Chocolate from Passion 5 Written and Photographed by Chalica Pack www.vegetarianinkorea.com Chocolates with nuts, chocolates with crème, chocolates shaped like flowers, chocolates filled with organic dried fruits- whatever your fancy you will find it in Seoul. You might not know it, but Seoul is filled to the brim with chocolate shops. They are scattered in nearly every neighborhood from Itaewon to Apgujeong. There are cozy little shops to enjoy a mocha and truffle while reading a book, chic urban places that offer sandwiches and spirits, and places that are so high end your camera will not be welcomed. Here is a list of my chocolate finds just in time for Valentines Day. Just one word of warning: On February 14th and April 14th most of these shops will sell out of everything so be sure to get there early or you will regret it. il Cacao Chocolate Castle As I write up this article, I am enjoying a fabulous chocolate covered truffle brownie from Chocolate Castle near Gyeongbok...

So the other night I was out and I decided to be a ninja and take some pictures of the chocolates and cakes at Passion 5. Passion 5 is down by Hangangjin Station and it is the headquarters for Paris Croissant and Paris Baguette. They prohibit taking photos, so I had to do this on the sly. Eventually I got caught, but I got a couple good shots. Here is a shot of their photo case. Their chocolates are outstanding. They use high quality butter and chocolates and it shows. To the left is a rose chocolate flavored with earl grey tea and in the center are fresh truffles. Now you can tell a good chocolate by the way it feels in your mouth. Like real gold, it should melt instantly. If there is a hard plastic filmy shield around it (It's on most commercially sold chocolates), you know that it's not the best quality. Another chocolate shot. The interior is sleek like a Nasa space station. They spared no expense in building the place- evidenced by the high ceilings. This was origin...

Dear Food Diary: 과식했나보다... > _ #1) Lunch at a noisy and packed institution in Myeongdong for gom tang (곰탕), beef soup with rice (no, I still don't eat beef) and way too much ggakdugi (깍두기). This was my first time trying it with ggak guk (깍국), basically the "soup" (liquid) from ggakdugi kimchi - good stuff, Koreans sure do know how to make the most of everything! #2) Afternoon UFO pastry from the "dessert gallery" at Passion 5 ...it tasted like a cross between a roti bun and gyeran bbang (egg bread) minus the huge boiled egg. #3) Passion 5 pudding... yum yum in the tum tum. #4) Afternoon iced mocha latte, a rich dessert in itself, from Wein Bakery (because apparently you can't sit at Passion 5 without making a reservation). #5) Dinner at Czen Asian Noodle Bar, nothing special. At this point, I was already stuffed and really didn't feel like eating (gasp!) but still managed to throw down some kung pao chicken and noodles. Continue reading...

You can see the version with pictures in this month's Eloquence Magazine. Dan The origin of Korean women giving gifts of chocolate to their boyfriends on Valentine’s Day has its roots in Japan. On February 14th, the girls would give gifts of handmade chocolates, (“giri choko,” which translates to “obligatory chocolate”), to their beloved . On March 14, which has been designated “White Day,” the men are to give their girlfriends “sanbai gneshi” or “triple return” of the chocolates given to them on the previous month. Unlike the Japanese, Korean men give gifts of hard candy to their girlfriends on March 14th. Hard Candy! How unjust! Hard candy is not a fair exchange for chocolate. I believe this is why April 14th has been dubbed “Black Day” in Korea, because of all the girls disappointed with their trifle gifts of hard candy. Guys, if you don’t want to wear black and eat jja-ja myeong alone on “Black Day,” I suggest you buy chocolates for your girlfriend. And ladies, do no...

Heya, so I work for TBS eFM radio station on the show: Soul of Asia with Sara Kim. Recently we have recieved some foodie related questions so I wanted to share the questions and the responses with you. And if you ever have any questions for living in seoul, or foodie related things just e-mail us at tbsefm@gmail.com or post a message on our message board. Sara and I will work hard to answer your questions. Oh, and if you have any special events you would like for us to announce on the radio, just let us know as well. Dan Writer for Soul of Asia 101.3 eFM Listen online at http://tbsefm.seoul.kr Frank wrote: Are there any cooking courses or academies in Seoul conducted in English? Why, yes there is. Now if you are looking to take a cooking class, there are lots of different cooking classes around Seoul. You can take short 1-day classes or you can take a fully accredited course. And since you are in Korea, you should probably learn how to make Korean food. One I found to be very interest...

Passion 5 is impressive. The desserts and breads are constantly pushing the envelope. Today I went with friends to get some coffee and some desserts. The espresso was dark and robust and the mini cheesecakes were delicious morsels. The strawberry tart was lovely as well. Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea, 728-11 Hannam-dong http://m.google.com/u/m/_TmRUZ

First of all, we will be having a Seoul Eats get-together at the Wolfhound Pub on Sunday at 5pm. We have a table upstairs set for 15 people. Not all the spaces are filled so if you'd like to come, send me an e-mail at SeoulEats Here is a question I got from a reader: I love cheese cake. So where can I find the best French style and the best New York style cheese cake in Seoul?- G.P. My recommendation is Passion 5 near Hangangjin station. They have excellent French Style Cheese Cake. Aa Design Museum in Hongdae had an excellent cheesecake back in the day, but I don't know if they still have it.  Korea has wineries and I went to one last week at Diony Winery. Their Bokbunja (Raspberry) wine is not too bad. It smells like raspberry, but tastes like a medium-bodied merlot. One of their wines was given 80 points by Robert Parker. Here is the info on the winery. http://dionycastle.com/customer/notice.html?tb=hbbs_notice&sw=vi&no=22 And here is another winery I...

Article and pictures  by guest contributor Laura Hamm and David Simon If you are a lover of truly cheesy, creamy, thick, tangy, cheesecake… then you’re probably well aware of how difficult it can be to buy a satisfying slice in Seoul, or anywhere else in Korea. Perhaps you’ve experienced the familiar disappointment one too many times. You see cheesecake on the menu, or at the bakery, and the idea of that velvety deliciousness you know so well plants itself firmly into your brain until you can’t resist. You eagerly order your indulgence… only to push your fork into it’s pastel surface and realize that it’s far more ‘cake’ than ‘cheese’, and again you feel duped. We can empathize. However, do not lose hope completely… it IS possible to find the real thing in Seoul. On the ultimate quest to search for the best cheesecake in Seoul, two true cheesecake lovers sampled some delectable options and have decided to share their knowledge here with any other kindred seekers. Outback Steak...

One thing you might not know about me is that I have a bit of a sweet tooth. I mean it’s not like I need sweets all the time, but I do enjoy a nice slice of cake or piece of candy. Now one thing I can’t stand is something that’s just poorly made or if it’s made with corn syrup. Oh, and I can’t stand cakes that have shortening and sugar icing. It’s just gross. And no cherry tomatoes. For some odd reason, in Korea they have decided that a cherry tomato is a good substitute for a Cherry. Let me tell you now, it's not and it never will be. So...you're probably wondering where you can get a good dessert in Seoul. Let me help you out. Let’s start up north. In Samcheongdong there is Beans Bin and they make excellent waffles with ice cream. It’s like a Valentine’s day hot spot and there is always a huge line. Also in Samcheongdong there is J’s Cakes. The Cake Chef uses all natural ingredients and her cakes are beautiful works of art. I had a very delicate carrot cake there and I really...

CLASS DESCRIPTIONS East, Meet West: community brunch class This is not your typical cooking class. After all, who wants to wake up after an action-packed Saturday night and come to school? The essence of "going to brunch" is eating a casual meal that soothes the soul and includes both sweet and savory elements to satisfy all eaters -- and perhaps a little of what us Westerners would call "the hair of the dog that bit you." (In this case, probably soju.) In this informal demo class, we'll work in teams to create Western brunch favorites with local, seasonal, vegetarian ingredients. Our goal is to bring together food lovers, both Koreans and foreigners, around a meal we all love to eat. 35,000 per person. Class will start at 10am at O'ngo Food Communications Culinary School in Insadong. Classes will be taught in English. Reserve by calling 02-3446-1607 or by emailing Ryan Weaver at ryanrose(dot) weaver (at) gmai l (dot) com And yes, there will be Bloody ...

Here's a question I got on the Seoul Eats Facebook page: Erin: Any recommendation? i wanna find a place in Seoul to have proper English breakfast, sausage, bacon, baked beans.....many thanks!!!! Dan: Honestly, the best place would be the Hyatt, followed by Toque , then The Wolfhound. Anybody else have any recommendations? Oh, I have a new one. Passion 5 at Hangangjin Station. It's the big black building there. The food was quite good. Dan

At Passion 5. BTW. They have a great brunch there. Dan

I don't believe that it is already December. I've already been getting Christmas requests from people. MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS EARLY! CHRISTMAS IS ONE OF KOREA'S TOP DATE HOLIDAYS.  If you don't make your reservation early, you'll be out of luck.  High-End Most of the hotels will be holding Christmas Dinner's with Hotel Specials. I recommend the W-Hotel and the InterContinental Hotel. W-Hotel's Kitchen always has a great festive Christmas spread and the InterContinental's Marco Polo and Table 34 for great for couples. I've also been to the Hyatt for their other holidays and I'm a big fan of their food and their view. Pierre Gagnaire will probably be rocking as well. Top Cloud is a major date destination at this time so be sure to book your reservation early.  I also recommend Gourmet Eo in Cheongdam, Ristorante Antonio, and Jung Shik Dang in Dosan Park Chef Meili in Itaewon will definitely be having a Christmas Dinner. This is where I have had...

I got an interesting e-mail from Chef Paul Schenk, the executive chef of the Intercontinental hotels in Seoul. I wanted to give you a rundown of all the cool things that he mentioned. In January they will be move their breakfast from the Grand Intercontinental to the Grand Kitchen restaurant. They will expand their menu and have options for private rooms. "Asian Live" will start construction on our new Thai kitchen. Chef Schnek is working with a couple of suppliers to grow and supply his hotels with fresh lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves. He is also looking for a Thai chef. In February a 2 star Michelin Chef will be coming to Table 34 to pair food with great Italian wines. And a 1 Michelin star awarded chef will be at the Sky Lounge, also in February, for a Foie Gras promotion. Also, Passion 5 in Itaewon has just opened and it is the headquarters for the Paris Croissant/Baguette company. At the Intercontinental, these are ripe and ready for your enjoyment: Yellow tail t...

Originally Published in the February Issue of Seoul Selection Magazine. Kaiseki at Kyotofu Seoul Kaiseki Tofu Dessert at Kyotofu Tofu dessert sounds like a health food experiment gone horribly wrong; but when you open up a dessert place next to Edward Kwon's The Spice and Passion 5, you must have some game. They do. The Kaiseki (Japanese Coursed Meal) dessert will have you...pun intended...eating your words. The sweet tofu with kuromitsu (Japanese black honey) tastes like a fine flan and I couldn't believe that the creamy, rich black sesame ice cream was made with soy milk. The Green Tea (matcha) creme brulee has all the caffeine pow of a shot of espresso but with a subtler flair. It was almost perfect except the yuzu cheese tart. It had a spongy, fickle texture (next time, I will ask for a substitution). Oh, and the vegan chocolate was also quite good. Kyotofu Yongsan-gu, Hannam-dong 682-1 02-749-1488 Go out Hanganjin Station (Line 6) exit 3. Price Range: 10,000-3...