All posts tagged: korean food

Jaha Son Mandu | Korean Dumplings

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This was one of the greater Korean food experiences I’ve had in Seoul. I love mandu. I love big ones, baby ones, fluffy ones…I love them all. Then I discovered mandu casserole, Mandu Jeongol, and my life will never be the same. It’s unbelievably scrumptious and I don’t use that word often. The pot is heated at your table and it’s packed with spicy broth, veggies and meat.  To balance out the meat in our casserole, we tried two other vegetarian options, the kimchi  mandu and cucumber and mushroom mandu. We washed my new favorite food down with a Korean wine made from black raspberries, Bokbunjajoo. You can buy it pretty much anywhere, but it’s delicious and I love it. It’s thick, sweetness was a perfect sidekick to the most amazing dumplings. Looking for Jaha Son is not for the faint of heart…it’s tucked far back in Baum-dong. If my Korean friend, Phil hadn’t been there, I would have had a hard time finding it. He was able to tell a taxi driver just where to …

Mingles | Chosen #1 by KOREAT

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There’s a new restaurant guide book in town and it is Korea’s answer to the Michelin Guide. It’s called KOREAT and Mingles is now gracing the top of this list.  My foodie friend, Phil and I went to try this beauty out. Mingles is on the basement floor and this lends to a very cozy feeling. Sadly, it also means no natural light and yellowish pictures. However, the service was amazing. The waiter spoke English well and even played along with my jokes. It is certainly fine dining in its beauty but less stuffy than some other high-end restaurants we have tried. The food at Mingles is a creative Korean fusion. There are many fusion places dotted all over Seoul, but this is by far an exception. This is not Korean food that has been touched by Western tastes. The dishes fused seamlessly.  Everything tastes like wonderful care and thought goes into finding the perfect marriage of flavors. During our visit, we found each course delicious, very well explained and fun to eat. The highlights included the tofu soup in …

Hoonje(훈제) ori(오리) | Smoked Duck

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After walking around Insadong galleries and building up a monstrous appetite (doesn’t take much), I convinced Phil we needed to try a back alley, old school, touristy Korean restaurant. I’ve wanted to try one for so long and I did have to push a bit because Phil has Korean food everyday. But, I really don’t so I was desperate for some. Aaaand….I’m pretty pushy. Back alley restaurant it was!

Seafood | Pajeon | 파전

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  Before the onslaught of Western dishes known collectively as Thanksgiving arrive to my blog, I thought I’d share a tasty Korean recipe from a very sleek cookbook. Bibigo is a huge company in Korea and it prides itself as making healthy and fresh food.  I was gifted a cookbook from this company and I really love the look of many of the recipes. This is the pajeon recipe that I started with.  It is a pretty easy little dish and I only messed up one part, but it didn’t really affect the taste. I’ll share that in the directions.  Happy Korean Eating! Ingredients 1 ounce of small, cleaned shrimp 3 ounces of squid, cleaned, gutted and sliced into pieces (I bought mine pre-cleaned and sliced) 2 ounces of green onion, cleaned and cut in long pieces 1 egg cooking oil soy sauce 1 ounce AP flour 1 Tbsp potato starch 2 ounces of water 1 Tbsp of Korean red pepper flakes Directions Whisk egg in bowl with a pinch of salt. Put to the side. Mix …

California | DakGalbi

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I have sung the high praises of dakgalbi before here. I absolutely love this meal, as do many of my co-expats here in Korea. I upped the game on this one, as you do, with a bit of cooling avocado and crunchy pumpkin seeds to pair with the spicy love of the dakgalbi sauce. The only change I would make is this: In the restaurant you start eating the meal (its cooked in front of you on the table) as soon as the chicken is ready. That way, the chicken is perfect and it allows the veggies to continue to cook to softness. Unfortunately, I didn’t think of that and should have adjusted for the time it takes to cook the veggies. I’m going to change the directions just a bit from how I cooked it so that your chicken and vegetables will be cooked well. Ingredients for two: 3 chicken breasts, cut to bite sized pieces 2 tbsp soju (or refined rice wine) 1/4 tsp ginger powder pepper to taste 1/2 onion 1 small …

Favorite BBQ Place |Renovated|

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Mapo Galbi 마포갈비 got all done up! There are two amazing pork rib BBQ joints down the street from me. They stand opposite each other, facing each other like mortal enemies. Well, my favorite one, Mapo Galbi, 마포갈비,  just got a leg up on the other this month when it debuted all shiny and new after renovations. I, of course, was first concerned that the renovations from a very old, run down, but authentically Korean, establishment looking place to an ultra modern, beautifully clean looking place would effect the quality of the food. Back in America, renovations or upgrades do not necessarily mean the restaurant will be as good in the food department.  So I went in immediately to judge the food quality for myself. Sadly, I don’t have any before pictures of anything but the food. So I can’t show you what an amazing transformation was made to the restaurant itself, but you can take my word that it is really spectacular. The food? Perfectly the same as before. I was deliriously happy.  This is …

|Jeju Island’s| Famous Black Pork

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Ahh, my glorious trip to Jeju Island. Let’s begin where we will all be happy…the pork, Heuk dwaeji. In recent months, I’ve really tried to cut back on my meat intake at home, I rarely ever have it now. I like to save my protein for when it really counts, and this pork really counts. Heuk dwaeji is  a delicacy of the island and you can generally only find it here or some select specialty restaurants on the mainland. The pork is from a small, domesticated black pig. The meat is flavored by smoking it with hay before its ever cooked. The pieces are tender, buttery and full of fat. It makes for unbelievably delicious bite after bite. You don’t ever want it to end. As 1/3 of our party is allergic/had a traumatic experience with fish and seafood this was the only Jeju specialty we were able to eat on our vacation. Not that I’m complaining (that much). This meal was not at the most famous restaurant located in Jeju City, but a smaller …

Dak Galbi | 닭갈비

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The World’s Most Perfect Dish? I realize I’m prone to exaggeration but this is possibly the world’s most perfect dish. Spicy chicken and vegetables cooked on fire & brimstone right in front of you. It’s a mix of divine intervention and …. chicken. It’s other worldly. Has this convinced you to go ahead and eat this masterpiece? I hope so. Basically, eating dak galbi should be on your bucket list in and outside of Korea. Just find a way to get your hands on it. The other best thingz about dak galbi is that you can find it just about anywhere in Korea, you  can share it with a ton of people, add so many different things (ramen, cheese rice cakes, cheese, seafood, etc…) and it is quite an inexpensive meal. A basic dish will cost you around 18,000 to 20,000 won for two people. Take that, pizza! (Just kidding, pizza, you know I ❤ you.) After you eat most of your meal you can ask for some rice (bokkeumbap) and they will fry it up with the …

Bossom |Korean Steamed Pork|

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One of my favorite meals in Korea. Bossom sounds and looks like it would be DIS-gusting…fatty pork steamed and having the same pallor as meat gone bad as it sits on your pretty plate?  I certainly didn’t think I would enjoy this type of dish, much less love it, when I first looked at pictures. But it has a buttery and meaty flavor. The special kimchi for bossom has a thicker red sauce and tastes of cinnamon. They are perfectly married together, like Ric Ocasek and Paulina Porizkova. Beauty and the awesome rocker who looks vaguely like an extra terrestrial. (Love u Ric!) It only takes one try. I love it and eat it with relish now.