korea Archives - Foodology

In Fusion

TonTon Sushi: Japanese Korean Restaurant in Vancouver

August 8, 2019

Living in Vancouver, how can you not love seafood? There are over 615 sushi restaurants in Vancouver according to the Vancouver Sun. One of the most popular cuisines in Vancouver is Japanese and items like fresh sashimi, sushi rolls, and dons are what local and visitors can’t get enough of. We are very fortunate to be located right by the Pacific Ocean and have fresh seafood come in as well as imported goods as we have one of the biggest ports in Vancouver.

There are a lot of Japanese restaurants that have a Korean twist on their menu that differentiates them from others. Of course they have the popular items but use some Korean influenced ingredients which creates a new niche of Japanese cuisine. Somewhat like a low key Korean-Japanese fusion that people talk about but don’t really promote.

Ton Ton Sushi on Cambie Street is a great example. We were invited to check our a few of their signature dishes.

Interior

There are tables for small to large groups. Given the area, there were families dining here as well and lots of rooms for strollers to get between the seats. These are the little things I look for nowadays as I’ve become a parent.

Drunken Asari Sakamushi

This is sake-steamed clams and they are pretty good. The sake’s alcohol content is burned off as it cooks, which leaves a delicious both that pairs with the clams.

Crab Dip

This has mixed real snow crab and imitation crab with mayo and then baked with cheddar cheese. Was a bit strange and didn’t like this.

Takoyaki

Takoyaki is octopus pieces battered and cooked into a ball shape. It’s a classic Japanese street food and it’s pretty enjoyable. It is topped with katsu sauce, mayo and bonito flakes.

As there are multiple pieces, it’s a good item to share among the table.

Ebi Fry

Deep fried tempura shrimp with a dip is good to start the meal and share if you have a group. Crisp on the outside and delicious sweet shrimp inside.

Ton Ton Tower

Ton Ton Tower is made of a base of crab meat and then topped with salmon and tuna sashimi, as well as tobiko. Around the dish are garlic chips, capers and olive oil.

Salmon Sashimi

Very fresh and delicious. The prices are very fair here too.

Ame Ebi

The ame ebi, which are shrimp known for their sweet taste.

Unagi Hot Stone Stowl

This has a base of rice, BBQ unagi kizami nori, tamago and it’s served in a hot stone bowl. This is one of the more expensive items on the menu, but it is filling and easily shared.

Kimchi Mentaiko Udon

This has pan-fried udon with cod roe, kimchi and bacon, green onion, and bonito fish flakes. This was pretty tasty and the creaminess of the sauce went well with the acidity of the kimchi.

Tara Nabe

This has black cod, tofu and mushroom in soup. Very hearty dish and served in a boiling hot pot. It’s really great on a cold winters day.

Dragon Roll

The dragon roll is like a California roll but topped with unagi, avocado, sesame seeds and sauce. They even presented it like a dragon too.

Oshi Sushi

There are many varieties of Oshi Sushi, which are pressed nigiri on the menu – Ebi, Salmon, Spicy Tuna, Saba, Hamachi, Unagi, etc.

Final Thoughts

Ton Ton Sushi is a solid restaurant in the area for Japanese food with a hint of Korean influence in their dishes. The prices are solid and it’s a good place for families to enjoy lunch or dinner if you’re close by the area.

Website:
4018 Cambie St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://sushitonton.com/

In Fast Food

KFC Korea: Tower Burger and Fried Chicken

January 17, 2014

Every time, I have a flight out of Incheon, I have to stop by KFC for a quick snack. 2 years ago when I was here, I discovered that KFC is pretty awesome in Korea. As I was here again, might as well turn it into a tradition. I have my love of fast food and I never give up a chance chowing down on global fast food chains in many countries.

There’s lots of seats and people tend to eat very quickly and move a long.

Tower Burger (4,800 won) comes at a whopping 800 calories. This tower is made of fried breast fillet, hashbrowns, lettuce, and cheese. It’s quite large and you will get your fill of carbs.

2 pieces of fried chicken (2,200 won) and you have the option to have it original or spicy. Of course I had it spicy since I was in Korea.

Just look at how crazy battered that is! It was very crispy on the outside and the meat was very moist. It had the right about of spiciness and oh man, finger lickin’ good!

I posed with Colonel Sanders because why not? We both have glasses and love fried chicken. It’s true what they say, KFC is better in Asia.

Address:
Various locations in South Korea, and all over the world

Website:
http://www.kfckorea.com/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?t=m&cid=0x8d4ba096cb5cbed4&z=12&iwloc=A “]

In Japanese

Big Room Sushi House 대방횟집: Sashimi Feast in Seoul

November 22, 2013

When we arrived in Seoul for the last few days of our trip in South Korea, M’s relatives took us to Big Room Sushi House (대방횟집 dae bang hwe jip). I clearly had no idea where I was going, so having them lead me to food is just great.

We got a set meal that came with SO MANY dishes. It was about 20,000 won or 30,000 won per person. It’s a pretty good price since we did get so much food.

When we sat down, there were a few sauces, quail eggs, edamame, and veggies for us to nibble on before the rest of the meal came.

Assorted sashimi

You won’t find any of the normal stuff here. There was abalone and a bunch of other fish I could not identify. Everything was fresh and tasted great.

Roasted ginko beans are great to munch on.

Raw Oysters was all eaten up by me. I like ousters in all shapes and forms.

Sea Squirt Sashimi tasted like the ocean. Not my favourite seafood by a long shot, but it was alright.

Shrimp tempura was deliciously crunchy and light.

Grilled Prawn were a tad dry and there is a hidden skewer that goes through them, so you have to make sure you don’t eat that. Take it out before you eat it.

Grilled Mackerel has little bones inside, so its quite hard to eat if you aren’t good at picking the little bones out.

Vegetable pancake was good! Very simple but satisfying.

Hot spicy soup was really good and had lots of flavour. If you aren’t into spicy food, they can make it non-spicy too.

Cucumber roll with some fish eggs are poorly put together, but tasted fine.

Kyoho Grape also know as slip skin grapes are very unique and very different than the type of grapes we have in North America. You just put the opening of the grape against your lips and then use your fingers to push the flesh out. It’s a pretty weird process and no one eats the skins.

The flesh of the grape is like jelly, but there are some seeds inside. You just easily spit them out and start on the next grape.

Overall, a pretty good place for a feast. It’s close to the station and has some cool shops near by. I would definitely call ahead to make a reservation so they have everything prepared before you arrive.

We Rate Big Room Sushi House:

Address:
349-3
Sindaebang 2(i)-dong
Dongjak-gu, Seoul, South Korea

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=%EB%8C%80%EB%B0%A9%ED%9A%9F%EC%A7%91&ie=UTF8&ll=37.497776,126.928353&spn=0.020054,0.041885&t=m&hq=%EB%8C%80%EB%B0%A9%ED%9A%9F%EC%A7%91&radius=15000&z=15″]

In Coquitlam

Woo Ree Jip Korean Restaurant: New Korean Restaurant

October 26, 2012

KoreanGirl keeps telling me she frequents this place with her parents, but she never takes me here even though she likes this places. One day, a few of us decided to come here for a dinner as I’ve already been to most places in “Korea Town” aka North Road.

They have the usual popular Korean dishes. If you want a truly authentic experience, I would suggest being a bit more adventurous.

The interior isn’t too large, but can fit a few large groups.

Woo Ree Jip literally translates to “Our Home”. So, they are trying to give you the feeling of a home cooked meal.

Complementary Salad was given to us at the table. It was a small salad with a light dressing.

Seafood Pancake comes divided into 8 slices. It’s shaped a bit weird, but it tastes good!

It comes with a sauce on the side. So, you just dip your pancake in here. It has vinegar, sesame oil, and soy sauce.

Small Pork Belly Set has 2 rows of cooled pork belly with minced garlic on top. There is also pickled vegetables that you use to wrap the pork belly.

Nom nom nom. The pork belly isn’t crispy, but is pretty good.

You can wrap the pork belly in the lettuce or the pink thing with the kimchi and pork belly. Tastes gooooooood!

Overall, the food is good, but it can be a bit pricey. I’ve heard the soups were good too.

We Rate Woo Ree Jip:

Address:
9928 Lougheed Hwy
Burnaby, BC

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=9928+Lougheed+Hwy+Burnaby,+BC&hnear=9928+Lougheed+Hwy,+Burnaby,+Greater+Vancouver+Regional+District,+British+Columbia&gl=ca&t=m&z=16 “]

In Gangnam

Awesome Restaurants in Seoul, South Korea

September 5, 2012

I spent 5 days in Seoul, South Korea but I did not have enough time to visit all the places that I came across. Below are a few places that I thought were really cool and wanted to share with you.

Have you been to any of these places before? or is it now on your list of places to visit?

CNN opened their first CNN Cafe in Seoul. They are slowly expanding throughout the country. The concept of the cafe is to give people a space to work and enjoy coffee. They have free wi-fi, computers and printing services. Imagine doing all your work and staying up to date on breaking news around the world.

They also have locations at the local universities too. This is a student’s/ entrepreneur’s dream come true! Wouldn’t it be so awesome to have this in Vancouver?

More information: http://www.cnngo.com/seoul/play/cnn-cafe-opens-500-square-meter-flagship-seouls-busiest-street-163365

Daiso is a large franchise of cheap household items at very affordable prices. It has even been dubbed the “Walmart of Asia” or the “Asian Dollar Store”. With over 2,500 stores in Japan, and 522 in the rest of the world they will continue to expand further into North America.

The prices in Daiso Korea range from 500 to 5,000 won. The one pictured here is a smaller store, but they have another location in Sinchon that is 3 floors.

Website: http://www.daiso.co.kr/

Dunkin’ Donuts is huge in Korea. It’s not as big in Vancouver, but Koreans love this place to chill and have coffee. There are a lot of locations scattered all over Seoul.

They have very different flavours from the Dunkin’ Donuts in North America. For example – tofu donuts, green tea donuts and sweet potato donuts.

More Information: http://www.dunkindonuts.co.kr/main.html

Ding Dong Cafe is a Traveler’s Cafe. When I passed by this place, I thought it was a scam to get tourist into the cafe. It turns out ding dong cafe is a restaurant that has a tourist theme. The interior is decorated with pictures from around the world and maps.

It was named one of the top 5 cafes in Hongdae by CNNgo and apparently has some good brunch.

Address:
333-24 Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu (마포구 서교동 333-24)

More Information:
http://www.cnngo.com/seoul/eat/top-five-hongdae-cafes-387537

In Myeong-Dong

Street Food in Seoul: Namdaemun Market and Myeong Dong

September 1, 2012

I had a day to check out Myeong-Dong and Namdaemun Market to get some shopping done and eat some yummy street food. After going to these 2 places, I just kept coming back to buy more stuff.

Namdaemun is a traditional market close to the Great South Gate. I wanted to see the gate but unfortunately it was under restoration so I wasn’t able to get a look at it. Nonetheless, Namdaemun market was still awesome since it’s the oldest and largest market in Korea. It dates back all the way to 1414, so it definitely has a lot of history.

You can only access the area of the area by walking as the street isn’t built to accommodate cars. It’s open rain or shine and will still attract a crowd of people. There are lots to see and lots to buy. I was able to haggle for some traditional Korean folk masks.

There are lots of streets in Namdaemun Market, so be sure to have a map because I got lost and ended up somewhere else.

Besides shopping, they are known for the abundance of street food. They have some very creative items like sausages wrapped in fried fish paste.

You can even find Sikhye, a rice beverage for 1,000 won, which is equivalent to $1 CDN.

There is also freshly made dumplings too. This particular stand was very famous because a lot of notable celebrities have visited, plus it’s been showcased on several TV shows.

I also saw some outdoor BBQ stands. You can pick whatever items you want to put into your pot.

A few blocks away is Myeong-Dong, a popular shopping district with affordable retail stores like adidas, Forever 21, Uniqlo, and several cosmetic stores. The area dates back all the way to the Joseon Dynasty as a residential area, but overtime, it became a major commercial and financial district.

I was told by a few friend to do all my shopping here. There were not wrong at all! I bought a lot of cheap face masks, a ton of earrings, clothes, and a few souvenirs.

They also have street food too. The one place I tried was a stand selling twirly fried potatoes. In Vancouver, we have something similar, but we call it hurricane potatoes because of the shape.

The potato is deep-fried and sprinkled with cheese. I actually didn’t like the amount of flavouring they put into it. It was too cheesy for my liking.

It was a very very long snack. It was so long that I could only take a vertical picture of it. I was kinda afraid I would accidentally stab someone in the face with this, so I stood on the side of the street eating this.

There were lots of other types of street food around, but I wasn’t feeling in the mood for a lot of food.

If you are looking for good cheap shopping and street food, definitely check out these 2 areas in Seoul – Namdaemun Market and Myeong-dong!

In Four Beakers

Sanchon: Vegetarian Temple Food From Korea

August 31, 2012

Sanchon or “Mountain Village” is one of the most famous restaurants that specialize in traditional vegetarian food served in Buddhist temples. The food is made from organic vegetables fresh from the mountainside. If you are tired of all the fried and grilled food in Seoul, this is definitely a great place to go to.

The location was a few restaurants away from my hotel – Tria Hotel. I came to dine here during lunch with M’s relatives.

The restaurant is located on the second level and instead of sitting on chairs, you sit on the floor. For those who are cannot cross their legs or not accustomed to sitting on the floor, you may feel uncomfortable dining here.

We ordered a set meal and a bunch of banchan arrives at the table. There are over 10 small dishes that arrive at the table made out of different vegetables. Even though these portions are small, it was a lot of food! Each dish had its own unique taste. Some spicy and some non-spicy.

Next, they gave us a plate with pork, perilla leaves and some other vegetable. We ate these together and it was so good!

There was even kimchi stew and a side of tofu that came along with it. There was a lot of food and it just kept coming.

There was also tofu soup.

Then there was more soup and then rice. By this point, we were SO FULL. I haven’t eaten this much in a long time. The meal was my favorite in Korea. It was a tad pricey than other meals in Korea, but it is so worth it to try this experience. I haven’t had this type of dining experience before and I loved it!

After the lunch we headed on up to Seoul Tower to check out the view of Seoul. It’s just amazing how large the city really is. We were fortunate that the monsoon storm disappeared so we were able to see most of the city clearly.

On one of the windows it shows how far away from home I really was. 7,174.20km to be exact.

Overall, this day was pretty awesome. I had incredible food at Sanchon and got a great view of Seoul from Seoul Tower.

We Rate Sanchon:

Address:
677-11 Yeoksam 1(il)-dong,
Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea

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In Cafe

Kona Beans: Chilling at a Cafe in South Korea

August 29, 2012

Kona Beans was the closest coffee shop to my hotel. On my last day in Seoul, I decided to chill here before my bus arrived to take me to the airport. It has 2 level, upstairs is smoking and downstairs is non-smoking. It’s great that they give people this option.

Kona Beans is a cafe that originated from Hawaii. There are several franchise locations all over Seoul.

When ordering, you get the electronic beeper to indicate when your order is ready for pick up!

It’s really relaxing inside and you can do your work and have a drink. Its a good place to work since wifi is available.

Kiwi smoothie tasted alright. I don’t know why I didn’t order a coffee at a coffee shop, but I guess I felt like juice.

If I do come back next time, I will definitely order coffee instead. Nonetheless, it’s a nice cafe.

Words of Wisdom:

Another location at 42 Apgujeongro-gil is opened by a few of the mothers of the Super Juniors group
Non-smoking area
Friendly staff

We rate Kona Beans:

Location:
All over Korea

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In Fast Food

KFC in South Korea: The Best KFC I’ve Ever Had

August 28, 2012

I’ve been told the KFC in Asia is crazy good because of the quality of chickens. I heard KFC was even better in Korea, I really couldn’t pass up the opportunity to eat something “finger lickin good”. I had a good amount of time before I had to head to my gate to take the plane back to Hong Kong.

I ordered a 2 piece meal with a coke. I had the option to have it original or spicy. Of course I had it spicy since I was in Korea.

I could not put the chicken down! It was so good! It was very crispy on the outside and the meat was very moist. It wasn’t too spicy, but it did have the right amount of kick to it. YUM! I was very proud to be lickin my fingers at the end.

Even Colonel Sanders want you to lick his fingers. This statue looks a bit awkward, perhaps someone stole his box of chicken.

Address:
Various locations in South Korea, and all over the world

Website:
http://www.kfckorea.com/

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In Bakery

Paris Croissant Cafe: Yummy Pastries at Seoul Station

August 27, 2012

After going to Seoul Tower, we decided to relax at Seoul Station to wait for a train to arrive. M’s Mom asked me “do you like bread”? I thought this was a strange question, but I said I enjoy pastries. She told me Paris Croissant has the best blueberry tart she’s ever had. Whenever she has the change to come to Seoul, she buys a bunch of blueberry tarts to bring back home.

Paris Croissant was created in 1986 and creates classic French bread and pastries. They also own Paris Baguette.

The interior of this location has seats available for customers to sit down. The bread products are located along the side and at the front counter.

They have a lot of pretty cakes and tarts! Very beautiful!

They have a large variety of buns! They aren’t all traditional french pastries, but they have a lot of Korean type of pastry items. The prices are a bit expensive compared to smaller bakeries.

M’s mom clearly bought a lot. Red bean sesame balls, blueberry tarts and pecan pie.

She bought me two items to try – the blueberry tart and the red bean sesame ball.

The Red Bean Sesame Ball was very delicious, there was a lot of red bean paste in the center and wasn’t too sweet. So goo!

The blueberry tart was also delicious. I’ve never had anything like it. There were lots of blueberries inside, so every bite has a berry.

Overall, this place has great items, but it a tad expensive. I would definitely go back to Korea to try more of their items.

Words of Wisdom:

Expensive
Good amount of seating
Blueberry tart is awesome
Relaxing atmosphere to talk with friends

We Rate Paris Croissant:

Address:
Various locations all over Korea

Website:
http://www.pariscroissant.co.kr/

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In Bakery

Paris Baguette Cafe: Fetching Milk Bread

August 26, 2012

I was running around the airport at Seoul International Airport in Incheon and M kept telling me I had to try the milk bread at Paris Baguette.

Paris Baguette has over 2,900 stores across Korea and with several locations around the world. The bakery was founded in the 1950s as a small family business, but grew over the decades to become what it is today. They specialize in Korean and Japanese-style breads.

The Milk Bread is one of their most popular item and it’s made of flour, butter, sugar, salt, water, milk, egg, and yeast. I grabbed a loaf of it and hand carried it back to Hong Kong. My mom kept telling me to just stuff it into a bag, but I took a lot of care into making sure it didn’t get squished. After the 3 hr flight and a long bus ride, the Milk bread made it safely on our dining table.

The bread does taste a little bit different, but it’s very delicious. I can’t put my finger on why it was good, but I would definitely get some more. It’s good by itself or toasted. My little sister love it so much that she ate half the bag.

Address:
Various locations in South Korea, and all over the world

Website:
www.parisbaguetteusa.com

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In Cafe

Starbucks in Asia: Red Bean Green Tea Frappuccino

August 25, 2012

I was strolling through the international departures of Seoul International Airport before my flight back to Hong Kong and I stumbled upon a Starbucks! I noticed they were promoting 2 of their new drinks -Red Bean Green Tea Frappuccino and the Soy Green Tea Frappuccino. Since I had 20 minutes left till departure, I thought I might as well kill time trying something new.

These drinks are also available in Hong Kong as well. I am not exactly sure about other Asian countries.

Red Bean Green Tea Frappuccino was pretty good. The beans were not too sweet and balanced nicely with the green tea. I usually dislike red beans, but the way they cooked the beans were very firm and enjoyable. I would definitely order this again.

Even though they don’t sell these in Vancouver, Canada. You can still get something similar from a few local bubble tea cafes in Richmond. If you do encounter this drink on your travel, definitely give it a try!

In Fast Food

Kraze Burger: Korea’s Favorite Burger Restaurant

August 23, 2012

Kraze Burger is Korea’s burger restaurant. It was founded in 1998 and was the first restaurant specializing in hamburgers in Korea. They have locations all over Korea even the airport. As I was in COEX Mall, I knew I had to find Kraze Burgers to try some famous burgers in Korea. They are slowly expanding all over the world.

It was a long walk from the subway as the mall is very confusing to navigate, especially if you are a tourist. When I got here, there was a line out the door at 8pm! I waited about 10 mins to find a seat.

The K.B Original has 100% Pure Beef Patty, one slice of cheese, lettuce, fresh tomato slice, fresh onion slice, chili sauce, homemade pickles on a Baked Bun. They have a lot of crazy types of burgers but I really wanted to try the original Kraze Burger. It was a delicious solid burger that satisfied me, but it was expensive! I probably could have gotten 2 meals for the price of this burger.

Overall, it’s delicious but if you are in town for a short while, might as well skip this and try more traditional Korean food.

We Rate Kraze Burger:

Address:
Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu,
Seoul, South Korea

Website:
http://eng.kraze.co.kr/

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In Cafe

Piano Cafe: Patio, Coffee, and a Grand Piano

August 20, 2012

After having Samgyeopsal, Steven and I walked around several blocks to find a nice cafe with a patio. We walked through the wet monsoon weather and found ourselves here. It was a nice little cozy cafe with a grand piano in the middle of the room.

There are lots of tables inside too. As we were here, there would be lots of couples celebrating anniversaries and playing the piano to impress their girlfriends. Lot of happy memories are made here.

Even Steven tried impressing the server at the cafe.

Steven ordered the Iced Coffee and the Affogato. If you are a coffee lover, those are a few of the items you should order! They are good items to cool off from the hot Summer weather.

I got the Caffe Latte. I enjoy it and it was pretty good.

Overall the experience was great! Chilin on their patio and catching up over coffee…as we spy on the couples inside the restaurant.

Words of Wisdom:

Great coffee
Great place to take a date
You better learn piano before coming here if you are on a date

We Rate Piano Cafe:

In BBQ

Bee-hive Samgyeopsal: Grilled Pork BBQ in HongDae, Korea

August 18, 2012

I met up with Steven from High School as he was in Korea in the Summer too. He took me to explore the Hongdae area where lots of University students hang out. There are tons of shops, restaurants, cafes, and bars.

After walking around the area, we ended up going to 벌집 삼겹살 (beoljip samgyeopsal) for some grilled meats. I knew it was something I wanted to eat!

It was really packed inside! Almost all the tables were taken up. Most people looked like they were in their 20s.

If you are getting the grilled meat, romaine, raw garlic and some different sauces will arrive at the table. You are supposed to grill your meat and then wrap it in the lettuce. Very delicious!

You also get a variety of side dishes with your meal. Lots of variety too!

Honeycomb pork belly is their signature type of meat at this restaurant. Thus, the name of the restaurant is named after this. The samgyeopsal is cut thick, then carved on one side with a honeycomb pattern. It’s very different from what you would typically think porkbelly would look like.

It was very delicious after grilling and fast to cook! You definitely need to order this!

Thick Cut Pork Shoulder was massive.It was really big and meaty.

I had too much fun eating this and forgot to take pictures of the meat in the lettuce wrap. If you are in Korea, you must try Korean BBQ!

Words of Wisdom:

Your clothes will smell like BBQ meat and grease
Pork belly is a must!
Always have this type of meal with a group of friends

We Rate Bee-hive Samgyeopsal:

Address:
345-6 Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu,
Seoul, South Korea

Webite:
http://www.bulzip.co.kr/

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In Four Beakers

Well-bring Rice Cafe: Korean Porridge in Seoul, Korea

August 16, 2012

Well-being Rice Cafe in Myeong-Dong is located right below Miss Lee cafe. Kirby and I came here for an early lunch before eating Sannakji (raw octopus). I have always loved Chinese congee, so I really wanted to try Korean porridge. The exterior of the restaurant looked very appealing and had pretty pictures. As a traveller, that’s kinda what appeals to me…I know… it’s quite horrible.

The interior was brightly lit and had a good amount of seats. When we arrived, it was empty, but it soon filled up.

Everything is self-serve, so you need to grab your own water.

Vegetable Dolsot BiBimbap (6,500 won = $6.50 CDN) was very delicious! It is served in a hot stone bowl and comes with seaweed soup, and 2 side dishes.

You just mix all the items together in the bowl. It’s very healthy and yummy.

The side dishes were good, but the cup of prune juice was kinda disgusting.

Beef Mushroom Porridge (8,000 won = $8 CDN) comes in a huge portion with 3 side dishes, prune juice and cold soup.

It was really delicious and it’s really different from Chinese congee. It definitely something you must have!

The 3 side dishes were good too and it was a nice addition to the meal.

Overall, the meal was very good and I would definitely come here again! Order the porridge! the downside is that the service was a bit slow.

We Rate Well-Being Rice Cafe:

Address:
199-1 Euljiro 2(i)-ga (27 Myeongdong 3-gil)
Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea

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In Dessert

Miss Lee Cafe: Featured on ‘We Got Married’

August 15, 2012

Miss Lee Cafe has several locations around Korea. Kirby and I were in Myeong-Dong and stumbled upon this location. I was a very rainy day, so we decided to chill out here before finding more food. Miss Lee Cafe specializes in boxed lunches, drinks and desserts.

Miss Lee Cafe was made famous by Korean reality show – We Got Married featuring Yonghwa from CN Blue and Seohyun from SNSD.

What makes this cafe very unique are the hundred and hundreds of love messages scattered throughout the restaurant. It’s a very popular place for couples to dine at during dates. Also, for all the fan-girls that come here because “we got married” featured this cafe.

You can grab a pen, a paper, and a twist tie to create your note. It can be about your friends, loved ones, or whoever.

Here is a shot of a few of them. I have no idea what they say, but I think it must be about love.

This location has a few floors and it’s also self-serve. You order at the counter, grab an electronic device and wait for it to buzz. Once it buzzes, you can walk back to the counter to pick up your order.

Five Taste Sherbert has canned pineapple, cherry tomatoes, kiwis, banana, almonds, peanuts, raisins, and canned peaches over ice. Looks pretty, tastes horrible! Do Koreans not have a variety of fruit? or does this cafe just suck that badly?

The combinations of nuts and fruit did not blend well together, nor were they very fresh. Kirby and I had a very hard time trying to finish this item.

Once the fruits were devoured, this is what was underneath. Gross ice and tomato tasting water.

It also came with some snacks on the side. They tasted very stale. I usually don’t notice stale snacks, but this was VERY stale.

The overall quality in their items are very poor and I would never ever return. The concept is very cool, but with all the cafes in Korea, you can skip this place.

Words of Wisdom:

Just don’t eat here…go inside and take a few pictures and leave
Food is very very terrible

We Rate Miss Lee Cafe:

Address:
Jung-gu, Seoul 199-1 Euljiro 2

Website:

http://www.missleecafe.com/

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In Four Beakers

Minimani: Eating Raw Octopus (Sannakji) in Seoul, Korea

August 14, 2012

Minimani is a restaurant in Myeong-Dong that specializes in grilled meats. Kirby and I met up to venture out to find some raw octopus to eat. We were passing by and saw they had a tank of live octopus, so we were sure they would sell sannakji!

Since it is a BBQ restaurant, all tables do have gas stoves on top. Depending on what you order here, you may or may not need it.

Since we were here only for the raw octopus, we had our side dishes (banchan) on the grill instead.

We were given diced up cabbage with a mayo sauce and kimchi.

Sannakji was on the menu! Yeah! It looks much better in video format since you can see it squirm. The texture was slimy and yes, the octopus does attach to your tongue, inside of your mouth, and teeth. You just need to chew the octopus several times until you are certain the suction cups aren’t working anymore.

If you have had takowasa before at a Japanese restaurant, it’s like that but not spicy and more alive.