurant review contest. We got some good reviews and it helped others find other great restaurants. I really appreciate your contributions because I would really like to make Seoul Eats the site for foodies to tell others in the community about how to find the best eats in the city.

Duckconfetti introduced us to: Review: Masterful French Cuisine at Bien-être

CheeseLover wrote about: Burger B in Hongdae which brought quite a bit of controversy.

Troyeatz contributed a number of posts including about Taco Taco Chili Chili, the now defunct Taco Amigo, Smokey Saloon, and The awesome O’ Taco

Rikey Spicy wrote about 원터골 통갈비 (Wontuhgol-tonggalbi): Where have you been all my life?!

Two Miguks wrote about Feel Good Italian Food at Cat on the Oven

Yunmay wrote about Sloe Bistro

And of course, my Seoul Eats partner, Dustin Cole contributed a number of reviews, but he is ineligible for the prize. Plus, he has been tweaking the design of the blog. I would like to personally say thanks.

Now through a very scientific process (I put your names on a piece of paper according to the number of reviews that you wrote and put the mess into my hat and picked out one), I have picked a winner. The winner of the Valentine’s Day Dinner is Two Miguks! So…please email me and I will arrange for you to get your prize.

Thank you everyone for participating and please continue to contribute. I plan on having more prizes in the future. You can contribute by using this simple form. 

Yes, Valentine’s Day is coming up and it would be wise for guys that are in relationships to make dinner plans (or else^^). Here are some restaurants that have sent me some notices about Valentine’s Day events. These are restaurants (and 1 event) that I have been to and I would recommend. If you have a restaurant and are doing valentine’s day specials, please email me at seouleats at gmail dot com

Kyotofu에서 특별하게 준비한 달콤한 디저트로 사랑을 전하세요. Kyotofu Valentine Special Dessert Kaiseki - 25000원(VAT미포함) Paired with Valentine Special Cocktails (Hptonic &Peachtonic) – 16000원(VAT미포함) -Vanilla Sweet Tofu with Choco syrup 바닐라의 달콤함과 두유의 고소함을 느낄 수 있는 디저트 푸딩 - Soy Honey Crème Brulee / Dark Chocolate Mousse Cake / Matcha Ice Cream 두유와 꿀로 만든 부드러운 크림 브럴리, 다크 초콜렛 무스 케이크와 진한 마차향이 느껴지는 아이스크림 - Nama Chocolate(Dark Choco, Strawberry), Mini Financier, Cookie Kyotofu만의 특별한 생초콜렛과 쿠키&미니피낭시에                                  Kyotofu 강남 신세계 백화점 입점! 감각적인 디저트로 많은 사랑을 받은 Kyotofu가 드디어 강남 신세계 백화점에 입점했습니다. 한남점에서 가장 인기 있는 아이템들로 구성한 미니사이즈의 다양한 디저트들과 좋은 재료를 사용해 건강하고 맛있는 수제 미니버거가 여러분들을 기다리고 있습니다. 이번 발렌타인데이에는 Kyotofu의 달콤하고 부드러운 생 초콜렛을 선물해보세요. Kyotofu의 새로운 바텐더가 만드는 다양한 칵테일을 즐겨보세요. 작년 Kyotofu Seoul에서 개성있는 칵테일로 많은 인기를 끌었던 강동희 바텐더가 새롭게 Kyotofu의 특별한 Cocktail Nights를 책임집니다! 새롭게 단장한Kyotofu의 칵테일 메뉴를 주목해주세요!

Dear Friend and Italian food lover   Trattoria Da Franco   On the 14 of February 2012 Valentine day Franco prepare special Candle night set menu @ 63000 for 2 person Celebrate this romantic night in Italian way Come and enjoy superb food and romantic atmosphere Please book you table to don’t miss this special occasion 안녕하세요 뜨라또리아 다 프랑코 입니다 ^^ 2월14일 발렌타인데이를 기념하여 로맨틱한 2인 세트메뉴를 준비하였습니다. 특별한날 은은한 초빛 아래 사랑하는 사람과 분위기 있는, 행복한 식사되시길 바랍니다. 예약문의는 아래 전화로 부탁드립니다.

206-7, Daewoo The -Osuperium 1 Danji, Nakseongdae-dong Gwanak-gu, Seoul if you like to come with subway Line n.2 (Green Line) Seoul National univ.Station Exit2 One minute walk from station   Tel. 02-887-2825-6 Culinaryregards Sommariva Franco Stella Ha moon jung Mob 010-9268-2121 mol 010-4558-0604

• • A Night of Romance at Probationary Theatre on Tuesday, February 14, 7:30pm until 10:00pm

• Probationary Theatre is proud to present an irreverent look at romance in the form of 4 30 minute English shows by the “bad boy” of American theatre, Neil LaBute. Directed by Molly Rice, couples and singles alike are invited to watch the chaos unfold. A ticket to all 4 shows is a mere 15,000won. You may watch as many or as few as you like! Session times: Session 1: 7.30pm Session 2: 8.15pm Session 3: 9pm Session 4: 9.45pm No advanced bookings, tickets at the door. Door opens 15 minutes prior to each session start time. Bring a date, or come alone and find one there! Directions on how to get to the theatre can be found at: www.probationarytheatre.com/wbt.html

They are from Cafe Nest
Seoul Gangnam-gu Nonhyeon-dong 218-19
서울시 강남구 논현동218-19 1층 카페네스트

Sortilege de fruits rouges…

Parfait glace au chocolat.

Beer O’Clock (Sinchon, Seoul)-A replaying of the game starts at 8 pm.  www.beeroclock.ca

Sam Ryan’s (Itaewon, Seoul)-Doors will be opening for the live game at 7am and they will also be replaying the game at 7pm.  www.samryans.com

3 Alley Pub (Itaewon, Seoul)-Doors open at 7am for a live screening, they will be offering a breakfast deal for ₩ 13,000 and the booze will be flowing.  www.3alleypub.com

Rocky Mountain Tavern (Itaewon, Seoul)-Doors for the live game will open at 8am while kickoff is at 8:30, they will also be replaying the game at 8pm.  www.rockymountaintavern.com

Wolfhound Pub (Itaewon, Seoul)-The game will be shown live at 8:30am with Bloody Mary’s being sold at a special price and the kitchen will be open.  The game will also be replayed at 7:30pm.   www.wolfhoundpub.com

The Park (Jung-dong, Bucheon)-A replaying of the game will begin at 8:30pm, they will have food specials on chicken wings, burgers, and nachos including a free pint of beer with a food purchase and discounted pitchers.  They will also be playing a squares game with monetary prizes at the end of each quarter.  010-3136-0153

Scrooge Pub & Sports Bar (Itaewon, Seoul)-They will be serving breakfast during the game and the doors open at 7am. 02-797-8201

Yaletown (Sinchon, Seoul)-Party begins at 8am with an American style breakfast.  02-333-1605

SinBin Sports Pub (Itaewon, Seoul)-Doors open at 6:30am and the game will replayed at 6:30pm.  There will be a full breakfast menu and whatever drinks your little heart desires including Irish coffee and Bloody Mary’s.  They will also be playing the squares game.  http://www.facebook.com/events/334411599913445/

The Cantina (Daejon)-The game will be replayed at 10pm with a ₩ 10,000 breakfast, ₩ 500 buffalo wings, and ₩ 2,000 beer.  http://www.facebook.com/events/226452427435538/

If you know of anywhere else to watch the game, feel free to add it to the list under the comment section.