All posts tagged: western

The Libertine | Revisited

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This place is one of the jewels of Itaewon. The modern yet classic design, the changing menu and the kind staff make this a one of a kind eating treat. A friend was leaving Korea, as they are wont to do in our expat life, and she had not been to The Libertine. This was the classy exit she needed.  Mimosas all around! After checking the menu for new dishes, we ordered some divine buttered scrambled eggs on top of salmon and toast, Eggs Benedict with salmon (which they call Eggs Royale) and, to top off our ocean themed brunch, fried calamari. The eggs with butter were kill-worthy. I’m quite sure I liked them better than the Benedict, which were perfectly oozy and beautiful. They know how to make a nice little salad as well to balance out the butter and goodness. The calamari could have benefited from sitting somewhere to drain. They were a little mushy around the bottom and a bit greasy. I liked to breading, which was a little thick but flavored well. And their aioli is perfect.  Thick …

Lobster Shack | A Review

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Getting restaurants checked off my Garosugil list is so rewarding. I live for the small victories in life! Lobster Shack is a pleasant little basement restaurant with sandwiches packed full of lobster. The menu has some very creative items with cheese and jalapenos but also classics like the The Original Maine and The Connecticut, which I sampled greedily. The atmosphere is casual and they have some outdoor seating. However, I have seen a line more than once and eating in front of a line of hungry people is not my idea of a relaxing dining experience. So I would opt to eat indoors in that line develops. With all the hype of Itaewon’s  Lobster Bar and my reluctance to hop on the bus to take me there, I was really pleased there was a lobster roll restaurant closer and not at all fussy. I can’t compare the two, however, and all I can say is that both sandwiches were scrumptious and full of meat. The owner grew up in Maine and is obviously no slouch. The food is …

Double Trouble | Revisited

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Ahh, Double Trouble. How I have missed you. (See first review here 🙂 ) This is only the second visit to DT because, well, just look at this food. It’s not exactly heart healthy. So I save it for those very special occasions when I need a fat and sugar fix. Like the same day I sign up for a six month gym membership. Yep. That’s what happened. I signed up for the gym on the same day I headed back to the basement eatery to try all new things covered in cheese. I’m going to just remind you again that this is not a full on western style place. It is definitely fusion, but its fusion in the best possible sense. On purpose. They don’t pretend to be true American cuisine then ruin it by being made more for Korean tastes. It’s all out in the open and honest. I love that about this place. Now onto the food…

Julio’s Mexican Cuisine |A Review|

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After a brief hiatus from updating the blog, I’m back with a food review because, well, they’re the easiest!  I’ve made it my personal mission to get out and explore something new this weekend but, as of now, I’m sat comfy in my bed watching old episodes of Black Books and drinking a heavy dose of coffee to get through writing this simple review :D. I’ve already gone over my affinity for Mexican food in my review for Vatos Tacos. To sum up my Vatos experience: I was disappointed. When I asked for recommendations for other dishes at Vatos I was told to order mostly Korean Fusion Mexican food (like the kimchi fries…fries? At a Mexican place?  Meh.) .  I don’t mind fusion food at all, I cook it often in my own kitchen, but it had left me with no restaurant to call my own Mexican sanctuary. Julio’s is in my neighborhood (sort of) and without realizing it when I planned to go there, it’s owned by the same person who owns Pier 17.  So, I visited both …

Bacon + Guac Springrolls

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I basically wanted to shove some salad into a spring roll but I had a bunch of things in my refrigerator that needed to be eaten.  Why not just throw it all in there? I thought.  Sure! I told myself. I can buy this really thick cut bacon in Korea and it works really well for these rolls but any bacon is going to taste great.  Depending on how many folks you have to eat this will cause the amounts you need to vary.  The ingredient list and directions are quite simple. Ingredients: green onion carrot red pepper yellow pepper sprouts guacamole: 1 avocado, juice of 1/2 a lime, 1/4 cup of diced red onion, cilantro, salt + pepper thick cut bacon spring roll wrappers Directions: Place spring roll wrapper in hot water until soft, place on a flat surface. Add your ingredients and carefully roll tight but not so tight it rips. Hint: I tried different ingredient placement to see what worked best. Put your guac on top of other ingredients and cover it …

|Revisiting| John Cook’s Deli Meats

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  Oh, how I love this place! I really intended to go and try something other than a sandwich but it’s a warm, summer day and a sandwich just sounded so perfect. I must go back to try the damn bbq…and I will…but at a later date. Today I decided to have a chicken + avocado sandwich on ciabatta bread. It was divine. The bread itself was so soft and had a perfect chewiness. The chicken was chicken breast, not processed, and the avocado was as perfect as that fruit can be. The sweet staff brought two “service” items. For those of you not in Korea, service items are freebies that Koreans love to give and Koreans and Westerners alike love to get. We got a little toast with German style meatloaf and a roasted pepper and sausage salad. Fantastic. And I just want to throw out there that they make their own pickles. So they are tangy and crisp…like they should be. There isn’t a sweetness in sight. Plus, they sell them in big …

John Cook Deli Meats | A Review

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Directions can be found on their website here: John Cook Deli Meats.    Oh! I am so happy I recognized the name of this delight as I was wondering around the streets near Hyundai Department Store in Apgujeong looking for an awesome meal. I know I must have seen “John Cook” on FB or some blog I’ve read. And how perfect of a lunch was it? It was as perfect as a rainbow tickling a kitty lounging on a cloud. Wow…That’s a bit much. But, they have a wonderful menu and I’m anxious to go back and try their American style BBQ with side dishes. We had a salad and sandwich as we had a big dinner ahead of us. The deco was modern and industrial with beautiful tables and chairs and real flowers for the table. I will tell you how good the meal was by telling you what it was lacking. The salad and sandwich did not include: weird dressings, too much mayo, sweet relish, sweet pickles,thin and soggy bacon , sweet and/or …

Top Cloud | A Review

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  Oh, gentle Top Cloud, why must you be so incredibly expensive? This, sadly, was my main thought as I sat through my many course meal looking out at an amazing view of Seoul city + mountains. I knew what the bloggers have said about Top Cloud. I read that the taste is nothing to write home about and that it is overpriced. I tried to convince my fellow food lover and friend, Phil, we should try something different and leave Top Cloud for a special time. But, after he saw pictures of the view, he wouldn’t hear of it. I am going to just spare you the suspense and put my review right here. There is nothing wrong with the food in preparation or asthetic. However, the bloggers are right, it is just okay food. While there is nothing wrong worth noting, there is nothing spectacular either. I was only blown away by the thought that everything just needed more flavor. Where was the flavor, TC?  I kept waiting for a dish to astonish me, as I …

Chloris Tea Room

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Chloris Tea Rooms Gangnam, Seoul This place is huge. Four floors, terrace. Loads of options for tea but also includes coffee, desserts and brunches. Website  Directions: From Sinnonhyeon Station, take exit 4. Turn Right at the first street (Bongeunsa ro 4-gil).  Walk for just a few minutes. You’ll see the cafe on the right hand side.   Sangria Tea Darjeeling Tea