These days I have had the itch to make videos and play with my camera more. Here is a video of my visit to Le 75 in Hongdae. Here is some more info: The restaurant is on the top floor of the building. Here is the address: 마포구 서교동 331-21 4층 (우) 121-836  The phone number is 02.324.5731 but he says he doesn't have a phone yet so you can call (ladies use it wisely.) his cell 010.4044.7510. I would call ahead to make sure he has reservations. Directions are easiest if you go out Hongdae Station exit 5. Make a U-Turn and make a right. Cross the street and you'll see Le 75 on the top floor. On the first floor is a octopus restaurant (쭈꾸미) and on the 2nd Floor is Dune Restaurant. Cheers, Dan Come take a cooking class or take a Culinary Tour in Seoul! http://www.ongofood.com Pictures are taken either with my Panasonic DMC-G2 Camera with 20mm Lens or with my iPhone 4G Join the Seoul Eats Facebook Group Page to keep to date with the latest events.

RESTAURANT HAS CLOSED Chef Matthieu of Le 75 A restaurant that I got to preview about 2 weeks ago has had their soft opening and they are ramping up. The food is excellent and all made by Chef Matthieu. The chef asked me to try not to write too much about him because he says, "I'm shy." But also, he says he needs time to perfect everything. I can understand. So instead of doing my normal write-up, I'm just going to tease you with some shots of his food. I'll tell you that the place is in Hongdae. Dan King Crab Croquette in Poppy Foam at Le 75 Chef Mattieau at Le 75  Smoked Salmon with Lemon Caviar with Pea Puree at Le 75 Lamb at Le 75 Chocolate Souffle at Le 75 Chocolate Souffle Le 75

Catherine at from Women and Wine Two things I really like: Women and Wine resumed their meetups after a long hiatus. Led by the ebullient, Catherine, the meeting on Wednesday night was attended by about 20 people. Everyone brought bottles of wine to share- some brought 2 or 3 (thank you Cidi). The food was excellent as we ordered almost everything off the Macaroni Market menu.  I ordered the Petite Charcuterie and the Gambas with Chorizo which paired well with the wine. Throughout the meal we had frites and baguettes. Macaroni Market has a French concept at the moment and it has a pretty impressive menu. You can get the classics like Salade Nicoise, Quiche Lorraine, Escargot, and they also have an impressive grilled menu with Lamb, steak and Chateaubriand. From what I was able to taste, I appreciate the use of high quality ingredients. It's not 100% French, but they do follow the French approach to food and ingredients. I highly recommend the desserts at Macaroni Market. The C...

I went to Paul a couple weeks ago. Paul is the famous Paris Boulangerie, known for their breads and desserts. It has been around for 120 years and it is a very common fixture in France- much like Paris Baguette in Korea. The first Paul Bakery/ Restaurant is at the Marriott Executive Apartments on the first floor. My friend and I decided to go on a Saturday morning and we got there around 10am. Luckily, Koreans don't like to get up that early so we were quickly able to get a table. I was hoping to get a croissant and a latte to start but my hopes were dashed when I was told that Paul didn't get their shipment of croissants. They didn't get their shipment of croissants? Hmmm...I thought that Paul would make their own croissants- not have them shipped. It must have been a bad Saturday for them because we were told they were out of many of their signature cakes and eclairs (the only option was the coffee one). Sigh...instead of stomping out. I ordered a crepe and my friend...

Here are some of my past reviews on the restaurant: http://www.seouleats.com/2010/10/chez-simon-french-cuisine-done-right.html http://www.seouleats.com/2010/11/chez-simon-redux.html You can see more of my video food adventures at  http://www.youtube.com/user/delawheresdan Chez Simon Address: Seoul, Jongro-gu Samcheong-dong 63-10 Phone: 02-730-1045 Reservations recommended. Directions: Go out Anguk Station exit 1 and make the first right and walk about 10 minutes until you get to Samcheongdong. Walk on the elevated walkway and you’ll see it up on a hill. Come take a cooking class or take a Culinary Tour in Seoul! http://www.ongofood.com Pictures are taken either with my Panasonic DMC-G2 Camera with 20mm Lens or with my iPhone 4G

Red Wine at Chez Simon in Seoul, Korea Friday Night, I went back to one of my favorite French Restaurants in Seoul, Chez Simon. It was a good experience. The waitstaff was nice, the atmosphere was comfortable, and the food...well, familiar. It was good, but it was the same meal that I had at my previous visit (about 2 months ago). Plus, since it was prefixed, we couldn't change it, I felt a bit disappointed. Chez Simon, was famous for having changing menus that utilized local, seasonal ingredients. There were some elements of this: fresh oysters topped with pear, peppers, and lemon and pumpkin soup whipped into a foam. The steak was just as it was before: cooked perfectly and with a minor flourish: a thin stalk of asparagus wrapped with bacon. The pasta was nice with the oyster mushrooms and roasted cloves of garlic, but...it didn't blow me away. The creme brulee, was excellent as before as well with its specks of vanilla, but it was what I had before. I wish the chef ...

Chez Simon in Samcheongdong, Seoul Back before Samcheongdong became the date hotspot, the street was famous for restaurants. These days the trend seems to be on turn and burn establishments and too, too many cafes. My favorite bouillabaisse went defunct and became another cafe. Just when I thought all was lost, I happened to find Chez Simon. For years they have been turning out great homemade cuisine in a 20 seat, reservation-only restaurant. Chez Simon's menu changes regularly depending on local ingredients that are available. The secret to the restaurant's success is the ability of the chef to transform these ingredients into works of art. Each plate is adorned with mini fireworks of flavor. The crispy ravioli first course was served over tomato and bean sauce, accented with oregano. The potato foam soup was frothy like a perfect cappuccino. The pasta was cooked al dente and the anchovy, mushroom sauce was just right. My steak was cooked medium rare- the outside crispy a...

Oh, it's so good and rich and chocolatey with a hint of orange. The lunch sets at Saint Ex are an amazing deal. You get an salad, entree, dessert and coffee for around 26,000 won. There is a reason why Saint Ex has been around forever-it has the best French Food in the city.

Yum. They seriously have the best desserts. I recommend the mousse and the pear and red wine thing with orange zest. Oh, the creme bulee isn't bad. Actually I recommend it all. Dan

Jung Shik Dang 02 517 4654 Reservations Recommended. They speak English.

Foie gras mousse pool, with pistachio shavings, ginseng tree garnish, and mini biroche. Jung Shik Dang 02 517 4654 Reservations Recommended. They speak English.

Kongkaru Ice cream with homemade red bean sauce, rice cakes and Norunji Spear (Rice Cookie). Jung Shik Dang 02 517 4654 Reservations Recommended. They speak English.

Oh Seattle, how I love thee. Beth and I decided to check out a place that is a favorite among Seattlelites (or should I call them Satellites?). Cafe Presse serves French Bistro cuisine at reasonable prices- here you can be haute on a budget. The menu is all in French, so I had Beth order so I wouldn't butcher the menu. We ordered Cafe Vita coffee to start. We asked our waitress the popular dishes in the area and then we ordered a Croque Monsieur, Salade aux asperges, and Demi-poulet froid Mayonnaise. Let me translate in American. We ordered a ham and cheese sandwich, Asparagus with goat cheese and pinenuts, and a half chicken served with a salad of arugula and sweet pea salad. The food was superb- especially the Salade aux asperges. The crunchy stalks were juicy and tasted like crystalized sunshine. The crusted cheese on the sandwich was smoky and crisp; and the cold half chicken was the perfect dish for late brunch on a Sunday afternoon. This is a dish that I imagine what the p...