Tom Kha Gai Soup

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 1 Tin Coconut Milk
• 2 Salmon Fillets or Chicken Breasts – both diced
• 1 Tbsp Fish Sauce
• 6 Lime Leaves
• Juice of 1 Lime
• 2 Sticks Lemongrass, (peel outer sheath and chop them into 3)
• 6 Slices Galangal Root
• 6 regular sized button/white mushrooms, halved (or 12 mini button mushrooms)
• A dozen or so cherry tomatoes (kept whole)
• 1 red chilli, sliced.
• Fresh Coriander (cilantro) chopped 2/3 tablespoons

Please note* If you are reading this from Korea, I obtained the coconut milk, lemongrass, fish sauce, coriander & galangal root  from Itaewon’s Foreign Food Market and  the lime leaves were from High Street Store. 

Method

1. Empty the tin of coconut milk into a medium sized saucepan.
2. Add 3/4 tin of water.
3. Add 1 Tbsp Fish Sauce, Lime Leaves, Lemongrass, Galangal Root and Mushrooms.
4. Bring the contents to the boil.
5. Add the Salmon/Chicken (chicken will take longer) – continue to boil until it is cooked (a couple of minutes).
6. Reduce the heat and add the chilli, tomatoes.
7. Simmer for 5/10 minutes, the longer it simmers, the spicier the soup will get.
8. Finally, stir in the lime juice and sprinkle the coriander generously over the top.

*This is nice with pumpkin seed bread (freshly baked) or by itself as it is quite filling.

Big Buddha Restaurant

Before I came to Korea, I assumed that Asian foods would be the easiest to find here, what with being in Asia. However, I found a lot of the key ingredients to a lot of Thai meals such as lemongrass, limes, galangal and coriander are generally non existent in most supermarkets. I had been craving Thai food and had heard about Big Buddha in Itaewon. It certainly did not disappoint.

Like most foreign restaurants, I expected the prices to be at the higher end. Apart from the drinks menu, all of the dishes were very reasonably priced and the dishes we had were packed full of flavour. Although the drinks were expensive, they were delicious.

I was a little disappointed that my Phad Thai didn’t come with the usual wedge of lime, but it was still really tasty. I tried the Tom Kha Gai soup and it tasted exactly how I remembered it and didn’t appear to be missing any key ingredients. For those of you who are fans of this coconut soup, I shall be posting the recipe here soon.

Getting There:

Subway to Noksapyong exit 3. Cross over the road and walk towards the main strip of Itaewon. There is a sharp left up a steepish hill and it’s just at the top of it. (Less than 1 min from the turn).

The Brooklyn Burger Joint, Seoul

I have been meaning to do a write up on this place for a while now. But the good news for you all is that I’ve collected a few decent photos of the food to demonstrate just how awesome this place is.

For those of you who live in Seoul, you will know that a decent burger is not a culinary forte here. When I heard that there were not just decent but excellent burgers to be had at the Brooklyn Burger Joint, I had to try for myself even though I was skeptical at first.

The place is very small inside. When you first arrive, expect a reasonable volume of people milling around outside. There is a clipboard at the front door you MUST put your name down on, or you’ll be bypassed in the queue.

We’ve waited up to 45 minutes for a table so don’t arrive starving. There’s a coffee shop next door but it is on the pricey side even by Korean coffee shop standards.

“The Brooklyn Works” burger, chilli cheese fries and slaw

The food is well worth the wait. The burgers come in two sizes, both are more than enough. The chilli cheese fries have really tasty chilli and that gooey liquidy cheese that is oh so bad for you but oh so good!

The bacon was delicious and crispy and the burger buns were just like the ones from home.

As a dessert, the shakes are well, pretty amazing. I’ve had the burnt marshmallow one and it is a meal in itself. Perfect for sharing.

… as a MASSIVE Heinz fan… too cute

Slaw

Getting There:

Take the subway to Express Bus Terminal: Exit 5

Cross over the road and keep walking left along the main road. You will turn off the road after about 5 minutes. (You will walk past a biggish hotel) It is in a very quiet area so don’t be put off by the fact there is nothing around there. You pretty much walk straight until you see it just on the corner where there is the coffee shop I mentioned above. I marked it on the map so I hope you can find it.

Makgeolli Bread

It was a hungover Saturday and I was craving some bread. Unfortunately in Korea you just can’t get good unsweetened bread without seeking out specialist bakeries and spending over the odds.

I had some flour and a bottle of makgeolli and I decided to put the urban myth to the test by using a bottle of makgeolli as a yeast substitute.

Now unfortunately I didn’t weigh any of the ingredients but it’s not a big deal as all you want is the right consistency.

Ingredients

Rye Flour

Plain Flour

Half a bottle of Makgeolli

Sesame Seeds (couple of tablespoons)

Black pepper

Olive oil

Pumpkin seeds (optional)

Method

Firstly I used about 4 parts rye flour to 1 part plain flour (I did this to make the bread less dense). I mixed them in a bowl with a splash of salt and made a well in the centre. Gradually I poured in the makgeolli just stirring in the flour mixture gently trying to keep it as evenly mixed as possible. It’s always better to use less liquid initially as you can always add more. My loaf used just under half a bottle of makgeolli and it was a relatively small loaf.

You want the liquid to only just be able to absorb all the flour so it’s not runny or too sticky.

I then added a good few shakes of black pepper and a handful of sesame seeds,  dusted my hands with flour and kneaded the mixture together into a ball and pressed down on it gently to flatten it a little. (At this point if you are a fan of pumpkin seeds then add them too – I was all out at the time).

 

I had nowhere particularly warm so I used the top of my toaster oven to set the bowl down and covered it with a tea towel for 40 minutes. I was impatient but the longer you leave it the better it should rise.

​I put it in a baking dish on some baking paper and forked it a good few times on the surface. I spread about 2 teaspoons of olive oil over the top and sprinkled more sesame seeds over it. ​

​I baked it at 180 degrees Celsius for about 45 minutes, checking it with a knife after 30 minutes. (Be aware that if you make a larger loaf than mine it will need longer. When the bread is done, the underneath should sound hollow when you tap it and the knife should come out clear when you stick it in and out of the bread).

I really did rush this as I was impatient. Although it tasted fine there is definitely room for improvement, modifications and more patience!

At least you now have the bones of the recipe and if anyone makes it please let me know how you get on.

Quick Tip* I have read that it is important to use “fresh makgeolli” that expires within a couple of weeks of purchase because the yeast is active in it. I think most makgeolli is of that variety so just check the sell-by  before you pick it up.

On the Border

Mexican is probably my favourite cuisine which is why I have to do a write up about On the Border.

It’s definitely the most expensive Mexican restaurant I’ve found in Seoul but it’s also the tastiest one I’ve found. It’s located in the COEX Mall in the south of Seoul.

They make fresh salsa and guacamole and if you pay extra they’ll make the guacamole at your table. I think they used lemon instead of lime but it was still amazing and zingy.

The mains are incredibly generous, you certainly won’t be leaving hungry – more like unable to move. If you fancy a drink try the Coronaritas – they’re delicious and refreshing and pretty strong 🙂

Coronorita

Double Stuffed Quesadilla

Getting there:

 COEX MALL: Samseong Station (Seoul Subway Line 2), Exit 5 or 6.

 

The Palace Cafe (Themed Cafe)

 

Situated up a side street in Hongdae is the Palace Cafe. It’s quite an interesting Victorian themed cafe, filled with antiques and velvety furniture. I stopped by there one evening and enjoyed a really tasty Bailey’s coffee in a nice china teacup.

It’s quite large inside and it’s sort of like someone’s house as it is divided up into rooms both smoking and non-smoking. It’s has very low lighting and had soft music playing when I was there. Although the division into smaller rooms makes it seem  cramped, it still has a very intimate feel with a sense of privacy the way it is laid out.

 

I recommend this cafe for couples or a group of girls who fancy some afternoon tea and chats.

Getting there: 

Take Exit 9 at Honkik University. Take the next main left going uphill and cross over the road near the top of the hill and the map shows it’s exact location below. (It’s probably earlier to walk up to the next intersection and take a right as opposed to cutting through the lane ways unless you know where you’re going)

 

Thanks Nature Cafe (Sheep Cafe)

Less than ten minutes away on foot from Honkik University Subway stop lies the Thanks Nature Cafe. This is also known as the Sheep Cafe in Hongdae. It’s quite a small cafe and the entrance isn’t obvious as it is set downstairs off the main street. (See the map below).

They have lovely coffee, a selection of sparkling fruit ades and smoothies including a very moreish oreo smoothie.

They have two sheep that look well cared for by the owner who is constantly checking on them and petting them. The sheep really are the only novelty to this cafe but their outdoor area is quite pleasant with a tree reaching up to the ceiling and it has a nice relaxed atmosphere.

Getting there:

Take exit 9 at the Honkik Universitay subway stop.

Walk straight and take the next main left turn, the road has a gentle uphill incline and it’s not the easiest to spot but it’s signposted “Thanks Nature” and is downstairs off the main street.

The DMZ

I had a friend come to visit at the weekend so we took the opportunity to visit the DMZ. We took the Panmunjom Tour with TourDMZ.com.

Their pick -up point was at Lotte Hotel in Seoul at 11.00am on a Saturday. They briefed us on the bus about etiquette such as “no pointing” and not to talk to any North Koreans. We stopped for lunch close enough to the border and had bibimbap 

Firstly they drove us to the Freedom Bridge and then we passed two checkpoints to get inside the DMZ Area. We were then brought into a briefing room where we were given a rundown of the history of the DMZ which was short and relatively interesting.

The meeting room we were then brought into lies directly on the border of the two countries so technically you get to set foot in North Korea itself. It is heavily guarded but despite recent altercations between the two countries, there was no sense of danger whatsoever.

North Korea…

After the meeting room they took us on a short drive around the DMZ area pointing out various villages and border markers in the distance. A lot of photography is prohibited in certain areas so it’s something you wouldn’t get to see unless you actually go  yourself.

It felt like quite a long day, approximately 3 hours are spent on the bus but I’m glad I went and got to see what it was like. It’s unlikely the DMZ will be there forever so I’d certainly recommend Tour DMZ for bookings. They also stated that they’re the only tour group who take groups there on Saturdays so if it’s true then that’s something to take note of.

K2 Motel, Busan

It was the weekend of Buddha’s birthday and prices for everywhere seemed to double and in some cases treble for weekend rates.

We finally came across the K2 motel using agoda.com

On the Agoda website you can see all the themed rooms. We opted for a double deluxe as it was only an extra W10,000 a night and it included a jacuzzi tub.

The room was really clean, with a huge TV and PC and the TV had a USB slot so we could watch our own movies on it.

I’m definitely going to continue to opt for motels over hotels in the future. Apart from the seedy reputation, these rooms are about a third of the price of a hotel and far more entertaining!

Getting There: 

We took the KTX to Busan Station and from there the orange line north to Beomnaegol Station. Exit 7 and it’s right around the corner.

Gonjiam Psychiatric Hospital (정신병원 곤지암 )

I stumbled across this place when I was looking for interesting places to visit in Korea. It came up on CNN’s most scariest places on earth list. Being a huge fan of American Horror Story’s “Asylum”, I had to try and visit this place that technically isn’t a tourist attraction.

Gonjiam Psychiatric Hospital supposedly closed down suddenly around 1996 when people started dying mysteriously. The owner abandoned the place and apparently went to America, leaving the place as it was.

After a lot of Google mapping and searching on Naver.com, I found the location of the hospital. Unfortunately it is totally closed off to the public, with a large amount of barbed wire around it and signs discouraging people from entering.

There really is an eerie feel to the place, even though apparently several people visit this place each year to take a look and there’s plenty of evidence of that with graffiti and broken windows. However, a large amount of furniture and bits and pieces are still strewn about the place which does give a hint of what the place used to be like almost twenty years ago.

An old lab coat propped up on something.

Getting There: 

The 1113-1 bus goes from Seoul and the stops are marked on the map below. It goes directly to Gonjiam,  It’s a  ten – fifteen minute walk just outside the town Gonjiam.

Please note that this is not a tourist attraction.