June 1, 2013

Donburi (돈부리) – Japanese Rice Bowl

Donburi is a Japanese rice bowl topped with fried vegetables and protein. So naturally a restaurant named Donburi is going to be famous for its Donburi dish. Since Giin is a Donburi fiend, she finally convinced my impatient self to wait in line with her for a bowl. So now you know. This is one of those places with long lines.

But fret not, fellow hungry people. The guys who work here have got it figured out. The line moved quicker than I thought it would. An employee went along the line giving out menus and taking orders, and even directed the traffic to fit as many strangers as possible under the heat lamp. Finally we were ushered into the tiny 2-person indoor waiting area and then to our seats. From line to seat – 20 minutes. Not too bad.


This place is fast-paced. Efficient. Small. As soon as we were seated, the food we had ordered in line was placed in front of our hungry faces. Steaming vegetables over a big-ass bowl of rice. Apparently the customer favorites are the Katsudon (pork) and Unagidon (eel). As far as alcohol goes, Japanese beer only, probably to keep the eaters rotating and the lingering drinkers out.

I ordered the Chicken Katsudon and Giin ordered the Mixed, with shrimp and pork. Both dishes were seasoned exactly the same, with crisp breading around the proteins. The other half of the dish, the rice, was also perfectly cooked. Great. The side dishes were simple and fresh. Awesome.

Okay. I have a confession. Thus far, I have found Donburi in Korea to be overly sweet and salty. I have some major gripes with sugar mixed in with savory foods. Isn’t sugar supposed to be added to eliminate over-salting?! I had hoped that Donburi would justify my dissatisfaction with Donburi in Korea, but it didn’t. (While we’re on this topic: Does anybody know a good Pho place around here? With Sriracha. Why don’t Koreans eat their Pho with Sriracha?!) Back to Donburi: regardless, I am going to give this place a blue pin of superiority because the dish was still tastier than any other Donburi I’ve had in Korea and everyone seems to love it.

Mixed Katsudon (Shrimp and Pork) 8,000₩

Chicken Katsudon 7,000₩


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Conclusion
The best Donburi I’ve found in Korea. Efficient, friendly service. Food, fresh and hot, sweet and salty, crispy and soft! Good vibes all around. It’s no secret though so expect a wait.

English Name: Donburi
Korean Name: 돈부리
English Address: 366-18, Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Korean Address: 서울시 마포구 서교동 366-18
Phone Number: 02-3141-8398
Website: www.hddonburi.com
Hours: 11:30-14:30 & 15:30-22:00
Price: 15,000₩ for 2.

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Posted in: Hongdae 홍대, Japanese
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June 1, 2013

Bong Chu Andong Jjimdak (봉추안동찜닭)

Andong Jjimdak is a spicy dish of broiled chicken, vegetables, and clear cellophane noodles, with a soy sauce base. Apparently it originated in Andong City. It’s quite a simple recipe really, but each place that serves it differs the in amount of spice, soy sauce, and quality of chicken.

Bong Chu Jjimdak is my favorite spot for Jjimdak, and its popularity is clear by its over 10 locations throughout seoul. Just type “Bong Chu, Seoul” or “봉추찜닭, 서울” into Google Maps and it’s easy to find. I’ve been to the locations in Hongdae, Gangnam, and Anam, and they’ve all been consistently delicious. As you can see in the pictures below, a line forms during peak hours. The chicken is juicy, the vegetables and noodles aren’t nuked, and the sauce is very spicy – as i like it.

The only downside of Jjimdak that I can think of is that I find the flavor monotonous. Just like with 닭갈비 (Dak Galbi), I tire of eating the same flavor over and over. But that’s not this restaurant’s, or the dish’s fault, and I seem to be the only one suffering from monoflavor syndrome. To help with this though the dish is served with a tart radish side dish and drink that cuts/aleves the spice and salt.

The price is around 10,000-12,000KRW per person.

There are many locations throughout Seoul. Type in “봉추찜닭, 서울” into Google Maps to find them.


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Posted in: Korean, Many Many Locations
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June 1, 2013

May Bell Bakery (메이벨 베이커리오월의종). Warm Smiles and Warm Bread

Quant, friendly, and warm are all adjectives I thought I’d never use to describe anything in Itaewon. But lo and behold, miracles do happen. May Bell Bakery is a small local bakery pulled out of some romantic European movie. All romantic scenes are somewhere in Europe right? There’s not much to say about this place so I’ll keep the words short and the pictures big.

Put your preconceived, Paris Baguette tainted impressions of Korean bakeries away. The owner (I’m pretty sure), a super friendly, smiling old man, greets you at the door, recommends bread, and cuts it all for you. There’s nothing here with sausage or cheese. It’s an classic bakery with classic ingredients and classic (very reasonable) prices. The friendly owner even let me behind the counter for a couple shots and threw in a couple extra raisin bread sticks for no reason. I was inclined to think this a benefit of being a blogger, but my girlfriend told me that the last time she was here they were sold out of most of their bread by about 3:00pm and the owner gave her some free bread just for the inconvenience. 10 star service. Also note that because of their popularity try to come in the morning.

This time we had the Cranberry Walnut bread for 3,000won, and one other, unfortunately I ate it before remembering the name. :/ Sorry. Here are the pictures. Enjoy!



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737-2 Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
South Korea
02-792-5561

The Rundown
A very very classy bakery. No cheese, no sausages. Just great bread and great service. Go before 3:00pm or they may be sold out.

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Posted in: Bakery, Hannam-dong 한남동, Itaewon 이태원
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June 1, 2013

Maple Tree House – 단풍나무집

As you’ve probably noticed, I like simple places. Usually, the less items the better. Fewer choices and a large crowd tend to indicate that the restaurant got something right and sticks with what they do best. Maple Tree House simply serves high quality meat with a few sides to complement. Perfect.

First of all the interior is sexy and feels very new and modern – it fits the price point. Also the Itaewon and Insadong locations opened less than a year ago, which hasn’t been enough time for dust and spider webs to accumulate. The tables are a nice polished brass, with polished brass ventilators hanging from the ceiling. And the Itaewon location may has a ridiculously enormous door. The only things out of place are the cheap looking plastic chairs. At least they’re black and keep a low profile.

Entrance to Samcheong-dong location

Entrance to Itaewon location

Premium Korean Beef Sirloin 한우특등심 35,500 /160g
Though not the cheapest food, it’s definitely one of the purest protein flavors I’ve found in Korea. This sirloin is served unmarinated and flavored by the eater with a dab of rock salt. It’s unfortunate that Korean meat is so much more expensive than American meat. You would think shipping halfway around the world would up the price, but I suppose Korean producers don’t torture the animals and environment like American producers.

All my life I’ve been unable to understand why older Koreans prefer unmarinated beef when I preferred the marinated. However, yesterday perhaps I fully completed my transformation into a real half Korean when I realized what Koreans love about their unmarinated beef. The clean, unadulturated flavor offers an unparalleled analysis. I suppose it was bound to happen. Long ago I moved from enjoying heavily creamed sushi rolls to plain sushi/sashimi, and I cut out sugar from my coffee a long time ago. I guess my palette is maturing, or changing at least. Or maybe my mind is just manipulated to prefer more expensive products. As a student I’m still a cheap ass though, so please don’t expect bougie restaurant reviews only.

Note: If you’re trying to impress a Korean, you definitely have to go for Korean meat – Hanu (한우). There seems to be a general agreement that Korean meat is superior. I, actually, can’t tell the difference.

American Marinated Boneless Short-Ribs 양념 갈비 꽃살 25,500 /200g
Though I preferred the considerably more expensive unmarinated Korean Sirloin above, that’s not to say these Short-Ribs weren’t delicious. They were. The marinade was perfect, and they basically melted in your mouth. Absolutely no complaints. My apologies for the burt meat photo below. I got carried away… eating.

Chilean Pork Jowl 천겹(칠레산) 11,000 /200g
The Pork Jowl is a great option as well. It doesn’t have the gourmet melt-in-your-mouth quality of the sirloin but it has plenty of flavor and a unique chewy texture. Actually this is my mother’s favorite ‘budget’ meat and she eats a ton of it when she visits. It also is unflavored and salted by the eater at the table. Definitely a great choice.

Doenjang Jjigae 된장찌개

Because 300-400g of meat won’t fill the average eater, it’s customary to finish with some carbs. Doenjang Jjigae and nengmyung are my favorites. Today we swung for the Jjigae (soup). It’s a very flavor rich soup, with Doenjang beans, onions, zucchini, green onions, mushrooms, and tofu.

Side Dishes


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Conclusion
An excellent spot to impress a date or colleague with high quality beef, great service, and great overall atmosphere.
20,000-40,000₩ each

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Posted in: Itaewon 이태원, Korean, Samcheong-dong 삼청동
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May 22, 2013

The 1st Penguin. Study-Coffee repeat ad infinitum

That’s my life these days. Except for the mandatory soju flooded nights out with the classmates, it’s been coffee and studying, coffee and studying. You get it. But luckily I found the perfect spot right next to my house to get my coffee and study fix. The 1st Penguin. I think they’re in love with their name or logo because they stick their logo on everything. Every cookie, snack, wall, lamp, book, pencil sharpener, etc has one.

This place reminds me a lot of Rabbit, just on a smaller scale. The drinks are great, a little flashy actually, and reasonably priced. My standard Latte is only 4,000, cheap for a Korean cafe, with the option for a 1,500 priced Americano refill. Not bad, not bad at all.

Though my latte this time has a snazzy design, the latte from my last visit sported a spiral of chocolate with a coffee bean in the center. The girlfriend’s capuchino had a mountain of silky foam and a good amount of cinnamon. Having worked in cafes for 3 years I know my coffee drinks. Milk foam is the most important part of a good drink. It should be smooth and silky without any noticeable bubbles. Bubbles are the sign of either an inexperienced, ignorant, or more often and worst of all, a lazy barista. A good capuchino should be about 3/4 silky foam, 1/4 milk, and a latte backwards, 1/4 foam, 3/4 foam. The 1st Penguin hits the mark on the drinks. Well done.

Unfortunately I don’t have a picture but the last time I ate the BLT sandwich which included a sandwich and pickles for 5,500. Not a great sandwich, but for a place without a kitchen, and for the price, it’s not too bad. I imagine they don’t want people coming in just for their sandwiches anyway, but it’s good enough to hold you over if you don’t want to leave to get something to eat.

Finally, and most importantly for a study cafe, the environment is very conducive to studying. There are probably 200 electric outlets, 30 lamps, and dozens of pencils and pencil sharpeners. Also included – free water, good internet, two computers, books, book holders, blankets, good lighting, big tables, some couches, and even a freaking chalkboard. Yeah, these owners knew their target audience, the super nerds at Korea University, and nailed it.




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The Rundown
My favorite study cafe near Anam Station (Korea University).

더퍼스트펭귄 고대점
93-5 Anamdong 5(o)-ga, Seongbuk-gu, 성북구, Seoul
South Korea
02-929-1120
the1stpenguin.com

Open Hours:
M-F 8:00-11:00
Sat 10:00-11:00
Sun Closed

Directions:
Anam Stn (안암역) Exit 3, make a right at the second small alley and it’s on the right.

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Posted in: Cafe, Seongbuk-gu 성북구
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