For dinner I went to Tiger Masala, a new little (tiny actually) Indian restaurant on the Gyeonidan side of the walking bridge. The food is flavorful and very reasonably priced. I had the palak paneer and a chicken curry. Both were good but a tad watery. The naan was very hot since it came right out of the oven but it was a bit dense. It was a good meal just not anything fancy. It is a good place for a comfortable and fast meal.

Tiger Masala
2-stars out of 4 (comfortable atmosphere, reasonable food, good price)
070-7563-1411

Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea, 47-17 Yongsan 2(i)ga-dong

http://m.google.com/u/m/w_l8TF

 

For Valentine’s this year I decided to let my lovely boyfriend surprise me by choosing where we would be eating. He opted for the brand spanking new 37 Bar & Grill at the Conrad Hotel in Yeouido. They had a special set menu for Valentine’s Day which was priced at 160,000 pp for 6 courses. As a Valentines special they had a His and Hers menu. The main ingredients were the same but each dish was served with different accompaniments.  A rather cute concept, I thought. They had wine pairings with each course that you could order for a set fee. However you know by now I’m a cocktail girl and ordered a few of those instead. Priced between 20,000-30,000 you will need to take your gold card to get drunk.

We arrived at the 37th floor location and were shown to our beautiful window table with a panoramic view of night-time Seoul. We were presented with our His and Hers menus and a complimentary glass of champagne. I was a little concerned that there were three fish dishes on the menu when I don’t actually like fish. I was mildly amused that my boyfriend had picked this menu when he knows I hate fish. However I decided to write it off as comedy tale like the time he bought me the same necklace he had given me the year before.

First up was the amuse bouche – a potato puree with mushroom caviar. Served in an adorable mason jar this was too cute for words. We were also served our bread. Sadly no flavours but a choice of hard of soft roll, I of course chose both.



On to the first course the one I was dreading the most. Yellowtail Kingfish. Niall’s was served with truffle Yuzu, salmon pearls, and coriander essence. Mine was served with the more modest lime, mango and oscietra caviar.  I did have a little try, and to be fair, it was ok. It’s just the texture that was rather strange. Niall ate both portions and found them both succulent and tasty. If pushed he preferred his own.

 

Next was the lobster. Luckily I do love lobster. Mine came with horseradish, casereccia and champagne nage. Niall’s with truffle, macaroni, and curry veloute. I tried both but preferred Niall’s so made him swap. The lobster was really good. It was a nice sized piece and full of flavour.

 

The third course was Halibut. My halibut was served with a brioche crust, ricotta gnocchi, and peas. Niall’s was served with a rocket crust, cauliflower puree, and dolce forte sauce.  I was not looking forward to this one but I sometimes can manage to eat a bit of white fish, usually if it is smothered in batter. However I polished off my plate with gusto. The brioche crust was divine. I am so glad that I have finally trained myself into liking white fish.

 

The last savoury course was the steak and this was the one I was most looking forward too. Niall’s was served with fois gras, wild mushrooms, and devil sauce. Mine came with asparagus, onion duxelles, and truffle jus. The steak was wonderful, perfectly cooked, and beautifully rare. This was possibly my favourite course. You just can’t beat a good steak. Although the lobster came pretty close.

 

The pre-dessert of sparkling strawberry espuma was nice and tingly and a good palette cleanser.



On to the dessert… Hazelnut chocolate fondant with vanilla ice-cream, passion fruit, and marshmallow. The pudding was rich, and full of chocolate sauce just the way I like it. However I didn’t think the overall taste was  amazing. Maybe it had to do with the chocolate they had used. But I have had much better versions of this elsewhere.



They ended the meal with a pistachio macaroon and tea or coffee. We were also presented with a red rose and a box of macaroons to take away. A nice touch which made the evening feel even more special.

Overall the ambiance of the restaurant was wonderful and it was the perfect spot for a Valentines Day meal. Yes the meal was on the expensive side but for a special occasion I think it was worth it. Compared to other restaurants of this calibre I have been to elsewhere in the world, the food lacked a little in the taste department. Everything was good but not amazing, no dish warranted an Mmm out of me and I think for the price you are paying it should. However the presentation and service was exemplary. The waiter explained each dish in perfect English, as you would expect.  The view is also spectacular so make sure you get a window seat.

The Conrad hotel is located at 23-1 Yeouido-dong Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, 150-945, South Korea. It is located just next to the IFC Mall. To get there take a train to Yeouido station (Line 5 & 9) Come out of exit 3 and walk straight. Take your first right then walk straight until you reach the IFC Mall, you can’t miss it. Directions to the hotel are posted inside. You can call them on 02-6137-7000 or email them at Conrad_Seoul@conradhotels.com for more information or to make reservations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whenever I go on a trip I always look on Trip Advisor to find great places to eat. However I rarely do this in my home city of Seoul. Last week I finally decided to have a gander and see what was rated as Seoul’s best restaurant. First place goes to Jyoti, an Indian place in Sinchon. Second was Pizza Peel. The reviews seemed great as it is one of the few places in Seoul with a real brick oven.

We arrived on a Friday night and it wasn’t too busy, a few tables were taken. A large menu consisting of pizza and calzone options. There is a very good variety of pizzas, the hard to find Hawaiian is no doubt a popular choice. They have all the ones you miss from back home and not a sweet potato or piece of corn in site. You can also create your own if you don’t fancy any of the ones on the menu.

Being a Friday we opted for a pizza each. I opted for the White, which is spinach, ricotta, mozzarella and olive oil for 15,500.  This pizza was fresh and delicious. The topping was great and just what I wanted. The base was perfection. You really can’t beat a brick oven for cooking pizza. I hope to have one in my dream home one day.



Niall chose the Pesto Chicken, which is pesto, chicken, feta, onion and mozzarella  for 18,500. This one was pretty tasty too, it was reminiscent of my favorite chicken, pesto and mozzarella sandwich at Indigo. I would have liked to have tried one of the tomato based pizzas too, but felt ordering three pizzas for two people might be going a bit far. The pizzas are of a good size and you can be more than satisfied with half each. If you are greedy like us and order too much then you can take your leftovers home in a box.



They also serve beer and wine, hurray! Draft Cass is 3,000 a pint and comes in frosted mug which is always a treat. If you’re a classy kind of bird then a glass of wine is priced at 6,500. They also have various craft and imported bottle beers.

All in all is Pizza Peel the 2nd best restaurant in Seoul? Probably not, is it the best pizza in Seoul? For me, no. Is the best Pizza in Itaewon,? Hell yeah! Authentically baked and traditional flavours, I can definitely recommend you head to Pizza Peel next time you have a craving for real pizza.

Pizza Peel is located at 34-65 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. From Noksapyeong station, walk straight from exit 3 to the intersection adjacent to the overpass. After crossing both streets to reach the main Itaewon strip, walk straight in the direction of Itaewon station. The Alley Marketplace entrance is located next to the Rottiboy Cafe, and the Pizza Peel is about 15 metres in.

From Itaewon station, walk straight from exit 4 for about 600 meters. The Alley Marketplace entrance is located next to the Rottiboy Cafe (past the McDonald’s and Starbucks), and the Pizza Peel is about 15 meters in. You can call them on 02-795-3283 or check out the menu on their Facebook page for more details.

Good Morning Hanoi was a two at best. Which is sad because the one in Sorae Village is amazing.

The atmosphere at the Insadong store is stylish and hip. That's about all it has going for it. Oh, and that the Jasmine tea is hot.

The green curry tasted burnt yet the vegetables were fresh and well blanched. The tom yam goong rice noodle soup had good broth but a tad too spicy. I didn't appreciate the server plopping it down on the table causing it to splash all over. The noodles were over cooked as well.

I think they were rushing because it was lunch time and they were packed. Still no excuse. Especially since they charge nearly 15,000 won for a bowl of Pho.

Good Morning Hanoi
1 star out of 4 (poor service, rushed food and over-priced for what you get)
02-725-5320
Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea, 175 Insa-dong

http://m.google.com/u/m/-wQQ49

I am at the opening party for La Taverna Italian Bistro and bar in Hannam. I was invited by Peroni Beer. The food is good and so is the atmosphere. I will have to check this place out again.

Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea, 657-87 Hannam-dong

http://m.google.com/u/m/wjNCPp

This is a simple steak I made at home. It is a grade A++ Hanwoo seasoned with salt, pepper and coffee grinds. I pan-seared it and let it rest before eating. It was tender and softly flavored. With it I had some potatoes that I got from a food cart on my way home. I love the small potatoes because they remind me of my youth. With it I had some of my mother's fiery kimchi. I paired this with a parallele 45.

 

It has been a while since I have been to Lamb Land. While I was searching for it I learned that the location has changed to a much bigger location and now reservations are necessary. This place was introduced to me by my foodie friend Joe McPherson from Zenkimchi.

I will tell you how it is soon.

It was damn good. I love how they give you a tortilla to wrap the lamb with and top it with a olive and corn salad. The service is friendly and the atmosphere is electric. The place is a total ajossie restaurant and it is still dang fun.

Dan

The place changed locations. It is here : Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea, 494-6 Yonggang-dong

Ph# 02-704-0223

http://m.google.com/u/m/_FWs96

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 only been there once and I had vowed never to return .

The contenders were Mr Kebab, Ankara Picnic, Sultan and the street kebabs.

Street Kebab

First up was the street kebab. There are various vans that tend to set up shop on Friday and Saturday night just on the main crossing in Itaewon by exits 1 and 4. Their kebabs are the most expensive at 5,000 for a chicken and a whopping 6,000 for lamb. I used to be rather fond of the street ones but this was quite a poor offering. The meat was cold and it was also rather thin. They do get bonus points for the spicy potatoes they included. But overall this one wasn’t great, but the quality can vary from van to van. I assume I’m very drunk when I am usually buying these.

 

Ankara Picnic

Next stop was Ankara Picnic. They are located just by exit 3 of Itaewon station.  Their chicken kebab cost 4,000 and a lamb kebab is 5,000. They were very generous with their tasty white sauce. They also included tomatoes which really helped balance the ingredients. They were very busy though and I had to wait a good ten minutes before getting served. They have seating for about 8 people and serve soft drinks.

 

Mr. Kebab

Mr kebab has two locations in Itaewon but I visited the branch next to Dunkin Donuts. They also have a branch in Songtan. You find information on all their stores on their website. This kebab was a good size and well filled. However when I unwrapped it to take a picture it unravelled. The meat in this one definitely had the best flavour. The white sauce was also really good and there was plenty of salad. They have now started including potato wedges in the kebab which I’m not sure if I love or not. This location is the biggest with seating for 20-30 and they have a bathroom! Always good after a few too many drinks. They have a wide selection of kebabs, pilafs, drinks, ice-cream, and desserts. They also have a loyalty card which gets you a free kebab for every 11 that you buy.

 

Sultan Kebab

Last up is Sultan Kebab located near exit 3 around the corner from Ankara picnic, in the little alley way just next to Taco Bell.  Their prices are the cheapest in town with 4,000 for a chicken and 4,500 for lamb. It was also the largest kebab I was given. Usually Sultan Kebab is my favourite but this one was just lacking a little in flavour compared to Mr. Kebab. There were no tomatoes which I think affected the taste. They too serve a variety of kebabs, drinks,  ice cream, and baklava.  They have seating for 10 people and once again have a loyalty card which gets you a free one for every 10 you buy.

 

Overall on this occasion first place had to go to Mr Kebab! It had the best flavour of all, it’s cheap and they have a loyalty card and a loo. What more could you want? Second place I am giving to Sultan Kebab. Ankara’s kebab was slightly better, but there wasn’t much in it. The queue is always much smaller at Sultan Kebab and they have a loyalty card which makes it better in my book. Fourth place was the kebab on the street, they are too expensive and have no drinks or facilities. Where’s your favourite kebab?