Holy Cow has haebangchon changed. I lived here for about 6 years and it is soooo different now. It used to just have dive bars and some small eateries but now it has much more. Had a talk with one of the owners of Phillies and he gave me a run down. To take over a place, payments are around 200,000,000 won. This is in addition to building deposit.  Rents are around 3-4 million won a month. Yikes. To start, a basic restaurant here it looks like you would need about 350 million won (314,000 usd). I should have bought a place around here back in the day. I think I could have started a bar here about 6 years ago for about 50 million won (45,000 usd) with a rent of about 1,000,000 won (900 usd). I kinda thought this area was going to pop back then but my life went in another direction. Oh, well.   #haebangchon #cafe #seouleats #picstitch

H-Makgeolli in HBC I haven't been to this place in a long time and I don't know why.  The food is, as it always was, very good and the staff that is working there are very accommodating and kind. They still have a large variety of different makgeollis there. I was there about 1 week ago with friends and we had the Buckwheat Flower (Maemil kkot), Corn, and Blackbean. The corn was pretty good but the Black bean one was too sweet. Everyone's favorite was the Buckwheat Flower- very smooth and with a slight acidity. Another thing I really like about this place is the care they put into making the food. The Acorn jelly salad (totori muk) was very fresh and the jellied acorn with veggies is a fine combination. The crunchiness of the carrots really helped bring the dish together.  After this dish we had the Kimchi Pancake. This is really good. The batter is crisp and the kimchi is sour and a little spicy. Panfrying really brings the flavor out of the kimchi. ...

Cafe Jeje Here is another picture taken with my new wide lense attachment.

Cafe Jeje Cafe Jeje is my new favorite cafe and since it is just up the road from me, I'm very happy. The best thing about this place are the beans. They are all roasted in house by Kim Gwang-seon. I am not one to trust certificates and awards, but she knows how to make a cup of joe or a latte or a cappuccino or any number of great drinks. She has several award winning drinks on her menu such as her Polar Snow, but I just go in for her rich, flavorful hand drip coffee. I love the Guatemala and the Mandheling. The Ethiopia is fine as well and at 3,000 won for a great cup of coffee is a bargain (in Korea, 3,000 won is a bargain for coffee). It's a great place to relax after work and catchup on reading or just for relaxing. They have free wifi as well. The cafe has lots of freshly roasted coffee in house and I often buy a bag or two for home and for work. Each bag is only 10,000 won for 250grams and for the quality it is incredible. Overall, this place is one of the best...

Hungry Dog in Haebanchon Hungry Dog is a dive bar turned breakfast and sandwich joint. It's the place to go after a long night of drinking. For example the Saturday morning I was there, there was a guy passed out at the bar drinking a beer as we enjoyed our breakfast.  The food is pedestrian- pretty hearty stuff and the whole place has a diner feel to it. The food is hearty, greasy and home cooked by the staff. The coffee is dark (I think it's Tim Horton's) and you can get the Hungry Dog Breakfast (eggs, beans, tomato, bacon, sausage, potatoes and toast) for 8,900 won. The coffee was like 1000 won extra. Overall, not bad. I can't say the service is fast. My friend ordered the pancakes and he got them 5 minutes after we had all finished our breakfast. The running joke that morning was...dude, you want a toast or a bean. When he got the pancakes, they were just ordinary pancakes- nothing special and not really worth the wait. The kitchen needs to be more organized. ...

Standing Coffee Is it too much to ask for coffee place open at 8am in Korea? Luckily there is one. I was at Standing coffee after a 2 mile run. N ow if the barista could make a decent cappuccino! He poured the shots over the foam so it became a short latte! Meh. Dan

My diet has hit a wall this week. I mean the week started out good. I went running Monday- Wednesday, but then work and meetings and late night drinking took over. I'll get back on the wagon soon. The other thing that is ruining my diet are all the delivery chicken places around here (Haebangchon). The newest one is BBQ Chicken. I think they make the best batter for the chicken and they fry everything in olive oil, so...it's healthy fried chicken, right? The oil does make it seem less greasy and there is a nice crunch. The spicy one was...spicy. Loved it and the plain was just like the crispy chicken from KFC. Good stuff. 02-1588-9282

Here is the sign for Fermentation Trail-abration. The crew has all done a great job preparing and they have lots of great prizes for everyone. You can even win a gift certificate for our cooking classes or tours at O'ngo Food Communications. Oh, and our awesome soy sauce pickles  http://www.seouleats.com/2011/06/soy-sauce-pickles.html 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.

This was a random sign that I saw as I was heading back to the HBC. It's a long winding rant with a cryptic message. Who is the mysterious "The Press?" Is there an underground Fight Club society in Seoul where embittered expats release their angst through their fists and poetry? What does it mean to "choose rice?" I need answers! Or a new distraction. Dan

HBC Music Festival Suffice it to say, everyone survived the rapture. If it had occurred I don't think anyone would have noticed at the the HBC Music Festival. It was a great night with lots of food, cops, and alcohol. I got my brews at the Pinoy Mart and they had noodles and spring rolls for sale. I tried to go to Casablancas, but they were completely sold out. It was a fun night with lots of crazy, happy weigukin. Cheers, Dan The Local Look Mom, no hands! Superman!

Pizza at Trevia di Roma in Gyeonidan Rating 3 Stars: Highly Recommended (Fresh and Exciting Toppings, crisp pizza, open atmosphere.) I have found my new favorite pizza place. Honestly, I had given up on pizza in Korea. I often find the crust too soft or cardboardy and the toppings blase or simply bizarre.   I think it also has to do with the fact that growing up with good pizza (Lorenzos in Philly, Joe's Pizza in NYC, etc.) makes me unwilling to put up with bad pizza. The other place up the road, Pizzarium is too doughy for me and although I like the people at Beer O'Clock, it is just delivery pizza (but it is nice they deliver beer). Trevia Pizza near Noksopyeong station offers crispy pizza on homemade dough with wonderful toppings.  The Siciliana Pizza has pala dough (hand pulled dough) which is cheeseless pizza that has capers, real sicilia olives and black olives (I wonder how they got them, cause they are expensive!) and real anchovy. This was my favorite p...

Lamb Chili Sandwich from Casablanca I spent the day in search of the perfect sandwich and by nightfall, I had found it. One of the newest additions to Haebangchon is Casablanca. It has vampire hours for it opens at 5pm and closes at 9:30ish. They only do takeout for their most valued guests and, and, and ... all of this is moot for the sandwiches are delicious. If Chef Wahid said that I would have to hold my breath for 3 minutes while he stuck my hand in a tank with piranas, I...might actually do it. The lamb chili sandwich I had for dinner was a delicious. Flavorful ground lamb that melded with mouthfuls of potato, refreshing pops of lentil and chick peas, and a cool acidic dollop of yogurt. The bread was plush and the crunch of pickle and lettuce made this a sandwich to remember. I think I'll go back there tomorrow to see what else I can try. Dan Casablanca in Haebangchon Casablanca in Haebanchon Chef Wahid

Let's try something new today: a Photoblog post, but first a quick word. NOA is a cute little bistro run by a couple of foodie chefs. I never really see it very busy (it might have to do with location) but the food is good and I like the effort the crew is making to make things work. I would definitely go back. noa: nice interior A little appetizer the chef cooked up since we were the first (and only customers on this Sunday morning). It was tart, spicy, greasy and crispy. Oh, and vegetably- quite good. A Mad Foodie Designed the place! The Lamp Shades are recipes Gargonzola Pizza with honey dipping sauce. The thin crust was homemade and crispy. I wish they put a tad less cheese for it took away from the wonderful crust. I got the massive English Breakfast. It was big and absolutely ordinary, but that's what I expected. I wanted protein and grease because I had a rough night the night before. Oh, and it was cheap (10,000 won!!!) Yes, there are tomatoes. T...

Le Saigon in Haebangchon. Picture by Paul Ajossi During the summers I crave raw vegetables and a big, leafy, crispy salad. Sure, I love Korean vegetable side dishes, but they are normally blanched and salted and seasoned with garlic and sesame oil. These days I have been working til very late most days so I haven't been able to get to the market to get vegetables to make my own dinner. The place that has been my savor these days has been Le Saigon in Haebangchon. This place is not very far from my home and the bus drops me off pretty close to it. Besides convenience, I truly appreciate the quality of the food. I often go and get Banh Mi Sandwich or the rice vermicelli noodle bowl. The Pho is delightful as well as the broth is very rich and it doesn't taste like raw bones boiled for several hours. Oh! and they serve cilantro with the soup (which I feel is a necessity). The crew working there seem to have done their research for the noodles for the noodles are not the ubiq...

I love Gupnae Chicken because it is: 1. BBQ'd and not battered and fried. 2. The spicy sauce is awesome and not some sugared down nasty stuff that tastes like McDonald's Sweet and Sour sauce. 3. It comes with the white Korean radish (I know every place does and I love them.) 4. Girl's Generation does the commercials and you get a poster from one of the lovely's when you order the chicken. 5. They deliver to my house. 6. It's not expensive (14,000). 7. It's delicious. Gupnae Chicken in Haebangchon 02-792-9291 (I assume they must be able to take orders in English, but I haven't tried it.)

In the last week, I've been revisiting the eateries in my area. Something I haven't done in a while. Most of the time, I've been running around to all the different parts of Seoul looking for these hidden little eateries- in search for the Holy Grail in a way. Most of these places have been quite disappointing. On Friday, I went to Indigo in Haebangchon (down from Noksopyeong Exit 2). I had not been to Indigo for almost 6 months, but my friends wanted to meet there so I went. I ordered the chicken sandwich and I think it had about 3 chicken breasts in there. The meat was a tad dry (it would have been awesome with a bit of lemon aioli or...cranberry sauce). I have to admit it wasn't a bad sandwich at all. My friend Jema got the omelet- also very big and it was shaped a bit like football. They baked the omelet in the oven (or is it the microwave) so it was puffed up like a blister. It was alright, but I prefer my omelets done correctly in a pan. The best sandwich of...

Seoul Eats is always happy to have people contribute their honest reviews of restaurants. Here is one from Lauren McPhate on La Vert- a new brunch place in Haebangchon across from Phillies. This is her first review (and hopefully not her last). We should encourage her to keep writing and eating by leaving her a comment. And if you would like to contribute to Seoul Eats, send Daniel Gray an e-mail at seouleats at gmail dot com. Lauren and crew I am a brunch fanatic. It's a time to gather friends, hook-ups, and strangers, all around one table to dish about the night before. I joke that I moved to HBC for Indigos. Where else in Korea can you find a complete brunch menu and wine for just 3,000 won?! The problem as of recent has been a lack of accomodation ("NOOOO, we can't substitue salmon for ham on your eggs benedict!") and a lack of space. Ever since they switched back to being open on Sundays, it's always questionable whether or not you and your new 8 best frie...