Kogi's Famous Mexi-Korean Taco

These days I have been helping over at Korea Tourism's Website Koreataste.org to help them get articles for the website. One story I knew that I wanted to get was from the good people over at Kogi: the Mexi-Korean Taco Truck.

Luckily, they were receptive to the idea and their creative director Alice Shin was able to contribute a piece to the site. She wrote an article stating that Kogi is not Korean food; It is LA Food. You can see it here: http://www.koreataste.org/lang/en/en/magazine-en/columns-en/kogi-the-food-of-the-people

And here is an excerpt:

Kogi food is LA food. It’s not fusion; it’s not a gimmick; and it is certainly not a PR-driven endeavor that sprung from the minds of enterprising big thinkers.  It’s food that comes from the gut and the heartbeat of what makes LA, well, LA.

Alice, thank you for contributing to the site.

Sincerely,

Dan

Gorgonzola Pizza at Storia in Hongdae, Seoul, Korea

Storia Hongdae
Written and Photographed by Lauren McPhate

On a chilly autumn night I went in search of pizza in Hongdae. After a few disappointing experiences in Hongdae the past, I was hesitant. After some wandering I stumbled upon an Italian place next to GR8 hookah bar and Ting Tings. Storia. I peeped in. It looked decent, so onward I went. It’s a very modern space with hardwood floors, funky blue water glasses and cool hanging light fixtures. The front windows peeled away to let in a breeze, and there were blankets on each chair for those who didn’t appreciate the crisp fall air. The place was pretty crowded for a Sunday at 6 and I noticed a lot of young couples. I figured this probably translated to good, cheap food.
The first thing on the menu to catch my eye was the set meals. Set A was comprised of bread, drink (juices and coffees, which by the way are all free until 3pm), a choice of soup, salad, a choice of pasta, and a dessert. All of these for a mere 17,000 won. The second set was similar but offered a steak entree and was slightly more expensive. Had I been hungrier, and not on a quest for pizza, that would have been a no-brainer. I looked further. There was a wide selection of pastas, risottos, sandwiches and salads. There was also an extensive wine list. But it’s pizza I was after, and it’s pizza I was going to get.

There were 5 or so different pizzas; the classic margarita, salami, gorgonzola, steak, and a couple others I am having trouble recalling at the moment. They all ranged from 10,000- 17,000 won each. I went with the gorgonzola. After a couple minutes the waitress (of which there was only one to handle the whole place, poor thing!) brought out a plate of rosemary bread with balsamic and olive oil. The bread was heavenly! Loaded with rosemary flavor, soft and fluffy in the middle and crunchy on the outside. I would go back just for the bread. A few short minutes later and a circle of blue and white bubbly goodness appeared before me. The crust of the pizza was ultra-thin, and as aforementioned, blue! There was no sauce, just crust and cheese. It was also served with a side of honey. It was delicious! Certainly not your traditional pizza, but the crispy crust with the gorgonzola honey combo was taaaasty! I can’t wait to go back to check out the set menu.

Lauren McPhate is a foodie in Seoul that is originally from New Jersey. You can follow her adventures at http://pojangmacha.blogspot.com/

If you would like to be a contributor to Seoul Eats, please contact Daniel Gray at seouleats at gmail dot com

Lauren McPhate's last review of La Taco wasn't very exemplary. Here's a quote from the review: "My taco was very tasty, although I don’t think I would call it a taco.  It was a veggie wrap.  There were onions, lettuce, veggies, cheese and sour cream wrapped in a soft flour tortilla.  Very nice, but not quite a taco."

The restaurant owner, Maureen, was a tad upset and I went to talk with her to see what she was doing at the restaurant. She said that she didn't think the review was quite fair since she had many other items on the menu that she felt were much better.

When I went she presented me with a brand new Mexi-Korean concept. You could get moist pulled pork stewed in Korean red chili paste or spicy chicken barbecue with sides of fresh pickles, green chives, sour cream, and tortillas. It was a fusion of Korean tastes, table manners, with Mexican flair. I was intrigued.  
The food tastes good and it is very fun to eat: you can mix the flavors that you'd like and the housemade gochujang taco sauce is great to pour over your meat and veggies.

Another great dish that she had was her Mexi-Korean Bibimbap. Here you get rice topped with a red bean and ground pork sauce and green chives. It's a great red bean and rice variation.

La Taco still feels a bit raw- it needs some time to get its groove, but it is truly trying to do something new. The menu is creative, the atmosphere is eclectic, and the staff has a bohemian feel.  

La Taco
Mexican Fusion/cafe/bar
Location: Samcheongdong
Directions: Go out Anguk Station Exit 1 and make a right at the first main intersection. Walk straight, make a left when the road veers. La Taco is on the left.
English Spoken
02-736-3272
http://blog.naver.com/aganta86

Got Currywurst? Picture from: http://www.konnopke-imbiss.de/

Dear Seoul Eats Readers,

I like getting letters from people and I try to answer them as soon as possible. Often I can help, but other times...well...I ask you for help. I just got this letter from a reader, Tiffany, and she is looking for Italian Style Cannolis and Currywurst. She had asked about plaintains a long time ago, but I failed... (Does anyone know where you can get plaintains?).

I assume that La Bocca has cannoli's, but currywurst is much harder- I have no idea.

Dan

Here's the letter:

Hi Dan,

I wrote once about plantains in seoul, and unfortunately I noticed that no Seouleats reader was able to respond to. This time I'm hoping I'll have better luck with this question.
Well, actually... it's two. I've recently come back from a tour of Europe and fell in LOVE with the food. There are two things that I've been craving for and I wonder... does Seoul have them? What better person to ask than you? So, first, do you know of any bakery or eatery that sells good ol' fashioned Italian style cannolis? I had two, one in Venice and one in Milan, and I haven't been able to get over their creamy goodness. Second, in Germany I had currywurst for the first time and it was so delish that I've been craving for it again. I thought it might be around, seeing as it's a pretty good drunk food. Anyways, Dan I hope that this time around your Seouleats readers can help me out, because I really need my fix.

Thanks.

Tiffany

My buddy Sean Choi from Groove Magazine is a Foodie's Foodie. He knows what's good in Korea and he often goes out of his way to find excellent, local Korean places. On Wednesday Night, he had a meet up with the writers of Groove Magazine and he was nice enough to invite me. If you might recall, I used to be their dining editor for a while, but I had to move on because I got too busy with work.

Anyway, the place he took us to was called Gol Mok Gil (길목길). It's a bit of a pain to find, but it's totally worth it. The house specialty is Steamed Shellfish (조개찜 48,000 for large). Here you get a large variety of mussels, razor clams, scallops, and a variety of cockles. Great stuff and you get it all in a giant pot so it creates a rich clam broth which is later used to make a Knife-cut Noodle Soup.

I also recommend you get an order of their potato pancakes (감자전). I later found out these came service- but I think they are included in their Panfried Variety (모듬전). Their Potato Pancakes are chock full of thin fluffy strands of potato that are panfried- it's like a potato cloud.

골목길
서울특별시 강남구 논현동 67-25
02-544-7757
Mobile: 016-307-4575

Pizza Haven near Nagwon Sangga in Seoul, South Korea

The other day a pizza place opened up near our cooking studio called Pizza Haven claiming to have Korea's Largest Pizza. I said..."meh...prove it."

They did and it is big...this big.

Korea's Largest Pizza at Pizza Haven near Nagwon Sangga in Seoul, South Korea

Not bad and they let us to half pepperoni pizza and half supreme.

The pizza was not bad. The crust seemed homemade and it was crisp. The cheese wasn't overly done, and the pepperoni were flavorful. Best of all the pizza cost 25,000 and it was enough for 5 or six people without having to buy a second one.

Salad Bar at Pizza Haven near Nagwon Sangga in Seoul, South Korea

My one complaint is that the soda was flat.

The place has a decent salad bar as well.

Pizza Haven is located by Nagwon Sangga across the street from Fraiser Suites in Insadong.

Pizza at Pizza Haven near Nagwon Sangga in Seoul, South Korea

Dan
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Ox Blood Hangover Stew (Haejangguk)

Most people drink, and some people drink too much. In South Korea, with the social pressure to drink with coworkers, there is even more cases of drinking (and over drinking). The result? A hangover. For those not familiar with the ailment, the feeling is akin to a hammer is being continually slammed against your head. Others consider it an overwhelming feeling of fatigue and grogginess that you can't seem to shake. However it resonates, it feels neither good nor invigorating. Regardless of the after-effects, most people continue to booze week after week (even day after day), knowing full-well how they will feel come the next morning.

Thankfully, there are a few remedies out there. In South Korea, the answer is (해장국) haejangguk, or the infamous "Hangover Soup." I stumbled upon my first batch (in a similar condition described above) one Sunday afternoon. The word haejangguk actually means "to detoxify," and rightly so. Within minutes of consuming this hot, steamy soup, I could feel my body warming and rejuvenating. I literally wanted to embrace the sprightly ajumma who had served me this hearty stew that seemed to heal my body and all it's ailments. How can such a soup exist?

In Seoul, haejangguk mix soybean paste with sprouts (콩나물), as well as radish, cabbage and albalone, and kumbulgunsek, or ox's blood.

Bulgogi Brothers is a franchise Korean restaurant. It seems almost like a westerner decided to make a Korean restaurant "foreigner friendly." It's not awful, it's fine and I think it would work overseas. I could see Bulgogi Brothers do for Korean food what P.F. Chang did for Chinese-franchise it.

There is just one problem: they are in Korea. The food is alright, but not totally authentic and it seems a bit overpriced for what you get. The banchan (side-dishes) lack freshness and punch. The styling is quite nice though and I would take some of my "not-so-adventurous" guests there.

The bulgogi is pretty good though, but not as good as Sariwon or Woo Lae Oak. Also, on top of that, the prices are marked up 20% from regular Korean food prices. A Cheongukjang (a rich, fermented soybean stew) was 8,000 won and I believe the bibimbap was as well. The problem was not with the prices, but the lack of quality. I got a half bowl of cheongukjang that wasn't very flavorful. Again, it's one of those places that look very nice, but can't deliver food to match.

Oh, did I mention that the styling of the place is good? It is. Oh, and they have comfortable chairs and a catchy name. Hmmm...(my writing teacher always told me to end on a positive note) Oh, they give you corn, with edamane, and sweet potatoes as a starter. It was a very nice touch.

Bulgogi Brothers
http://www.bulgogibros.com/
Locations throughout Seoul

I just got a new camera: A Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2. I know, I'm a traitor to those who like Canon or Nikon. I used to shoot on Canon with my 32mm F2 lens, but I decided to make the switch to Panasonic because I have always been a fan of the color that you can get with their cameras. The G2 was attractive to me because it:
1) is smaller than a Canon
2) has an articulating LCD screen
3) has autofocus for video
4) you can mount many different lenses to it including my canon lenses (via a lense mount adapter)

Over the weekend, I went down to my hometown, Daegu and here are some shots that I got at night. I highly recommend you head down there- they have an excellent nightlife.

Let me know what you think of the image quality of the pictures- I'm still learning how to use it^^.

With the increased number of foreigners in the Gyeonidan and Haebangchon (out Noksopyeong Station Exit 2) area of Seoul, even more stores are opening to cater to this demographic- especially bread. Sure there is 2 Paris Baguette, Tour le Jours, and commercial breads at the Super Markets, but what about artisan bakers?

Bread from Wing Bakery in Gyeonidan

Recently, Wing Bakery opened where my beloved Istanbul Kebap Shop used to be. I was happy to see that at all and I was all set to hate on them from the getgo. There was a small problem through. Their bread is good. They fresh bake everyday (starting at 10am...they should start at 6 like normal bakers!!!) and their bread is all natural with no sugar and no butter. They make proper crusty bread like Rye Champagne, Seed Brot, Ciabatta, and crusty baguettes.

I was trying to make the title of this post sound like a bit like "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," but it has a few extra syllables. On an a magazine assignment I was tipped off about Wang Dae Po (왕대포): the King's Goblet my friend Ben Jackson of Seoul Magazine. The restaurant is styled after a Korean Tent Restaurant, but it is on the 9th and 10th floor of a highrise that overlooks  Gwangjin Bridge.

It brings in the young and the hip and the old and the hip, and the vibe in the restaurant is very optimistic and lively. It's a place that friends to to spend an evening.

The fare is nothing too adventurous: there is Kimchi and Tofu, Seafood and Kimchi Pancakes, Live Octopus, etc. They do have a few house specialities such as their very spicy chicken feet(왕대포매운닭발); Seafood, Scorched Rice Spicy Stew (해물짬뽕누릉지탕); and their Blood Sausage Beef Intestine Stir-fry(순대곱장볶음). The food is fine. It's nothing special- it's spicy, but fine.

I recommend you go there with some few friends to spend an evening overlooking the Han River and have a few drinks. It's a great night life spot.

Dan

Wang Dae Po

Seoul, Gangdong-gu Cheonho-dong 469-1 Star City Building 9th Floor

02-478-3612
Open from 6pm to 5am
Directions: Go out Cheonho Station (Subway Line 5) Exit 2. At the first intersection make a left (you’ll see a giant golf driving range across the street). Walk about two blocks and you’ll see the Star City Building on the left.

i know this is one year late.. but it's actually not overlooking the Olympic Bridge (올림픽 대교) i'm afraid.
It's at the intersection that overlooks the Gwangjin bridge(광 진 대교) which is 2 away from Olympic bridge.
(With CheongHo Bridge(천허데교) in between.) This StarCity building is opposite a local neighbourhood police station.
Also, this StarCity building is not to be confused with the bigger one in Gwangjin-gu, opposite of Konkuk University/Hospital.
Thought to post this 'cos I followed the directions and got lost, and at night. hehe
Please don't take it the wrong way Dan. :D 

Koreataste.org Blogging Contest

One of our sponsors, Koreataste.org is running a blogging contest on their website. All you have to do is to apply to be a blogger and then post stories, pictures, or videos on Korean food, restaurants, or recipes. You can post directly through their wordpress portal or you can e-mail stories directly by sending them to koreataste@knto.or.kr 

The top prize is a 4 day 3 night culinary vacation in Korea with an open ticket to come when you would like. Second Prize is a Samsung Galaxy Tab and Third Prize is a Samsung TL500 Camera! There are Honorary Prizes of Korean Gift Food Sets

The judging criteria is:

30% Number of posts
20% Total Number of all “Thumbs Up” Votes on the posts per blogger
50% Quality of written posts, photos, and video

I heard that not many people have started posting stories on the website yet, so you have a good chance of winning. Go here for more details. 

Sometimes you have to give a restaurant a second chance. Chin Chin in Hongdae had a reputation for having great food, however, I never understood the hype. My first experience at Chin Chin was...meh. The rice wine, makgeolli, was great-but the food wasn't anything spectacular. I ordered a grilled mackerel dish and I remember getting an tiny, almost spoiled fish- it didn't go well with the Makgeolli. The chef, a recent graduate of CIA, was bolting out the door as soon as it was served. I mentioned my problem with the dish and they told me the kitchen had closed.

The second time I went, I stuck with just the Makgeolli.

My last trip back, I noticed that the excellent makgeolli was still there, but there was a new chef. The food had traditional Korean flavor fused with modern techniques and plating. I was utterly amazed. My favorite dish was the very crispy, tempura ginseng. The battered, pan-seared fish was also excellent.

Name: Chin Chin (친친)
Phone: 02-334-1476, 010-7252-2001
English Spoken, English Menu
Type: Makeolli (Korean Rice Wine) Bar and Fusion Restaurant
Directions: Go out Hongdae Station Exit 5 and make a left and the second right (at Coffee Brown). Go all the way up to Hongdae University Entrance. At the intersection in front of Hongdae, make a left. You'll find Chin Chin next to Starbucks.
Address: 343-9, Sekyo-dong, Mapo-ku, Seoul, Korea (서울시 마포구 서교동 343-9)

I might have mentioned before that I love Gupnae Chicken. I love their chicken, their spicy sauce (I think it might be a chipotle sauce). The last weekend that I ordered, I found another reason to love them- new posters from all the girls from the Korean Girl Group, Girl's Generation and they even deliver beer! (Ok, the beer is a bit of a rip off at 5,000 won for draft beer they put in a pitcher.) Here are some great shots of the... by my friend David Kim.

Gupnae Chicken in Haebangchon
02-792-9291

Hi Friends,

I just got a new iPhone 4 and I am checking out the Blogpress application to see if it would be a good way to blog on the go.

Zen Hideaway in Myeongdong taken with the iPhone4

So far, it seems intuitive enough. Pictures post well from the library. I was able to link up Facebook and Twitter. I am having some problems with linking up YouTube at the moment- apparently you can vblog via this application.

Zen Hideaway in Myeongdong taken with the iPhone4

Inserting photos from the library seems a bit like a crapshoot because there is no sound or tactile feel that it has been selected or not. HTML functions seem ok.

here is a demo of blockquote

It also gives you a range of fonts to add.The one problem is that blogpress seems to interfere with my Linkwithin Links (below)

Jiyung Sohn at Hattori Kitchen in Gyeonidan

Hattori Kitchen is the hip Izakaya with one of the wackiest chef/owners that I have ever met. She can cut an onion like the best of them, but as she does it she'll break out in intermittent bouts of dance. She's a cute nymph, that has fun and doesn't care if other people care or not.

I adore her.

Now just because she is mad, it doesn't mean she doesn't know food. Her tuna for her salad wasn't top notch (I'm not a fan of frozen raw tuna), but her dressing and her vegetables were fresh and a nice mix. We had a couple of beers there and she even treated us to some Okonomiyaki- which was on par.

Not a bad place. It's a tad expensive, but you go for the company and for Jiyung Sohn- if you can get a seat that is.

Hattori Kitchen, 225-94 Itaewon, Youngsan Gu; 02-792-1975


Dan

I got this message from my buddy Wayne at the Wolfhound!

Monster Bash Halloween Party - Saturday October 30, 2010.

Based on the past 3 years' huge successes the Wolfhound will be putting on another Halloween Party this year.

Hosted by people that brought dressing up for Halloween to the peninsula. We will be getting the pub ready for this year's party in the next few weeks and the pub will be progressively decked out in ghoully decor.

This is not a burger from Burger Tex, but from Rookies in Seoul

When I get an impassioned letter from a reader, I have to take notice. Here is a letter from 金在龍 about a burger joint in Sinchon called Burger Tex. I hope the place hasn't closed yet.

Sincerely,

Dan

Hello There.

Sanchae Salad from Nwijo

I ventured to Seoraksan National Park this weekend to feast my eyes on the highly anticipated
foliage. Although clearly in the advent stages of the season, the showcase of the color spectrum
was worthwhile. Alongside the accustomed greenery, vivid ambers, oranges and chocolate
browns began to emerge throughout the scenery.

Besides the mountains, I also saw plenty of color in my food pickings. Seoraksan is a
mountainous area that houses a famous sanchae bibimbop, a tasty spin of the mixed rice treat.
Sanchae bibimbop in many ways is the twin of dolsot bibimbop. Both dishes features rice, fried
egg and heavy dollops of red pepper paste. The difference between these two dishes, however,
is quite notable. Sanchae bibimbop is known for its large servings of leafy and root vegetables
that are found in Korea's own mountainous landscape. The overall taste is much fresher than that
of some bibimbop varieties, and sanchae may even be (gasp) tastier.

One of the reasons I am writing this post is because I would not like to get sued by the food corporations. Secondly, I think it's good to have a well rounded perspective. Gizmodo, has been following the story and they have a great interview with a food scientist, Daniel Fletcher.

First, let's debunk the ammonia myth ("Because it's crawling with bacteria, it will be washed with ammonia, soaked in it, actually.")

Fletcher replies, "You don't mix ammonia with food! That's illegal! And it's stupid. I've never seen anybody pull a stunt like that. These guys invest big money in that product, and would never do that."

His strongest point about why we should use this process for meat is:

"If we're going to kill an animal for food, we're obligated to use the whole thing."

I agree with him, but...after seeing this video on how the processing is done, I still think I'm going to stay away from chicken nuggets and processed chicken.

See the video after the jump:

Hmmm...maybe we should be more aware of the food that we eat. You saw the mechanically separated chicken. Then again, if there is ever a nuclear war, I know what I'll be storing in my bomb shelter.

Dan

The Oatmeal is so spot on sometimes. Yes, I am addicted to taking photos of food, but I try to be discreet and I try to do it as quickly as possible. Now, it's not that I totally agree with everything he says here, but his Seinfeld-esque observations make me laugh.
Read the whole comic here: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/photos

I am trying to take my photography more seriously and there are so many amazing things around me that I want to chronicle Korea in pictures. These pictures are taken around Jongno 3-ga's Pagoda Park.

Dan

Chocolate is a superfood, so I can allow myself to eat as much as I can right? I have to admit, I am addicted good drinking chocolate and Jubilee Chocolatier's is not bad. I had the bitter chocolate and that was...well, bitter. Their Belgian Hot Chocolate is nice and creamy with nice chocolate notes.

Where this place really shines is with the chocolate truffles. When you order a hot chocolate, you get a piece of rich, dark chocolate. It's delicious.

Along Cheongyechung river right across from the KTO building. Be sure to check it out.
http://www.jubileechocolatier.com/

THIS RESTAURANT HAS CLOSED
Recently, I was invited by Danner to enjoy some authentic, Memphis-style BBQ Ribs at his restaurant in Bangbae: MKB: Memphis King Barbecue. The idea of eating real memphis barbecue was invitation enough and I headed over there with a few friends for a meal. The atmosphere is nothing special, but it is bright and clean.

We were greeted by the owner, Danner and he told us a bit about the restaurant. He said that he and his parents started the place back in July and their goal was to bring Memphis-style Pork Ribs to Koreans.

These ribs are imported from Memphis Tennessee after they are smoked for 4 hours and coated in a rich bbq sauce. The ribs are humongous, meaty, and the meat was fall off the bone tender. A full rack of ribs with crispy shoestring fries and slaw is only 25,000 won! Seriously, they are enough for 3 people and with beer, it is a wonderful night out.

They also have a great coke float. The rest of the menu is ok, but I recommend you stick with the ribs. Their specialty BBQ sauce is excellent.

It's located out of Bangbae Station (Green Line, Line 2) out exit 3. Go down the alley and make a left at KB Bank and a right at Acro Tower. If you get lost, give Danner a call at 02-797-0127.

서울시 서초구 방배 1동 924-9
www.mkb.kr
mkb@youngstrading.com

One of the most exciting events to come out of Seoul Gourmet 2010 was Sempio unveiling their 3 new soy sauces. None of these sauces are on the market yet but they are: a thickened soy sauce called "essence", an invisible soy sauce called "clear" and a dried soy sauce called "powder." I had a chance to try these new soy sauces and I must say that I am exciting to try these in my own recipes. The thickened "essence" had a herbaceousness that someone said tasted a bit like "vegemite." Now I don't know about that, but the thickness of the sauce could be a great way to make a richly flavored, thick sauce without having to use a roux or starch. The powdered soy sauce tastes like soy sauce and the sensation is quite surprising. I feel that it would be an excellent topping for anything- a salt and pepper alternative.

Finally, the invisible, clear soy sauce.

It tastes like soy sauce, but it's clear. The possibilities for this is endless. I could see it at ultra high end sushi restaurants and in high end restaurants because it's a reality shifting ingredient. It is surprising. The mention of the concept evokes curiosity and the taste evokes wonder for it breaks the norm of black soy sauces.

Sadly, none of these are on the market yet. I feel that they need to be, so I suggest you contact the PR team at Sempio Foods and suggest that they get these to you as soon as possible.

Dan

Chef Hyejin's newest creation. It is two big blocks tofu that are shallow fried in oil until the outside is crispy. The sauce is a soybean sauce (tengjang or dwengjang) that has been thickened with shaved slivers of potato and flavoried with potato, mushrooms, soy sauce, sugar, and chili peppers. The sauce was a harmony of flavors and textures and went well with the tofu.