This was published in Groove Magazine this month. You can read it online with pictures here. Dan I happened to run into Rami Mohammed from Yemen at an Arab restaurant. As we discussed Kebap’s (or Kebab’s) popularity in Seoul, he got a bit worked up. He didn’t consider the chicken or lamb dish cooked on a rotating spit and wrapped in tortilla with pickles, lettuce, tomatoes, and a sauce as kebap. He called this dish Shwarma. Rami and I discussed this while eating at an Arab restaurant. He said while both cook the meat while rotating on a spit, Kebap is usually made with ground meat while Shwarma is made with whole meats such as chicken. Also, his Kebap -which he called Donair Kebap- is not supposed to be served on a thin tortilla, but something with a little more body- bread he called Ekmekarasi. So I asked him if he enjoyed eating Kebap/ Shwarma in Korea and he said he couldn’t eat most of them because they were not truly Halal. While, I respect his religious scruples, this did...

Here is a guest post from  A Fat Girl’s Food Guide  written and photographed by the fabulous Gemma. It has been reprinted with permission. Be sure to check our her great cooking and eating tips. Thanks Gemma, Dan Last weekend I decided to put my powers of eating to good use and discover where to get Itaewon’s best kebab. I like to think of myself as quite the kebab connoisseur. They all taste different depending where in the world you buy them but they are all generally the same. I have sampled every Kebab in town on numerous occasions. My record for one night was 5. Though this was over many hours in case you’re turning away in disgust at my gluttony. To make things fair I ordered the same kebab at every venue. A chicken kebab with everything, a little spicy with extra white sauce. God how I love the kebab white sauce, I could take a bath in it! I was hoping that I would have 5 venues to choose from but Pasha closed down. This was actually my least favourite kebab venue anyway, having...

I'll just go through and explain the pictures. These days I'm all about the brined pork loin that I'll then roast and slice thin to make sandwiches. Once cured, the loin will last 2 weeks so they make a lot of really good sandwiches. My topping of choice is samjang with a bit of soy and garlic and sprouts. Petra's Sharma Shop in Itaewon has the best Turkish Coffee. The couple of drops before you hit the sludge is the best. Cherry Blossums are pretty at night. Sultan Kebap in Itaewon. Steve Hatherly with a box of pressed snacks from Dr. Yoon's Institute for Korean Traditional Foods And finally, Jokbal.

When I have the time and make it into Itaewon to handout, it usually involves drinking, eating, drinking and then kebabs. Sunday night had kebab at two places: Pasha and Anakara Picnic (I had not been in Itaewon in a while so i decided to indulge. I guess you could say it is one of my last indulgences because I really have to go on a diet soon according to my doctor, but that is a story for another time. Anyway, the kebabs.  At Pasha, I had the chicken and it was good. veggies were crispy. I thought the chicken was well spiced but a tad on the dry side. The yogurt sauce at Anakara picnic is better in my opinion.  At Anakara Picnic, I had the lamb kebab. It was great. The lamb was moist and flavorful. I really like the veggie medley and pickles at Anakara. I think it just seems fresher. Also the sauce has a bit more lemon tang.  Ok, so the other places I love in Itaewon is Sultan Kebab and Mr. Kebab. Sultan is the original and still one the best. Mr. Kebab is good if none ...

Taco Bell in Seoul In the Washington Post there is a story on the Seoul Taco Bell Relaunch by Chico Harlan . It's a well researched article with interviews with the CEO of the new Taco Bell: Shin Sang Yong of M2G Ltd. who says: "people are ready for something new. They've had 20 years of pizza and hamburgers." Shin envisions opening 30 South Korean franchises in the next three years. One hundred in the next six. Right now, Seoul has about 30 Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants. I just hope he doesn't expand too fast, because I think Taco Bell works in Itaewon, but I don't think it would work in- let's say- Nowon (way up north east). The article hits on the food trends in Seoul and mentions Omer of Sultan Kebap and Suji Park of Suji's Restaurant . Go here for the full article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/24/AR2010092402715.html?sub=AR