During my first week in Seoul I felt like I was getting sick because of my crazy schedule and the time change. Luckily I discovered one of the healthiest drinks I have ever tasted just one block from my office. This drink seriously cured me while I was sick, and prevented me from getting sick when I felt some sinusitis symptoms!
One women owns a small little storefront on the main street food section of Jongno. Sitting outside her shop, you can see big aloe plants which she uses in her smoothies. The 3,000 won smoothie consists of fresh aloe plant, soy milk, banana milk, and a kiwi. The 4,000 smoothie is exactly the same but comes with fresh ground up ginseng.
The drink tastes very cool and soothing because of the aloe, while it is bitter from the ginseng and sour from the kiwi. The first time I had a sip I thought "well this taste healthy!" So yes, it is definitely an acquired taste. There is no ice blended in the smoothie, so it needs to be gulped down quickly while it is fresh. But the light taste is not hard to bear; each time I order the smoothie I finish it within the two or three minutes it takes to get to my apartment.
The only weird thing about this amazing smoothie is that you can buy cigarettes from the same women! Like most things I have discovered in Korea, this healthy cigarette selling smoothie shop is a complete oxymoron! Clearly the women wants to encourage people to buy healthy drinks and lead a healthy lifestyle. She wouldn't have fresh aloe in her smoothies otherwise. However, I guess her smoothies haven't caught on with very many of the ajashis (old men) in the area, so she sells cigarettes on the side to survive!
Directions to the aloe smoothie lady: Take exit 1 of the Jongno 3 Sam-ga subway stop and turn right at the Skin Food on the first corner. Walk down the street about one minute and you will see the ladies aloe plants and shop on the left hand side.
If you have any questions or comments about "Ginseng aloe smoothies and cigarettes anyone?" please leave them in the comment box below or send an email to seoulfoodgirl@gmail.com.
The doughnut couple in Jongno bake fresh doughnuts and red bean fish shaped cakes all day long. I call them the doughnut couple because the food stand is run by a cute old man and woman.
There are plenty of doughnut shops around Seoul, but I like this stand because they always have fresh doughnuts. Chances are when you walk by there will be doughnuts cooking away in the pot of oil. This ensures that you will almost never get a cold doughnut. They start baking early in the morning at around 5 am and continue throughout the day until around 4pm. Usually the couple just has you leave money on the counter. This is because they are rolling dough and filling it with red bean and don't want to get their hands dirty.
The doughnut couple makes several types of doughnuts. My favorite is the round sugar dusted doughnut filled with red bean. The outside is flaky and crispy while the inside is gooey with red bean. The twisted doughnuts are flaky and do not taste very sweet. Each doughnut costs a whopping 500 won, or about 50 cents.
Directions: The doughnut couple can be found on the corner directly across the street from the Jongno 3 Sam-ga exit 5.
If you have any questions or comments about the doughnut couple in Jongno please leave them in the comment box below or email seoulfoodgirl@gmail.com.
Everyone in Seoul knows that the historic area of Jongno is home to hundred of street food stands. Of course there is street food throughout Korea, but Jongno has the most variety from standard Korean soju tents, to doughnuts and waffles.
So what is street food? Basically street food is anything sold from a little stand on the sidewalk. Most of them are big and have wheels so that they can be moved. They vary in size, some are large enough to have people sit down inside of a plastic-like awning, and others simply provide shelter for the cook. These stalls are pretty much mini kitchens on wheels.
Everyday on my walk to work in Jongno, I see street carts being pushed out to their designated spots on the sidewalk. Some stands are open all day, and others open later in the evening to serve the soju crowd. The best time to go street food tasting is on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. On these nights every street food stand will be cooking the night away in Jongno.
Most of these stands are affordable such as 500 won doughnuts. But others such as tempura prawns can run you 5,000 won for 3 pieces. The best thing to do when hunting out street food is to start slow and work your way in a circle around the street. This way you get the chance to see everyone's prices and can choose wisely before getting too full!
Directions to "street food heaven" in Jongno- Simply exit number 1 of Jongno 3 sam-ga and turn right at the Skin Food just past the Mc Donald's (on your right hand side). This street will take you past numerous street food vendors and straight into Insadong.
If you have any questions or comments about "Introduction to street food" please leave them in the comment box below or email seoulfoodgirl@gmail.com.
Yes, Tomatillo imports Mexican beer and tequila to Seoul!
The food that Americans miss most while traveling and living abroad is Mexican. Whether its the fresh avocados and melted cheese, or carne asada, burritos are a significant portion of any Californian's diet. That's why when I passed Tomatillo across the street from Jongno Tower, I immediately freaked out and ordered a burrito within a matter of seconds.
Tomatillo is pretty much like the American standards of Chipotle. The set up is exactly the same with a basic menu of a burrito, taco, tostada, and quesadilla. Picking your meat, tortilla, and your toppings comes first and then you can watch the workers prepare your food in the open kitchen area.
The quality is pretty decent considering that tortillas and real cheese are hard to come by in Korea. For my first Mexican experience in Seoul I would rate this a 5 out of 5. The food came out fast and was sizzling on my plate.
The prices are cheap which reflects the simple atmosphere. A burrito costs 6,800 and comes with a tortilla, meat, rice, beans, lettuce, cheese, onions, cilantro, sour cream, and hot sauce. The most expensive item on the menu is the Steak Nacho Grande which runs at 9,000. There are great sides such as tortilla soup, chips and salsa, and chocolate churros to get as much "beaner" in you as possible. There is even imported Mexican beer, margaritas, and shots of tequila (Jose Cuervo)!
Recently, there is a breakfast menu for those that can't wait until lunch to get their Mexican fix. The newest addition is the breakfast burrito set which includes a 9.5'' breakfast burrito stuffed with egg, bacon, and potato with your choice of milk or coffee.
Overall, Tomatillo is one of the most consistently fresh Mexican restaurant's in Seoul. Their hours vary by location. Check out their new English website at http://www.tomatillo.co.kr.
If you have any questions or comments about Tomatillo Mexican Restaurant please leave them in the comment box below or email seoulfoodgirl@gmail.com.
Itaewon is not one of my favorite spots in Seoul, mainly because there are so many foreigners that you forget you're still in Korea. However, if you are really craving some great drinks The Bungalow is the place to go.
From Piña Coladas, to sex on the beach, and fresh margaritas this place has it all. Most of the cocktails cost between $8 and $10, so plan on spending some money here. I was surprised at how amazing and frothy the Piña Colada was. Having been to Mexico over thirty times I am pretty picky when it comes to the Piña. The drink was served with a fresh piece of pineapple and had plenty of rum.
Avoid drinks that sound too fruity, especially the long island ice tea. Although they have a decent amount of alcohol, they will leave you with a sugar buzz that will make you crash. There also great side dishes that are pretty reasonable. For $13 you can order a huge club sandwich with french fries. I haven't seen a club sandwich anywhere else in Seoul, so take full advantage of their menu! The ambiance of this lounge is one of the main reasons to give Itaewon a shot. There are several rooms throughout the restaurant and some of them include a sandy floor! There is no better way to enjoy the beach then by sitting in an over-sized swing with a drink in your hand. The largest room also has many colorful chandeliers and a dingy red and green wall which actually reminds me of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Want some privacy? Request to be seated in one of the apartment style rooms and you will feel right at home. The dim lighting and many candles throughout the rooms provide a casual and chill environment.
The excitement isn't over yet, there is actually a jacuzzi resting at the top of The Bungalow's steps! Apparently during the colder months a few brave souls will hop in and enjoy the tropical atmosphere even further.
Directions to The Bungalow Tropical Lounge- From Itaewon subway station take exit 2 and turn left, take your first right at the main street full of restaurants, walk straight and Bungalow is on your left.
If you have any questions or comments about The Bungalow please leave them in the comment box below!
Isaac's special toast is so popular in Korea that it is now available in Los Angles.
Koreans say toast, we say sandwich. There's nothing like a good old fashioned sandwich, but unfortunately I discovered that the closest thing to a western sandwich in Seoul is Subway.
Luckily, a Korean woman who founded Isaac in 1995 created what I like to call a "Korean Sandwich" and my students like to call "toast."
During my first week of work in Korea, I noticed a steady crowd eating at Isaac which is adjacent to my companies building. A week later I gave in and finally decided to try the "toast" after many of my students recommended it to me. At a first glance, Isaac toast looked totally unappealing. Who would want egg, cabbage, pickles, and some sort of processed ham slapped between two garlic buttered pieces of toast? But right after my first bite of "Isaac special toast" I realized what all my students had been raving about! The outside of the toast is buttery and warm which compliments the crunchy pickles and cabbage inside. The toast is a sweet delight complimented by a tangy saltiness added by the ham and pickles.
After doing a little research I learned that Isaac truly is a special company. According to the English version of the company website www.isaactoast.com, an old Korean woman opened a sandwich shop to make ends meet when her husband was diagnosed with a severe health condition. This woman has gone a long way from her small street food stall outside of Chungjoo University in Seoul, to a major franchise in Korea and a new location in Los Angeles California.
Isaac's staff is always outrageously happy. They certainly stay true to the Isaac mission: "We're happy to make you happy!" Last week there was a women from Issac depositing wads of cash at the bank. I pointed at her Isaac apron and gave her a thumbs up and in return she laughed and mumbled a bunch of Korean words back. The amount of money she was depositing at the bank was surprising to me because the most expensive sandwich on the menu costs only 2,300 won or around $2!
To find an Isaac near you visit the Korean website at http://www.isaac-toast.co.kr/# or visit their location in Los Angeles, CA near UCLA in Westwood.
If you have any questions or comments about Isaac please leave them in the comment box below!
Everything in the picture above is virtually impossible to find in Korea or costs up to five times as much as you would pay back home.
During my first two months in Korea I discovered that some of my favorite food staples were either just way too much to purchase, or were nowhere to be found. At my local grocery store Lemon Mart, a small jar of honey starts at $15 and goes up to about $45 for a larger jar. Baking soda might be found in the bottom of an abyss somewhere in Seoul. There is no way that all the bakeries in town are substituting baking powder for their cookies instead. But even at the bakers district located near Jongno 5 there was none to be found. As for the Quaker, don't even think about him.
If you are thinking about baking your own homemade cookies or cakes in Korea, finding ingredients might be a challenge. Simply bring along some baking soda and vanilla before you come, or have someone send them to you from home. The good thing about these two ingredients is that a little goes a long way and they won't take up your entire suitcase or package.
Thankfully my loving mother sent me a package full of goodies. There is nothing else that reminds you of home better than a processed heaven like Sno-balls or an Oatmeal Creme Pie. Korea does have affordable American candy bars such as Snickers and Twix. But thanks anyway Mom for the huge assortment of Halloween Candy!
If you have any questions or comments about "What i should have brought to Korea" please leave them in the box below!
