Omija Makgeolli Awesome Braised Pork and Octopus with Eggplant and Potatoes! So...again, this is another place that I love and I'll tell you about it, but you have to promise to behave if you go. This is a local Korean hotspot that is sort of a speakeasy. It's hidden and in such a nondescript place that you probably wouldn't even know it was there. Also, it's one of those places that it helps to know someone that knows the place (if not, you'll never get a table). You might have to wait for a while and you'll probably have to make a reservation. Now if I haven't scared you off yet, this place has amazing food. They are famous for their healthy (this is under debate) food and their use of fresh ingredients. The food here is flavorful and fresh. They make Makgeolli (Rice Wine) with Omija essence. Their jeon and acorn salad are wonderful as well. I really enjoyed their seasonal fresh oysters with vinegared red chili sauce. The oysters were well clean...

Pyeongando Jip's Famous Marinated Pig's Feet (Jokbal) in Seoul, Korea Pyeongando Jip's Famous Marinated Pig's Feet (Jokbal) in Seoul, Korea Pyeongando Jip is famous for their marinated pig's feet and during the dinner rush you'll often see a line out the door even in winter. The owner, now grandmother, Lee Gyeong-soon is a no nonsense woman that is all about efficiency and order. Since her place is an institution, so she can run it the way she would like. The place is not pretty or modern- it actually looks quite drab. Good thing that this doesn't affect the taste of the marinated pig's feet. The recipe is Gyeong-soon's secret and the feet have to be marinated for 24 hours before they are cooked. The meet falls off the bone and the normally chewy pig feet is tender and buttery. It is absolutely  delicious. It even feels healthy when you eat the meat with some garlic and wrapped in lettuce. Gyeong-soon assured me that this was good for...

I just visited Libertine Bar and Restaurant in Itaewon. I had been meaning to visit there for ages but work and married life got in the way. (Wifey, that's not what I meant. I have been meaning to bring you here, girl.)  I decided to pick it for our restaurant's (Brew 3.14) Christmas dinner because I wanted to thank them all for their hard work.  The restaurant has a modern French Bistro feel that is opulent because of the high ceilings, good lighting, and lots of space. I was quite impressed because space comes at a premium in Korea, especially in high rent areas like Itaewon.  We started with a bottle of the Pascual Toro Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 (49,000). It was a nice mellow Cabernet with nice cherry and plum accents. To start we had the spinach and artichoke dip. Good stuff with lots of flavorful cheese in a thick bechemel. I was surprised with the amount of artichoke in it. The pita that it came with was fresh and thick. I wish I had more of i...

Mist at D-Cube City Seoul Mist MIST is a new ramen shop at D-Cube City near Sindorim Station. It is the first of it's kind in Seoul and it is probably the most popular shop in the entire complex. The style, the broth and the noodles is the perfect combination for a country obsessed with noodles. The broth here is like liquid gold and the pork melts on the tongue. The noodles are slick yet with a firmness that is almost elusive. This is one of the best bowls of ramen I have had outside of Japan and it even tops some of the noodle shops there. I recommend you get their regular noodles with the Shoyu sauce. I had the miso ramen as well. They are good, but the miso covers up the magical broth and you don't want to do that. They also have great gyoza with a bit of star anise on top which is a very nice touch. The noodles here are made in house, so a bowl isn't cheap. I think it started at 8,000 won and some bowls were like 12,000 won. It's well worth it and I ...

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...

Gamrodang Named after the first dew in the morning, which according to folklore is the food of the gods, Gamrodang offers an array of whimsical vegan dishes. The restaurant is set in a multi-story house and the staff treats each guest like they are family. The chef/owner, Young-hee Hong, studied under many monks such before putting her own spin on temple cuisine. This restaurant uses some very unusual ingredients such as cactus to flavor and color kimchi, bamboo salt that is roasted to 1500 degrees celcius, stringy algae, and sauce that is made of over 20 different ingredients. The highlights of my meal were the grilled mushroom that smelled of pine, the assorted pan-fried delicacies, and the stuffed and steamed pumpkin topped with assorted nuts. The pumpkin dish tasted like a pecan and pumpkin pie all at once. Gamrodang www.sachelfood.com 02-3210-3397 Seoul, Jongno-gu Dongweidong 35-106 Come take a cooking class or take a Culinary Tour in Seoul! h...

DJ Koo: Co-owner of Shim Yang Shim Yang in Apgujeong Lamb Skewers I love lamb. I think it is an excellent animal with the right amount of texture, flavor, and the flesh sears perfectly over coals. I think I was a Greek in a past life because the thought of lamb makes my mouth water and my stomach empty. Young lamb is always best, but mutton in a heavy curry isn't bad either. One of my new favorite restaurants in Apgujeong is Shim Yang because they do lamb skewers. Here cubes of young lamb (1 year or younger) are put on metal skewers and seasoned with a mix of fine chili powder, sesame seeds, and anise. The dipping powder is a mix of exotic, spicy, and savory and accents the clean, non-gamey taste of the lamb. They will even give you a whole head of garlic so you can skewer it and grill it up as well. The place has a Chinese flair to it and you can get Chinese beers like Tsingtao or liquors. The food at Shim Yang focuses on lamb. You can get lamb galbi if you are ...

Hong Yongjae  The story goes that there was once a well-known and respected doctor that had everything going for him in life. He had a loving family, he had a successful practice, and many friends. Everything seemed to be going well, maybe too well. Like, Job that was struck down by God in order to test his faith, the same was for this doctor. This doctor, ironically, was diagnosed late with a deadly form of cancer, so advanced that not even modern medicine could cure him. Not knowing what to do, he looked to the small, simple soybean. He saw how food could be a medicine and so he focused on how natural food could nourish his body and cure him. Through a diet of naturally fermented food made from soybean- especially cheonggukjang, he was able to magically reverse the tide of cancer and return to health. In tribute to the bean that saved his life, he decided to open up Hong Yeong Jae Cheonggukjang: a Korean restaurant that focuses on natural, curative food that emp...