Tales from a Crazed K-Pop Fan See part 1 here Chapter 1 Part 2 Suddenly a van drives by I recognize. Now, I may be a huge BAP fan now, but I must confess, the group that made me fall in love with K-pop was Super Junior. They will always have an honorary number one position in this fangirl’s heart. I’m not one of those fans that memorize the license plate numbers of celebrity vans, but Super Junior’s starcraft van is somewhat infamous. As I mentioned before, normally the very popular idols get driven all the way into the parking lot, so forgive my shock when not two feet away from me, the large black van rolls to a stop, engines growling and radiating gusts of warm air. I have just enough presence of mind to hold up my ipod and hit “record” as my absolute favorite member is the first to disembark. My hands are shaking as I lower my camera, never mind that only weeks before I had decided I was officially done being a Super Junior fan after suffering at Inkigayo for their comeback. As I’m...

You know what? I have come to terms with Patbingsu. It is just a milkshake with red beans and other stuff. Its actually better than a milkshake because it is not as rich and heavy. I am sitting at Book Cafe in Yanghwa Road (which is down from Hapjeong station). It's like the new developing part of Hongdae that has been like developing for many years. It's still hip and not over congested and I think I have found my new favorite cafe. The place is filled with books and people working on stuff. The space just inspires me. While they work on something meaningful, I blog. The cafe is inventive and their deserts look bombdiggity (choco banana Charlotte, real pumpkin pie, and lemon tiramisu) their Patbingsu (12,000 krw) is righteous as well. Lots of nuts, good beans that aren't too sweet, frozen milk under a layer of crushed ice, rice cake and a scoop of ice cream. The mint was a bit much (doesn't jive with the rest of the stuff for me). When it all mixed together it became ...

I have found a cupcake I actually like. Monster Cupcake seems right out of cupcake wars on the food network. The cupcakes are ornate and über badass. They are decorated with monster-ey things like eyeballs, ghosts, and tombstones. The best thing is that the frosting is creamy and light and the cake is moist. This is not your dry cake. It is moist and it has body and it is good. I have to say this is one of the best cupcakes in the city. The cupcakes are pretty sizable for 4,800 won a piece and they make good gifts. I had the red velvet which tastes like red velvet and the tiramisu which tasted like a rich chocolate cake with a bit of coffee. Yum. Monster Cupcakes Blog.naver.com/monster1102 Directions: on Gyeongnidan road up from BOA, Toucan, and Hattori Kitchen 02-790-1108

Hi, my name is Dan and I am a watermelon vampire. I guess it all started around July of 2012 as the heat was scorching in the summer. Beer didn't help and neither did water. It was then I bought my first watermelon of the summer and spent the evening eating about half of the 3 kilo melon. I took out huge chunks of the ripe red flesh. First with a spoon, then a bigger spoon, and finally a knife. It was delicious and soul quenching. I slept well and refreshed. The next night I devoured the rest and in the morning I scoured the streets for my next victim- tapping on the shell to get a sense of the flavor within. The next day I did it again and then the next. Subsisting on watermelon in the evenings caused my flesh to subside (I have lost almost 3 kilograms) and I feel detoxified. I drink less (the pleasure form a cool melon surpasses that of alcohol) and I feel more focused. I guess there are worst things to be addicted to. The one problem is that these days my beloved melon costs 25...

One suggestion I have for you to survive this heat is to EAT MORE ICE CREAM! Korean ice cream is amazing and it tastes lighter and not as sugary as others I have had in the world. One that I recommend is Goo Goo Star. It is like a Eskimo pie but with smooth chocolate ice cream and a marshmallow-like vanilla ice cream and topped with peanuts. You'll find it in the ice cream section in a box of 4? so find friends to share it with. Dan

Gangnam Style has gone viral and gone epic. How do I know this? Well...when international guests from all over the world know about this video and we have long, funny conversations about what it all means. Recently on a food tour I had guests from the Philippines, USA, and Singapore that were not all K-pop crazy all started talking about this video. Wow...It has gone international. Two of my guests even picked a hotel in Gangnam because they heard the song. The video is hilarious and the song is seriously catchy. Psy is totally the man. Now if you like videos like Gangnam style, you have to see JYP's Itaewon Freedom. Now, for a reaction to Gangnam Style, you have to watch Eatyourkimchi 's video. Oh, and just because this is a food blog. This should get you hungry. They are pictures from Ajumma in Columbus, Ohio USA. She has a Korean food truck there. We were lucky enough to meet her when she came to Seoul and she took some cooking classes with us. The first one is bulgogi chee...

I am happy to announce that we will have a new column on Seoul Eats. In the past we have had other great columns like by Lindsay Huster . As many of you know, I run O'ngo Food Communications which is a culinary school and tourism company. The food is definitely an attraction for many to come to Korea but many come here for a variety of reasons such as K-pop, the dramas, the history, family and more. One of the things that personally fascinate me is k-pop and I was approached by someone with insight into the fan culture and she has agreed to write a column for Seoul Eats. I would like to introduce you to Sexyfreeandkpop! No, that's not her real name. Dan P.S. If you would like to contribute to Seouleats, please contact me at seouleats@gmail.com Chapter 1 Part 1 [caption id="attachment_10419" align="aligncenter" width="450"] picture from Seoulbeats www.seoulbeats.com[/caption] Tales from a Crazed K-Pop Fan Chapter 1 Part 1 I jerk awake to the soft ...

Dear Seoul Eats Readers, The Dragon Hill Lodge on the US Military base was so happy with the number of people who signed up for the LTB Summer Barbecue  Party that they would like to invite us to their wine fest that will be on Saturday, September 1st from 2-5pm. It's going to be a tasting of over 150 different wines and they'll have a full buffet full of cheese, salamis, marinated artichokes, olives, pates and more. Here's the menu: So, you'll get a tasting of over 150 wines and access to the full buffet for only $30 USD or 35,000 Korean won. Payment should be made in advance. Once you register, I will send payment information. Now getting on to the base is has some special requirements so keep in mind that when you come, you would have to bring your passport or Alien Registration Card. Also, Korean guests that would like to come they must bring their KID: Korean Identification Card. Your driver's license will not be accepted. DEADLINE TO REGISTER IS AUGUST 17th!

Hi Seoul Eats Fans, As a member of the Les Toques Blanc Organization, we have decided to open up our summer barbecue event to all foodies in Seoul. This event is open to all that have worked or are interested in meeting people that work in the hospitality industry. If you are interested in joining LTB, please try to join for this great event. Plus it is an  opportunity for those that have been interested in eating at the Dragon Hill Lodge but haven't been able to. Information is below. On Sunday, September 9th, Les Toques Blanches, Korea, will once again be holding our Annual Summer Family BBQ Party, this year’s event will be held at the Dragon Hill Lodge, located on the USA Army’s Main Post from 3-7pm. Please register online using this link. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dEJrZU5DVzh2ZElGRDN2cGc5eXd3V2c6MA#gid=0 LTB BBQ 2012 When: 9 September 2012 Time: 1500 - 1900 Buffet times 1600 - 1730 Where: Dragon Hill Lodge, Courtyard What: Food: Sirloin steak buffet t...

Okay pizza lovers, here is the updated version of 'Battle Royal Pizza'. I went to Brick Oven Pizza to share with those who crave PIZZA. Let’s break down what’s really important in pizza. I'm going to add a NYC pizza (John's Pizza from the Theater District in Manhattan) as a benchmark and and compare:1. Crust, 2. Sauce, 3. Cheese/Quality of toppings, 4. Size/price and 5. Service. of Korean pizzas to that one. Let's end the debate-- I'll just give you the scoop on what's what for each place. Some of the info is from my last review, but this is bigger in scope. Crust: John's : The pizza here is standard NY pie, not great, not bad, but good NYC pizza. I would take John's Pizza over anything in Korea in a heart beat even if it is made by someone who isn't Italian because they've got the recipe down for their pie as. Slightly crispy, with a little bit of a dough bite, and being a brick oven pizza, it has a gestalt that is missing from Korean pizza...

I wanted to let you know about a great website: Land of Gazillion Adoptees  which is run by Kevin Ost-Vollmers. He recently interviewed me about what I do in Korea concerning my food tours and cooking classes. It's really nice to be recognized and I hope it will encourage other adoptees in Korea to be entrepreneurs here. See the interview here:  http://landofgazillionadoptees.com/2012/07/31/eat-korean-food-with-me-aka-our-conversation-with-daniel-gray-of-ongo-food-communications-and-seoul-eats/ Dan

When it starts getting this hot, I don't eat as much. The heat saps my appetite and I just want to wander. I wander through museums and woods in search of cool. I actually like the heat even though I am not a fan of tans. I tend to get sleepier and lazier and get a tad lackadaisical. I don't there is anything wrong with that, I mean I don't drive a forklift nor am I responsible for lives. The food I do eat in summer tend to be small like ice cream. I also love chilled watermelon. When my hunger gets very strong, I like soups like chicken and ginseng soup. Sure it might sound odd, but dang is it good. Have a lazy summer y'all. Dan

Ok, I am getting the summer time lulls and right now I want to do something a bit more fun. Here are some memes that I have made up for something I call Korean Drama Wisdom. You can follow it on my tumblr page:  http://koreandramawisdom.tumblr.com/ I post them if I see something funny while watching dramas. Ok, get on with your lives. Share if you'd like. By-the-way, I am taking a vacation for a couple of days. I need to recharge the batteries. Food posts will be forthcoming soon. I am looking for an editor to help me get some of the posts out faster. If you are interested, let me know. Payment will be in good food and experience. Dan