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.

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.

 

Taco Chilli Chilli

It was a lazy Sunday afternoon with the girls browsing the markets in Dongdaemun and we needed a quick fix.  Apart from street food in this area, restaurants appear to be the standard small Korean ones that don’t have huge variation and we were looking for something more western.

Taco Chilli Chilli is located in a central spot in Dongdaemun. On the exterior, apart from the name it looks like one of the traditional looking Korean tented buildings for cheap eats. However as soon as you walk in, the smell of fresh Mexican food invades your nostrils.

It’s a simple menu, burritos, enchiladas and nachos. I opted for the chicken burrito. It was cheap and tasty and even had some fresh coriander (something that is hard to come by here when outside Itaewon).

I recommend this place for a quick bite when you’re not stopping for long. It has no atmosphere and certainly isn’t a place to sit in all evening. However, it is tasty and for a Korean Mexican eatery, it hit the spot.

Getting There: 

Take the subway to Dongdaemun Station. Take exit 6 or 7 (7 is closest, but the station can be a little confusing). Walk straight until you cross the river (1 -2 minutes through a market area). Once you cross the river, cross the road and it’s pretty much right in front of you. (Red frontage and the name is above it).

Battered Sole

I was craving real fish and chips this weekend and a friend from Manchester told me about this place called Battered Sole in Sinchon he wanted to try. It’s got English management and I heard they even served mushy peas!

I tried to go last weekend on a Sunday but it was closed… So after a trip to Everland three of us headed back to Sinchon on a Saturday to try a second time and success, it was open.

The prices were extremely reasonable and they even had draught Guinness that was pretty good (from an Irish perspective). The mushy peas were great and it was served with tartare sauce, vinegar and Heinz ketchup to boot. They had a selection of sausages and not being a fan of Korean sausage I had to try an original pork sausage which was really tasty too.

Something to Note: Opening hours appear to vary so best to check in advance if possible: (‬02‭) ‬322-8101

Website: http://www.batteredsole.com

Getting There: 

By Subway: Sinchon Stop (inner circle line beside Hongik University stop) Exit 2.

Walk straight until you come to a cross roads and keep going straight. It’s the second left turn and one block down on your right just beyond the next minor junction  after  a GS25 which you can see from the main street.

DakGalbi Street, Chuncheon

So apparently the delicious Dakgalbi (Korean bbq’d chicken) originated from a city to the north east of Guri called Chuncheon. We took the ITX up from Yongsan on Saturday to go to the well known DakGalbi Street itself that is a small minor street just off the main shopping thoroughfare and it’s just galbi restaurant after galbi restaurant. We didn’t have a particular one in mind so popped into one right opposite the above photo.

It was incredibly tasty but not sure whether we’d venture up there a second time just for galbi as it took an hour an a half on the ITX train and all the shops there are the same as everywhere else.

It is fun to do an afternoon trip up there though and the views from the train were great. Don’t let the touristy picture above put you off either! We were the only waygooks  (foreigners) around that we could see.

Getting there: From Seoul: Get the ITX from Yongsan to Chuncheon,(W6900). It’s the last stop and takes about 90 minutes. It’s walking distance (about ten minutes from the station). If you can’t find it, ask somebody for “DakGalbi Street”.