It was a blast meeting Jamie Frater of Listverse.com  while he was in Seoul. One of the places that we got to go together was Shim Yang, a popular lamb skewer restaurant in Apgujeong. This is another great video produced and filmed by the crew over at PSeight. Daniel along with his special guest, Jamie Frater, of listverse.com shows us DJ Koo's newest venture, "Shim Yang". Watch as Daniel and Jamie enjoy some good food and some good conversation about Korean food. 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.

Alien's Day Out  Who doesn't like homemade cookies and cakes delivered to your door? (If this applies to you, please stop reading my blog and go away). These days, I have been thinking of gifts to get friends and a big hit have been Mipa's Vegan Cakes and Cookies from Alien's Bake Shop . I have ordered twice for my vegan friends and I would happily do it for my omnivore friends as well. Everything is fresh baked, creative and delicious.

Dae-Ahn Sunim I feel quite lucky these days because my good friend, Monk Dae-Ahn is an amazing person and amazing chef. She is a creative and logical person that is pushing the envelope of what is considered Vegan Cuisine. She is like Thomas Keller for she takes Korean favorites and adds her own spin on the dishes. She transformed pork cutlets into Kongkas: bean cutlets and the bean meat is absolutely...meaty. I mean I couldn't believe it wasn't meat. Her mushroom sauce on top is exquisite as well. Last week she started making kimbap: Korean vegetable rice rolls and these were the best rice rolls I have ever had. The vegetables were all delicious (and organic) and the rice she uses is a mix of brown rice, barley, and other grains (so it is healthy). It is a delicious snack and one that I will have to get the next time I need a snack.  Here is a mix of different rice rolls she has made. Balwoo Gongyang Kong (Located on the 2nd Floor of the Templestay building a...

Wow! Watch this professional made video by the good people over at Jetsetzero . It's a video on the food tours that we do here . Thank you so much for your efforts in making this. Experience the amazingly diverse, delicious, and vivid would of Korean street food. From modern to tradition, from bbq to makgeolli, from fried chicken to live octopus you have to make sure you experience this side of Korea. Book a tour or learn more! http://www.delectabletravels.com Subscribe to Jetsetzero on Youtube.

Alien's Day Out Bake Shop I was lucky enough to meet up with Mipa Lee of Alien's Day Out today at my cooking school.   She and my friend Lilian came over to discuss a bake sale that we are planning on having soon for charity. I have had Mipa's desserts before  and they were delish so I was happy to hear about her bakeshop. Since I hang out at Balwoo Gongyang Kong all the time (I think you have noticed. Nothing funny is going on. I have become good friends with many of the staff there and I go there to hang out with the monks^^), I decided to order a mix of different vegan treats so that my monk friends can try some of Mipa's fine desserts. I placed the order today for an order of Chocolate Orange Biscotti, Pumpkin Bread, Thin Mints and...I think Snickerdoodles. I am so excited and I can't wait till they are delivered. Thanks Mipa and I'll let you know what my friends think. Cheers, Dan Come take a cooking class or take a Culinary Tour in Seoul! http:...

Chef Mattieau at Le 75 King Crab at Le 75 I got to talk with Matthieau yesterday and he sent me some more information about his bar. The dishes are a la carte so they range from 25,000 to 55,000 a plate and it is a sharing plate that you can have with wine or beer. It's what I am naming a French Izakaya, because he is serving good food with wine or alcohol. The place is open from 6pm till whenever people start leaving. 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, ...

Sosun and Jihyun The other night I was at Beodul Yeeyagee in Itaewon to have some spicy seafood tteokbokki to celebrate my friend, Sosun, passing her CPA exam.  To celebrate we had shots of soju mixed with peach and pineapple juice. It was a good time with good friends. Beodulgol Yeeyagi Itaewon Korean Dining Bar 02-797-0167 Directions: Go out Itaewon Station Exit 4 and make a U-turn and make a right. At the first street at Chef Meili's make a right and walk to the bottom of the hill. You'll see a tent outside.

Balsamic Brushetta at TAF Foodie Meetup at TAF with Joe Mcpherson and Sarah Lee Warmed Spinach Dip My life is pretty good most of the time- especially when I get invited by restaurants to come eat. TAF or Total Art Festival is a nice little cafe with good food over by Sinchon Station. I was invited to come by the owner Dori Lee and when I arrived I was surprised to see a few other food bloggers. Sarah Lee of Seoulinthecity.com  and the Might Joe McPherson of Zenkimchi.com  were already there. As we talked about our foodie lives, Dori and her staff prepared a tasting of their menu.  First came the warmed spinach dip. Quite nice with crunchy walnuts on top. The dip was cheesy and had good flavor. They went well with the nachos, but I think I would have preferred a pita or some flat bread. Next came a curried spinach salad over steamed pumpkin. Excellent presentation and I loved the earl grey soaked raisins in the dish. It paired well with the pumpkin. The last ...

My good chum, Maggie Whit tum and her comedy troupe: Seoul City Improv  is hosting Seoul's First International Improv Festival bringing teams from all over the world to Seoul. Featured comedy troupes include: A three day improvstravaganza will include the following troupes:  Improv Boston (Boston, USA) ,   Beijing Improv's Bilingual Improv Group (BIG) (Beijing, China) ,  People's Liberation Improv (Hong Kong) , Seoul City Improv and the newly minted Korean Seoul City Improv!  It looks to be an exciting event filled with exciting improv comedy and conveniently located in Itaewon. Here are the details: PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE Friday, May 13th 8-11 p.m. :   International Improv Showcase Our opening night show kicks off with performances from all of the troupes involved. Get to know the performance styles and quirks of all our visiting troupes as they perform a variety of short-form improv games a la "Whose Line is it Anyway?" as well as long...

When Washington Post Reporter Michael Alison Chandler came to Seoul , I was lucky enough to help her with her story on the night dining culture. Through the course of several nights, her friends and I went exploring the streets and alleyways for the best eats in Seoul. Her story encapsulates the dining culture. Michael, thank you so much for your wonderful story. Here is an excerpt: Go here to read the rest Korean dishes, like superheroes, are traditionally granted special powers. Kam ja tang, a potato and pork-rib stew, is a hangover cure. Chicken feet will improve your complexion — just ask any teenage girl. And grilled eel or chicken soup with rice and ginseng are among the many dishes that servers will earnestly tell you are “good for stamina.” After a five-month stay in Seoul, I’ve decided that the last quality is not simply innuendo but a key survival skill if you live and work in this tireless metropolis, where even dinner can be an eight-hour marathon. Korea...

My good friend Maggie Whittum of Seoul City Improv is currently preparing for a Improv tour of Canadian Tour Festival and she recently did an improv show in Beijing and she is directing a World Premiere Play "Suicides in Vegas" . She is currently staying with me at my apartment, although I never get to see her because she is always so busy. I have a 3 bedroom apartment that I share with a roommate and Maggie took the small third bedroom that has a couch and giant TV. She sleeps on the floor because the couch is too short for her lanky, Coloradian Body.  The floor bed folds up around her and she has affectionately named her "Taco" Maggie is the only person that I know that works that works more than I do in pursuit of her dream and so...she probably wants to sleep in every once in a while. Since I wait up very early, Maggie has asked me to give her a kick in her Taco to wake her up. That's what the sticker is about below. Anyway,  I think we need to support the...

Our good friends over at Eat Your Kimchi are celebrating their 200th video. To celebrate they made this film on their typical day as power vloggers. Congratulations! 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.

 Sunday was a good food day. After finishing up some paperwork at the office, I was lucky enough to find that we had some amazing salmon in the fridge (leftovers from a catering event we held). We had the fish delivered from the fish market on Friday. It was so fresh that we sliced it and had it as sashimi. Sunday, when I panfried it, it was still delicious. I had it plain with some fig compote that our chef had made for a cheese plate. It was an excellent lunch. Later that afternoon I met my friend Suji and we went out to Gwanghwamoon for a coffee. We went to the Olleh center and had a coffee. The coffee was not bad, the waffle was. These were Liege Waffles that cost 3,000 a piece. Sure, not expensive but they should taste natural. These tasted like the yeast was left to sit for a while so it had a chemical aftertaste. I hope that the cafe will correct this problem. The Olleh center has a nice porch and it was wonderful to sit outside and have coffee. After our coffee, we dec...

The story of Tartine Pie shop is an exciting example how a little elbow grease and lots of perseverance can become a nationwide trend. I don't know how many pies this little pie shop sells a day, but within 30 minutes that I sat in the shop I easily saw 30 or so get boxed up for take out. It's my favorite place to get blueberry pie and chocolate cream pie. Good stuff. Here is a great video on how a handbag shop became a pie shop. Ruby Edwards' TARTINE Bakery & Café, Seoul Here is the story of Tartine from the pen of the chef: TARTINE /tɑrˈtin; Fr. tarˈtin/ [tahr-teen; Fr. tar-teen] 1. A fancy French open-faced sandwich topped with spreadable ingredients. 2. From French, diminutive of tarte tart 1 ] 3. From Old French: A long winded story We do offer Romanian Peasant Bread and our farm fresh, handmade, 100% Pure Butter to spread on it, however, we do not offer tarts [Butter Tarts are really a pie]. We prefer the Old French definition: Long winded story...

My friend Desiree has followed her dream and opened up her own theatre in Seoul. It's called Probationary Theatre and she is going to have a black day speed dating thing there on the 14th. If you are just going to be sitting around eating jajamyeon (black noodles) that day, maybe you should give it a try. Get more information on their website www.probationarytheatre.com 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.

I feel like I am Susumu's publicist from OK2 Kitchen, but I do it out of love instead of money. The other day someone asked me for a great restaurant that has excellent food but is value for money. I usually recommend OK2 Kitchen for the food is good, the service is friendly, and the skilled chefs make excellent cuisine using fresh ingredients. Susumu doesn't need a publicist. His food speaks for him. Here is some food I had during my last visit: a Poached Duck Egg and truffle salad and a dessert plate. (Susumu was kind enough to send over some ice cream and chocolate souffle as service. Thanks.) Here is a review I wrote a while back: http://www.seouleats.com/2009/11/slow-food-at-ok2-kitchen-review-up-on.html

Saturday was a food photo day and I went out with my friend to a couple different places. The day started at Paul in Yeouiddo: the famous Paris boulangeries and famous for their breakfasts. It was damn good, but...they didn't have croissants and many of the breads that Paul is known for. Apparently their shipment didn't come in. I'll write more about my visit to Paul later.  Mipa of the blog, Alien's Day Out , has been baking up Vegan treats for ages. Her blog is one of the most interesting and colorful reads in the Korean blogosphere. Each post is packed with bright pictures and witty commentary.  My friend Lily remembered reading that Mipa was selling her baked goods at a cafe in Seoul, so we decided (after a lengthy time shopping for camera equipment in Namdaemun) to head over for a light afternoon snack. I didn't know what to expect because Vegan baking (sans cream and butter) doesn't sound all that delicious. Boy, was I wrong. We ordered a nice spread: C...