I am on a journalist tour in Chuncheon and here we are playing Baskin Robbins 31 drinking game. You go around in a circle calling out numbers and if you are caught with the number 31, you have to drink. The person leading the charge is Norman, a university student in Chuncheon. I love the drinking song he has at the end. It translates to "Drink, Drink, Flowing so Smoothly inside me, Flowing so smoothly inside me."   You can see more of my food and fun videos on my youtube Channel: Delawheresdan Come take a cooking class or take a Culinary Tour in Seoul! http://www.ongofood.com

Crispy Fried Ginseng at Chin Chin Makgeolli Bar in Hongdae Sometimes you have to give a restaurant a second chance. Chin Chin in Hongdae had a reputation for having great food, however, I never understood the hype. My first experience at Chin Chin was...meh. The rice wine, makgeolli, was great-but the food wasn't anything spectacular. I ordered a grilled mackerel dish and I remember getting an tiny, almost spoiled fish- it didn't go well with the Makgeolli. The chef, a recent graduate of CIA, was bolting out the door as soon as it was served. I mentioned my problem with the dish and they told me the kitchen had closed. The second time I went, I stuck with just the Makgeolli. My last trip back, I noticed that the excellent makgeolli was still there, but there was a new chef. The food had traditional Korean flavor fused with modern techniques and plating. I was utterly amazed. My favorite dish was the very crispy, tempura ginseng. The battered, pan-seared fish was also exc...

After living in Korea for 5 years, I think my liver has gotten stronger. On Saturday Night, I met some new friends and we decided to get to know each other better over drinks. We first went to Ong Haeya in Hyehwa. Cute place, but almost impossible to find in the dark corners of Hyehwa (Go out Hyehwa station exit 1 and cross the street and then head down the alley before Coffee Gurunaru actually just say 옹헤야 오디예요?). Spacious and new, this place has decent food. It's spicy and the jeon (savory pancakes) were big. I liked their bossam (but they didn't serve it with brined kimchi) and I also liked the binddaetteok (mung bean pancakes). It's not like the most amazing place, but it is passable and the service made up for the above average food. At 옹헤야, we had Scorched Rice Wine (누룽지 막얼리). Good stuff, or I thought it was. A person having it for the first time described it as "funky". For round two we went for dried snacks and cola-soju bombs...

Dear Readers, I have a little secret to tell you: "Dawn" (the Korean hangover cure drink) can save your life. Last night, I was out with some friends and I had a wee bit too much to drink (4 bottles of chunghwa with raw seafood). Just before I was about to head home, I bought a can of Dawn 808. This morning I was up at 6 in the morning working away without a single problem. Now I don't know what's in the can, but I do know it was worth the 5,000 won I paid for it. There has been some debate about when you are supposed to drink it. Some people prefer to drink it before they start drinking- I prefer to drink it after. I think it settles the stomach and, well, I've never been hungover drinking it afterwards. I have tried Morning- this one didn't work as well. So next time you think you've drank too much, have a Dawn.

Mojito Sapphire Martini

No visit to Korea would be complete without experiencing the kinetic nightlife scene. Since many visitors will be just arriving, this is the best way to overcome jet lag. Our tour will introduce visitors to Korea's exciting drinking culture and some of the best night time dining areas in Korea. The tour will explore the Jongno 3-ga area, which used to be the busiest area of Seoul. This area has not been gentrified like other parts of Seoul and has a thriving nightlife and exciting underground scene. Here you'll see the real Korea. These tours will run every Friday Night as long as there is at least 4 people interested in participating. The tour will start with a visit to a visit to a Korean Drinking Tent (Pojangmacha). You'll be introduced to drinking food with traditional Korean alcohol such as soju and chungha. Then you'll go to a pork barbecue restaurant specializing in garmaeggisal: a special cut of pork located near the pig's diaphragm. Here we'll ha...