Hi Seoulites, I wanted to let you know about the Royal Asiatic Society. It is a great place to meet scholars (ie smart people) and you'll learn about Korea at the same time. Here are some of their upcoming events. Dan Welcome to the Royal Asiatic Society-Korea Branch The Royal Asiatic Society Korea Branch (RASKB), founded in 1900, is the oldest organization in Korea specially designed to introduce people to the beauty of this land in all its many aspects.The RASKB, a non-profit organization, aims to help people enhance their understanding of the arts, customs, history and landscapes of Korea through lectures, cultural excursions, publications and special interest groups.Our members are from all walks of life, all nationalities, all ages, all professions, anyone with a sense of adventure and a bit of intellectual curiosity is welcome. Come and join us! Members receive a free copy of ourTransactions and can use our library. Members are also invited to our annual Garden Party. Upcomin...

Here is a guest post from  A Fat Girl’s Food Guide  written and photographed by the fabulous Gemma. It has been reprinted with permission. Be sure to check  our  her great cooking and eating tips. Thanks Gemma, Dan Last night we finally got around to going to Trevia . It is just opposite our bus stop but until now we had not ventured inside. Whatever night of the week we pass it is always busy and now I finally understand why. The cafe is decorated in an Italian style with pictures and Italian memorabilia all over the walls. They have big wooden tables and the ever so popular mismatched chairs. Is there a restaurant in Seoul that has a matching set? As you enter the restaurant you will be given a menu and then you go and find your own seat. After ample perusing time you can go to to the counter to make your selection and pick up your water, cutlery and complimentary pickled vegetables. You will be given a buzzer that will ring when your pizza is ready. It’s a very good system and pro...

Dear Seoul Eats Readers, I am currently in sunny Florida spending some quality time with my family an eating too much. I am swimming a lot and soaking up the rays and its been great so far. I am scheduled to return to Korea on the 14th. Here are some pictures of what I have been up too. (Isn't my niece so cute!).

I went for a quick dinner with a friend last night in Insadong and we found a new place doing spicy baby octopus. The place is a clean, refurbished hanok and the place has a cute vibe. There are hand-drawn menus on the table and on one wall there is a sign written in calligraphy that reads: today is a good day for baby octopus (jukumi). The food comes out in a hotpan and the sauce is flavorful. It is a bit spicy though so it is not for the weak. To balance out the spice you can add bean sprouts or ask for steamed egg (개란찜) (3,000 won). The place is reasonably priced as well. Jukumi is 10,000 a person and 12,000 if you want to add pork belly. Insadong Jukumi 2-stars (flavorful and reasonably priced. Service is terse, but I think it is because they are very new) Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea http://m.google.com/u/m/-Kc9QC

Pizzaria D'Buzza makes a dang good pie. Now I can't say it is the best I have ever had, but they make a very satisfying pie. I think the crust could be a bit crispier. The toppings are good and so is the marinara sauce. I also got the bitz (or something like that) which are little rice balls. The one we had ha cheese inside and topped with Parmesan cheese and truffle oil. The balls were ok, nothing special. I did appreciate that had something unique on the menu though. The atmosphere is quaint yet loud. They insist on pumping out loud techno music while you dine in a dimly lit romantic atmosphere. Overall, the food is good and I would go again. However, I am still looking for my perfect pizza pie. This one is close though. Dan Pizzaria D'Buzza 3-stars (good sauce and toppings, crust could have been a bit crispier. Loud techno is annoying.) 743-33 Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul (서울특별시용산구 한남동 743-33); +82 2 794 9474; www.buzzapizza.com; open daily, 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.; closed ...

I had a great weekend traveling to Jeju for my job . I was lucky enough to go to Jeju to meet with guides and to take photographs for new tours and events we are offering in Jeju. I got to travel most of the island with the help of our new guides in Jeju. I got to try a number of great foods as well such as red chili braised fish (Calchi Jorim), raw fish, and black pork barbecue. To walk off my food, I visited sunset peak, olleh gil, the different markets, temples and I got to visit the classy Loveland. Overall, a great place to visit. I recommend you all take a trip to Jeju. Dan http://www.ongofood.com/private-tours/about-jeju/

So I used to go to this place when it was called Le Vert which was known for their brunch. They have refocused themselves and now focus on burgers, but they do have other items on their menu. The new place is called, Two Hands Burger. Yep, it place is aptly named because you do need two hands to eat these burgers. At first grab the burger juices, condiments and maybe egg yolk (or chili) ooze out as you take a bite. The patties are chargrilled, the buns are whole wheat and toasted, and the fillings piled just right. I recommend their mushroom burger that has plenty of mushrooms and cheese and their Le Vert Burger which has bacon, egg, cheese, veggies and burger. Their seasoned fries make a nice accompaniment (that and a beer). The atmosphere is quaint and service is fine. They have a decent beer selection as well. This place has good comfort food at decent prices. If you are in the neighborhood, you should check it out. Haebangchon Yongsan-gu Yongsan-dong-2-ga 45-10 02-6401-7705

Here is a guest post from A Fat Girl's Food Guide written and photographed by the fabulous Gemma. It has been reprinted with permission. Be sure to check our her great cooking and eating tips. Thanks Gemma, Dan Another day, another gastro-pub. Just around the corner from my job is the aptly named  Gastro Pub. We spotted it quite a while ago now but didn’t really think it would be up to much, so we never investigated further. However last night we were released from work rather early. There was time before the bus came so we thought we would take a look at the menu. The place was so much bigger than I had expected and not what I had imagined at all. We’re hardly in a desolate wasteland of restaurants but I certainly wasn’t expecting anything like this. A big industrial warehouse type space. This restaurant is very deceiving from the outside. A huge long bar greets you as you enter then a large sized restaurant is beyond, with a large terrace at the back which would be perfect for s...

Oh, Cheese, how I love to cut you. The stinker and riper the better. Oh, Cheese, how I love to pair you. Dried fruits, hard nuts, and cured meats are your perfect bedfellows (a cracker just seems so plebeian) Oh, Cheese, how I love to wine you. You are so cosmopolitan and you are fine mingling with Italians, Australians, Africans, French, and Americans. Oh, Cheese, lets stay together forever. Lets see each other at every meal and every snack time. Lets make little cheese babies and help them mature into pillars of modern society. Cheese, thank you for showing me a new world. Thank you for just being cheese. You complete me. Dan