I am doing a bit of retail therapy today at Lotte Department store. 

It is always great to meet other people that share a love of food. I got to meet with Seoul Grub  a couple months back and he is definitely a foodie. His blog is a great resource for those looking for good eats. Here are some of his favorite places in Seoul. Also, if you are interested in contributing a post to Seoul Eats, please contact me at seouleats at gmail dot com. Seoulgrub’s 5 Favorite “Grubberies” in Seoul! In no particular order: Vatos Urban Tacos 1 - Vatos Urban Tacos: A spunky spot located in Itaewon where they serve up “Tacos, Margaritas, and everything in between,” this place does taco’s deliciously. They have incorporated fresh, authentic ingredients to muster up a delicious fusion blend of Mexican and Korean flavored dishes. Staying true to what a taco should be, Vatos Urban Tacos has a variety of tasty taco choices, finger-licking hot sauces (plural), and a great selection of drinks to accompany your meal. I recommend getting each of the different types o...

Songgi Mushroom These days, I am into snacking and I love carbs. It must have something to do with the exercise that I'm doing. I try to run a couple of days a week so my metabolism is a bit quicker than it was. So...I can snack and go and not worry so much. But being busy with a couple different projects I haven't had many full meals. I eat and I go. So here are some quick bites I have had in the last couple of days. Up first is Songgi mushrooms which are considered to be the highest quality mushrooms in Korea. A box costs 100-120,000 won and I think you might get 8 or so. While I was stopping by in the morning to visit my favorite monk, Dae Ahn Sunim, she insisted that I have a few of these mushrooms. They were cooked simply -just steamed, yet they had a wonderful punch of flavor that felt like an endorphine high. Lovely stuff. I recommend you try them. Pumpkin Rice Cake Another thing I've been eating a lot of are pumpkin rice cakes. I think they are much bet...

Saffron Restaurant in Myeongdong Saffron Restaurant in Myeongdong, Seoul, Korea If you are looking for high quality Arabian food, I recommend you check out Saffron in Myeongdong (located on the first floor of the Myeongdong Ibis Hotel). The sumptuous atmosphere is matched by their high quality food. On a recent visit there I had their mixed dip that had hummus, yogurt, baba ghanoush and cucumber salad. It was very fresh and smooth. The hummus and the baba ghanoush had a rich sheen of dark green olive oil on it and the yogurt and the salad were just start enough- perfect for picking up with their fresh baked bread. Their palak paneer was great as well (I think you are probably aware by now that I love palak paneer). It had lots of spinach and good chunks of the fresh curd cheese. It was a little spicier than normal, but it didn't stop me from eating it all. The service here is top notch and the atmosphere is very luxurious. They have a wine and alcohol menu as w...

Bosingak Bell Here is a recent picture I took of Bosingak Bell in Myeongdong, Seoul, South Korea.

Balwoo Gosang These are some shots from my visit to Gosang. You can look for my review in the August Seoul Magazine. Now this restaurant is different from Balwoo Gongyang. The original can be found here at www.baru.or.kr Dan Gosang www.baru-gosang.com 02-6030-8995 서울 중구 수하동 67 센터원 빌딩 B2F

Jubilee Chocolatier I recommend going to Jubilee Chocolatier for a hot mug of their hot chocolate. They use high grade chocolate and they froth it up using their steam wand. It is delicious. Directions go out Jonggak Station( Subway Line 1) exit 4 and walk towards the river. It's on the corner. 전화 : 02-734-7337 주소 : 서울시 종로구 관철동 288 교원빌딩   *영업시간 - 평일 Open 7:30 ~ Close 23:00 - 금,토 Open 7:30 ~ Close 24:00

Hadonggwang's Gomtang Hadonggwan in Myeongdong Koreans take their beef broth seriously, and nowhere is this more evident than at Hadonggwan, a restaurant that specializes in it. Take, for instance, the owner. The fourth of nine children, she missed out on her younger siblings' marriages and her only daughter's graduation to keep constant watch over the slowly simmering soup. Or consider the case of former president Park Chung Hee, who, craving the rich broth, had it flown from the restaurant to where he was then traveling: Jejudo. To be honest, I don't know if it's really thaaat great, but it is pretty damn good. "It" is gomtang (Gom 곰 means bear, but it comes from "고은다" which means Korean slowly simmer for a long time.) to be precise, a broth made from simmering beef bones, brisket, and intestines for hours. It's the ultimate comfort food for Koreans. In fact, my last meal request would probably be some form of beef broth wi...

for lunch. I mean I wouldn't pay their regular dinner prices for any of their items. The lunch price is 11,900 won ($10.00) and it comes with a drink, entree, bread and soup. The soup is a creme-based, flour-thickened soup. The bits of thyme were a nice herbicious touch. The sourdough bread is alright as well. it's very light and fluffy. The red onions are a nice touch. The interior is very modern and spacious. It gets jam packed during lunch time (12pm-1:30pm) Service is quick and a couple of the servers can speak English. I ordered the chicken salad and I was impressed with the micro greens that they used. They were crisp and well washed. The chicken was lightly battered and crispy. The balsamic mustard dressing was nice as well (I got it on the side). One little complaint was the copious amounts of cheese. I thought it sorta killed the healthiness of the dish. I did have a complaint about their drink policy. Their is a fruitade included in the meal, but I went there and I...

I don't know why, but when it gets super cold, I just love to eat spicy squid. In Myeongdong, this place has been around for 60 years because it serves great squid. I don't think much has changed and the woman sitting in the foreground has probably been working at this place for a long time. Here's a close-up of the squid. It's eyebrow searingly spicy and a bit chewy. The sauce has a tangy sweetness to it as well. I guess that's what keeps the place so popular. Here is the full meal. Close-up of the tenacles and bean sprouts. The crunchyness is a great contrast to the chewyness. It's not super spicy. It's down one of the main alleyways in Myeongdong. The best way to find it is to ask the locals for Halmae Nakji. Dan