Korean Grilled Fish and Soup for Lunch at Hakdong Interior I am a simple guy. For lunch, I am happy with a well grilled fish, rice and some side dishes. I like rustic Korean style food for lunch because usually I'm hungry, the good food relieves stress, and its comforting. I mean I didn't come all the way to Korea to eat hamburgers everyday. At Bada Dunporun Saengson Gui you can get good Korean fare at a reasonable price (starting at 7,000 won). Sides are good and the grilled fish is exceptional. They get a really nice crust on the fish and it is nicely salted. Other than the fish, the other stuff is just average. The kimchi stew is not going to win any awards nor will their doenjang stew. However, you won't go hungry and the food quality is good. Especially for the Gangnam district which is notorious for skimping out on side dishes and stuff. Bada Dunporun Saengson Gui 바다 등푸른 생선구이 Ph: 02-549-5262 Click here to open map on mobile: Address: Gangnam-gu Nonhyeondo...

Korean Birthday Cake. They eat it wit chopsticks and usually together as a group instead of getting lots of plates and stuff. These days, I am busy working at a Delectable Travels  and it is nice to be part of a good team. For years I worked independently or at small startups. I thought that working at a company was inhuman and against the "entrepreneurial" spirit. It's nice to have support and other opinions to help a business thrive. During lunches and such, I don't have as much time as I used to to find all the best eats. Luckily after work, we can do that. Anyway, these are just some snapshots I have taken and wanted to share with you. I particularly love the first one which is of our team celebrating a colleagues' birthday party. The cake was actually pretty good. It was the banana cake from Paris Baguette. The cake was light and it had fresh marshmallows. Oh, marshmallows are a thing now and I think will be trendy this year. Enjoy the pics. Dan ...

It was a good foodie weekend. I met up with some friends. I was interviewed by the BBC for a segment on young entrepreneurs in Korea (yeesh, I don't think I'm young anymore, but I'll take it) and I ate a lot of good stuff. Here is a round up. Chef Meili's Austrian Deli Chef Meili First of all, I visited my old friend Christian Meilinger over the weekend. I had heard that he had moved on to Austria but his sausages and deli meats would stay in Korea just taken over by Mission Springs Restaurant. Apparently, yes and no. He is still here because he feels he has a responsibility to his customers and so he has set up a small deli over by Hannam-dong. He is serving up his handmade sausages and delicatessen treats. The place is not as fancy as his last place but the food is still excellent. Chef Meili Austrian Deli Click here for the map on your phone Seoul, Seongdong-gu Oksu-dong 475 02-797-3820 Food Court at W-Mall 25 Layer Cutlets from W-Mall W-Mall F...

A special thanks to the production team from the BBC to come to our little bar, Brew 3.15 in Seoul to interview me about being a young entrepreneur in Korea. Thanks!  A question that I am asked frequently is, "Daniel, is it difficult to start a business in Korea?" I have to say, "yes and no." It first depends on the type of business you are trying to start and your visa status. I won't go into all the different visas and such. I mean you can find that out here:  http://southkorea.angloinfo.com/working/starting-a-business/  Apparently, now if you are trying to get a foreign investor visa you need to invest 100 million into the country. But I have heard this figure change from 50 million to 250 million. I have an F-4 visa which means I am an overseas Korean. If I was married to a Korean, I could get an F-2, or I could get an F-5 visa (permanent resident) visa and I could easily do business here. So...if you have a visa that will let you work here then th...

Ok, I will admit it. I was a bad boy last week so my lovely wife was a little upset with me. So on Sunday, I had to make it up to her. While she slept, I cleaned the house (even though I still think it would be easier to hire a maid); I went shopping (in the rain...the sacrifices you make for love) and then I made homemade rice rolls or Korean kimbap.  I have to admit, they turned out pretty darn well. Here is the set up. Spicy Pork Rice Rolls Set up (Kimbap) Now the pork, I got some moksal (meat from around the neck) and then I chopped it up really fine and then cooked it with some oil, red chili paste, plum extract (maesil), garlic powder and a bit of sugar. Just make sure to stir or the sauce will stick to the pan and burn. I simply julienned the cucumbers (take out the seeds) and carrots. For the rice, I took it out, and added some lemon vinegar (my new favorite vinegar in Korea. I also bought some kimbap seaweed, sesame leaves (gaennip) and some yellow turnip. ...

Lasagna at Booming G Salmon at Booming G The come fast and go fast. Booming G is not closed, they fired their chef and decided to go with a cafe model with crappy food just after 1 month. It is sad sad sad when management doesn't give a place. RIP Booming G. Hello just another cafe in a city full of cafes.  Give props to chef Bora Song though. If anyone is looking to hire a talented chef send me an email.  Dan I was lucky to be invited to the opening of Booming G in the New Sidus HQ Tower in Gangnam. The chef is Bora Song who is well known in the foodie community. She has set up a great Italian focused menu and she uses her creativity to add depth of flavor to her dishes.  While I was there I had an excellent free-form lasagna made with fresh noodles. I loved the meat and sauce on it. There is a secret ingredient in it to give it body. Ask the chef to find out what it is.  Risotto from Booming G Chicken Wing from Booming G Her mushroom ri...

Korean tteokbokki 떡보끼 Tteokbokki or the westernized pronounciation: Topokki is one of those dishes you have to experience to understand the hype surrounding it. It is a beloved dish in Korea that invokes nostalgic memories and emotions. It is a child's special meal after a long, grueling day at school or a dish shared between girls to discuss gossip. It is a dish with many different variations such as with cheese sauce, sesame soy, and even tomato. These days the trend is for gukmul Tteokbokki or spicy broth rice cakes. The noodles are in light broth that is spicy and sweet. I have seen many a Koreans debate about their favorite topokki and about the merits of different styles and sauces. Some like thick long rods of rice cake while others like the smaller and chewier nugget-style rice cakes. There is also a debate between the fluffier flour made cakes and the must chewier rice-made cakes. Toppings range from simple fish cake to various seafood such as octopus, mussels, shrimp...