Jjimdak and tea

As I proudly ate my jjimdak (찜닭) without wincing or gulping down a half gallon of water, I thought my tolerance for spice was improving, having been in Korea for half a year. That was, until, my friend informed me in blunt Korean fashion, "I asked them not to make it too hot for you."



I've always loved jjimdak - no, I take that back - the very first time I had it, I thought a fire had broken out in my mouth, and at that point, I only sort of liked it. But jjimdak - a braised chicken dish served in a shoyu based sauce (usually accompanied with chewy glass noodles, potatoes, onions, and the occasional carrot and mushroom) - has since grown on me. You see, its unassuming heat makes it all the more adventurous. As you begin to dig in, the first thing your taste buds notice is the powerful mixture of sweet n salty. It isn't until a second or two later that you realize you're dealing with a healthy dose of garlic and chili pepper.

Having eaten jjimdak with three people from Hawaii - they (and I) have all agreed that it somehow reminds us of home. Shoyu chicken, maybe? Sukiyaki, perhaps? As we try to wrap our heads around what makes it so familiar, one thing's for certain - jjimdak is packed with flavor. There are quite a few places that serve jjimdak, and based on personal experience, it seems pretty hard to go wrong. However, Andong Jjim Dak and Bongchu Jjim Dak are popular choices, and if you happen to be in the Myeongdong (명동) area, simply ask around, and you shall find.



If you're looking for a way to soothe yourself from all that heated flavor, I recommend taking a trip to O'Sulloc Tea House. According to Lonely Planet, "Everything is produced from the green tea picked on the company's tea plantation on Jejudo." We ordered the tropical dream green tea, which was recommended by our waitress. Quite rightly one of the most popular selections, it's a mild tea that packs a wonderful fruity scent. The desserts didn't disappoint either, but it was the cafe's light wood and green surroundings that topped it off, allowing for a relaxing break away from the busy crowds, bright lights, and noise of Myeongdong.



After having been rejuvenated, we continued our walk all the way to Cheonggyecheon. Despite the heat, the people couples were out in force!





I'll miss you guys! ㅠㅠ

More sights for the tourist

As I continue to recover, I figure I'd give myself another day or two before venturing into any food posts, so as not to bias my reviews, heh. Instead, here's a quick recap of some of MC's non-food related experiences. ^^

I've been to three palaces so far, and figured the average visitor (unless a huge royal palace buff) only really needs to see one during a week long stay. Would've preferred Changdeokgung, but it's closed on Mondays, so we opted for the next best option, an easy walk from Insadong.



This was my second time to this palace, and again, we had a little more fun taking pictures outside the dare-I-say-dull-folk-museum...



Here, MC and I pounded some rice cakes. The first time around seemed so much easier! I could barely lift the thing... perhaps the ddeok had a greater stick-effect.



Of course, we had to do the obligatory trip to N Seoul Tower. I knew we could catch a cab there, since I had done it once before, but the drivers wouldn't believe me. Apparently, Koreans aren't allowed to ride a taxi up there. The gate guard even asked us for our passports, and when I told him I didn't have it and showed him my US driver's license, he ignored me, peered into the window, saw MC (obviously not very Korean looking), asked for $2, and we were on our way.



However, the highlight of our Namsan excursion was definitely the dancing. Yep, the dancing. After failing to convince me to get my groove on in the middle of the light show, MC spotted an Asian woman who was dancing next to her husband, and decided to ask for her hand instead. He even got the hubby to bust a few moves at the end. I guess music really does bring the people together.



More...outdoor...dancing... at Next Floor, an outdoor club music festival along the Han River. (Thanks, SJ. ^^)



What's that you ask? OF COURSE, we have video! ^^ Except you can't really see anything... just the guys screaming. MC wanted to go back to the hip hop tent after getting wiped out with jumping up and down ("What else are you supposed to do with this music?!") but it was a pretty good workout, I have to admit.



Little did we know we'd find a "beach" along Yeoido! The wonders of a bicycle. And only $3/hour! I think I'll be taking some solo rides this summer... if anyone's up for joining, let me know. ^^



Walking along Cheongyecheon...



Running into yet another protest near City Hall, we decided to play a Seoul version of "Where's Waldo?" Can you spot MC in the crowd? Bottom left corner. Hint: he's the one wearing the bright Johnny Cupcakes tee. ; )



And finally, what would Seoul be without shopping? ^^



Korea is so much more FUN with you here, MC! ^____^ Miss ya already!

Walking tour: Yonsei and City Hall

Time to go on another blog roll!

Apparently it's that time of the year - colleges (well, two that I specifically know of, but I suspect there are more) are starting to roll out the spring festivities. Outdoor tents lined along the main campus road cater to a plethora of drinking parties, categorized by matching t-shirt wearing student organizations. In the day, you'll find street food booths, outdoor performances, massive air pumped slides, free promotional giveaways, and I believe somewhere in the middle, a special celeb-filled concert?

It happens every year, and it's quite a site to behold. A handful of people have asked me what the American equivalent is like, and I feel bad letting them down: "We don't really... have festivals."

Or do we?

In my world, lattes trumped beer, coffee shops overshadowed bars (except for the occasional really cool lounge), and restaurants always topped clubs so I'm probably not the best representative to discuss "American life" as told by classics such as American Pie. Wait, that's not even about college, is it? Case in point. I can't even get those movies straight.

I'm really starting to enjoy the walk from Insadong/Jogno to City Hall. Here are some shots of my solo rendezvous around Cheonggyecheon.

Iron Man, Buddha, and bangs

I've been so disconnected with Hollywood, I didn't even realize what we were watching until quite some time into the movie. "Ohhh - it's Iron Man as in the superhero!"



I can't wait to catch up on some sleep over the three day weekend! Thanks to Buddha's big bday bash, which the city's setting up for, hence all the latterns and lights scattered about...







Anyway, I decided to take a leap of faith and get a second haircut in Korea! After my February disaster, I was a little scarred, donning a cap for a good 2-3 weeks. Jihey Onni generously accompanied me this time around, watching the stylist's every move for my protection. I'm going to reserve any judgment for at least a week, to give it time to figure itself out, but I've already been told that I look like I'm in high school. >_<

American movies and Indian food

The Oscars are coming up, and like the SuperBowl, I won't be watching this time around.

Once my dream to write and direct...

It's disappointing to say I've seen just one of this year's five Best Picture nominees.

In Korea, they make these nifty four sided 8x11-ish programs to help you determine what to watch upon arrival at the theater. Makes for a pretty good souvenir if you like the flick too. ^^

Apparently the subs were a tad off, as we were the only ones letting out a chuckle at moments like...

"You should've gone to China, you know, 'cause I hear they give away babies like free iPods. You know, they pretty much just put them in those t-shirt guns and shoot them out at sporting events."

Besides Juno (which I loved), I also recently saw Jumper, which got me thinking... If I had such superhuman powers, where's the first place I'd go?  My initial thoughts screamed "London." So cliche, eh.

Speaking of which... Indian food! Ok, that doesn't entirely deserve a "speaking of which," but when you say "London," Indian food definitely comes to my mind, and we were reunited last night! (Thank you, SJ.^^)

We went to a place in Apgujeong (압구정) called Ganga and it reminded me of the time we went to The Cinnamon Club in Westminster. The decor couldn't have been more different, and granted, both restaurants serve Indian food, but I couldn't quite put my finger on the reason... perhaps it was the company. Anyhoo, we had rice and garlic nan with vegetable shashlik and chicken makhani (pictured above).

Also checked out City Hall (시청), to find that the prettily lit ice rink seen last month had been taken down. Does this mean winter's ending?!

Here's what it looks like in the day...

Across the street stands Deoksugung (덕수궁) so we decided to check it out. It wasn't as beautiful as Changdeokgung (창덕궁), but it's still a trip to be in a royal palace, only to look out and see its walls surrounded by Citi and SK high rises. ^^

A chair fit for a king.

A relatively recent vice has got to be frequent trips to the coffeeshops! I think today was my first time alone in one (in Seoul), and I have to say, I quite enjoyed it. My sweet potato latte and I bonded over people watching and pensive thoughts.

I had intended to study there, but it turned into a one-man lyric-writing and doodling fest. ^^ Case in point -