Weekend in Geumsan

Geumsan (금산) is a little town best known for its ginseng (apparently responsible for 70% of Korea's ginseng production). However, our weekend was spent camping on the Geumgang (금강), which reminded me of a mini-vacay to California's Russian River from years past... Let's just say while I do enjoy being outdoors, I prefer AC-ed, bug-free environments with access to clean toilets and showers during sleep hours. I'm a wimp, I know, but this was one tough weekend... ^^;;









Highlights:

• Gleefully swimming in the river...
• ...until we saw a pregnant COW pee in it!
• Doing dishes in the river (before the cow peed in it)
  
• No bathrooms (don't ask)
• Sleeping not sleeping in a tent with snorers ㅋㅋ and insects (grr) and no breeze! (Hence, the desperate text messages some might have received from me... ^^;;)
  
• Playing with one of the calmest, cutest babies ever
• Catching golbaengi (골뱅이) aka SNAILS and picking them out of their shells with safety pins (yes, for consumption; no, I don't eat golbaengi, but for people who do, can you tell me -1- what's so tasty about them, and -2- why they're green when boiled?)
  
• Watching our neighbor de-scale and gut (still alive) fish for breakfast soup
• Sunburns!
• Jihee and I sneaking off in search of ice cream and the Dae Jang Geum filming location...
  
• Developing a new appreciation for COLD water and tea
  
• Quality people and nature time ^^
• Sitting in the car to cool down in the AC
  
• (First time) riding the KTX... Daejeon to Seoul in less than 1 hour!

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

Jake Shimabukuro in MA

It's hot here. The muggy, sticky grossness that's called a Korean summer. I have the feeling that native Koreans are a lot better at handling the heat than I am... Anyway, I can't sleep, and need to be up in 5 hours, so why not blog? Lately, I've been on quite a roll. ^^ This one's for the Boston-ers. I was listening to one of my favorite videos tonight...



...which got me thinking, "Where's Jake touring this year?" You lucky Bostonians get the chance to see him not once, not twice, but three times - Northampton on 8/1, Cambridge on 8/2, and/or Newport on 8/3... will someone go so I can live vicariously? ^^

PS Thank you to MC for the Stove Top (plus Easy Mac, Craisins, Cheetos, Orville popcorn, Nature Valley granola bars, and Quaker Oatmeal! ^^)



And Malesa & Tim for the JIF!

How to gain 6 lbs in one week - Pt 2/2

...continued from below.

#10) Partake in a donut challenge, or any other taste test that your heart desires. I consumed more donuts in this one week period, than in my entire six months in Korea.


The overall winner was Doughnut Plant, despite my lukewarm response the first time around. We particularly enjoyed the hot pink donut pictured below (it might have been called Cassis?) and the Tres Leches, but most were pretty tasty, with the exception of their buns - dry, dry, and could-you-get-any-drier?! The Boston Globe recently did an article on the NY import.



#11) Expand your donut taste test to include other members of the pastry family. For example, let a fresh baked, warm roti bun melt in your mouth (street smarts tell us a room temperature roti bun won't taste half as good), or just start sampling everything at your local Paris Baguette or Paris Croissant, where it seems difficult to go wrong. Better yet, a trip to the basement of a Myeongdong department store is like walking into dessert heaven!



#12) Hit a cute cafe and get a serving of waffles or pancakes, drenched in sweet gooey goodness. We checked out the Sunnyside Cafe in Samcheongdong (삼청동) which had a very... sunny (?) atmosphere - unfortunately their pancakes were on the dry side... and should have been topped with ice cream!



#13) Splurge on dessert! It's hard to go wrong at Above (a wine bar in Itaewon). We also enjoyed our cheesecake at Walking Slowly near Dosan Park. And most of the other cafes/bakeries around Apgujeong are temptingly delicious!



#14) Finally, don't forget about the non-baked sweets... ice cream, yogurt, gelato, lattes, smoothies... mmmh!

How to gain 6 lbs in one week - Pt 1/2

As I mentioned in a previous post, MC reported that he gained 6 lbs from his one week trip to Korea. While this may seem a tad extreme to most, with the right how-to guide (provided below), it's not only possible, it's actually quite easy!

1) Take a trip to Sanchon (산촌) in Insadong (인사동) for some wonderful temple-inspired vegetarian eats. Grab a seat on the floor and dig into 20+ fresh and naturally seasoned dishes. The experience alone is worth it - but be sure to bring your appetite.



#2) Stir fry some chicken (닭갈비), then make some bokkum bap (볶음밥) not because you're hungry but just because you can (and everybody else does it). If you have easy access to LA/NY, feel free to skip over the Korean fried chicken - while amazingly delicious in Korea, Kyochon in the US is just as yummy (the power of franchising!) - and opt for some tasty jjim dak (찜닭) or bul dak (불닭). Both pack enough spice to keep you glued to your water bottle (part of the six lbs will undoubtedly be water weight).



#3) Korean BBQ. This place in Apgujeong (압구정) is quite popular, but unfortunately I don't know what it's called (I know, I know, must work on this). Just look for a restaurant with a crowd and waiting list, packed somewhere within the "Rodeo Drive" area, and I'm sure you'll be on your way to some delicious (albeit a bit $$) BBQed beef. ^^;;



#4) Grab some cheap take-out from one of the 24/7 kimbap (김밥) stores with the bright orange signs, and have an indoor picnic!



#5) If you're feeling a bit more fancy, try some "Korean fusion" at Gaon (가온) in Apgujeong (located near all the other ambiance-first eateries around Dosan Park). MC and I personally thought it was over-rated and under-creative, but I'd give it another shot just because I enjoyed the modern, serene atmosphere - very opposite of what you'd normally find in a regular shikdang. Here's an excerpt from the Financial Times' "How to Spend It" (October) -

The Gaon is across the street from Gorilla [in the Kitchen] and serves a great contemporary take on traditional Korean dishes. Opt for a set menu and the kitchen will roll out dish upon dish of the freshest tasting Korean fare: pan-fried pumpkin and acorn jelly; steamed abalone; grilled pork in red pepper paste... And, of course, kimchi - not so much a national dish as a national treasure.

The Gaon may serve kimchi, but the presentation is anything but traditional. The restaurant, with its colourful linear acrylics and tightly stacked paper walls, has been designed by avant-garde architects Super Potato, also responsible for the Park Hyatt opposite the Co-Ex Centre in Gangnam-gu.

#6) For the food-curious at heart, bulgogi sandwiches, bulgogi flavored KFC, rice burgers, and other random finds off the street may be worth indulging in... well, not really, but it's just one of those things you have to experience for yourself to realize, "Eh. I could've lived without it but I guess it was fun."



#7) If you really want "fast food" as in burgers and fries, check out Kraze Burgers. MC placed it at a very respectable No. 2 on his "best casual dining burger joints" list, squeezed between the No. 1 ranked B.Good (Boston) and No. 3 Kua'aina (Hawaii).



#8) If you need a break from jjigaes and rice, why not try a Korean-made pizza? Loaded with all kinds of unimaginable crap, I mean toppings, it's every non-traditionalist's dream (and likely every Italian's nightmare). You might start off with Mr. Pizza (guys, don't be turned off by their "love for women" campaign) - just don't order the "Sweety Pizza" (pictured below) - it's definitely not their shining star. In fact, I think they should just take it off the menu.



#9) MC's a huge fan of omurice, so of course we made a special visit to Omuto Tomato. While not particularly fantabulous in the taste department, there are so many choices on the menu that you'll feel compelled to go back just to try them all! (According to MC.) A cream sauce selection is probably your best bet.



Part 2 coming up!

Love's Bakery... and Hyori?

Yes, that's a Love's Bakery truck that Hyori, a Korean popstar, is sitting on.

I still remember the scent of their fresh baked bread from the Kalihi off-ramp... wonderful how you could smell it from your car even with the windows rolled up while driving by.

Hyori's promo folks probably thought the Love's logo was cute. Maybe they could do some joint marketing, perhaps a full page color spread in the Honolulu Advertiser: "Buy a loaf of bread and win a chance to meet Hyori!" (I'm only half kidding - Hawaii people are pretty Hallyu-crazy. Korean pop-duo Fly to the Sky even held a concert there this Feb.)

As we get older...

As we get older, life inevitably changes, and things that come with age seemingly creep up from behind
Whether good or bad, wanted or avoided
A lot's happened over the past minutes, past hours, past days, past weeks
I still believe that everything happens for a reason
Even if we don't know or can't explain why in the present time
That's the vaguest way to summarize it
But the best way I know how to at this point
First, to my family and friends
You already know it, but I'll say it, type it out loud anyhow
I love you and miss you and while distance might complicate things on the surface
I'm always here for you
You have my gratitude, thoughts, and prayers, more than you probably realize

Also, I just want to blogument some happy news and congrats, albeit a bit belated... Jihey on your graduation (I'm so proud ^^) and Ro on your engagement...

Fishies and hofs

The lovely Malesa & Tim are in town.



Wanting to show them a "typical" hof experience (after a proper dak kalbi introduction), we stopped by a place that was a little too nice to convey the normal hof-like atmosphere - i.e. it was very clean, relatively quiet, well air-conditioned, and they were constantly giving us free food, haha. Unfortunately I don't remember the name of the place, but it's in the same building as Sweets Cafe and the mini video game arcade in Sinchon. (I wouldn't mind checking it out again, thanks to Anna for the rec. ^^)



Completely stuffed, we forged on - troopers that we are - to a random wooden hof nearby. Aha! Watered down beer pitchers, lingering cigarette smells, stale cereal, and yummy kimchee pajun - we found what we were looking for! ; )



And some other adventures told in pictures...
*Edit: I just realized I obviously can't spell "building" as you might notice in the collages below, but I'm too lazy to do anything about it so let's just move on. : )













More on the 63 Building (육삼빌딩) at http://www.63.co.kr/home/63CITY/main.jsp

Myeongdong Gyoza

Last year while on vacation and in search of dinner in Myeongdong, my family and I followed the crowd and decided to dine at the line-out-the-door Myeongdong Gyoza (명동 교자).

Myeongdong Gyoza has but 4 items on its menu (all pictured below): 칼국수/kalguksu (wheat flour noodles in a hot broth), 비빔국수/bibimguksu (cold noodles mixed in a spicy sauce), 만두/mandoo (gyoza/dumplings), and 콩국수/kongguksu (noodles in a cold, creamy soy-based soup).



(The photo above was taken in September of last year, and it pretty much looks/tastes the same now. A+ for consistency!^^)

Like the menu, service is simple and to the point - get a seat, order your meal, pay the waitresses up front, and dig in. Nothing more, nothing less.

Kimchi is the only "extra" you'll get at Myeongdong Gyoza. Good stuff, and on the extra spicy side. I saw plenty of people getting refills (including us)!



It wasn't until tonight that I had the opportunity to visit again, as I was really craving kongguksu - it's such a refreshing and hearty dish that always leaves me feeling satisfied.



Jihee had the mandoo, which I hear is excellent. (I don't eat beef/pork, but I cheated a bit and ate the mandoo pi (wrapper) which was perfectly cooked.)



You really can't go wrong here.

Unlike our lunch from a random basement restaurant near Ehwa Women's Uni.

Note to self:

• Do not wander into random basement restaurants, especially if they're empty. There's a reason they're empty.
  
• Curry and ddeok don't make such a happy couple.
  

WormaWorma... I mean, WaraWara

After eating various versions of my homemade juk (and packaged oatmeal) for what seemed like an eternity...



...I finally took a shot at having "real food" in light doses this weekend.

WaraWara semi-recently opened a branch in Sinchon which Jihee and I checked out last night. Located on the 4th and 5th floors (in the same building as Nolita and across the street from Baskin-Robbins), the view's not so bad...



On a Saturday night in Sinchon, you can expect most decent places to be pretty crowded, so while waiting nearly 20 min for a table, the WaraWara staff kindly gave us some goguma (sweet potato) sticks to munch on.

We opted to start with the "popular" honey mustard chicken salad...



Unfortunately I can't tell you how it tastes, as Jihee soon found a little worm hanging out with the lettuce. Our waitress was a little too nonchalant about the discovery which led to a sneaking suspicion that she might just throw out the bug, and give us the same salad...

So we decided to order something cooked instead - teriyaki chicken - which was comped.



I asked Jihee what she thought, and her immediate response was, "Well...it's a good thing it's free."

I liken WaraWara's teriyaki chicken to stereotypical bad Chinese takeout, meaning it tastes better when eaten cooled down or refrigerated.

The worm had made quite an impression on us and we couldn't really get over him...



So our meal was a bit short lived.

Fortunately, it wasn't all bad. The pineapple-ju was a lot of fun. I'm a sucker for things served in fruit, I guess.



WaraWara gets a solid "mediocre" since I'm feeling generous, but I'm sure it's a fun place to go in a group.

PS. I realize I haven't made a label for Sinchon (the place I probably frequent most often by default) until now. Whoops, slipped the radar!

Photo booth fun

The one thing I regret from MC's visit was not making a trip to an Asian photo booth store, or whatever they're called these days...



As you can tell, we're photo booth amateurs. It takes a bit of getting used to.

A few notes:

• It usually costs around $5 or $6.
• If coating and cutting aren't included in the price, make sure to get it b/c it's worth the extra 50 cents!
• Pick a good machine - they've all got their different personalities - different camera angles, lighting, backgrounds, layouts, editing functions, etc.
• Make use of the props!
  
• Watch the ticking clock - there never seems to be enough time to design and decorate!
• The more junk you throw on the picture, the better.
  

We clearly weren't satisfied with attempt #1 so we decided to go back again. ^^



It's a little addicting, I have to admit. ^^

Juk - C style

Much to my disappointment, my local Bon Juk (본죽) doesn't deliver.

So I had to take things into my own hands...



I cheated and used leftover rice. 45 minutes later, I ended up with this, and decided to throw a fried egg white on top. Why? Because I have nothing else in my fridge (besides my aunt's super-spicy kimchi), and I double-dog-dared my tummy to handle it.

Since I can now tolerate semi-solids (perfect timing for Malesa and Tim's arrival!), I figured I'd start the backlogged food posts from MC's trip... By the way, he mentioned gaining 6 pounds from Korea - I don't even want to think of the damage I did to myself! ㅠㅠ

Happy 4th

...of July!

To Grace, from the little guy

I still can't look at food.

But the good news is that I crawled my way to the pharmacy, which is thankfully literally down the stairs from my place (the trip still took the wind out of me), popped a bunch of pills, and I no longer feel like death. 2 cheers and a hip hip hoorah! Thanks also to MC who got a doc on the phone, the parents for yelling at me for not seeing someone sooner, and all the well wishes from my lovely friends and family, who I dearly dearly miss, especially in times like these. I'm still in "bed rest recovery mode" (and sitting at the computer when my back decides it wants to hit me over the head) so I don't think I'll be able to make it out of the house for another day or two, just because it's safer to have 5 second access to a toilet. Ooh, probably wayyy more than you wanted to know!

Anyway, sorry it took me so long to post this, but here's a little note to you, Grace, from the little guy.