Seoul Eats

What makes a perfect burger? It should have a bit of pork, but mostly beef. Beef should be a bit marbled. I mean it doesn’t make sense to get a very expensive filet mignon or a sirloin to make a burger because it’s too lean. You need fat and marbling for flavor. The meat can be a bit grisly. You don’t want to have something too soft because then there is no body and it’s just like eating baby food. Seasoning. You should use salt and pepper. Onion and Garlic add savory accents to the meat. If you want to get fancy, you can add some other herbs. I like a bit of rosemary at times, if I am feeling exotic. It is a strong herb and it can mask the flavor of the meat that you spent so most of your money on. I recommend using rosemary if you are making a lamb burger. Lamb is a bit musky in flavor so rosemary pairs well with it. Ground lamb and beef works well together especially with a yogurt, cucumber dressing. Now back to burgers. You will probably need a binder- something to stick everything

My friend Lunalil has the biggest heart in Korea. Yesterday as she was walking past a park she noticed that someone had just abandoned their hamsters! I mean who does that! geez. Anyway, now I'm not sure how many of you would actually do this, but she rescued the hamster and took them home. The one problem is that she is leaving in a month, so she needs someone to adopt these hamsters. Anyone? Anyone? Here's her post and hit the link for more: or a very fuzzy morning! ㅋㅋㅋ I haven’t been sleeping well lately. I’ve been having insomnia and really struggling with stress. I’m kind of in meltdown mode. As a result, I got a later start than normal this morning. I dropped by Paris Baguette for a very unhealthy breakfast snack and orange juice. Snarfed it all down, hopped on my bus and headed to school while still half-asleep. When I got to my bus-stop and crossed the street towards my school I saw something that shocked me awake. There was a little pink cage with a black bag on top s

Do you think there might be a reason why Originally uploaded by Deconstructacon This plate was on sale for 1000 won??? Look Closely. ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Passed out Soju Bottles in Seoul, Korea Originally uploaded by Deconstructacon Look! Even Soju bottles get drunk off of Soju!

Pretty Soju Bottle Originally uploaded by Deconstructacon Blast from the Past. People in Soju Costumes always make me laugh.

kkkk.... Me Engrish so good. It be much more gooder than you.

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

I know. I haven't been blogging recently and it's because I've been a bit busy with work and with my Korean class. Last night we had a big test that I studied forever for just to find that most of the stuff that I memorized was NOT on the test. Grrrr... Anyway, I learned a lot so it's all good. For those who know me, I'm a bit of a gadget freak. I mean my backpack is always weighed down by numerous electronic items that I probably don't need to carry around. I mean I have my laptop, my Zoom H4 audio recorder, my Canon Powershot G9 Camera, an electronic dictionary, and...I think that's it. So, when I see stuff like this on the web, I just say "Cool!" Via Gizmodo

Here is our final schedule for Marchs St Patricks Day events. Please email me if you have any specific questions. Thursday 12 - Live Acoustic Irish Music with 9:30 set and 11:00 set Friday 13 - Live Acoustic Irish Music (tentative) Saturday 14 - St. Patricks Day Warm Up Party with Shooter specials. Sunday 15 - All Day & Night St. Patricks Day Party with green beer, green shooters, top hats, and our DJ playing sing along Irish music all day and night. Opens at 11am. Our usual quiz will be moved to Monday night on this weekend only. Monday 16 - Table Quiz with a few Irish themed rounds and special prizes at 9pm. Tuesday 17 - St. Patricks Day: Live Irish Traditional music by the six piece band "Bard" No cover charge on any night. Also please note that our 2 for 1 fish n chips special will be discontinued. We will however continue to host our table quiz every Sunday night.

Now there are two things in the world I love, one of which is sesame oil. It's savory scent is almost as good as, if not better than, inhaling gasoline. I admit the latter's an acquired taste. But honestly, I'll put sesame oil in just about anything - in my salad dressing, on my rice, in my noodles, while I'm frying up an egg, doong doong. (On a side note, I'm considering replacing all future 'etcetera's with the much cuter sounding Korean version, 등등 doong doong . "Hobbies? I like writing, playing tennis, dining out, doong doong. Favorite food? Ice cream, roasted hazelnuts, cheese, doong doong .") The other is fresh ahi, what I'm accustomed to calling "tuna" in Hawaii, or "chamchi" in Korean. I went to another "chamchi jib," a restaurant specializing in tuna, a while back in Suwon. This one charged a minimum 65,000 won a head, which meant we were treated to sprinkles of fancy gold flakes over our sashimi. The e

Cherry Rhubarb Pie...Yummmmmm.... In the Pie eating contest, we have crazed Carol the Kentucken fork killer. We have sweet Hubble, the virtuous Maltese Dog. And we have kind Lily. Who will win the pie eating contest? Links to more articles on Tartine's

Appetizer: Sausage and Potatoes with Saurkraut. Salad: Chicken Salad Main Course: Chef Meili's Famous Wiener_Schnitzel Main: Pork Loin with a truffle gravy and roasted vegetables. Dessert from Tartine's: Wild Berry Tart Links Review of Chef Meili's It's a Chef Meili Christmas Chef Meili Food Porn

Via Brian in Jeollanamdo Thanks Brian! It's a Hanwoo Burger Festival. That's awesome. Hmmmm...I think I'll be making a trip. Who wants to join me?

Via The sun INNOCENT-eyed Alfie Patten spent his first night acting as a 13-year-old dad and declared: “It was easier than I thought.” The four-footer — who looks no more than eight — said: “I know I’m young, but I plan to be a good dad.” As he went on the PlayStation with 15-year-old girlfriend Chantelle Steadman, he added: “I think we’ll be good parents. I’ll have to work extra hard at school.” This is one of the most popular stories in Korea at the moment according to Naver.com I like the kid and I wish him the best of luck. He's a media darling and I think he realizes that every move he makes is being scrutinized. I don't know how he'll deal with the stress. I guess Playstation fits the bill. Dan

It's a cafeteria style burger that's grey and grisly, crispy krinkly fries, a Dr. Pepper to wash it down, and Reeses for dessert. How American can you get?

Hmmm...According to my friend Duane, this is because the longer you roast the coffee, the more caffeine you burn off. This requires further investigation. Here is my Google Search on the topic. And here is a technical blurb from Roast Magazine: Roast Level Beyond selection of the green beans, the roaster is commonly thought to control one more variable in the final caffeine content of the beans: the roast level. Popular lore has always been that the darker the roast level, the lower the caffeine content. This is not really the case, as caffeine changes very little during the roasting process. Caffeine has a very stable crystalline structure with a boiling point above 600 degrees Fahrenheit, far above roasting temperatures, which rarely exceed 470 degrees Fahrenheit. This means there is very little change to the caffeine during the roasting process.

This is from the Joongahn Daily Kimchi is a condiment and it shouldn't be the main dish to promote Korea. In order to popularize a country's cuisine, you need to have a dish that appeals to the masses. Kimchi isn't very universal. It alienates a great deal of people with its smell, its look, and the process in which it is made. Chef Shenks isn't trying to be arrogant, he tries very hard to promote Korean food (I know, I've met him and he is very passionate about the topic.) Here is the article below. February 11, 2009 Paul Schenk, executive chef at the InterContinental Hotels in Seoul. [JoongAng Ilbo] Paul Schenk, executive chef at the InterContinental Hotels in Seoul, is an expert on Korean food who knows that few non-Koreans understand the local cuisine better than him. The 37-year-old Australian showcased a five-course modern Korean menu on Jan. 21 at CICI Korea 2009, an event promoting Korea hosted by the Corea Image Communication Institute. Renowned conduct

Here are some cooking classes that O'ngo Food Communications is running for travellers and residents of Seoul. http://www.seouleats.com/p/korean-taste-tours-and-korean-cooking.html I found a couple more cooking schools in Seoul for visitors via wikitravel. I haven't checked them out, but they sound good. Via wiki travel Cooking Korea's cuisine is known the world over for being healthy and spicy. Learning how to make Korean dishes such as kimchi and bulgogi can be messy, but a lot of fun! Fortunately, there are several cooking institutes throughout Seoul catering to foreign tourists. O'ngo Food Communications Culinary Academy. Learn how to make Korean favorites such as Spicy Chicken Barbecue  (Dakgalbi), Kimchi, Seafood Pancake, and bibimbap. Located in Insadong at Jongno 3-ga Station Exit 5. 02-3446-1607. Located at the former Han Jeong Hye Cooking Studio. Lessons cost between 55,000 and 100,000 won. Closed. Now O'ngo Food Communications Culinary Academy. Han

It's a great place by Dongdaemun stadium exit 5. It's down a little alley so you might want to check out their website at www.samarikant.com or call them at 2277-4261. And yes, that's the famous Fatmanseoul taking pictures. I can't wait until she posts her pics. Dan

Could someone please tell me why the 14th is so special? Here is a great website that I found with information on each of the 14th days. January 14th - Diary Day Couples are meant to give each other a diary or year planner thing, and note down all the rest of these lovely gift-giving days. February 14th - Valentine's Day In contrast to Western society, today is traditionally when women give chocolates to their men and confess their love. March 14th - White Day Men give candy to the women they love (and flowers and choc and cuddly toys....in fact, anything really!) April 14th - Black Day A purely Korean day, for those singletons out there, who havnt received choc or candy so far, console yourselves by eating ja jang myun - a black noodle soup - or other black foods. May 14th - Rose Day / Yellow Day Couples exchange roses, and those lonely hearts gather for curry and companionship. Apparently dressing in yellow is also recommended. June 14th - Kiss Day As one site puts it: 'Lover

Korea for expats is a blog run by my friend Anne and they are organizing a cooking class on Valentine's Day. Go to Korea4expats for more information. Although wonderful on any occasion, the dishes in the following two class menus were specifically chosen for Valentine's Day. In February, Puchong is offering two separate menus on the Friday and Saturday cooking classes. You'll note that the Friday morning session is a Chinese-influenced menu, while Thai dishes reign on Saturday morning. Dates: Friday 13 and Saturday 14 February Time: 11:00AM to ~2:00PM Place: Itaewon - between the Post Office on the Itaewon high street and the Hyatt Directions will be giving to the participants Cost: W55,000 (confirmed RSVP by 9 February ) and W65,000 (Confirmed RSVP by 12 February) for each class. (Package price for the two classes W100,000 and W120,000) Includes: cooking class with recipies, lunch served with wine Menus: Friday 13 February – Chinese- style Menu Oysters Hot & Sour

Wow. I wants an Canon 5D. T-won is a nice Chinese place near Yonsei University. Cupbokki is dukbokki in a cup with a mustard sauce and tater tots! And my good friend Lunalil helped me make pitas!

She's classy, she has grace, and she works hard. She has a sweet demeanor and I think an excellent role model for the youth of Korea. Thank you Roboseyo for the afternoon distraction. Go here for his post on Yuna Kim.

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

This is Brian. He is currently in the Korean Army. When he had a couple days of leave, he came to visit me so I took him out to get a steak before he had to rejoin the ranks. We went to Outback because that was the only place around where I work. Next time I'll have to take him to a nicer place. Chicken Chili from Gecko's Terrace. It was quite good. Caesar Salad from Gecko's Terrace. Eh. It was alright. Pastrami Sandwich from Gecko's Terrace. The bread was good. One of these days, I'm going to have to do a sandwich review in Korea. Where are all the good sandwiches at? Darts at Geckos. I won! This was my last throw. I'm totally serious. Sara is my witness. You can ask her^^ Market O's real Brownie. You can get these at most convenience stores these days. Market O is promoting themselves as a all natural, "real" snack alternative. This box had about 5? brownies and it cost about 3,000won. They were a tad small to be real brownies, but they were mois