I'm a fan of Tomatillo's Mexican food and they are having a Cinco de Mayo Party. I'm going to be there. Anyone interested in joining me? Go to Facebook to make a reservation.

Dan

Come out to Tomatillo's 1st Cinco de Mayo Party!

Enjoy your "RED DAY" with us and some of your favorite Mexican Flavors...

Food Specials!
2,000won Tacos (pork or chicken)
2,000won Taquitos (Pork)
2,000won Mini-Nachos

Drink Specials
2,000won Tequila Shots!
3,000won Margaritas!
3,000won Mexican Beer (Corona and Sol so far...)

Also...LIVE MUSICA.

Cinco de Mayo Band Line-Up

12:00-1:30—The Kari Vanderkloot Quartet (Latin jazz)

2:00-2:45—Dharma Club (Pop/rock)

3:00-3:45—Gitalottabass (Latin jazz)

5:00-6:30—South Mountain Orchestra (Latin jazz)

7:00-8:00—Mariachi Band


and that's not all...

We'll have a Kids Zone from 12 until 5pm--so bring out the kids for this event too.

And stay tuned for information about our 1st Annual Burrito Eating Contest!!!!!!

Date:	Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Time:	12:00pm - 8:00pm
Location:	Tomatillo, Jongak (at the little park next to store--follow the signs) Go out Jonggak Station exit 6.
City/Town:	Seoul, South Korea

Phone:	0182293650
Email:	chief@uttuku.com

Hey everyone, I just wanted to let you know that Toque is having some specials this month. It's a quaint restaurant that serves up homestyle Americana cuisine. I'm a big fan of their brunch, burgers, and chili. They have some other specials as well this much. Be sure to tell them Seouleats told you!

Dan

Dear Toque Friends,
 
I hope everyone is enjoying this BEAUTIFUL weather!
May in Korea is the "Family Month" of the year and we have some upcoming events for this special month.
 
1. We have started handing out Toque Stamp Coupons this month.  We give you one stamp for every bill over \30,000.
The offer is: a free cappuccino or latte after 3 stamps, \3,000 discount after 5 stamps, one free appetizer after 8 stamps
and 40% off your bill(excluding alcohol and Chef's Course) after 10 stamps.  
Many of our regulars and enjoying this benefit and looking forward to the 40% food discount so come by to get the coupons.
 
2. May 5th is "Children's Day" and Toque is offering a special deal for families with younger children.
On this day, children under the age of 7 who order from our "Kid's Menu" will eat for free.  The portions are fit for 7 year olds and 
we will need to limit one item per child.  
 
3. May 8, Friday is "Parents' Day" in Korea.  We will be offering 10% off your total bill, including beverages and alcohol(except Chef's Course), to those families withparents wearing a carnation corsage.  
 
4. We have introduced some new items on the menu last week and some are already looking to be a steady best seller.  For example, 
we cannot make enough of the "Garlic Onion Burger" and "Santa Fe Pizza"(spicy cheese sauce, chicken, spinach, mushroom, salsa). 
 
 
Please let us know if you have any suggestions or if you crave food from back home that you cannot get here in Seoul!
We'll try our best to take you back to your mom's table. 
Thank you and have a wonderful month!
 
Jane Chang     

장정은  Jane Chang
Owner/Chef  Toque Diner
682-1 Hannam-Dong Yongsan-Gu, Seoul
Tel: (02)794-3834
Fax: (02)794-3828

http://twitter.com/cdcemergency

State	# of laboratory confirmed cases
California	10 cases
Kansas	2 cases
New York City	45 cases
Ohio	1 case
Texas	6 cases
TOTAL COUNT	64 cases
International Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection See: World Health Organization

Pic from The Sultan's Secret Garden

I know that you've all done it. I'll admit it. I've done it too. My sister Jenna was the best at it. She once cooked popcorn and set the timer for 3 minutes and it started to burn after 2. The entire family ran to the kitchen to see what was going on and Jenna was there staring at this smoking microwave and not doing anything. I think I turned the microwave off. We asked her why she didn't do the same and she answered, "But the directions said 3 minutes!"

Yes, we have all burned something in the microwave and then had to deal with the stench of burnt food. Now the worst smell of all has to be burnt popcorn. I don't know why that is, but burnt popcorn smells like rancid cat urine with a liquid smoke scent.

Now, my friend burned something in her microwave yesterday and she asked me how she could get the scent out. The solution that Momma Gray taught me was to take some vinegar and baking soda and coat the walls with it and let it sit for a couple minutes. This should get rid of the smell off the walls, but the real stench resides on the fan and the vents.

So what can you do? I asked Google and Google told me this: cut up a lemon and put it in a bowl of water and nuke it for 6 minutes.

I found this site with a whole mess of other pundits on the subject and here are some other solutions I found.

*Oh my gosh, I think that I created the first taquito smoke bomb ever! And the smell was horrendous. I over cooked about six taquitos in the microwave (thanks to the dial deciding to go backwards). I used straight vinegar in a bowl, got it to the boiling point (about 5 minutes), then let it sit. I continued doing that for about an hour or so. The moisture from the boiling vinegar travels through the fan mechanism. The vinegar smell through the house will go way. No smell from microwave. Whewwww! (02/18/2008)

*Heat vanilla extract in a bowl in the microwave for approximately 35 seconds. Turn off microwave, and leave door closed for 12 hours. (05/11/2008)

By Mary

*I have burnt my microwave while making popcorn, the smell stunk and the walls were so yellow! After reading lots about it on the internet on how to fix the issue, here are 4 steps that worked very well for me:

1) Add fresh coffee grounds to a bowl with water and boil it at least twice (will get most of the odor off).

2) Then "cook" cinnamon or something else you like the smell of (will help get rid of the smell in the vents).

3) Clean the yellow dirty walls with cotton pads & nail polish remover (I used acetone based, but they say the acetone free works too).

4) Repeat step 2 as often as you need to fully remove the popcorn smell

I was about to consider buying a new microwave but gave it a chance trying this out and VOILA :) (02/12/2009)

By Ati

Well, I hope that helps.

Dan

Yeah, but I don't think he is a big fan of the premium rice custard.

Dan

Swine Flu is scary stuff and it seems to get getting worse and worse in America and Mexico. There haven't been any reported cases in Korea- thank gosh and I don't think it'll be much of a problem. Korea uses mainly domestic pigs, so I think they are isolated from the infected masses. Now I'm sure that the visa requirements (i.e. for E-2 teaching visas) for foreigner pigs are so tough that they wouldn't even bother coming to Korea.

Plus I heard they feed the Korean pigs Kimchi. Kimchi is the cure all for everything. Apparently that's what kept the Avian Flu away, so I don't think the swine flu has any chance.

Oh, and a final note. What's scary about this epidemic is that this flu can be transmitted from pigs to human, so I wouldn't recommend kissing any pigs like in the picture above. Plus, cook your meat to around 70 degrees celcius (140 F). This will kill the virus.

Dan

Hey Seoul Eats Readers,

I love getting fan mail and I always try to answer them as soon as possible. One reader, Jennifer asked:

since last week, i've had this unsatiable craving for pommes frites, but have not been able to find a place that sells belgian fries anywhere. =(
do you know of a place you can recommend?

oh, and one more question. do you know where i can buy real cheese? i.e. cheese that does not resemble kraft singles slices and posseses actual substantive taste to its existence? i have no cheese(s) to eat with my wine. brie and apples! gruyere! super crumbly blue cheese i always forget the name of!

For Pomme Frites, I recommend Mignon behind the Hamilton Hotel. It has great food and the patio is wonderful to sit out on during the Springtime. I recommend getting the mussels with the pomme frites. If I recall, they might have come automatically as a side.

For real cheese, it's around everywhere, but I've been noticing it has been getting expensive. Cheese can be bought at any department store supermarket such as Shinsegae, Hyundai, or Lotte. Also, the Foreign Marts in Itaewon, Hannamdong, and other marts that specialize in these kinds of products will have them as well. Chef Meili's also has great cheeses as well.

I've found that the Russian bakeries and stores near Dongdaemun Stadium will have them as well. Overall, it's all around.

Readers, one surprising thing that I've come across is the rising price of butter. a block of Anchor butter (which is the equivalent to 4 sticks) now costs around 6,900 won. I remember back about 1 year ago it only cost 4,500 won. It's sad and a bit scary. Also I saw a little package (about 150 grams) of subpar gouda and it cost 7,500 won. Prices on imported goods are going up, so if you are heading to Korea stock up. If you are here, then use sparingly or find substitutions.

On a positive note, Jennifer has been to the fabled taco truck Aaron and I have talked about on this blog.

one odd entry was the kogi taco truck? have you had it before?
if you haven't, i must say chef roy's kogi tacos are reallyyyyyy delicious. on my first visit to the taco truck, i ordered the kogi taco, kimchi quesadilla, and kogi sliders.
the chef himself takes the orders from the truck, and he is really nice!

Jennifer, thanks for reading and for sending me a letter.

Dan

By Aaron Falzerano




On the streets of Hongdae is Penang, a Chinese restaurant of high quality. In fact, I wasn’t even looking for Penang when I came across it, but it gives you this “why look any further?” feeling. So I turned around and went inside, all the time thinking “Well, I’ll just leave if the menu’s too expensive.” Once inside you don’t want to leave, it is definitely the atmosphere that makes this restaurant different. The colors are soft pastels, the ceiling has stucco archways in an off-white...and also, some of the food is incredible.

The clientele is diverse, ranging from large families to chatting friends, but one of the great feats of Penang, is that you feel like it is your place. The restaurant achieves a certain harmony, where diners are free to take in the food, music, and each other without distraction. This mood settles on everyone, reflecting from the wait staff, and creates a living peace. If art is the removal of disruption, then Penang takes its space and cleans it, giving us a chance to enjoy life free from confusion.

I started with a Tsing Tao (love that beer), and had crab soup too. The soup was plain, though the amount of crab in it was decent (I kind of wished that they'd had salt at the table). After the soup I was a little disappointed, so when my Steamed Pork in Oyster Sauce came out I wasn’t expecting too much. I turned out to be very wrong. The dish consisted of bite-size pieces of pork beside steamed baby bok choy and roasted garlic, all on top of thinly sliced stems of shiitake mushrooms. This was covered in an intoxicating oyster sauce that I kept sipping with my spoon after all of the other food was gone. Chinese sauces can be astounding, and this place knows how to do them right.

Penang is located to the right of Hongik University across from the Krispy Kreme donut shop. Entrees are in the 20,000 – 30,000 won range. Inside the restaurant there is an air of purity, creating a great venue to enjoy some amazing flavors.

Dubai Restaurant in Itaewon is made by and for Arabian people. It's a large lavish space in the heart of Itaewon and it is on prime real estate: above the Dunkin Donuts and across the Helios. So what does this mean? It means that there is a significant Arab population in Seoul and they built a place to call their own.

Dubai doesn't make food for the masses. They will not tame the flavors for its Korean clientele. There was no kimchi to be seen in the restaurant, the rice was the long grain- not the sticky and hearty short grain rice that is ubiquitous in Korea, and the service was relaxed- not bali, bali (빠리빠리).

I went with my friends Rami and Mimi. Rami is from Yemen and he recommended the food and the Shisa at this restaurant. He's a big fan of Shisa, which is surprising because he is constantly smoking cigarettes- I would think he would want to give his lungs a break.

He started off with the hummus and it was out of this world. It was a very fine light paste with an effervescent hint of sesame. Being in Korea, one would likely forget that in most other parts of the world the sesame oil is a light flavoring. The olive oil was rich and with a green sunshine richness. I loved the presentation- a hummus moat. The bread was also made with tremendous skill. This is not your mother's earthy bread- this is fluffy bread made by a professional. The yogurt was rich and thick. It was almost like a fine, silky cheese and the baba ghanoush was also top notch. I could have made a meal with just the appetizers. I wonder how their falafel are.

Of course, I wouldn't just stop there. I do have two stomachs after all (some people say three.)

The lamb kapsa (or kabsa) could have been better. The flavors in the rice were fine, but I would have liked a bit more cardamon. When I eat out at an ethnic restaurant, I would like to really taste the difference. Plus, the lamb was a bit dry and it didn't have that much flavor.

The Dubai Kebap was awesome. It had chargrilled ground lamb patties in a rich sauce of tomato, onions, and special Arab spices. This was very good over rice and I really enjoyed the entire dish.

So if you are in the mood for some Arabian food, check out Dubai. I would say their hummus is probably the best I've had in Seoul and get lots of the bread to go with it.

Dan

Let's try something a little new. I take way too much time looking at menus in the restaurant so I want to start posting the menus on my site. This way you can peruse all you want.

Dan

I am now just a student and being a student in Korea is awesome. I am studying Korean over at Sookmyeong University. I'm there everyday from 9 to 1pm and then I do some language exchange and I hang out with some very cool fellow students.

Raimi is a computer programmer from Yemen that is also studying at the school. He is a web genius and he invited me to eat with him.

They made Kapsa. Kapsa is a rice dish that is flavored with caradom, cinnamon, lemon, and some other secret ingredients (I believe that tumeric is in there as well.)

The best part of this dish was that we ate it family style with our hands. We just poured the delicious rice on center of the table and we balled it up with our hands and ate it. Delicious.

Afterwards we had sweet dates with tea.

Man, I love being a student in Korea. I recommend you all try it.

Dan

My name is Dan and you might have seen me on the Bizarre foods episode. I'm with Andrew while eats Turtle, Eel, and Blowfish.

To be honest with you, I haven't seen the episode yet. They haven't aired it in Korea yet. I just wanted to welcome you to my site and introduce you to some of the bizarre things I've eaten (or been eaten by) lately.

The first picture is of my hand and feet in a pool of water as little fish eat the dead skin off the bottom of my feet. It's a pretty popular thing in Korea and it does wonders for exfoliation.

Then there is kamja tang. It's a potato soup with slowly roasted pig back. The potatoes here are fluffy when cooked and they have an elusive sweetness.

Next is Jokbal. Jokbal is slowly braised pig trotters that melt like butter in your mouth.

Then there is a fish with a cataract kissing a Korean upside down fish. The cataract is believed to improve stamina in men.

JUST KIDDING.

It was a fish that I saw at Noryrangjin: the largest commercial market in Seoul.

Then we have freshly sliced Korean sushi and giant shrimp.

Korea is full of amazing dishes and it's my goal to eat as many of them as I can.

Thanks for reading and I hope you will revisit my site. Also, if you are ever in Seoul, let me know and I'll be happy to show you around.

Dan

This is the message that Joe McPherson sent out:

"Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern" will premiere its South Korea episode in the U.S. on the Travel Channel at 10 p.m. EST. We at ZenKimchi were highly involved in the planning, research and shooting of this show. Eun Jeong, Dan Gray (Seoul Eats), Chef Hu-nam Kim (Star Chef), and more of our friends guided Andrew Zimmern on his tour through Seoul. If you're not in the U.S., the episode will later air on Discover Networks stations worldwide on various dates. It will likely be available for download on iTunes ($1.99) by next week. I'm also posting whatever videos I can find on the web to the ZenKimchi Korean Food Journal. Make sure to stop by the Food Journal for behind-the-scenes pics and stories. Happy eating, Joe McPherson ZenKimchi Korean Food Journal

Joe has a great write up and pictures on his site. Be sure to check it out here.

Joe McPherson has been at the forefront of the Korean food wave for years. He was the one that inspired me to write about food. He is my mentor and hero. What he has done for Korea cannot be measured in praise or even in money.

I think the very least we can do is buy him a beer. You know what? That's what I'm going to do right now and I encourage you to do the same. Go to his paypal link and send Joe some love. The man just got married to the wonderful Eun Jeong and they need some congratulations.

It's super easy and you know what...

I just sent Joe 50 American dollars right now.

You don't have to send him that much and I wish I could send him more. A buck, two, or more would show Joe how much we appreciate what he has done.

Again, here is the link to the Paypal account.

Dan

Sigh...my good friend Paula is leaving today. I'm quite sad because we've had so much fun. She is going back to Seattle after a week's vacation here. She met up with quite a few of her friends, shopped, and went on a few culinary adventures with me and friends. One of our first adventures was to Noryranjin Fish Market where we got Hwae (Korean Raw Fish), Giant Shrimp (the spoon there has some of the delicious brains, and soup. We finished the night with some Makolli. Yum.
I'll miss you Paula and you'll always have a place to stay in Seoul.
Dan

Up the hill across from the McDonalds is the little Marakech Nights. The big one is over by the Cheil Building in Itaewon. Sure, it it small, but the food is good and the people are friendly. And they have a wonderful, nutty, hummus. Their eggplant menzala is great as well. I had the lamb Tajine...it was ok. The best meal was the Royal Couscous with the kebap and couscous topped with raisins. Nom.