I am on a gourmet Korean private food tour   with a guest and I am currently in yangpyeong eating at Sandang restaurant. This is the restaurant owned by Chef Im Jiho. Who I say is the Thomas Keller of Korea (but he doesn't know who Thomas Keller is.) Here are some of the dishes we enjoyed. Dan Sandang is located outside the city at Yangpyeong. Sandang Gyeonggido Yangpyeong-gun Ganghwamyeon Unshimri 104-1 031-772-3959 경기도 양평군 강화면 운심리 104-1

The basket is made out of thin strings of potato that is woven in the shape of a basket. It is topped with fried mugwort that looks like stained glass and shatters like crystal. Around the basket are giant shrimp that look like they were fried alive in the ocean. This "Shrimp Basket" comes with lotus chips that I could eat all day, everyday, for the rest of my life. Other posts on Sandang http://www.seouleats.com/2009/08/crabs-walking-from-sandang-restaurant.html http://www.seouleats.com/2009/08/sandang-roasted-chestnuts-with-red-wine.html

This post is sponsored by Host.fieramilano.it . Host is a food and hospitality conference in Milano, Italy which will be held from October 23-27, 2015. I will be in attendance, hope to see you there. Picture from Korea Tourism Organization Koreans call beans, ‘Meat from the fields.’ A long time ago, meat was a luxury that commoners rarely had a chance to eat. So instead of meat, Koreans cultivated a wide variety of beans to supplement their diet. Beans such as black beans and peanuts were often used to make banchan or side-dishes, but others like wild kidney beans, white beans, and peas were added to rice. Red bean in a sweetened paste was used as a filling for rice cake desserts. There is even a bit of notoriety about eating rice steamed with beans. If you suspect someone has spent some time in prison, you could subtly ask them, “how long did you eat beans and rice.” If they know what you are suggesting, they’ll tell you how long they were in prison. Also after being released ...

Sandang Today I am on a press tour and we are at Sandang for lunch. More pictures to follow.  Dan Sandang in Yangpyeon: 031-772-3959

If you ask any random Korean and ask them which area or city they think has the best cuisine, you'll receive a myriad of answers. Koreans tend to be nostalgic for their hometowns and say that area has the best food. Even though Korea is a small country. Its relative size is that of Indiana in the United States or of Great Britain, the country has a diverse food culture. And it doesn’t apply just to the south. I have interviewed North Korean Refugees and when I ask them if there is anything they miss from the North, they often say the food. Regional food specialties are one of the reasons to travel. If you go to a place of prominence let’s say to Gyeongju, Jeonju, or Jeju Island, your friends and family will expect snacks from that area to commemorate the journey. For business trips, you’ll often have to get snacks for colleagues. Now if you do go to an area and you don’t eat at the famous restaurant of the area, your friends and colleagues might think you were foolish for wasting t...

I am at Sandang restaurant with some foodie friends and I wanted to introduce them to the chef's cuisine. It is artistic, healthy, and flavorful. Are are some of what we ate.

They are grown behind the restaurant and they are roasted in alcohol right at the table. Visually it is stunning and the taste... not bad. Dan Sandang 0317723959

It's the ultimate sign of respect and care when someone serves you a large array of different side dishes. Each dish may take up to 2 weeks to make (for fermentation). If you ask a Korean person who makes the best food, 9 times out of 10 they will say their mother. Why? Their mother would take the time to make all of the ingredients by hand and it's that extra care and knowledge of sharing that brings an extra amount of affection for the food. Sandang follows the principles of slow food and everything is made in-house with the idea that the person eating it will have be healthier because of eating it. Korean food is so colorful because each color and each dish is supposed to heal and nurture a different part of the body. I guess it's like having a delicious multi-vitamin everyday. Dan

I'm in Korea for vacation, where are the best restaurants to eat at??? This is a question I get asked all the time and although I try to personally answer each e-mail, I feel that there are many lists on my website that answer this question. I wanted to make a comprehensive post about this question. Here are my lists of recommendations: Here's a big list and tips: http://www.seouleats.com/2009/09/restaurant-recommendations-and-tips-for.html Here's a list of just BBQ restaurants: http://www.seouleats.com/2009/11/korean-barbecue-restaurant.html This is for summer: http://www.seouleats.com/2008/07/seoul-eats-ways-to-chillax-in-seoul.html And a list for adoptees: http://www.seouleats.com/2009/07/welcome-goal-adoptees-to-land-of-kimchi.html You should also check out Sandang: http://www.seouleats.com/search?q=sandang And Wooriga: http://www.seouleats.com/2009/10/seasonal-reflections-chef-jeong-hyun.html Jungshikdang http://www.seouleats.com/search?q=jung+...

Crabs Walking: Tiny Fried Crabs served with a Mango Sun and Green Sauce. These days I have been able to go to some of the best restaurants in Seoul. One of these places is Im Ji-ho's restaurant, "Sandang" The restaurant means Mountain Village and the food was creative, lively, and delicious. His motto is: Food is a merger of Art, Science, and Health. It is in Yangpyeong, so you'll have to drive to get there. Trust me it is worth it. 031 772 3959 I'm going to tease one picture at a time, so stay tuned for me. Dan

Chicken in a cup at Hong Cup Here are some letters I got from readers and my responses. Thanks for asking me questions and I'll keep doing my best to answer everyone! Dan Hey Dan,  As you know, we have American relatives heading to Seoul over US Thanksgiving. While they will be eating mostly Korea while here, we would like to have a family feast of the turkey type. Last year I ordered in a Turkey dinner for 20 and added my own sides. It worked out great. This year I am having a difficult time finding options. Sadly, we need to host the dinner on Tuesday the 22 and we cant make the Ongo dinner on the 26th. Suggestions??!! Thanks for your help! Sarah Hi Sarah, High Street market in Itaewon will be selling frozen turkeys. The  military base has stopped doing so. Costco has frozen turkeys and so does Haddon Mart.  If you have a military contact you  should be able to arrange something with them. They are about 100 USD  with sides and each turkey feed...

Nails Here is a cool picture that I found on my computer. It was taken at Sandang restaurant in Yangpyeong.

It's been a great week for food which has been wrecking havoc on my waistline. Food tours have been going very well and I have been so many exciting foodies in the last few weeks. Besides the regular tours that we do, I have been able to do some private food tours for serious gourmets. Some of the places pictured are Seokparang, Baker's Table, Proust, Gold House, Sandang, and Woori Nara. Here are some pictures of places that I have been:

저는 휴가중인 한국인입니다. 식사하기 좋은 레스토랑이 어디있을까요? 위와 같은 질문이 제가 자주 받는 질문 중 하나입니다. 비록 각 메일에 개인적으로 답변을 드리고 있지만 제 웹사이트에는 위의 질문에 대한 더 많은 목록들이 있습니다. 아래는 위의 질문에 대한 종합적인 자료입니다. 제가 추천하는 목록들은 다음과 같습니다. - 주요한 리스트와 정보입니다: http://www.seouleats.com/2009/ 09/restaurant-recommendations- and-tips-for.html - 숯불구이 전문점 리스트입니다: http://www.seouleats.com/2009/ 11/korean-barbecue-restaurant. html - 여름 계절음식 입니다: http://www.seouleats.com/2008/ 07/seoul-eats-ways-to-chillax- in-seoul.html - 입양인을 위한 리스트입니다: http://www.seouleats.com/2009/ 07/welcome-goal-adoptees-to- land-of-kimchi.html - 산당 레스토랑도 참고해 보시기 바랍니다: http://www.seouleats.com/ search?q=sandang - 정식당입니다: http://www.seouleats.com/ search?q=jung+shik+dang - 2010년 선정 베스트 버거 리스트입니다. http://www.seouleats.com/2010/ 01/best-burgers-in-seoul-in- 2010.html - 서울에서 유명한 라면 전문점 리스트입니다: http://www.seouleats.com/2009/ 07/photoblog-best-ramen-in- seoul.html - 서울에서 유명한 케밥과 슈와르마 전문점 리스트입니다: http://www.seouleats.com/2009/ 05/kebap-and-shwarma-in-seoul. html - 도시를 벗어나 놀라운 전주 음식에 도전해 보세요...

1. Wrote 691 Blog Posts on Seouleats.com 2. Appeared on 48 episodes of the Steve Hatherly Show for TBS eFM. 3. Was the dining editor for Eloquence Magazine for 5 months. 4. Became the dining editor for Groove Magazine. 5. Appeared in an episode of Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern. 6. Helped organize and market the 7th Annual Tteok Festival in Seoul for Dr. Yoon Sook-ja. 7. Met Chef Rachel Yang when she came to the Tteok Festival 8. Met Robyn Lee from Serious Eats when she came to do a story for the Tteok Festival. 9. Met the 9-year old guitar sensation Sungha-jung. 10. Appeared in Gourmet's Diary of Foodie episode: Korea: Ancient world, modern food. 11. Traveled for 3 weeks in America. I started in Seattle and then went to Philadelphia; Winter Haven, Florida; Utah, and then San Francisco, California. 12. I met Jonathon Kauffman from the Seattle Weekly. 13. I met Chef Anna Kim at the Kimchikhan Documentary filming. 14. Was a featured speaker at the G'OAL Adoptee...

Delicious.

The last few months have been very busy for my company.   Our last project was to design culinary tours in Korea for tourist coming to Seoul for Korea Tourism Organization . I was lucky to be able to invite press for one of our tours so we brought in Chandra Ram from Plate Magazine, Brian Lio from Jetsetzero , Benjamin Jackson from Seoul Magazine and Yonhap News, and Cho Jae-un from the Joongahn-ilbo newspaper . We were so lucky get such a talented group of people together and I think they enjoyed themselves. Here are two articles written by Jae-un Cho from the Joongahn-ilbo Newspaper. Thank you so much Jae-un! Dan From farm to market, culinary tour offers a return to the basics ‘This is the real Korea that foreigners often don’t get to experience.’ -Daniel Gray December 11, 2010 Blocks of meju (dried fermented soybeans) hang at Jeolgol Farm By Cho Jae-eun YANGPYEONG, Gyeonggi - A glop of freshly cooked soybeans turned into perfect, golden squares of meju (dried fermen...

Samgyetang from Nonhyon Samgyetang. I believe it's one of the best in the city. Here is the sign. This one is near Hakdong station exit 1(?). You walk straight and then turn left at the first corner. Turkey and Ricola Cibatta Sandwich from Retro Oven. Way too much Ricola- it was all I could taste. The bread is quite nice. It's fluffier than your normal cibatta. More cibatta. One of them has black olives. North Korean Mandoo North Korean Suyeok: a steamed pork dish. The cucumber pickles were crisp and amazing. The restaurant is called Pyeongyang Jungga and it is across from the Tombs Park in Hakdong. 02-568-1577 It's been a week in eating because of two things. I have a new food project that requires me to taste different foods and my foodie friend Matt is here as well. This is some of what I've eaten so far. Today I'm headed over to the W-hotel to do a wine pairing and this weekend I'll be going to Im Ji-ho's famous restaurant: Sandang. I promise I...