Crafthouse Taphouse and Bistro in Haebangchon I have been meaning to check out Craftworks Taphouse and Bistro for a while- mainly because the idea of a craft brewery with gourmet food is intriguing. I grew up in Delaware that was getting into the microbrew craze as I was headed to Korea. Have you heard of Dogfish head: the award-winning brewery? They are from Delaware. Also when I traveled around America and Canada, I seek out local breweries because beer is a great gauge of talent. Craftworks Taphouse and Bistro has a lot of promise. The atmosphere is electric and the locals seem to have embraced it- the Friday night I was there, the place was packed till late. The food was creative and excellent. I had the muenster sliders: little burgers topped with muenster cheese on excellent rolls (from Wing Bakery). The "turmeric" on the menu was a bit confusing- but the fries were simply dusted in the herb. The food was excellent and reasonably priced. The only problem I ha...

With the increased number of foreigners in the Gyeonidan and Haebangchon (out Noksopyeong Station Exit 2) area of Seoul, even more stores are opening to cater to this demographic- especially bread. Sure there is 2 Paris Baguette, Tour le Jours, and commercial breads at the Super Markets, but what about artisan bakers? Bread from Wing Bakery in Gyeonidan Recently, Wing Bakery opened where my beloved Istanbul Kebap Shop used to be. I was happy to see that at all and I was all set to hate on them from the getgo. There was a small problem through. Their bread is good. They fresh bake everyday (starting at 10am...they should start at 6 like normal bakers!!!) and their bread is all natural with no sugar and no butter. They make proper crusty bread like Rye Champagne, Seed Brot, Ciabatta, and crusty baguettes.

Jiyung Sohn at Hattori Kitchen in Gyeonidan Hattori Kitchen is the hip Izakaya with one of the wackiest chef/owners that I have ever met. She can cut an onion like the best of them, but as she does it she'll break out in intermittent bouts of dance. She's a cute nymph, that has fun and doesn't care if other people care or not. I adore her. Now just because she is mad, it doesn't mean she doesn't know food. Her tuna for her salad wasn't top notch ( I'm not a fan of frozen raw tuna ), but her dressing and her vegetables were fresh and a nice mix. We had a couple of beers there and she even treated us to some Okonomiyaki- which was on par. Not a bad place. It's a tad expensive, but you go for the company and for Jiyung Sohn- if you can get a seat that is. Hattori Kitchen, 225-94 Itaewon, Youngsan Gu; 02-792-1975 Dan

Leo's Deli is one of the newest additions to Gyeonidan Road and I think a wonderful one. I don't know how it's possible that the idea of a proper deli is considered a new concept, but it is in Seoul. At Leo's Deli, everything is modifiable and you will get a delicious sandwich that has good bread and good meat. For 10,000 won you get a large sandwich filled with meat, pickles and a light salad. I loved the bread and it was toasted perfectly. Look at the house-made corned beef, saurkraut and cheese. My friend had a turkey on cibatta with cheddar cheese. Oh, I forgot to mention that you get a few homemade potato chips on the plate as well. Yummy. Leo’s Deli Itaewon Dong (Kyung-Lidan) 658 Bonji Tel 02-749-1210 Lazy Sue isn't lazy. She trained in Japan in how to make desserts and she makes the desserts in her small kitchen daily. She's a very sweet person (pardon the pun) and a great conversationist. Here you have a walnut brownie. ...