February | 2013 | A Fat Girl's Food Guide to Eating in Korea

27
Feb
2013

Pizza Peel

categories: Restaurant Reviews

Whenever I go on a trip I always look on Trip Advisor to find great places to eat. However I rarely do this in my home city of Seoul. Last week I finally decided to have a gander and see what was rated as Seoul’s best restaurant. First place goes to Jyoti, an Indian place in Sinchon. Second was Pizza Peel. The reviews seemed great as it is one of the few places in Seoul with a real brick oven.

We arrived on a Friday night and it wasn’t too busy, a few tables were taken. A large menu consisting of pizza and calzone options. There is a very good variety of pizzas, the hard to find Hawaiian is no doubt a popular choice. They have all the ones you miss from back home and not a sweet potato or piece of corn in site. You can also create your own if you don’t fancy any of the ones on the menu.

Being a Friday we opted for a pizza each. I opted for the White, which is spinach, ricotta, mozzarella and olive oil for 15,500. This pizza was fresh and delicious. The topping was great and just what I wanted. The base was perfection. You really can’t beat a brick oven for cooking pizza. I hope to have one in my dream home one day.

Niall chose the Pesto Chicken, which is pesto, chicken, feta, onion and mozzarella for 18,500. This one was pretty tasty too, it was reminiscent of my favorite chicken, pesto and mozzarella sandwich at Indigo. I would have liked to have tried one of the tomato based pizzas too, but felt ordering three pizzas for two people might be going a bit far. The pizzas are of a good size and you can be more than satisfied with half each. If you are greedy like us and order too much then you can take your leftovers home in a box.

They also serve beer and wine, hurray! Draft Cass is 3,000 a pint and comes in frosted mug which is always a treat. If you’re a classy kind of bird then a glass of wine is priced at 6,500. They also have various craft and imported bottle beers.

All in all is Pizza Peel the 2nd best restaurant in Seoul? Probably not, is it the best pizza in Seoul? For me, no. Is the best Pizza in Itaewon,? Hell yeah! Authentically baked and traditional flavours, I can definitely recommend you head to Pizza Peel next time you have a craving for real pizza.

Pizza Peel is located at 34-65 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. From Noksapyeong station, walk straight from exit 3 to the intersection adjacent to the overpass. After crossing both streets to reach the main Itaewon strip, walk straight in the direction of Itaewon station. The Alley Marketplace entrance is located next to the Rottiboy Cafe, and the Pizza Peel is about 15 metres in.

From Itaewon station, walk straight from exit 4 for about 600 meters. The Alley Marketplace entrance is located next to the Rottiboy Cafe (past the McDonald’s and Starbucks), and the Pizza Peel is about 15 meters in. You can call them on 02-795-3283 or check out the menu on their Facebook page for more details.

25
Feb
2013

Brownookies

categories: Baking

This is why I am fat. Recipes like this which I just cannot resist. I’m never going to be slim, I just love food far too much (more than being slim anyhow). The second I saw a picture of these babies I knew I had to have them. I wasn’t sure if the taste would live up to the picture but oh my god these were cramazing (that’s crazy amazing to those of you unfamiliar with my lingo). To be fair though how could they not be, with pedigree parents like the cookie and brownie its pretty obvious that their babies are going to taste delicious too. Throw a Reeces peanut butter cup inside that baby and you have got food porn of the highest caliber The best part is they are so easy to make! I made my own cookie dough, but you could totally use one of the pre-prepared mixes. This is baking at its most basic but throwing 3 magic ingredients together to come up with something insanely good.

Ingredients

12 Reeces peanut butter cups (I also tried some with Rolos)

1 pack of brownie mix (Tous le jours brand)

Cookies

1 stick of butter

100g of white sugar

50g of brown sugar

60g of chocolate chips

1 egg

150g of flour

1/2 a teaspoon of baking soda

Directions

To make the cookie dough, preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius. Cream together the sugar and butter until its light and fluffy. Next add the egg and mix in the chocolate chips. Then Stir in the sifted flour and baking soda. Mix together until the dough has formed. In a separate bowl make the brownie mix according to the instructions on the back. On my box you just add water.

Grease a muffin tin with a little butter. Place a a tablespoon of cookie dough into each section and press down with your fingers so it covers the bottom layer. Place a Reeces peanut butter cup face down. Then top with a tablespoon or two of brownie mix.

Bake in the oven for about 12-20 minutes or until the brownie is cooked. Allow the brownookies to cool completely before removing from the pan if you want them to stay intact. Enjoy with a cold glass of milk or a scoop of vanilla ice-cream, repeat until your jeans no longer fit you or until they have all gone. Voilà the easiest and tastiest baked treat ever.

24
Feb
2013

Chicken Burritos

categories: Recipes

I have to admit that one of things that makes this fatgirl fat is portion control. Once I make something I have to keep eating it until it’s all gone. Whether that’s a burger, a bag of chips or an entire cake. Restraint is not one of my strong points. I often make up big batches, of stews, soups, curries, etc. But often they don’t last as long as they should. If they stretch for 2 days then I’m lucky.

I am completely and utterly obsessed with Pinterest at the moment. Looking at picture of delicious foods and DIY crafts has actually become an addiction. I love getting ideas from all the amazingly creative people who are out there. Its insane what some people are able to do when it comes to presentation, and its a skill I long to have. On one of my many scrolls I came across a post for making burritos in large batches. I’m crazy about burritos but only have them once in a while as I usually end up eating them all the same night.

This time I made up a big batch and they are all now proudly sitting in my freezer just waiting to be eaten. This batch made 8, pretty much because that’s how many tortillas I happened to have. But you could double or even quadruple the recipe if your freezer is big enough. I usually buy the 40 packs of tortilla wraps at Costco but always end up using them for different things. Now my freezer is stacked and ready to go with chicken burritos the next time I’m too tired to make dinner. I also made them so they are on the healthy side. It only took about an hour to do everything so it saves time in the long run. If you are a fan of burritos but not of cooking you can always order some from Gringos burritos. Delivered straight to your door you wont even need to get up off the sofa.

Ingredients

8 tortillas

2 chicken breasts

2 red peppers

1 small bunch of spinach

1 onion

4 cloves of garlic

300g of brown rice (1 cup)

2 cups of water

4 eggs

3 tablespoons of taco or burrito seasoning

200ml of salsa

1 bunch fresh coriander leaves

200g of grated cheese (I used cheddar)

Directions

Put the cup of rice in the rice cooker along with two cups of water and set to cook. Finely chop the onions and garlic and fry off in a little olive oil. Finely chop or shred the chicken and add to the pan along with the finely chopped red peppers. Cook until the chicken is no longer raw then add the burrito seasoning and fry for a few more minute making sure it is has cooked through. Chop the coriander and add it to the frying pan along with the salsa. Stir the mixture to make sure its fully combined and leave to cool.

Once your rice has cooked, break the eggs into a bowl and beat them together. Pour the eggs into the rice cooker and mix with the rice. Set it back on to cook for a minute or two until the eggs have cooked. Leave this mixture to cool slightly too. In a third bowl grate the cheese.

Take your tortilla and place a couple of tablespoons of the chicken mixture, topped with the rice and then sprinkle on a little cheese.

Roll the burrito and then tuck in the ends. I used a little sour cream on the end of the flap just to make it stick down. Repeat until all your mixture has been used. Roll the burritos in clingfilm and store in a ziplock bag in the freezer . To cook them just pop them in the microwave for a few minutes or remove the cling film and cook them in the oven. Voilà easy chicken burritos to grab and go.

23
Feb
2013

Homemade Frappuccino

categories: Drinks & Cocktails

I love frappuccinos!. I think you all know about my penchant for vodoffee by now. Which is Vodka added to a frappuccino. But I also enjoy the regular kind. I could drink two of these babies a day, possibly even more. However, allowing myself to get so fat that I would be unable to leave the house would be somewhat restrictive on my life. So I limit myself to one a week. Sometimes two if I have been a very good girl.

These amazingly delicious drinks, along with being calorie filled are also rather expensive. If I was in the habit of having one daily then it would be a very costly affair. I tried making my own at home but despite my wealth of ingredients they just didn’t come out quite right. Luckily for you I have now found the secret ingredient! You add a pinch of xanthan gum which stops the milk and ice separating . This recipe is for my favourite flavour mocha, but play around with flavoured syrups to make different versions. If you use syrup then you can remove the sugar.

Ingredients

A double shot of espresso (you can also use 2 teaspoons of instant dissolved in a little hot water)

200ml of milk

8-10 ice cubes

1 tablespoon of cocoa powder

2-3 tablespoons of sugar (you could also do sweetener)

A pinch of xanthan gum (buy it on iHERB about $5)

Whipped cream (optional)

Directions

Make the espresso and pour it into your blender. Top with the ice, milk, cocoa powder, sugar and xanthan gum. Blend for about 30 seconds or until all the ice has been crushed. Pour the mixture back into your recycled plastic cup and top with cream if desired. Then go about your day with your super cool and homemade frappuccino.

22
Feb
2013

Spinach & Ricotta Tortellini

categories: Recipes

As you may have read a few times now, I have a lovely new pasta maker. Sorry to keep banging on about it but I do. I decided to use it to whip up another batch of tortellini. The last ones I made were completely handmade, which actually came out very well. It is easier with a pasta machine as its far quicker to get the dough nice and thin, but it really isn’t essential. So if you have been humming and hawing about making fresh pasta for a while now them I would really recommend you give it a try as they taste amazeballs, far better than the ones you can buy in the supermarket.

Ingredients

Pasta

250g of flour

1 teaspoon of salt

3 eggs

Filling

2 large handfuls of spinach

300g of ricotta (see my recipe here)

A knob of butter

Directions

To make the pasta. Mix the salt with the flour then make a heap on a clean flat surface. Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in your beaten eggs. I haven’t taken any pictures of these steps as I’m sure you have seen it countless times before. Stir the egg gradually incorporating the flour from the sides of the circle a bit at a time so the well keeps its shape until the last moment. When all the flour has been mixed in you should have a lump of dough. Knead this dough for 5- 10 minutes until it is elastic and has some stretch to it. Wrap in cling-film and store in the fridge for 30 minutes. While you are waiting you can make the filling and sauce.

To make the filling chop the spinach then wilt in a little butter. Mix the spinach and ricotta together and season well. If you have some fresh parmesan to hand, grate some in too.

After the dough has been chilled properly you can begin to roll it out. It’s a good idea to separate your lump of dough into 2 or 3 pieces and work with one piece at a time. Put the unused lumps back in the fridge so they don’t dry out. If you have a pasta maker rolling the dough should be quick and easy. If not roll those sleeves up and get out your rolling-pin. The pasta really does need to be wafer thin, so when you think its thin enough, keep rolling. I read online that it should be thin enough so that you can see a playing card underneath the dough. The thinner your pasta the better it will taste. Even if the pasta is a little thick it’s not the end of the world but the skinny ones were definitely far tastier than the fatties. You can use anything round to cut the tortellini shapes, I just used a regular paper cup with a diameter of about 7 centimetres. I found that this was a good size. I tried a smaller cup too but I found they were quite fiddly to make, plus you would have to make more of them too.

When your circles are all cut, put a bit of filling in the middle of the circle. About half a teaspoon.

Fold the circle over so it makes a half moon shape. Squeeze the edges of the pasta together all around the filling, so the lump is secured. Bring the two edges together so it makes the shape below.

Put the tortellini on a floured plate to dry out for about 20 minute..

Once your tortellinis have dried out. Boil them in batches of about 12 in salted water. They will take 1-2 minutes and are done when they float to the top. Serve with your favourite pasta sauce and top with freshly grated parmesan. Voilà homemade tortellini.

21
Feb
2013

Lemon Bars

categories: Baking

A week or two ago I made up a batch of my lovely lemon curd to make my lemon rice-cooker cake. I found I had quite a lot left over. I wanted to find a recipe to use the lot and suddenly realized I could make some good old lemon bars. Lemon curd can of course be eaten on its own or with all manner of breakfast goodies like pancakes, muffins, waffles, etc. But I wanted to make one of my favourite lemony goodies. I was rather disappointed with the ones I had eaten the week before at Tartine so I decided to knock up a batch myself.

Ingredients

Base

100g all purpose flour

30g of icing sugar (sugar powder)

90g of butter

A small pinch of salt

Lemon Curd

3 lemons (zest and juice)

100g of white sugar

4 egg yolks

2 tablespoons of corn flour (corn starch)

85g of butter

100ml orange juice

100ml of water

Directions

To make the lemon curd put the corn flour, sugar, lemon zest and juice into a saucepan and stir. Add the orange juice and water then turn on to a medium heat. Continue stirring, until it starts to bubble. Turn off the heat and add the butter. Continue to stir until the butter has melted, then whisk in the egg yolks one at a time. When the mixture has completely combined, turn the heat back on to low and stir continuously until the mixture begins to thicken and bubble. Let the curd cool a little before adding to the biscuit base.

To make the biscuit base, preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celcius. Line a square or rectangular tin with baking paper, making sure that it comes at least an inch or two higher than the sides. This is how you will remove them from the tin once they are done. Put the flour, icing sugar and salt in a bowl and mix together. Cut the butter into chunks then rub it into the flour, until it forms a bread crumb like texture. Put the crumbs into a tin and press down to make the bottom layer. Bring the crumbs up around the edge to form a small ridge around the side. Bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes or until it is golden brown and firm to the touch.

Allow the biscuit layer to cool before putting the lemon curd on top. Use a knife to make sure it is an even layer. Pop the tray back into the oven for 15-20 minutes or until it has set. The middle may still have a bit of a jiggle but it will firm up as it cools. Once the lemon bars are done, leave them to cool to room temperature then pop them in the fridge overnight. The longer they have to set the firmer they will be.

To remove the bars from the tin, tug on either end of your baking paper and lift the squares out of the tin. They should come out easily. Cut them into squares or rectangles with a clean sharp knife then decorate with icing sugar. Voilà lovely lemon bars.

19
Feb
2013

37 Bar & Grill

categories: Restaurant Reviews

For Valentine’s this year I decided to let my lovely boyfriend surprise me by choosing where we would be eating. He opted for the brand spanking new 37 Bar & Grill at the Conrad Hotel in Yeouido. They had a special set menu for Valentine’s Day which was priced at 160,000 pp for 6 courses. As a Valentines special they had a His and Hers menu. The main ingredients were the same but each dish was served with different accompaniments. A rather cute concept, I thought. They had wine pairings with each course that you could order for a set fee. However you know by now I’m a cocktail girl and ordered a few of those instead. Priced between 20,000-30,000 you will need to take your gold card to get drunk.

We arrived at the 37th floor location and were shown to our beautiful window table with a panoramic view of night-time Seoul. We were presented with our His and Hers menus and a complimentary glass of champagne. I was a little concerned that there were three fish dishes on the menu when I don’t actually like fish. I was mildly amused that my boyfriend had picked this menu when he knows I hate fish. However I decided to write it off as comedy tale like the time he bought me the same necklace he had given me the year before.

First up was the amuse bouche – a potato puree with mushroom caviar. Served in an adorable mason jar this was too cute for words. We were also served our bread. Sadly no flavours but a choice of hard of soft roll, I of course chose both.

On to the first course the one I was dreading the most. Yellowtail Kingfish. Niall’s was served with truffle Yuzu, salmon pearls, and coriander essence. Mine was served with the more modest lime, mango and oscietra caviar. I did have a little try, and to be fair, it was ok. It’s just the texture that was rather strange. Niall ate both portions and found them both succulent and tasty. If pushed he preferred his own.

Next was the lobster. Luckily I do love lobster. Mine came with horseradish, casereccia and champagne nage. Niall’s with truffle, macaroni, and curry veloute. I tried both but preferred Niall’s so made him swap. The lobster was really good. It was a nice sized piece and full of flavour.

The third course was Halibut. My halibut was served with a brioche crust, ricotta gnocchi, and peas. Niall’s was served with a rocket crust, cauliflower puree, and dolce forte sauce. I was not looking forward to this one but I sometimes can manage to eat a bit of white fish, usually if it is smothered in batter. However I polished off my plate with gusto. The brioche crust was divine. I am so glad that I have finally trained myself into liking white fish.

The last savoury course was the steak and this was the one I was most looking forward too. Niall’s was served with fois gras, wild mushrooms, and devil sauce. Mine came with asparagus, onion duxelles, and truffle jus. The steak was wonderful, perfectly cooked, and beautifully rare. This was possibly my favourite course. You just can’t beat a good steak. Although the lobster came pretty close.

The pre-dessert of sparkling strawberry espuma was nice and tingly and a good palette cleanser.

On to the dessert… Hazelnut chocolate fondant with vanilla ice-cream, passion fruit, and marshmallow. The pudding was rich, and full of chocolate sauce just the way I like it. However I didn’t think the overall taste was amazing. Maybe it had to do with the chocolate they had used. But I have had much better versions of this elsewhere.

They ended the meal with a pistachio macaroon and tea or coffee. We were also presented with a red rose and a box of macaroons to take away. A nice touch which made the evening feel even more special.

Overall the ambiance of the restaurant was wonderful and it was the perfect spot for a Valentines Day meal. Yes the meal was on the expensive side but for a special occasion I think it was worth it. Compared to other restaurants of this calibre I have been to elsewhere in the world, the food lacked a little in the taste department. Everything was good but not amazing, no dish warranted an Mmm out of me and I think for the price you are paying it should. However the presentation and service was exemplary. The waiter explained each dish in perfect English, as you would expect. The view is also spectacular so make sure you get a window seat.

The Conrad hotel is located at 23-1 Yeouido-dong Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, 150-945, South Korea. It is located just next to the IFC Mall. To get there take a train to Yeouido station (Line 5 & 9) Come out of exit 3 and walk straight. Take your first right then walk straight until you reach the IFC Mall, you can’t miss it. Directions to the hotel are posted inside. You can call them on 02-6137-7000 or email them at Conrad_Seoul@conradhotels.com for more information or to make reservations.

18
Feb
2013

Crispy tofu with a sweet and spicy sauce

categories: Recipes, Vegan / Veggie Friendly

I have always been quite a big fan of tofu. I enjoy those spongy chunks you always get served at the Chinese restaurants back home. However when I came to Korea I found that the tofu was too soft. I tried several different brands but to no avail. No matter what I did the chunks would always break up when I was making stir-frys. Lately I have been attending the Seoul Vegan Potluck and have finally learned the secret to good tofu. Rule 1 is that you to get all the water out, usually by putting something heavy on it. Rule 2 is freezing it. I don’t know how, but freezing it turns it back into that lovely spongy goodness I enjoyed back home. To make my tofu a little unhealthier I decided to batter it first. You will need to prepare the tofu a day or two in advance to make it spongy.

Ingredients

Tofu

2 blocks of tofu

230g of ottogi frying mix

200ml of cold water

A pinch of salt and pepper

Soy bean oil for frying

Sauce

4 tablespoons of sweet chili sauce

3 tablespoons of sugar

3 tablespoons of vinegar

1 tablespoon of soy sauce

2 tablespoons of ketchup

1 baby orange (the juice and zest)

1 tablespoon of cornflour (corn starch)

Directions

Open the two packets of tofu and drain off all the water. Place the blocks on a plate and put something heavy like a frying pan on top of them. This will help to remove a lot of the excess water that is in them. It may take several hours to get out as much water as possible. Once the water is out wrap them in cling film or put them in a zip lock bag and pop them in the freezer. You can leave them in there as long as you like but they need to be in there for at least 12 hours to get the desired texture.

The day you want to use the tofu, take it out of the freezer and let it defrost. Make sure you squeeze out any remaining water that is in the tofu. It will be very spongy at this point. Cut your tofu into chunks ready to be used.

Put the ottogi frying mix in a bowl with a dash of salt and pepper. You could also add any herbs or spices too if you want extra flavour. Combine the dry ingredients then put your tofu into the floury mix and make sure all the pieces are coated before removing. Put the pieces on a separate plate. Meanwhile heat your frying pan and add enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Add the water to the remaining dry ingredients and whisk until you have a smooth batter. Dip your floured tofu pieces in one at a time then put them straight into the pan of oil. Turning them until they are golden brown on all sides. Once they are all done remove them from the pan and leave to drain on a piece of kitchen paper.

To make the sauce put all the sauce ingredients into a pan and whisk to combine, making sure the corn flour has dissolved. Turn the heat on and bring the sauce to a boil, stirring occasionally to dispel any lumps.

Serve on a bed of wilted pak choi and scatter on a few toasted cashew nuts. Place the tofu on the pak choi and top with the sauce. Voilà crispy tofu Chinese style.

17
Feb
2013

Cauliflower Popcorn

categories: Recipes

Cauliflower popcorn is a major food trend at the moment. Its all over Pintrest so I thought I would give it a go. I’m also always looking for ways to make my veggies more tasty so I was very intrigued to try this. They are so good that they have now become my latest food obsession. The best part is that they are so simple and easy to make. I could definitely eat a bucketful of these babies instead of a large bag of crisps and not feel deprived. I used Cajun seasoning for mine but feel free to use whichever spices you like to jazz it up.

Ingredients

1 head of cauliflower

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning

A pinch of salt and pepper

Directions

Cut the cauliflower into florets. Put the florets into a bowl with the oil, spices and salt and pepper and coat evenly. Then bake in the oven for about 25-40 minutes until they are golden brown. Voilà the perfect healthy snack!

16
Feb
2013

Winter Pimm’s

categories: Drinks & Cocktails

Hurray Hurray its Saturday, so once again and that means its time to celebrate with another cocktail! I do love a good old jug of Pimm’s. However my favourite jug sized drink is too often resigned to only the summer months. I picked up another bottle whilst I was travelling in Hong Kong and I’ve been in the mood for it ever since. Sadly I have not managed to find anywhere in Korea that sells it, but I shall keep up the hunt. I decided I would make a slightly different version which would be more satisfying during the winter month. Its also hard for me to get hold of mint in the winter, mainly because I have no sunlight in my flat and its -10 outside. So this concoction works perfectly.

Ingredients

250ml of Pimms

500mls of lemonade

300ml of ginger ale

2 baby oranges

1 lemon

A handful of frozen raspberries

A handful of ice

Directions

Chop up the lemons and baby oranges into pieces. Put them into a jug then add the Pimms, lemonade and ginger ale. Throw in the raspberries and stir. Add ice cubes and enjoy. Voilà how to get drunk, the English way.

February 2013 archive