All posts filed under: Taste

Food blogs at your disposal.

Matcha Waffles

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Oh, green food. The sign of health. At least that’s what I told myself as I basked in the glory of these delicious matcha, or green tea, waffles. Sure there’s a bit lot of sugar hiding in those crannies, but green tea is ridiculously healthy.  Green tea is what other health foods might call an overachiever. It’s considered a cancer-fighting, age-defying, heart-disease-battling cure-all, a star among the lentils and açaì berries. But matcha, a powdered version, makes even the other green teas look lazy. It’s the healthiest of them all—by a landslide. Bon Appetit The subtle hint of green tea mixed with maple syrup and strawberries was a breakfast delight. And that’s not all: they’re green! Green waffles! That’s a conversation piece if ever I battered and fried one. They would make a terrific centerpiece to a spring brunch table. The recipe I used called for culinary grade  matcha tea. This is supposed to be less expensive but still delicious. I honestly have no idea what type I used, because I quickly bought it before I boarded my plane …

Jalgachi | fish market

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Do you feel that? That’s  that mean girl winter FINALLY getting the hell out of here. The sun is out and we only have a scant amount of time before the weather turns on us again here in Seoul and becomes an abhorrent shade of humidity and heat. So let’s enjoy the spring! The best season in Korea. And let’s break in the season with some raw fish! Last year my friend, Phil and I headed down to the the southern tip of Korea, Busan. We headed straight to a spot for lunch at the  Jalgachi Fish Market. Downstairs is a wonderland of fish and seafood…with a pungent smell and wetness just, everywhere. Upstairs is a restaurant where we parked ourselves for a giant raw lunch. There were some definite good things: the steamed lobster, the flatfish, the abalone, the boiled potatoes, the kimchi. There were also some let downs: the raw lobster tail and the raw moving squid come to mind. Overall, I was happy with what was set down in front of us. I believe it …

Vegan Chocolate Cake | with pb granola

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I’ve been going into the baking upside down world, you guys: vegan. I didn’t even really know you could make a cake without eggs. Like, I knew, but I didn’t know the logistics and was afraid to try and make a disappointingly gross cake. But, I make a lot of kitchen mistakes so I thought, what the hell? I found an easy enough recipe that didn’t call for things I never used: flax seeds, almond flour, hazelnut flour…what even is that? This cake is pure chocolate wonder and not for the faint of heart. The best part is that it’s made using ingredients you probably already have in the kitchen. It’s very moist and probably couldn’t handle a stiffer frosting, unless piped. So the ganache makes for a perfect addition. I had made a peanut butter, coconut chip and coconut oil granola a week before and used that for a crunch. If you are serving right away, you can add the granola. But, it will get soggy over time, so I don’t suggest adding it until right before it’s engorged on.   …

Kyoto Food Collection

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After taking a healthy hiatus from blogging, I’ve returned ever so gently with a blog about food.  I took a jaunt over to Japan for Christmas this year and ate some amazing things. I travel to eat in a new location. You too? We are probably very cool. Just like you, I spend more time researching food and restaurants than possibly anything else before a vacation. I will gladly leave a monument early to get to a restaurant rated well on Tripadvisor. You can learn a world of things with just a picture of food. So I spent a good deal of my very precious time usually reserved for rewatching 30 Rock to research all the amazing food I could shove in my mouth in Kyoto. The city of Kyoto is breathtaking. It looks like a fairy tale, it’s immaculate and people have manners. I felt like it was a world away from the rushed and stressed life I sometimes live here in Seoul (🖤  you Seoul) although it’s only a 2 hour plane ride away. At different …

Guilty Pleasure | southern american in itaewon

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This year I decided to stop using the term guilty pleasure. I figured I’m at an age that I shouldn’t feel guilty if I want to indulge, so I don’t anymore.  But, I won’t hold that against this Southern American style restaurant in Itaewon who took on the name so cleverly and basks in the warm glow of fat, cream and cheese. Guilty Pleasure is a basement level restaurant in one of the back alleys of Itaewon. It’s become a class act staple of good brunch spots and after one visit, I get the hype. It’s cozy and dark and a perfect place to grab a meal with a little mood. Sure the name sounds like a house of ill repute, but you will only find great food here. What I mainly took away from GP (i.e. what I daydreamed about the rest of the day): all the good stuff on the breakfast plate we ordered was homemade. The biscuits-homemade. The compote-homemade. Even the sausage was homemade. It’s a small portion compared to something you would get back …

The Beastro | new american in hongdae

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The Beastro is a well known and well hearted American bistro in Hongdae. It’s basically the Target of Western dining in Korea, everyone can take away something pretty good from it. My foodie pal Phil and I headed over there one gloriously awesome autumn day to have breakfast, cocktails and to overhear conversations in English. After living in Korea for some time, I really have begun to hate listening to stranger’s banter that I actually understand. I think I really always hated it, even back in America. Why is there something so irritating about listening to people talk about things that are not remotely about you. I’m sure I’m not alone here. Being in a restaurant and not understanding anything, living in a beautiful bubble of dumbness, there is something otherworldly about it. It’s one of the reasons I love Korea. Bubbles. My ridiculous sensitivities aside, the meal was very on the mark. I was excited before even going after reading the menu online and seeing a mushroom tart. MUSHROOM. TART. Did they know I was coming? They …

Gateaux de Voyage | french pastry tasting

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On some of the more exciting food trips I take around the great city of Seoul, I find myself face to face with heaven, also known as,  a dessert buffet. The buffet at the adorable patisserie in Nonhyeon-dong, is cleverly named a “tasting” so you don’t feel quite so glutinous.  But, there it is, a table full of pastries, chocolates and creams. If that’s not heaven… This was the second pastry tasting event by French Chef Julian Favario in his shop, Gateaux de Voyage. My friend and I were disappointed to miss out on the first event after it filled up hours after being announced. Luckily for us, and the citizens of Seoul, he continues to have these events at regular intervals. They just completed their 8th event. As you eat, the staff and chef come around to talk to you. They are very friendly and warm, just like their little desserts. So you won’t return based just on how delicious everything is. If you’d like to stuff your face (in a classy manner, it is …

Loaded Breakfast Fries

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An Ode to Fries It’s morning. You’re hungry. The coffee is getting low and it’s not keeping you full. It’s time for some fries. Welcome to loaded breakfast fries, the adventure. This is a kind of choose your own adventure type of meal. You can follow my recipe to a T, or, you can venture out and make it all your own flavor. I’ll give you some additional options at the end so make sure to scroll all the way down. Fries are the perfect morning meal, no matter what you’ve been taught. Don’t worry about eating healthy, these are oven roasted and spicy. It’s pumped full of vegetables and has protein from the eggs. It’s a savory, delicious mess that you will want to eat over and over again. I’ve been having it on the regular. I’ve mixed it up a few ways and haven’t been bored once. You really only need follow the directions for cooking the fries, after that, you’re free! Click to get your free printable recipe! Fries in full glory. What …

Chuncheon | The Home of Dak Galbi

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This has been a mean and petty summer. Nearly every day since  July has been blistering and it’s too hot to enjoy getting out of the apartment and brushing off the cabin fever. My school had it’s annual quick summer vacation and I took the time to go on a foodie adventure to Chuncheon, where one of my favorite Korean dishes, dak galbi, is said to have originated and pretend I was one of the castmates of my favorite Korean show, Tasty Guys. My plan was simple: eat too much and ignore the sweat beaming through my shirt. Tasty Guys is a reality eating show where 4 loveable comedians eat more food than you ever thought was humanly possible. It’s just…wow. They can really pack it in. So I visited a city based on food and I pretended to be a host of a Korean TV show. I think that’s totally acceptable, right? Luckily, there are several wonderful things to do in Chuncheon, which I will post about later, so we didn’t just eat all day. But, the food was …

ANH | A Review

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Anh is an authentic Vietnamese restaurant in the very pop/ ulated/ ular Yeonnam-dong. Most sites will warn you to show up as soon as it opens, and I’m going to go ahead and jump on that band wagon. Yeah…it’s cozy. And by cozy I mean it can sit under 20 people at any given time and you may be sitting with strangers. (awwwwkward) Luckily, we showed up right at 5pm when the restaurant opened. There was no line at that time, and since it’s against my self imposed foodie law to stand in line for food in the blazing hot summer sun for some food, I considered myself very lucky. The food is nice and I can see why people like it. Would I wait in line for it? Nah, not really. While the taste was nice, there are good flavors, but it had no real wow. I kept thinking back to a little run down spot my sister had taken me in Memphis, TN that had the most amazing pho.  That comparison didn’t help …