The Frypan: Seoul's Fried Chicken Strips There is a serious backlog of posts that I need to start hammering out, so let's get started with the Frypan. This is a Hongdae University joint that started out as a school project and has now become a nationwide franchise. The place is hip and everything has a youthful vibe going on. I love how everything is made fresh- even the thinly sliced potato chips. You can get boneless chicken strips made from breast meat or you can get chicken legs for those looking for some flavorful dark meat. The dipping sauces are nice as well- I think a Thai chili sauce and a mayonnaise garlic dip. The boat of salad is good as well and pairs nicely with all the greasiness. These kids figured out the game for making money, so you can't order the giant humongoid pictures of Korean beer. They have ice-cold, individual mugs of beer. Oh, and their pickled turnip things have a curry zing to them and come out yellow. Of note: I believe these kids ...

Basil Cream Croquette at Fingerfood Bar A croquette is the French deep fried pasty that is often filled with a bit of meat or fish and potatoes. The outside is crispy with nice bread crumbs and the filling is usually greasy spoon goodness. When I first came to Korea these were my go-to dishes because I worked at an academy and I would often have 10 minutes between classes to grab a snack dinner. The flavors varied but it could be kimchi and pork, spicy chicken, and curry. Now the curry ones were often the yellow packaged curry mix that has a slight semblance to real stuff mixed with a ton of MSG. I got tired of them pretty fast and I never looked back. Well, that was until I discovered Fingerfood Bar  (길모통이 칠리차차) near the backside of Hongdae (out Hapjeong Station Exit 5). The ajumma that runs the place is a little quirky and sassy. When we asked her if her basil and cream croquette was good she answered, "Of course. Everything I make is good." Finally, someone gives a d...