Boseong Green Tea Fields Korea

Different Korean Spring Vegetables from http://lady.khan.co.kr

It's been a fun but busy week as I have been meeting old friends and setting up a new business. A photo goal of mine has been to really focus on composition and post processing to really make the photos pop. I have been using VSCO and Instagram (find me at Seouleats) to do this just because it is easiest to do. I guess like most of the world I have been moving towards microblogging platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Tumblr out of convenience and fun. While I would love to make a living from blogging and eating, I know the reality. It's a fun hobby but it won't feed my wife (or future daughter.) Anyway, on to the pictures.

In this first picture I wanted to get the BBQ setting before the meal. I added a bit of contrast and some vibrancy to make the side dishes pop. I also put the menu because I love the font. It is from Jeju Harubang Dwetgogi which is my go to place for Jeju black pork.

Here is a picture which I didn't process too much. I did a bit to balance the skin tone but overall, the natural light took care of it. I took a series of pictures and picked the best one.

This picture I really changed up. It originally had my friends in it but because they are shy, I changed it up. I cropped the photo to just the food which I took with my Panasonic LX100 which has great sharpness. I liked the arrangement of the bowls so I really focused on that. Then I added contrast and sharpness and saturation to bring the colors out. This is from Boriwool, a great barley rice place in Hongdae.

This photo I added exposure and contrast to add light. I saturated it to bring out the color. I took this from Pongdang Craftbeer in Sinsadong.

This shot was my favorite of the week and I waited to get the right composition. I wanted to get a shot that showed Seoul at night. I thought by having the couples was interesting as well as the person in the wheelchair. In retrospect maybe I should have left the wheelchair couple out. Anyway, I brought out the shadows and then extreme contrast and exposure to bring out the lights and turn the sky blue.

- Posted on the go by Thumbalyn and Thumbadumb please excuse any typos and grammarerrors. Follow me on Instagram at Seouleats for more posts on the go.

So after a long week at work I decided to go for a walk and take some photos. Friday was a good night and lots of people were out on dates and hanging out with friends. The Garusugil street by Sinsa Station is an energetic and hip place to hang out. The place has good energy and there are lots of places to eat at, shop at and generally have fun at. After a long walk I decided to have a drink at Pong Dang Craft Beer Company. They have a good selection of beer and they have a western bar so I didn't feel so terrible just having a drink by myself.

By Daniel Gray

  At the unveiling, A-list chefs, restauranteurs and media from all over the Asian region gathered as the third edition of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, sponsored by S. Pellegrino and Acqua Panna was unveiled at a ceremony at Capella Singapore on March 9.

    The regional event of the World’s 50 Best Restaurant organization, the competition sponsored by S. Pellegrino & Aqua Panna covers Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, Micronesia, Nauru, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam.

Event group editor William Drew began the evening by discussing the judging process and selection of the best restaurants in Asia, regardless of decor or pedigree. He said that the judging panel of 300 were made up of 1/3 chefs and restauranteurs, 1/3 journalists and food critics, and 1/3 of well traveled gourmets. The list represented what they thought were the best restaurants in the last 18 months.

   Gaggan Anaand’s eponymous Bangkok restaurant, where classic Indian dishes are reinterpreted with modernity and flair, topped the new list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants in this year. The chef celebrated with his team and by later calling his mother. Narisawa in Tokyo, featuring innovative fine dining with a focus on nature, was named No. 2. Interestingly, last year’s winner, Nahm in Bangkok, Thailand, fell to No. 7.

    Restaurants from more countries were represented this year, including Antonio’s in the Philippines at No. 48 and Cuisine Wat Damnak in Cambodia, rounding out the list at No. 50. At the third Asia’s 50 Best Restaurant event, Korea claimed three spots on the list. La Yeon’s Korean Haute Cuisine restaurant came in at number 38 and was given, “The One to Watch” award by Peroni Italy. Chef/owner Ryu Taehwan’s of Ryunique leaped onto list at number 27. For La Yeon and Ryunique, it was the first time for them to enter the list. Chef Yim Jungsik’s restaurant, Jungsikdang, jumped ten spots from number 20 to come in at number 10.
 
William Drew, the group editor of the World’s 50 Best Restaurant, sponsored by S.Pellegrino and Aqua Panna hiply answered his thoughts on Korean food, “hashtag trend.” He further expounded, “Korean food is getting popular around the world even in places where there isn’t a large Korean population. The awareness of Korean ingredients and cuisine is on the rise and it wouldn’t surprise me to see if a Korean restaurant would make it onto the World’s 50 Best Restaurant list.

 Other new restaurants on this year’s winner list include Fu He Hui from China, which landed high on the chart at No. 19, the Chairman in Hong Kong at No. 35 and Osteria Mozza in Singapore at No. 45.

As the region’s top chefs celebrated another year of hard work over champagne and high-end sake, they were reinvigorated to sharpen their knives and return to the kitchen.
 
  The list is created by the Diners Club Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy, a group of more than 300 leaders in the restaurant industry across Asia, each selected for their expert opinion of Asia’s restaurant scene.
   
 Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants was launched in 2013 and takes in six voting regions: India and Subcontinent; Southeast Asia – South; Southeast Asia – North; Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau; mainland China and Korea; Japan.

I asked Mr. Drew, if any restaurant in Korea could make it on the World’s 50 Best Restaurant list. He answered, “Yes. They are different voters. It is a different timeline and different list.

    For the complete 2015 list, go to http://www.theworlds50best.com/asia/en/index.html#

    Daniel Gray is the President of Delectable Travels, www.delectabletravels.com and the author of Seoul Eats, http://www.seouleats.com/

Jungsikdang Head Chef Kim Jeongho

Special thanks to Maureen Ow for meeting with me today. Check out her awesome blog at http://www.misstamchiak.com/

At Hill Street Tai Hwa with @misstamchiak awesome noodles in a medley of pork goodness. #travel #foodie #wanderlust #foodporn #love #instagood #beautiful #food #instafood #푸드스타그램 #맛스타그램 #goodeats #먹스타그램 #데일리 #foodblogger #좋아요 #맛있어 #냠냠 #싱가폴 #instatravel #travelgram #tourist #travel #vacation #trip #traveling #singapore #좋아요 #맛있어 #냠냠 @eatandtreats @jingtheory #VSCOcam

A photo posted by Daniel Gray (@seouleats) on Mar 8, 2015 at 8:23pm PDT

Ok so Kaya toast is my new obsession. #foodtour #travel #foodie #wanderlust #foodporn #love #instagood #beautiful #food #instafood #푸드스타그램 #맛스타그램 #goodeats #먹스타그램 #데일리 #foodblogger #좋아요 #맛있어 #냠냠 #싱가폴 #instatravel #travelgram #tourist #travel #vacation #trip #traveling #singapore #좋아요 #맛있어 #냠냠 @eatandtreats @jingtheory

A photo posted by Daniel Gray (@seouleats) on Mar 8, 2015 at 11:58pm PDT

Here are some of the sights, smells, and sounds from my first day in Singapore. Thank you to Chowzter for inviting me.