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

28
Nov
2013

Un Deux Trois Brasserie

categories: Restaurant Reviews

As soon as you approach Un Deux Trois and see the little tables outside with people enjoying a glass of wine and a cigarette, it’s like being transported from Itaewon to Paris in an instant. As you walk through the doors, it just oozes the chic elegance of a French eatery. The long bar begs you to come, sit, and enjoy a cocktail, and the tables by the window invite you to have a bowl of mussels and a glass of wine. While the booths at the back offer the perfect spot for a romantic dinner for two. French cuisine is unrivalled in the field of excellence and for good reason. This brasserie offers up a plethora of French classics at extremely reasonable prices for food that is fresh, tasty, and well executed without pretension.

Our first dish to try was the escargots (16,000). Snails are one of those dishes that scare people off. But in a beautiful garlic sauce they are nothing to fear. These were such a surprise as they were so different to what we had imagined. Encased in a bread-like pastry, we had to cut it open to get the big reveal. A similar texture to mussels, they were sweet and tasty. A great start to the meal.

I couldn’t resist ordering the moules frites. These are the house speciality at Un Deux Trois. I went for the classic au vin blanc (20,000) but they offered a few other varieties too, including my favourite in a thai green style sauce. These were absolute perfection. I make mussels regularly at home when they are in season but they really aren’t a patch on these. A giant bowl of mussels, these could easily serve two as an appetiser. The creamy sauce was such simplicity itself, it was not hard to drink it like a soup at the end, long after the mussels were gone. The french fries were also perfection, crisp and perfectly cooked.

As my main I had to try the steak and frites (30,000). So many times in cuisine a steak and chips can be seen as a dish for those with an unrefined palate. Not in the French brasserie however where it’s one of the most popular dishes. A perfectly cooked piece of steak, chargrilled on the outside, medium rare in the middle. A choice of three sauces is offered and I went for the bearnaise. Served with little gem lettuce and rocket leaves, my favourite two salads, I was very happy.

My better half went for Un Deux Trois’ take on the classic duck a l’orange, Marget De Canard (32,000). It was exquisite. The plate was like piece of art. The pommes a la dauphinoise, were cooked perfectly. The duck breast was medium, but the fat was crispy. A small tower of mushrooms on the side was fantastic. There were little pieces of baby oranges and olive around the side. Not a morsel was left on the plate by the end. Well balanced, it complemented itself well.

After the copious amounts of cream and butter I really didn’t think that I could manage a dessert, but all that changed once I saw the menu and they had profiteroles (12,000). Nothing in life can make me drool like a profiterole. These were delightful. Filled with vanilla ice-cream, they had a a slightly more robust texture, cream, and chocolate sauce. A perfect way to end the meal.

On to the drinks, you know as well as I do that a good cocktail list can be hard to find, in a restaurant with great food. But here they took a list of classics and made them their own. I’m not a huge wine drinker myself so that’s why I enjoy a cocktail or 3 when I’m out drinking. A glass of rose sparkling wine that comes under the 15 dollar price bracket is always such a nice start to the evening without breaking the bank. The San Tropez cocktail I tried in particular was exceptional.

Too many restaurants in Korea offer style with no substance and it is here that the face is changing. There is no where else in this price bracket that I have been to where you could get the same quality of food for the price, before you would be venturing into fine dining or haute cuisine. A steak at the Outback steak house will set you back more than 35,000 won and its not a patch on this one. A bowl of mussels and a glass of wine also under 30,000 for those who enjoy their food but on a budget. A fine meal for two would cost between 100,000-200,000 depending how much you drink and how many courses you try. Heading up the wait staff is a French maitre-d who wears an Hermes belt, what’s more French than that?

Un Deux Trois Brasserie is located at 123-33, Itaewon dong, Seoul. To get there take a train to Itaewon station (line 6) and walk out of exit 2. Walk straight ahead for about 100 meters and you will see Un Deux Trois Brasserie on your left. They serve food from 11am-2am (Monday – Saturday) & 10am, – 12am on Sundays. Call 02-796-1244 or check out their facebook page for more details.

25
Nov
2013

Spring Rolls

categories: Recipes

It seems insane to me that I have never posted a spring roll recipe because I love those little suckers more than life itself. I would never have an order of Chinese food without them and a pack always makes its way into my basket when I’m shopping at home. But sadly they are not as popular in Korea as they are in the rest of Asia. You can find them in your local Thai restaurant, but when you enjoy eating them as much as I do you have to make them in bulk. They call be a a bit fiddly, but once you get in the zone you can churn them out by the dozen. Sit in your living room to roll them out while watching an episode of your favourite show and in no time you will have a pile of the little beauties. I got my spring roll wrappers from the foreign food market in Itaewon. They usually have 3 or 4 sizes. I chose the medium sized ones. Obviously the bigger the wrappers the bigger your rolls will be. I only used about half of the packet making these, so they go a long way and they only cost about 5,000. You can also use them to make samosas. Use whatever veg and meat you like, I just used up all my leftovers.

Ingredients

½ a packet spring roll wrappers

1 red pepper

1 green pepper

1/2 a carrot

A small wedge of cabbage

100g of shredded chicken

2 eggs beaten

1/2 an onion

2 inches of ginger

3 cloves of garlic

1 packet of instant noodles

A bunch of cilantro leaves

3 tablespoons of soy sauce

2 tablespoons of sesame seed oil

900ml of soy bean oil (for deep frying)

Directions

1. The first step is to finely slice your vegetables. Get them the peppers and cabbage as thinly as possible and grate the carrot.

2. Boil the noodles until soft then drain.

3. Fry the onion, garlic and ginger for a minute or two to soften, then add the rest of the vegetables. Fry on high for five minutes until softened. Add the drained noodles, chicken, cilantro, soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, and sesame oil, and mix. Turn off the heat and put into a large bowl.

4. Peel off one spring roll wrapper and put it out on the chopping board. Place 2-3 tablespoons of the mixture into the middle of the wrapper. Like below. Fold the top edge up, then wash the three remaining sides with the beaten egg. Fold the two other sides in and roll until you have a neat little spring roll. Set on a clean plate and repeat until all your mixture has been used.

5. When all of the spring rolls have been made, heat the oil to 190 degrees. If you don’t have a thermometer let it heat on medium for about five minutes. Carefully put a spring roll into the oil, if it sizzles and floats to the top then it’s hot enough, if it doesn’t, turn it up a little higher and wait until it reaches temperature. Cook them in batches of about 5 for a couple of minutes until they are golden brown. Remove from the pan when they are done and let them drain on kitchen paper. Serve with your favourite dipping sauce and enjoy!

22
Nov
2013

Foodie Crawl – Eurail Pass

categories: Restaurant Reviews

Last week the European Union hosted the Itaewon European food week. All your favourite restaurants had special dishes and all the stores really upped the ante by stocking their shelves with lots of lovely European goodies. So in keeping with the European theme, I helped host the Eurail Pass foodie crawl last Saturday with delicious results. The crawl was so popular that it will now be on once a month on the 2nd Saturday of every month. For more Details check out the Chips maps page.

The first restaurant on the tour was Tapeo. You may have read my full review before, but it was the first stop on our European tour. The Spanish tapas restaurant, served us up 3 of their finest paellas. A cuttlefish ink, a seafood, and a chicken paella. They were washed down with cerveza from Barcelona and their famous sangria. A great start to the tour.

Second stop of the day was Un Deux Trois for a taste of France. Here we tried the calamari carbonara. Not a traditional dish from France but it was exceptionally tasty. I have never eaten anything like this before, but it was so good. The calamari was cut into ribbons to make the pasta. It went down a storm with a glass of champagne.

Third stop was Chef Meili to see what Austria had to offer us. Our Austrian host served us up his finest sausage, potatoes and sauerkraut. It was the perfect thing to warm us up on the cold autumn day. This was all washed down with a nice wheaty Erdinger.

Last stop on the tour was Zelen to try Bulgarian food. We waltzed right past the queue and were assigned our table, it was nice to be treated so well. Here we tried Pork loin stuffed with cheese and served in a delicious gravy, it was so good we were all fighting over the bread basket to mop up those last few juices left. We all left the tour full happy and little worse for wear, well I did any how.

Despite being an Itaewon local and food blogger it was a great chance for me to try some dishes that I hadn’t had, and will certainly be looking forward to the next one. It’s not too late to sign up for tomorrows Hot & Spicy Tour, trying four of the hottest dishes in town, it will certainly have your taste buds tingling by the end. Checkout 10 magazine for more details.

20
Nov
2013

Double stuffed baked potatoes

categories: Recipes

I went to a potluck la few weeks ago and decided to make these for one of my dishes. It’s growing cold and I thought these would be just the ticket to keep everyone nice and warm. Thanks to dear old Costco and their giant sized portions of everything, I had plenty of cream cheese and bacon in the fridge. I threw in a little cheddar and some spring onions for good measure and had a nice tasty little treat on my hands. They were so nice I made them again just for us the next day.

Ingredients

1kg of potatoes

3 or 4 rashers of bacon

200g of cream cheese

150g of grated cheddar (or any hard cheese you have)

6 spring onions

1 tablespoon of ranch mix or onion powder

1 teaspoon of mixed herbs

1 teaspoon of garlic powder.

A pinch of salt and pepper

Directions

1. Score a line in the top of the potatoes and bake them in the oven for about an hour at 190 degrees Celsius. Korean potatoes are generally pretty damn small so an hour should be ample time. If you are using big baking potatoes from home then you could go up to two hours.

2. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them in half length ways and scoop out all the potato in the middle and put it in a mixing bowl so only the skins remain.

3. Add the cream cheese to the scooped out potato and mix together. Add in the grated cheese, herbs, ranch mix, salt, and pepper to the bowl and combine.

4. Cut the bacon into small pieces then fry on a high heat until they are crispy. Then add into the cheese and potato mixture. Then cut or slice the spring onion into little pieces and stir into the mixture too.

5. Spoon the cheese and potato mixture back into the potato skins until they are all full. You will find that it all fits nicely despite the extra ingredients you added.

6. Put the potatoes back into the oven for another 15 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius to give them a nice crispy topping and enjoy. Voilà the unhealthy way to enjoy potatoes.

18
Nov
2013

Peanut butter Brownie cheesecake

categories: Baking, Recipes

I’m not sure if this is a cheesecake or a dessert but either way it’s completely delicious. A soft chewy chocolate brownie which would be good enough on its own, layered with a a thick peanut-butter cream cheese layer then topped off with a chocolate and nutella ganache. The saltiness of the creamy peanut layer really helps cut through the richness of the brownie and the topping. If you are a peanut and chocolate lover then this is the dessert for you. The brownie recipe is from David Lebovitz and is considered to be one of the best brownie recipes around. I will definitely be using it again next time I make my brownies.

Ingredients

Brownie

8 tablespoons (115 g) unsalted butter, cubed

2 ounces (60 g) unsweetened chocolate, chopped.

1 cup (200 g) sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup (75 g) nuts, chopped

1/4 cup (25 g) chocolate chips

1/4 cup (35 g) flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

Peanut cheesecake layer

200g of cream cheese

5 heaped tablespoons of peanut butter

200ml of cream (whipped until thick)

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (optional)

Nutella Ganache

3 tablespoons of Nutella

100g of milk or plain chocolate

100ml of cream

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325ºF (160ºC.) I decided to bake my brownie in the same pan I was planning to serve it in. So line an 8-inch (20 cm) square pan with baking paper, leaving the overhang over the rim of the pan. This is so you can remove the brownie layer after it’s done.

2. In a medium saucepan set over very low heat, melt the butter and the chocolate, stirring frequently, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar, then mix in the eggs and the vanilla extract.

3. Stir in the nuts and cocoa chips, then the flour and salt. Scrape the mixture in the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until the brownies feel just-set in the centre. Remove from oven and let cool. Once cool, lift the brownies out of the pan by grasping the baking paper. Peel off the paper then put the brownie layer back into your serving dish.

4. Make the cheesecake layer by mixing together the peanut butter, vanilla, and cream cheese until smooth and combined. Then fold in the whipped cream until thoroughly mixed. Then spread this layer over the brownie and pop it into the fridge to set whilst you make the ganache.

5. To make the ganache put the chocolate, cream and Nutella into a glass or metal bowl and set it over a pan of simmering water. Stir until all the chocolate and Nutella have melted and you have a thick glossy chocolate sauce. Take the bowl off the heat then stir for a minute or two to help it cool, then pour over the peanut cheesecake layer. Put the whole think back in the fridge for at least 3 hours to set. When its done, cut into slices and serve or eat it straight from the dish with a big ass spoon a la fat girl. Voilà the peanut butter brownie cheesecake, the deliciousness of two desserts combined into one super dessert.

14
Nov
2013

Tapeo

categories: Restaurant Reviews

A few weeks ago, I was taking a stroll around Itaewon when I saw that a brand new restaurant had opened up on the hill and there was a sign outside offering free sangria and paella. Not one to miss out on free food I climbed the stairs to investigate. When I arrived there was free paella and sangria being served outside. We took a seat in the restaurant and enjoyed our free samples. My oh my it was the best sangria I have ever had. But more on that later and the paella wasn’t bad either. So, a week later, when a friend suggested a nice week night dinner, I knew that Tapeo would be the perfect place.

The inside is small and quaint, the candle lit tables are perfect for a romantic yet casual date or friends to share a few glasses of wine and nibble on some tapas. The relaxed atmosphere goes perfectly with the food. Tapas are dishes meant to be shared between friends over drinks rather than a more formal dining experience. The menu has all the favourites on it.

We decided to try the Croquetes De Jamon (8,500). Little potato cakes filled with with ham and cheese and wrapped in golden bread crumbs. Exactly as you would expect them, the light potato filling has a good cheesy flavour laced with a taste of ham which isn’t too overpowering.

We also got the Tortilla Espanola (7,500). Always a favourite of mine, you can’t beat a good potato omelette.

We also ordered the Calamares Fritos (8,500) I’m not usually a fan of squid, but after having calamari a few times recently I think I have been converted. They were crisp on the outside and not too chewy in the middle. The ink mayo dip was also a nice touch.

And who could resist the cuttlefish ink paella (15,000). For a serving for two, you could easily share this between three or four if you were trying a few other dishes too.

The Sangria deserves a paragraph on it’s own. It was hands down some of the best Sangria I have ever had, and I have been to Spain quite a few times. It’s even nicer than mine. Although it’s not cheap at 12,000 a glass, it is so incredibly delicious that every drop is like honey. I think the secret is that the ice-cubes are made of orange juice, so as they melt it just gets more and more tasty. Although I’m sure that can’t be the only thing that makes it so good.

Tapeo is located at 1F, 455-23 Itaewon – dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. To get there take a train to Noksapyeong station (line 6). Come out of exit 3 then walk across the crossing to your left to get to the over pass bridge. Walk over the bridge and turn right and follow the alley way. Tapeo will be on your left opposite Berlin and Buddha’s Belly. For more information call them on 02-794-2848 or check out their facebook page.

11
Nov
2013

Ramen Burger

categories: Recipes

The ramen burger has become one of the latest food crazes to hit the world. Starting in New York, people were queuing up around the block to try one of these bread-less burgers. With ramen being a staple of Korean cuisine I thought it would be churlish not to give it a go myself and see what all the fuss is about. I had a burger leftover from the ones I made a few weeks ago, so all I had to do was put it together. I wouldn’t stand in a queue to try one, but it was certainly novel to try something new.

Ingredients

1 burger

2 packets of ramen

2 eggs

BBQ sauce

Spring onions

Spinach

Directions

To make the ramen buns, boil the noodles then drain them. Mix each set of noodles with a beaten egg. Wrap them in cling-film, put them in a bowl or round container, and pop them in the fridge with something heavy on the top. Leave them for an hour to firm up.

When they are firm fry the buns in a frying pan for a few minute in oil until golden brown and crispy on the outside. Serve your burger in the middle of the buns, top with the sauce, spinach and spring onions. Check out this page from Buzzfeed for more details.

07
Nov
2013

Homemade Cheese Sticks

categories: Recipes

If you are anything like me then you are obsessed with the mozzarella sticks from Lotteria. What could be finer than a delicious soft and gooey piece of cheese, coated in golden bread crumbs and deep-fried to perfection. Yes I realise they do not belong to the gourmet culinary arts but by God are they yummy! You can pick these babies up in plenty of supermarkets, but it’s also fairly easy to have a go at making them yourself. The cheese texture isn’t quite the same but it is good and the results are delicious. Niall declared after finishing the batch that he wouldn’t mind having them again next weekend. High praise indeed.

Ingredients

6 string cheeses

100-150g of panko crumbs

1 egg (beaten)

4 tablespoons of flour

1 teaspoon of mixed herbs

1 teaspoon of paprika

Directions

1. Cut the cheese sticks in half then put them on a baking sheet and pop them into the freezer for about 20 minutes to firm up. Meanwhile mix the panko crumbs, mixed herbs, and paprika together.

2. Roll the frozen cheese sticks in seasoned flour.

3. Dip the floured sticks into the beaten egg.

4. Roll the sticks in the panko crumbs so they are completely coated. Then put them back onto the baking sheet and put them back in the freezer for 30 minutes-1 hour.

5. Pour enough oil into your frying pan so that the bottom is coated, then heat on a medium heat. When the oil is hot, fry the cheese sticks on one side for a minute or two, before turning them over to brown the other side. When they are golden brown, remove from the pan and enjoy. I served mine with my delicious homemade salsa.

05
Nov
2013

OKitchen

categories: Restaurant Reviews

I had never even heard the name OKitchen mentioned until I went to the medicinal competition in Sancheong. The chefs representing the restaurant won one of the top prizes. After that I noticed that everyone was talking about it and telling me how great the food was, so I thought it was about time I tried it. After a little research online, I found that it was fine dining. Little did I know that I had walked past the restaurant dozens of time. We had even looked at the menu before, thought it looked good, but not ventured inside. It just goes to show that appearances can by deceptive and you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. The little wooden plank clad restaurant looks more like a ski chalet in the mountains than a fine dining establishment. But once inside, the restaurant is warm, cosy, and perfect for a nice intimate dinner.

Soon after sitting we were brought the bread basket. Four different varieties, focaccia, butter scone bread, a black sesame crisp and a walnut bread. The bread came with oil and vinegar and was refilled once we finished it. The walnut could have done with a little more salt but all in all it was a nice selection.

Niall ordered the tasting plate, which consisted of six different courses for 80,000. I’ll run through that and then discuss the a la carte dishes I ordered. The first dish of the tasting platter was the seafood plate. A large variety of fish and seafood were on the dish, far too many to recount. A nice start to the meal if you like raw fish. I sadly did not so couldn’t comment but Niall enjoyed it and felt it was nicely balanced and the accompaniments worked well.

Next up was the polenta cake with mushrooms and a poached fertile egg. I was looking forward to my taste of this one, eggs and mushrooms are always a winning combination for me. The egg looked as though it was sous-vide rather than poached, which was not to my preference as the egg white is not as solid as if it had been poached. The egg yolk was lovely and runny though.

The starters kept on coming and next was a roasted fig with gorgonzola and poached pear. Not usually a gorgonzola fan, the cheese complimented the fig well. It was small though and quickly devoured.

Next came the pasta course. The pasta of the day was spaghetti with mackerel. The mackerel was not too strong in flavour and I was actually able to eat a little of this one.

After the pasta course was the main of han-woo steak. This steak was half the size of the regular option but after all those courses it would have been far too much. He ordered his steak blue which I thought was a little rare for the cut of the meat, but he enjoyed it all the same. It came with little pearls of mustard seeds, greens and roasted potatoes.

Finally on to the dessert course of warm chocolate cake with espresso ice-cream. The cake was warm with a little sauce still melting in the middle. The ice-cream was nice and creamy and the raspberry jus smeared on the plate nice and tart. A lovely nice dessert and the perfect end to the meal. Thankfully it was small or we might not have finished it!

Rather than the tasting menu I went a la carte and had the potato gnocchi with pumpkin sauce and truffle oil (23,000) This was as yummy as it sounds. The gnocchi was soft and lightly fried so the edge was crisp. The pumpkin sauce was sweet and complimentary and the delicious smell of truffles wafted through the dish. Topped with grated parmesan and mushrooms, I will be coming back for this dish again.

On to my main of Australian lamb done two ways (45,000). Composed of a rack of lamb, perfectly cooked to medium rare. The pan seared edge tasted of lemon and herbs and was extremely good. The second piece was slow cooked in delicious gravy like sauce, the waitress didn’t explain this dish at all but I would guess it was shoulder, served on a bed of mashed something. I have no idea what it was could have been celeriac, cauliflour, or polenta. I just don’t know. It was tasty though. The slow cooked lamb was divine it was so soft and tender it just fell apart in my mouth and melted into my tongue. It’s hard to beat a nice rack but this did it in spades. Possibly the best lamb I’ve ever eaten in Korea. I’ll be coming back for this one, too. I couldn’t be happier about my choice of dishes.

The only part about the dining experience that I think needs improving is the service. We waited longer than we should have to be given menus, and every time a dish was brought over they just left without explaining the dish. When prompted they were able to explain but it is my personal belief that during a fine dining experience it is paramount that servers explain the elements that compose the meal. The menu gives very little detail other than the two or three main ingredients. The chefs go to a lot of trouble to put together each plate and for the customer not to know what’s on seems a little redundant. The owner was kind and warm but I think he could do with training his waitresses a little better. I was also a little miffed to see no cocktails on the menu, but those who enjoy wine and beer will be happy enough.

Over all we had a great meal for a reasonable price at Okitchen and I will definitely be returning. The service could be improved but it wouldn’t stop me from visiting again or recommending it as a good place for a special dinner. I would recommend that at least one person in your party get the tasting plate if you like to try a little of everything. But also try a few other dishes on the menu too.

Okitchen is located at Itaewon-dong 168-14 Itaewon-Dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. To get there take a train to Itaewon station and come out exit 1. Walk straight for maybe 100m and you should see Okitchen in one of the little alleyways. If you get as far as ABC mart you’ve gone too far. You can call them on 02-797-6420 or check out their facebook page.

03
Nov
2013

Roasted Chickpeas

categories: Recipes, Vegan / Veggie Friendly

These were a little recipe I came across on pinterest. With always an abundance of chick peas in my house, I thought it would be churlish not to have a go and I was rather pleased with the results. They were crunchy and tasty and made a nice cheap alternative to nuts. 4 of us went through a bowl in no time whilst playing a game of monopoly, so they will definitely be served again some time soon.

Ingredients

400g of chickpeas

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 teaspoon of garlic powder

1 teaspoon of Mexican seasoning

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

If you are using canned chick peas drain them and if you are using dried you will need to soak and cook them first. You need to make sure that your chickpeas are extremely dry. Pat them down with kitchen paper several times. The drier they are the crunchier they will be. Spread them on a baking tray and bake them in a single layer at 190 degrees Celsius for about 20-30 minutes. You will see the steam escaping as they bake. Once they are almost done, take them out and coat in the olive oil, salt, pepper, and Mexican spices. Bake for another 10-20 minutes until crunchy the whole way through. You may want to keep an eye on them towards the end to make sure they don’t burn. Serve straight away or store in an airtight container for a day or two. Voilà roasted spicy chickpeas.

November 2013 archive

Ingredients

Directions