Seoul Eats

I wrote this for all those that love Kimchi.  Hi, my name is (insert name) and I am a kimchiholic. I have been addicted to Kimchi my entire life and it has caused me endless happiness. If I am without it for a day, I get angsty. Please have kimchi with every meal.

Boseong Green Tea Fields Korea Now that spring is right around the corner, I thought I would talk to you all about bom namul or Korean Spring Greens. These are greens are very seasonal and only last for a few weeks out of the year. You know how some times you just crave something fresh like a vegetable or fruit and you just eat a whole plate of them? I think that’s how many Koreans feel when winter is finishing. There is just something necessary in the spring greens that their body is telling them they just need to eat. In spring, when my Korean mother and I go for a mountain hike, for her it is a shopping excursion. She always has a basket to take with her because she’ll pick certain leaves and vegetables and then she’ll make a spring greens bibimbap. The vegetables that she picks are fresh shoots and leaves for if they are old, they taste bitter. My mother told me that the spring greens have a lot of panax, you know the same stuff in ginseng, so by eating it, I will be healthy.

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

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.

Sometimes it is better to just wait for the next train. Take this morning, I was rushing to get to the subway platform and there were just loads of people. I could see it. Elbows were at the ready and when the doors opened, people were pushing their way out as others were pushing their way in. It looked like pornographic gangbang, or I would imagine for I have never seen those things. Anyway, it was horrific and I could see the anger. There were red-eyed subway riders pissed off from their morning commute about to start their days all pissed off. I could have pushed my way into that mess just before the doors closed. Just not today. I decided to wait the two minutes for the next train and I feel calm, collected and ready to tackle my day. I might even be able to grab a seat and take a nap. It's much better than smelling the shampoo and cologne of a fellow anchovy in a subway tin. So. I implore you. Sometimes, for your state of mind, it is better to wait.  Dan

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 rep

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

At fish ball story with Douglas. Fish ball is the grandma's recipe. Learned fishballs in 4 months and learned cooking at hawker markers. Great noodle dish with a bouncy, complex-tasting fishballs. The noodles are the perfect texture and the samba sauce has surprising heat. I loved the ground pork, the fried pork skin and the lettuce in the dish. @chowzter7 @misstamchiak @jingtheory @bilbaobab @eatandtreats 

 Laksa from Sungei Road Laksa! Delicious and light in a light coconut milk broth. I love the cockles and the fish cakes! #chowzterasia @jingtheory @bilbaobab @debbied

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

Full Moon Photo by Moyan Brenn Wow…March has a lot of foodie holidays. March 3rd was the unofficial holiday of Pork Belly because pork belly has 3 layers of fat and March is the 3rd month of the year. On the 14th, you have white day coming up..so guys should be ready to take their ladies out for a celebration. This year it is also the first full moon of the new year or what we call Jeongwol Deborum So…Happy Jeongwol Deborum Everyone! Yay! It’s the first full moon of the lunar calendar on March 5th and it is definitely worth celebrating. So how do you celebrate? I’m going to get to that but first, let me tell you a little about why this holiday is so important.  Korea in the past was mainly an agricultural society and it depended on a good harvest to survive. If there was a drought or pestilence like bugs, many people might not live to survive the new year. Plus, in the past, the average person did not have access to pharmacies and health care so good health was truly a ble