I had the chance to visit Comfort Zone yesterday and check out their brand new brunch menu and I must say, I was very happy to be there. I grew up eating this kind of food on the weekends and I miss it. I can only count about a handful of places that offer good American style breakfast food, and I'm glad that Comfort Zone is going to be another spot on that list. The decor shows that it's been a lounge for the past 10 years, no one is going to mistake it for a romantic brunch location, but it's cozy and friendly. Also, there is a very nice patio area that we were unfortunately unable to enjoy due to some relentless rain. But I plan to make it back there and drink a Bloody Mary out there. Comfort Zone has been a happening lounge around Hyehwa for the last 11 years, but they just started serving brunch three weeks ago. They have a nice selection. Check here for the full brunch menu. To kick off their brunch offering, they have made a coupon available through daum.net. Be su...

Eggs Benedict at Amandier Amandier in Insadong is a good little bakery that is pushing the bounds of all the different food that they make. First they had macarons then cakes, chocolates, breads, pastries, a full coffee bar and now they are moving away from sweets and into savory. They have been serving gourmet sandwiches for some time now and now they are even doing brunch. On one particular Sunday, I ordered their egg's benedict. It was big. 2 perfectly poached eggs over brioche with hollandaise sauce. Lots of hollandaise sauce (almost too much) and regular ham. It was well seasoned and the yolk spilled out - like it should- when you cut open the egg. The bread was hearty and fluffy enough to sop up the sauce and the egg and the ham was alright. My friend got the cappuccino with a croissant- very European, I know. This was also good. One little quip though, they didn't offer butter with the croissant- that was extra. It's a good place to go for brunch with nice atmo...

Pancake Original Story Photographed and Written by Terri Walton   I can’t think of a more delicious way to escape the cold winter chill than brunch and you can do so at Pancake Original Story. They have excellent versions of brunch classics such as pancakes, homemade sausage patties and waffles. Other items, like the omelettes, pale in comparison to these gems but are still decent. Pancake Original Story is a Hannam-dong staple. As I entered the tiny restaurant I could smell the reason why. The sweet scent of pancakes hung in the air. I looked around. The restaurant was full, so my party and I decided to brave the cold—instead of escape it—on the patio. Some details I admired while waiting for my food were tire wheel lights, mix and match wooden chairs and shelves of colourful beverages. The urban rustic motif matched the made from scratch meals Pancake Original Story served up.  On the patio our coffees, which came out promptly, kept us warm.  Steam rose off ...

CLASS DESCRIPTIONS East, Meet West: community brunch class This is not your typical cooking class. After all, who wants to wake up after an action-packed Saturday night and come to school? The essence of "going to brunch" is eating a casual meal that soothes the soul and includes both sweet and savory elements to satisfy all eaters -- and perhaps a little of what us Westerners would call "the hair of the dog that bit you." (In this case, probably soju.) In this informal demo class, we'll work in teams to create Western brunch favorites with local, seasonal, vegetarian ingredients. Our goal is to bring together food lovers, both Koreans and foreigners, around a meal we all love to eat. 35,000 per person. Class will start at 10am at O'ngo Food Communications Culinary School in Insadong. Classes will be taught in English. Reserve by calling 02-3446-1607 or by emailing Ryan Weaver at ryanrose(dot) weaver (at) gmai l (dot) com And yes, there will be Bloody ...

Sad Brunch: Runny Omelet, rubbery sausage and salad I don't even remember what this dish was called. So bad. They need bring their A-game, because this is just sad. It looks like it's right out of a elementary school cafeteria or out of an in-flight meal on a transpacific flight. Sad Sad Sad

Seoul Eats is always happy to have people contribute their honest reviews of restaurants. Here is one from Lauren McPhate on La Vert- a new brunch place in Haebangchon across from Phillies. This is her first review (and hopefully not her last). We should encourage her to keep writing and eating by leaving her a comment. And if you would like to contribute to Seoul Eats, send Daniel Gray an e-mail at seouleats at gmail dot com. Lauren and crew I am a brunch fanatic. It's a time to gather friends, hook-ups, and strangers, all around one table to dish about the night before. I joke that I moved to HBC for Indigos. Where else in Korea can you find a complete brunch menu and wine for just 3,000 won?! The problem as of recent has been a lack of accomodation ("NOOOO, we can't substitue salmon for ham on your eggs benedict!") and a lack of space. Ever since they switched back to being open on Sundays, it's always questionable whether or not you and your new 8 best frie...

I was scheduled to meet Dan near the Crown Hotel, but like most Korean address' I was unsure where "London Tea" was exactly located... until I looked up and voila, next to all the car repair shops there it was atop a small mound, quite easy to spot. Inside is an eclectic mix match of old world antique charm, handmade ceramic mugs, and a side of West Village Sunday brunch, simple & delicious. The owner and the chef work hand in hand to prepare not just a perfectly crafted meal, but also create an intimate atmosphere to enjoy a cup of afternoon tea. First we were welcomed with a delightful plate of the chef's rendition of the french toast: Cream cheese filling with fresh cranberries oozing out between two hefty pieces of brioche toast and of course what would french toast be without BACON :) Yes, please! Next up, caramelized apples wedged in a cheddar omelet, with a dash of mix green salad. Oh~ and look banana slices peeping through the golden crust of the pancake~ ...

Egg's Benedict from Suji's in Itaewon. My first experience at Suji's was more than 2 years ago and I didn't have a great experience there. I was jonesing for a Egg's Benedict and the one I got was just awful. The hollandaise sauce had broken, the eggs were cold. It was meh. Maybe it was a bad day. Maybe it was too built up in my mind. I didn't write about it because I figured they just had a bad day. About 2 weeks ago I returned to Suji's because I had a date and well, brunches are good for dates. She ordered the Egg's Benedict and I ordered the Corn Beef Reuben Sandwich. Reuben Sandwich from Suji's in Itaewon Corn Beef Close-up from Suji's in Itaewon My sandwich was amazing- probably the best I've had in the city. It was easily worth the 13,000 I paid for it. The bread was high quality and the coleslaw had the crunch the sandwich needed without being too sweet. The meat was ample and succulent. I haven't had a sandwich with this much ...

I haven't been to Hong Suk Chun's Restaurants in a while. Back when I first came to Korea bout 5 years ago, I was enamored with Our Place (across from Helios in Itaewon.) It was my go-to date place where I would enjoy wine with hummus and thick slices of Chocolate Grenache Cake. Since then Mr. Oh has expanded to several different restaurants including My Thai, My China, and My Chelsea. Like all of his restaurants, there is a very particular since of style and "cool." He has an eye for interiors and his food is generally creative and fun. My Chelsea seems to be his foray into the brunch craze in Korea (which I thought had died a year ago, but it seems to be back because of Suji's.) My Chelsea. Behind the Hamiliton Hotel in Itaewon. His interiors have a "coolness" and uniqueness unlike many of the" faux authentic" restaurants in Korea. African Masks

Lemon Crepes Suzette I have a confession. The reason, I haven't been posting so much on Seoul Eats is because I've been busy at home cooking. I've been learning new recipes and reintroducing myself to old ones. For example, the other day I made crepes. I got the pan really hot and I made these thin, crisp pancakes and topped then with lemon and sugar. It took a couple of tries to relearn the technique, but I think I got it in the end. The guests that I made them seemed to enjoy them. Dan

Sorry, I haven't been posting so much this week, but I have to work to pay the bills^^ One of the cool things about my life is that I sometimes get invited to chef's houses, restaurants, or events to meet people. Sometimes these people just want to meet me for publicity, other times they want to meet me because they are foodies. Siyoon Paik is a foodie and those are the type of people I love to meet. Her Amuse Bouche was a melted gorgonzola cheese on toasted baguette with a touch of honey. This is one of my favorite combinations. The earthy, pungent cheese is touched with a hint of sweet gold. Yum. The salad was simple and very springy. Here we have some broccoli with mushrooms and onions. A Snack: Spiced Pecans For the main course we had Brioche French Toast stuffed with currant cream cheese and cheddar omelet with apples. Oh, and I'm totally envious of her copper Kitchen Aide Mixer The apartment is classy and spacious. Siyoon regularly holds cooking demonstrations and cl...