Min's Club in Insadong Salmon Gravlax at Min's Club Min's Club is a historical house that used to be the home of nobles. Built in the 1930 it has a Korean traditional exterior but with a modern interior. The space has higher ceilings and larger rooms than most regular Korean houses so it is a comfortable place to have a meal. The rooms are cosy. The wood framing is easily seen from the inside. The place is well lit as well with numerous windows around each room. The must have been a bit drafty because the windows are covered with unobtrusive clear plastic. As traditional as this place looks, they serve contemporary European food with Korean flair. Here you can get Salmon gravlax with a bit of dill cream or a bed of acorn and mung bean jellies with seasoned beef and salad, they have neobiani (a marinated Korean beef) as well; but here it is on a single plate accompanied by a dollop of mashed potatoes and a ray of deodeok (bellflower roots). The main dish comes with a side of...

The Mistress of Pain at Hongmi Dakbal I asked my Korean friends why they would want to eat something so spicy that it burns going down and later going out. They said that it relieves stress and that it feels good. Hmmm...about a week ago I went to Hongmi Dakbal located over by Sinsa Station for a video shoot. This place is famous for their extremely spicy chicken feet. I am an adventurous eater, but even I cringe at the idea of chicken feet. First of all, there isn't that much meat on them and I always imagine the little claws getting snagged in my throat. The feet are first washed (thank gosh). Then they are parboiled and later stir-fried with chili powder. The chicken feet here is spicy. It's so spicy that my mouth burned the whole time. I can't really describe the flavor of it except burny. There is little meat on the chicken feet and as you nibble, the heat ignites your entire head. The burn started from the corner of my mouth and went to my temples. From there it went ...

A Massive Barbecue Bacon Burger at Charcoala The restaurant is inside of a big red containers and inside they serve charcoal barbecued dishes on a massive scale. Everything here has a homemade touch. Salads are crisp, sauces are well made, and their meat dishes are massive and filling (bring a second stomach). Their burgers are massive and require two hands and many napkins. The atmosphere is very hip and the red container is a good date place if you are comfortable eating massive amounts of messy American-style barbecued foods and burgers. Cost: ~13,000- 40,000 Gangnam-gu Shinsa-dong 654-12 02-515-3983

On Monday I went to Fell n Cole and had their funky banana ice cream, the Gorgonzola ice cream and the lemon ginger. All were very creamy and packed with flavor. The banana one was my favorite and had a subtle banana flavor and nice, yet not overpowering, sweetness. The lemon ginger was zingy and the ginger pop was just right. The Gorgonzola ice cream was like watching a unicorn being attached by zombies. The ice cream is disturbing but you can't keep tasting it. It has a true Gorgonzola flavor but with cool cream. Yummy. One more thing: the flagship store in Hongdae will be closing at the end of December. They have a shop in the Galleria and they hope to find a place in Itaewon. Dan Dessert: Fell + Cole This creative ice cream shop makes up new flavors almost everyday. On a given day you could ice cream made from perilla leaves, squash, green tea and whisky, salted caramel and much more. Don’t worry they have delicious sounding ice cream like “Blueberry Banana” and “Just Boring Va...

Here is a oldie, but goodie. Sorry for the lack of posts. The company is growing and I am working on some new exciting projects. If you are interested in contributing to Seoul Eats, shoot me an email. Dan Pro-soy Crab in Sinsadong One of the better meals that I have had this year has been at Pro-kanjang Gyejang. This place specializes in soy-sauce marinated crab. This dish is a delicacy in Korean culture and some might (I heard that Chef Pierre Gagnaire didn't care for this dish). This is a dish that most people can only have at certain times of the year and winter is the best time for the crabs gorge themselves on food to get ready for mating season. What sets Pro-kanjang gyejang apart from other places that the crab is delicate in texture yet not overpowering in flavor. Some of the places that make this dish make the dish too salty and it requires several bowls of rice in order to eat it. Here the crabs are full of flavor and yet subtle enough that you can eat a whole plate of th...

Oh Jeonju, city in the southwestern part of Korea, how I love you. Truly I do. I have spent many a weekend here and every time I feel that you are part of me; I feel you are my kindred spirit. This Saturday was no different. I saw art, ate great food, walked on your magnificent facades, got drunk on your wines and felt...and felt in peace. Thank you Jeonju for a great Saturday. Now I head back to the bowels of Seoul. Love, Dan