Red pepper paste and amber soup

There is food program introducing local and folksy food per region touring different towns in SBS every saturday. Main presenter is famous singer, Yang Hee Eun.
She and other two staffs - one young lady and one young boy visited different towns, and they presented special menu based on local food stuff of each town.

This time, she showed red pepper paste and amber soup. Of course some oinions, some slices of tofu are put together. As it looked really yummy, I begged to my mother to make it. She put also some porks, and some kimchi also. It was so tasteful. Originally I do not like spicy food, however I could take much that exceptionally.

Tokyo Panya

I don't remember when, recently when I go to underground of department store, I wonder that here is Korea or Japan ? Of course, in variety sense, here is Korea. I like very much cakes and desserts like japanese people, and I regret that our dessert culture is not so much developped. However when we go to some bakery shops, cafeterias, that are spring up here and there, we can understand how western culture is bening introduced so much rapidly to our life.

Today in Hyundai Department store, I found a japanese bakery. Just before I read an article introduced through korea herald.
After trying to break into New York’s music scene for nearly four years, former punk band singer Fujiwara Yasuma laid his dreams to rest. This fujiwara yasuma opened this tokyo panya. I didn't know that last July, a bakery was opened near to hakdong station.

I bought some curry breads, melon breads, breads with strawberry red bean. In case of curry breads, taste and flavour of curry were stronger than curry croquette "Koroke" with less vegetable such as onion and carrots. Bread with strawberry red bean was a little sweet but taste was very different. It was the first time for me to have that taste. In comparison with normal sweet red bean, it gave difference.

In Hyundai department store, there were not many kinds of breads. Next time, I'll try to go to a bakery near to Hakdong.

New start

I had a lunch at New start, a restaurant specialized in fresh and natual vegetable foods. It was almost 6 or 7 years when I visited here with my friend. Frankly speaking, as interior and decoration were very humble and clumsy, I didn't like so much that restaurant. Besides it, although wellbeing became a moto for korean culture since a few years ago, organic or vegetarian restaurant or food were not well introduced yet. I just thought that almost all foods were very similar to one that I've been having at home.
Recently, a friend recommended me again this restaurant. When I had a meal with her, I discovered that foods were very neat and clean. Especially I like the most kimbap, tteokbokki(rice cakes in hot sauce), pumpkin porridge, and bread with special soy sauce + fresh jam.

Today I visited again that restaurant. Menu was very similar to previous time, however I enjoyed so much eating them.
As there are plentiful of healthy foods, there are many old peoples who gather to have a meal talking each other, or somtimes salary men who are working near to that restaurant.
For info., korean singer, tablo from epik high visited here also.

Sea Squirt bibim bap

Close to my office, I discovered a sign with restaurant specialized in Tongyeong in southern part of Korea. Although I have never been there, it was introduced through TV there are many restaurants and special foods such as sea squirt bibim bap. Yesterday when I arrived there, sea squirt bibim bap was sold out. Oh my god ! Contrary to my expectation, too many quests ordered that food. Today I challenged again. Yes, as soon as I entered the restaurant, serving lady greeted me saying that today we still have sea squirt.

Finally Sea squirt bibim bap was served. It's the first time for me to taste it. It was expected how taste it will be.
There were some green spourts, which seemed to me strange mixture with other vegetables and especially sea squirt ! Anyway, after putting some red chili-pepper paste with vinegar on the rice, I mixed with sea squirt and other vegetables. Taste ? It was so so. Frankly speaking, it was slightly salty.

This restaurant serves sides dishes such as stir-fried anchovies, etc. For the soup, sea mustard soup made of mussel.


Maybe I won't try again ^^

Toast made by clumsy lady

Recently, as I arrive at office very early in the morning, around 7:00 am, although I have a breakfast(very lightly), I feel hungry around 10:30.
Near to our office, there are two small simple stands selling toast and kimbap. I tried toasts from both stands, however one closer to our office offered better taste. For example, they put some cabbage on fried egg with vegetables before putting two sides of bread for toast. And their taste was simple, not salty. Another stand offered very salty toast without cabbage. Today I went to 1st stand to buy toast to satisfy my hunger, which later I'll feel definitively. However I was so disappointed. Actually,since a few days, that stand was kept closed. I supposed very easily they were on vacation. However today I could understand why stand was closed. When I ordered vegetable toast to a middle aged lady, I said her not to put mayonnaise sauce. It seemed to me that her face looked very unfamiliar. However as I couldn't exactly remember how her face was, I just believed that she was a right person who made toast in the past time. Her making toast seemed to me so unskilled. When she turned egg, she tried to turn it although one side of pourred egg was not yet cooked. She showed a few times of turning until finally pourred egg was cooked.
And in the intermediate time, she sprinkled a spoon of sugar. No way. I shout " why are you putting sugar ? " She tried to remove sugar, however sugar powered already was melted on the top of one side of pourred egg. Besides it, when she put sauce, she put also mustard. i.e, she mixed some kechup and mustard sauce. No way.
As I saw everything how she made the toast, frankly speaking, I lost my appetite. In spite of it, I expected that maybe taste could be contrary to her skill. Yes, my expectation was wrong. Toast was not so much tasty.
Ah, from tomorrow, where do I buy toast ? How may I satisfy my hunger ? With what ?

Cold kalguksu and dumpling

For me who is working close to Yeok sam station, something has me worried these days. As I do not know well this area, every lunch time,I should think of where I should have lunch, what good menu will be for today, etc.
Today, I got internet's help. I searched tasty restaurants in Yeok sam. I found two candidates to visit, however although I walked aroung as per introduction of blogger, I couldn't find one of them.
As it was already closer to 1 o'clock, I had to select any restaurant.
Today's menu was kalguksu, handmade chopped nooddles. As I chose that restaurant without any beforehand information, it was like a challange !
When I was about to order, one special menu stroke my eye. What ? Cold kalguksu and dumpling. I have never had cold one !

Actually it was very pleasant experience of tasting new menu. It was quite tasty. That restaurant only use local natural and fresh farm products with a name of farmer, which gives much confidence to customers.
3 big size dumplings and some kalguksu. Some chopped kimchi and slices of radish were garnished. Personally, I didn't like so much these kimch and radish, because I don't like so much mixes. I believe that in general mixes of different dishes spoil ratherly our appetite. Except bibimbap or salad, I do not like so much mixes.
Anyhow, in the midsummer, I could be happy at a special soup of cold dish. I wanna go one more time.

Untasty ice caffee latte

I don't know since when I addicted to coffee. When I stayed in Ireland, I loved so much americano. Whenever I took train or waited for somebody at meeting place, I drank always americano. However, when I came back to Korea, I discovered that I did not like any more americano, instead, I preferred to drink caffe latte.
It's not easy to find good coffee shop in Seoul where big coffee makers like Starbucks, Coffee bean are flourshing.

By chance, I came to know gloria jeans. After taking their caffe latte, I became a big fan of their coffee(however in comparison with starbucks and coffee bean, we can find them here and there)

This morning, the heat is in full swing just passing second of the three dog days called as Jung Bok, I couldn't bear the heat so I entered Coffee bean asking ice caffe latte. Oh dear ! I regretted having ordered caffe latte without any confidence in them. They pourred so much milk into caffe latte. I could just taste milk, oily taste ! I left some time until ice was melted a little to dilute milk.
What I do hate is to drink untasteful coffee. If I ordered hot coffee, coffee should be very hot, not tepid. In case of gloria jeans, their caffe latte is very strong although they put some milk. In my case, I asked them to reduce quantity of milk, if possible to have stronger coffee.

Anyhow, I was so much disappointed at careless varistor who doesn't understand how much important role they are playing and what their responsibility for coffee mania as varisor, who wants to start a day with fresh mind is.

PS : In spite of it, I think that coffee bean is a little better than starbucks.
I like greeny interior and atmospher in Starbucks, not coffee ! Sorry for that .