Seeing Green

King Pin

There are street games of the smash-10-roof-shingles-with-one-punch or pop-8-balloons-with-8-darts variety just about everywhere you go on a Seoul weekend night. The prizes are usually stuffed animal dolls or furry socks.

After leaving a seafood and soju dinner in Hongdae, I was gifted with this little animal.

Really cute, right? The person who smashed the roof shingles for him named this little guy King Pin. Or King Peen. I can’t be sure, especially with that accent.

Fat Girl Cravings

Once a month, I let myself eat every “good-bad” food I’m craving.

It helps me battle being a woman, and the annoying issues that come with it. A lot of people I know have said chocolate is their once a month craving, but mine are in the grilled cheese, pizza, and fried chicken area.

Today, all I could think about were french fries and pot pie. I don’t have pot pie (or an oven) here, so french fries would have to do.

one small potato

One humble potato, frying pan, olive oil, sea salt and black pepper shower later…

I love my fries with ketchup, mayo, and hot sauce. I know it sounds bizarre, but it’s awesome.

And this, is how I almost forgot that my monthly friend decided to show up during my one week of vacation. Cheers!

Lunar New Year

I was awoken early on the morning of the Lunar New Year with a big thermos of dduk gook, and a nice basket of other edible goodies. Oh and I got New Year’s money! I thought I was too old for that, but apparently in Korea, if you’re not married, you’re still a child.

glass noodle stir fry. japchae

Rice cake soup. So comforting.

Homemade kimchi.

steamed sweet potatoes

And big, round, ripe, sweet, juicy...Korean pears. Love.

Happy Lunar New Year!

Jenny’s Bread Cafe

I posted about this restaurant/bakery/cafe/wine and cheese bar last summer. It has always been on my I-have-to-go-back list since then, and I’m sorry to report that it was disappointing the second time around. Hate it when that happens.

The butternut squash soup was just as perfect as I had remembered, the croutons were on point. But my prosciutto sandwich had one puny piece of prosciutto in it. My potatoes were overdone, and the pickled vegetable side dish that comes with was too vinegary. I was sad, not only because the place wasn’t as I recalled, but because I trekked 3kilometers around the residential area of Hongdae in 5 inch stiletto boots searching for the restaurant. Which is entirely my fault, but still. The tiramisu was lovely. They sliced it in half (like a sandwich?) and served it, which I found unusual…But it tasted fantastic so I was happy.

This is a place popular for their breads/sandwiches, which is why I’m sad that their soups/desserts were head and shoulders above their sandwiches in taste and quality. Maybe they ran out of prosciutto while making my sammy.

Butternut squash soup. Still tasty.

My sad, nearly empty sandwich.

Tiramisu