I was just sitting here thinking about Hawaii and how I would really love to live there. I feel Hawaiian inside. The last meal that I had was at the Honolulu airport at Gordon Biersch. I had an excellent beer, a burger and some garlic fries with the wife. Good memories. Now...once I get some time I'll be showing you some of my favorite other Hawaiian eats. Ok..now back to work. Dan

Just having a Ninkasi Oatis Oatmeal Stout. It's from Eugene Oregon and has a 7.2 alcohol percent by volume. It's a thick beer with a strong soy sauce flavor and a Guiness-like finish. I can't say it is the most easy drinking. It is complex and thick like a stout. I think it is better as a draft but in Korea that is not an option.  It's 7,500 won a bottle at Craft Han's in Itaewon. 

(Click images for sources) If you're traveling to Korea and looking for some bars in Seoul, there’s plenty to choose from. But we’re all trying to save a bit of cash, right? Find out where to go in Seoul for free refills on alcohol so you can get wasted the cheapest way possible! (This post was originally posted at seoulistic.com ) Ssada! Maekju! in Hongdae I'm  Sexy  Cheap and I Know it The title doesn't leave much to the imagination (ssada maekju = "It's cheap! Beer!"). So if having a few beers at a cheap price is your idea of a good time, head over to Hongdae to find this college town watering hole. Hopefully, you'll be surprised by the better-than-expected interior along with the inexpensive anju (안주). But who are you kidding. The only reason you're reading this is because you want to find a cheap place to go drinking in Seoul. And this place has got what you want: free refills for draft beers (8,000 won/person) and soju (5,000won/person). Tip: The...

Beer and Popcorn at CGV This is going to be a quick post since I am about to go out for a run before I head out to work. These days, I am trying to lose weight, although I do lapse back into eating some things I shouldn't. The problem is that in Korea there is so much to eat (that's good and it's too easily accessible.) For example, I was headed to to CGV movie theater with a friend to watch Captain America and they were advertising a beer and popcorn set for only 10,000 won. This set included two beers and a tub of popcorn. Of course, we had to get it since we were about to watch Captain America. Then there is my other little addiction in the HBC (Haebangchon): Casablanca Sandwicherie. Damn it, their Lamb Chili Sandwich is off the hook and it is the perfect drunk food. I've been trying to ween myself off these, but I think I went in for two last week. It's so good because the bread is plush, the ground lamb is flavorful and the additions of chickpeas, l...

Big Greek Salad with Chicken at Craftworks 13,000 won Since I got the new iphone 4, I'm going to try to post most of what I eat and write a bit about it.  This is a big Greek Salad topped with chicken at Craftworks in Gyeonidan. It's a salad big enough for a meal. It's made in real Greek style with chunks of cucumber, black and kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes, feta cheese and topped with a red wine vinegarette with oregano. Normally it costs 12,000 won but I added a grilled chicken breast for 1,000 won. (I hope that was a mistake because I think they should charge more for a chicken addon.) Great food, wonderful people and the place has become one of my favorite places to hang out. 02-794-ALES www.craftworkstaphouse.com

This Saturday at Cafe The Air, I started to really take a look at my Hoegaarden bottle and decided to take pictures of it using different presets built into my Panasonic DMC G-2 Camera. I also used my macro close-up lenses to really get up close to the bottle. Here are some of my shots. Cheers, Dan Monochrome Elegant Pure Close-up Dynamic Art

Crafthouse Taphouse and Bistro in Haebangchon I have been meaning to check out Craftworks Taphouse and Bistro for a while- mainly because the idea of a craft brewery with gourmet food is intriguing. I grew up in Delaware that was getting into the microbrew craze as I was headed to Korea. Have you heard of Dogfish head: the award-winning brewery? They are from Delaware. Also when I traveled around America and Canada, I seek out local breweries because beer is a great gauge of talent. Craftworks Taphouse and Bistro has a lot of promise. The atmosphere is electric and the locals seem to have embraced it- the Friday night I was there, the place was packed till late. The food was creative and excellent. I had the muenster sliders: little burgers topped with muenster cheese on excellent rolls (from Wing Bakery). The "turmeric" on the menu was a bit confusing- but the fries were simply dusted in the herb. The food was excellent and reasonably priced. The only problem I ha...

YK Nothing Special Here, just beer, snacks and turnip About a week ago I went to Madak over by Nambu Terminal for some fried chicken and smoked chicken topped with YK. The place is pretty new (they just opened in 2009) and they are known for their finely minced garlic that they serve with their chicken. Besides the garlic, it's your typical chicken place that has beer, radish cubes, and puffed snack balls. It's not overly expensive either. The Minced Garlic You might think that the garlic is a gimmick, but I must say that it is not. The garlic has been minced super fine and they put something on it (I haven't figured out what it is, but I figure it must be a mixture of vinegar and lemon juice that they mix into the garlic and then rinse off). Whatever the process for making the garlic is, I must say that it works. It's not pungent and pepperminty (the garlic in Korea tends to pack quite a punch). I could have eaten the garlic just by itself, but it went very ...

Hello Everyone! I'm happy to say that our first Homebrewing glass was a success. Lot's of good times, good questions, and great people. O'ngo Studios, however, is moving to a bigger and better location. So, we'll be squeezing in one more Homebrewing class before they do. This time, as so many people requested, we'll be doing it on the weekend! Like last time, we'll be going through the process of making beer by making a batch. There will also be a beer tasting to illustrate concepts like "body" and "mouth-feel". Total class-time will be 3 hours. The schedule is below: Hour 1: A slideshow and explanation of beer terminology, equipment, and what will happen on a typical brewing day. Hour 2: We will begin making our batch of beer with a step-by-step account of what's happening and why. In-between adding our ingredients, we will also be doing a tasting of 3 beers; all high-quality and available in Korea. Hour 3: We will bottle...

Let's face it. The convenience stores in America and other western countries aren't very convenient. They have so many rules about loitering and stuff. I remember back in Delaware there were many signs that said, "Loitering Not Allowed," "20 minute Parking," etc. Geez...and these stores didn't even have any alcohol. Now in Korea, the convenience stores have everything you could possibility need: snacks, lunchbox meals (called dosiraks), beer, wine, liquor, underwear, tampons, condoms, and even hangover curing drinks called "Condition" drinks. They have tables outside and you are welcome to sit, eat some snacks, and have a beer. It's great and very convenient. I love Korean Convenience Stores! Max Special Hop Pitchers of Beer Here we are at our table beside the GS25 Convenience Store.

My buddies Jason and Steve are doing another Ka-Brew event. It's called the Electric BBQ. As always, they are out to get you drunk because it's all you can drink. Read more for all the details on how you can sign up.

Read the review of the restaurant here http://www.seouleats.com/2010/01/get-your-drink-on-at-sam-ryans-pub-in.html Sam Ryan's is a local sports bar that has become a local favorite. They have Kilkenny and Guiness on Tap And they have pretty waitresses^^ Cheers!

Of course there is a catch. This is the e-mail I got from Jason Lindley about Ka-Brew's English Teacher Night I'd love to see you guys tonight as I'll be there handling "English Teacher night":  It will be 10% off for all English teachers and Professors.  Also, professors drink for free if they bring 5 or more drinking age students.  Also, Alley Kat will be included in the beer buffet price. This event will be on Friday, October 9th Only. Regardless, I don't think they realized that most of the teachers can drink the students under the table. Directions: Miaseomgori station, exit 3, walk 35 meters straight. You will pass a KEB bank, and Ka-Brew is two buildings after that, on the ground floor of the Ecopia building. If you walk past the KEB for more than a minute you've probably gone too far.

Say what! I couldn't believe it when they told me this, but apparently Ka-Brew has all you can drink beer for 10,000 won. Ka-Brew is a microbrewery in Korea and they distribute the very popular Alley Kat Beer. My friend Jason, who is a beer enthusiastic has been working there with the brew master and I'm sure he'll be introducing some tasty brews in the near future. Maybe Jason will make his famous Chocolate Stout at Ka-brew. Be sure to check it out. The directions are below. Directions: Miaseomgori station, exit 3, walk 35 meters straight. You will pass a KEB bank, and Ka-Brew is two buildings after that, on the ground floor of the Ecopia building. If you walk past the KEB for more than a minute you've probably gone too far.

In Korea there are local brews that could be called beer. There is Hite, Cass, and OB. The expat community has renamed these beers: Shite, Ass, and BO. I guess that pretty much tells you what the expat thinks about them. I feel that Shite, Ass, and BO taste like sugary, bubbly white bread, with a hint of hangover. About a year ago, Hite started to market Max Beer and it has become the beer of choice for many expats. I've noticed around many bars that it'll sell out pretty quickly and most of the convenience stores will run out of it by 2 or 3am. The reason why is because Max has malts and hops- so it tastes pretty darn good. I mean it's my beer of choice because it's not too hard on the wallet, it doesn't give me a hangover, and it tastes alright. What do you guys think? Max is the Expat beer of choice?

It is Wednesday, May 27th in Korea and tonight is Hockey night. Call me crazy if you will. Actually just call me Koreazy. I'm a huge Pittsburgh Penguins fan and they are playing the Carolina Candy Canes tonight. If they win they could advance to the finals. It is inevitable that they will advance, but I feel that they will do it tonight. I will be at Beer O'Clock in Sinchon (the stop next to Hongdae). A map is below. I will be watching the game and running over to get Japanese Style Ramen at a cool little place near by during the break. The ramen place has many individualized booths where you can sit by yourself or with another person and the ramen comes out of a cutaway slot in the front. You order the ramen by computer before you get in and I don't think you even see the people making it. It's like magic. The game starts at 8pm and it will go on till 11ish. The ramen place is right around the corner. I can't promise that it will be delicious, but I will promise i...