July | 2014 | A Fat Girl's Food Guide to Eating in Korea

26
Jul
2014

Éclair

categories: Cafes / Takeaways / Bars

Éclair is the latest dessert cafe to hit the Itaewon area. As the name suggests, it unsurprisingly specializes in French éclairs. Eclairs are one of my absolute favourite desserts of all time. Choux pastry filled with flavoured creams and topped with fondant or ganache, what could be more yummy?

At Éclair they have a large range of different flavours which will make your mouth water the moment you look at them. I have been a lover of éclairs for as long as I can remember so was very keen to try as many as possible. I would have got one of every flavour had my budget allowed, but 3 seemed to suffice. But I will definitely be back to try the rose, chocolate, and caramel next time!

We got the double vanilla, cafe, and a cherry macaroon éclair. The macaroon eclair was delightful, filled with pistachio crème and sour cherry jam. A crispy outside with a slightly chewy center, the flavour of cherry came through well and really complimented the pistachio creme inside. The vanilla eclair was filled with vanilla cream and topped with vanilla icing. You really can’t go wrong with vanilla. The cafe coffee flavoured eclair was also nice, although I wish the filling had had a touch more flavour as it was rather on the mild side. My only complaint were the little stickers which had been put on them. There really was no point to them at all, and really should be made of edible paper if they want to use them advertise the bakery (no one want’s paper on their food).

As well as éclairs, they have a range of macaroons and chocolate drinks.We were lucky enough to sample the chocolate and it was exceptional. So rich, thick and decadent, it took me right back to Paris, where they serve it so thick, you need a spoon of whipped cream to water it down. They also have a tropical chocolate flavour which combines passion fruit and chocolate in the most delightful way. Well worth a try if you are eating in.

Éclair is located at 247-9 Itaewon dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. It’s open from 12 to 8, however they close when they run out of delicious treats so I advise you to get there early to avoid disappointment. To get there take a train to Noksapyeong station (line 6) and come out of exit 2. Walk straight until you come to the stairs and an underpass. Go through the tunnel and take the stairs on the left. Keep walking straight and follow the road around until you get to Well Being Mart. You should see that the road forks, cross over and take the left side. Keep walking straight, past Beer O’ Clock Pizza, and past the Ace Mart, then take the road that turns right directly after Ace Mart. There are lots of cool bars and restaurants along this street. Keep following the road until you reach Éclair. It’s on the right hand side opposite the CU. For more information call 02-337-8090 or check out their website.

24
Jul
2014

Dominic

categories: Restaurant Reviews

Last weekend I enjoyed a sumptuous dinner at Dominic. A large, sleek, and smart restaurant located in Itaewon. With the dark wooden floors, exposed walls and chrome finishings, this restaurant exudes effortless cool chic. With a wall protecting it from the main road there is an element of privacy at Dominic that’s just perfect for those wanting to enjoy a romantic evening out. There is a long bar where you can enjoy an after work aperitif , and a big wooden table where you can enjoy a more private meal with a large group of friends. There is also a huge basement downstairs which can be rented out for private functions, such as parties and wedding receptions.

The restaurant serves lunch and dinner every night of the week. The menu is an eclectic mix of modern American favourites. Sharing is a common theme at Dominic, with many of the dishes designed for two or three. Some of the most popular meals include the New York Strip Steak, Dirty Mac & Cheese, California Cobb salad, and the NY Pizza Hoagie.

We decided to try the Calafornia Cobb salad (20,000). A Fresh and delicious start to the meal, this salad was delightful. Huge in size, this could easily be shared between 4 smaller people, or as lunch for two. Fresh and tasty, the zingy vinaigrette was laced with capers making it all the more moreish. Liberally topped with pamesan, chicken breast, egg, cranberries and bacon. I love to start a meal with a salad, as I feel it doesn’t impede my gorging later in the meal, which fried foods are want to do. Bring back the salad starter I say.

On to the main course. There was no way I was turning down the New York Strip Steak (38,000 for 200g). We ordered the steak rare and were not disappointed. It was cooked to absolute perfection. Seared on the grill, then servd in the sizzling pan. This is my favourite way to cook steak. It was a magnificent piece of meat, and well worth its price tag. You really can’t beat a good steak

For a side dish we ordered the Cream Spinach on Butter Bread (12,000). The whole meal was fantastic but it was this dish that made me fall in love. Sauteed spinach in a cream cheese sauce, topped with bacon and covering a delightful pillow of grilled butter brioche bread. It’s hard to tell from the picture but they dish was monstrous and I devoured it without restraint. Had I not ordered a second one to take home, I would have licked the bowl clean. It was just so so yummy. I insist you all order one.

The Leek Fries (9,000) were presented beautifully in a cast iron pan on top of grease proof paper, I do so enjoy the rustic look. Well seasoned and topped with deep fried shredded leeks. They are a must for french fry fanatics.

I was once again stuffed to the gills by the time the desert course present itself, however I still couldn’t resist the Tiramisu (6,000). It was the perfect way to round up the meal. Rich and creamy, with the slightly boozy coffee soaked sponge at the bottom. You’d be mad to not at least share one. Though I’m not sure I did much sharing on my part. It was more like 90/10.

As well as the fabulous food they also have a well priced wine list and an excellent selection of modern and classic cocktails. Half price happy hour is from 6pm – 8pm every night of the week. Even on Friday and Saturdays and knowing me as well as you do I obviously took full advantage of it. The Fat Girl favourites are the French Kiss and Lime mojitos!

Dominic is located at 683-133 hanam-dong, yongsan-gu, Seoul. to get there take a train to Hangangjin Station (line6) Come out of exit 3 and walk straight for about 200 meters. It’s located next to the Kolon Series Multi Shop and just across from Woori bank. For more information you can call them on 02-790-7588.

22
Jul
2014

Pralines & Cream Icecream

categories: Recipes

My ice-cream obsession now plagues my every waking hour, so I thought it was about high time I made my own. Pralines & Cream is my absolute favourite flavour of Haagen Dazs and it’s impossible to get in Korea. So it seemed as good as place as any to start. The ice-cream itself its stupidly easy to make, whipping and mixing and that’s it. You can keep it as straight vanilla or add whatever flavours you like to jazz it up. I went for my lovely pralines mixed with a caramel sauce. It was divinity itself maybe even better than the Haagen Dazs version. I can see a Fat Girl ice-cream range in my near future!

Ingredients

600ml of cream

200g of condensed milk

2 tablespoons of vanilla extract

Pralines

200g of pecans

200g of light brown sugar

100g of butter

4 tablespoons of milk

A pinch of salt

Toffee sauce

4 tablespoons of butter

10 tablespoons of light brown sugar

200ml of full fat milk or cream

Directions

1. To make the ice cream, put your cream, condensed milk, and vanilla extract in bowl and whisk until it becomes thick. It should be very thick, stop just before it starts to turn. It’s much easier to do this if you have an electric whisk. Once it’s nice and thick put it into a seal-able container and pop it in the freezer until it sets(usually 4-8 hours). It’s so easy, right? If you only want plain vanilla you can just eat it as it is.

2. To make the pralines, melt the butter in a saucepan on a low heat, then stir in the sugar. Once the sugar has melted a little stir in the milk. Let it cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens and starts to turn golden brown. Add the pecans to the sauce and stir to make sure they are coated and cook for a further minute. Turn off the heat and spoon out the pralines onto grease-proof paper, allow to cool. Then pop them in the refrigerator to set for a few hours. Once they have set, you can bash them into pieces using something heavy.

3. To make the toffee sauce put the sugar and butter in a saucepan and heat on low. Once the butter has melted and starts to combine with the sugar, add in the milk or cream. Continue to cook for about 5 minutes, until you have a thick golden brown toffee sauce. Allow to cool before adding to the ice cream along with your pralines. Voilà easy homemade ice cream!

20
Jul
2014

Baby Greek

categories: Cafes / Takeaways / Bars, Restaurant Reviews

Last week I visited my good friend Susan who lives in Gangnam. It’s not often that I like to leave the loving embrace that is Itaewon, but she had me over a barrel since she had come to me the last couple of times. She had been raving on about this new Little Greek place she had found for weeks now, so at her insistence we went for dinner.

Baby Greek is located in the food court on the basement floor of a large office style building near Seolleung station.There is a large cafeteria style seating area and then all the food court options. There is a lot down there, mainly Korean food, but there was a little salad place which caught my eye along with Baby Greek. Although the cafeteria style seating didn’t hold much ambience, the prices are insanely cheap, and you can also get the food to take away and enjoy in a more romantic setting. If you are out shopping it would be a great place to grab and go, especially with the sky-rocketing prices in Gangnam where even a sandwich from Paris Baguette will cost you 7,000 -8,000.

After a little peruse of the menu I thought we needed to try the flat bread and dips (6,000). As we waited I had a chat with the owner and she told me that she used to get the pita breads from The Bakers Table, but now she has a local bakery make them up for her to her own recipe. She told me it’s the only thing she doesn’t make herself. As a hummus creator and aficionado myself I was very keen to check it out. A nice and nutty concoction I was rather impressed. However it’s the tzatziki on the dips platter that really shines. It was amazing, possibly the best tzatziki I have ever had (and I’ve been to Greece). Creamy and cool home-made Greek yoghurt, with just the right amount of lemony zing and fresh herbs to balance it. The olive oil she had used to drizzle on top was also rather good and had a lot of flavour. A great dish to keep us going while we waited for our gyros.

My friend had been going on and on about the chicken gyros for forever, but I spotted the falafel one on the menu and couldn’t resist. We decided to get one of each and share. They are both (6,000).

The chicken gyros was stuffed to the brim with succulent authentically grilled chicken. It was really tasty, plenty of salad and sauce, all wrapped up in the fluffy pita. The size of it was enormous, with the thick pita encasing it, you would definitely be full all day. Beats a kebab any day of the week.

The falafel gyros was also huge. The falafels were a nice size and had a great texture. Some of the best I have had in Seoul. I liked both gyros a lot. I would be hard pushed to choose my favourite and will probably just order two next time, in true Fat Girl style.

I was pretty stuffed by this point but still had a tiny bit of room for a bowl of Greek yoghurt. Oh god how I love Greek yoghurt, I could eat at least a bowl a day, if it was cheaper here in Korea. This yoghurt is made on the premises and is fabulous. Thick and creamy, it’s pure unadulterated luxury dairy goodness. It’s served with maple syrup for that touch of sweetness. Although I think honey might be nicer and more in keeping with the Greek theme. It was so good I practically licked the bowl clean. For those who’s bellies are not as big as their eyes, you can also get yoghurt to go.

Baby Greek is located at Underground food court 136, Hanshin intervalley 24, 707-34 Yeoksam-Dong, Gangnam-gu To get there take a train to Seolleung station (line 2) and come out of exit 4. Keep walking straight until you see McDonalds. Baby Greek is in the 24 building next door. Walk through the double doors and take the escalator down to the basement. Turn left off the escalator and walk straight, Baby Greek will be right in front of you. Baby Greek is open from 9am- 9pm. For more information call 070-4414-7161 or check out their facebook page.

18
Jul
2014

Garlic Mushrooms

categories: Recipes

I am all about garlic, and mushrooms for that matter, and this is one of those random dishes that I really miss from home. A lovely mushroom, coated in garlic butter, breaded and deep fried. Oh my they are perfection, dipped in some garlic mayo or sweet chili sauce what could be finer? I had pretty much forgotten all about my love of deep fried mushrooms until I decided to try them out myself. They were actually super easy to make, and the taste was undeniably amazing. I think mine were far superior to any I have had before, did I get lucky or am I just brilliant? Who could say for sure, either way I nailed it. The best part was that The Fat Boyfriend doesn’t even like mushrooms, so he had one and very generously let me eat the rest. It was the best day ever!

Ingredients

10 – 12 Mushrooms (but feel free to double up, you wont be sorry)

1 stick of butter

5 cloves of garlic

1 teaspoon of fresh parsley

A pinch of salt and pepper

1 egg beaten

3 tablespoons of flour

8 tablespoons of panko crumbs (or bread crumbs)

1 teaspoon of paprika

500ml of soy bean oil (enough to cover your pan, at least an inch deep)

Directions

1. To make the garlic butter, melt the butter in a saucepan and crush or grate the garlic into it. Add the parsley, salt, and pepper, and let it cook for a minute before removing from the heat. Add the mushrooms to the melted butter and give it a good stir to make sure they are coated. Let the mushrooms sit in and soak up the butter while you do the next step. Take a plate or tray and put a piece of grease proof paper on it. Then put the mushrooms on the paper and put them in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes. The butter will freeze and keep them coated.

2. When the mushrooms have set, sprinkle on the flour and toss them in it a little and then pop them back in the freezer while you prepare the egg and bread crumbs. Put the beaten egg in one bowl and the breadcrumbs and paprika in another. I usually make a nice breadcrumb mix using panko crumbs, nutritional yeast, some oats, and some quinoa. I feel it gives a nice range of textures but just plain panko crumbs is fine too.

3. Put the soy bean oil in a wok or large pan and heat it to about 180 degrees (if you don’t have a thermometer this is about medium on a gas range). Dip the mushrooms into the egg, making sure they are completely coated. Then gently toss them in the bread crumbs. I usually find it’s easier to coat them all first and set them on a tray before frying so you aren’t trying to do three things at once. Fry them in small batches for a couple of minutes on each side until golden brown. Then remove and drain on a piece of kitchen roll before serving with your favourite dip. Voilà breaded mushrooms.

16
Jul
2014

The Beastro

categories: Restaurant Reviews

The Beastro is the hottest new restaurant to hit Hongdae and is serving up contemporary American cuisine. The large restaurant is set over three floors, and boasts an open plan kitchen and a roof top patio where you can enjoy drink or two whilst gazing out over the city sky line. Which is the perfect place to beat the heat and enjoy the cool breeze. (more…)

14
Jul
2014

Berentzen Blackcurrant Cocktails

categories: Drinks & Cocktails

I generally like to save my cocktail shares for the weekend, but today has just been one of those days and I plan to hit the the bottle the moment I get home from work. I’d be more than happy to get on it before work if only human decency would allow me to indulge in teaching while drunk. So for the moment I choose coffee, but later I shall choose Berentzen.

Berentzen recently celebrated their 1st Birthday in Korea, and to celebrate ran a competition to give away a bottle of each of their fab flavours of liqueur. And would you believe it, I only went and won the blackcurrant one. I have never won a thing in my life (except the pub quiz), so to win some free blackcurrant flavoured booze was tremendous. I’ve been a lover of all things blackcurrant since I had my first sip of Ribena as a child. So using my lovely free booze I made these two cocktails, because lets face it one is never enough.

My first libation is called the Naughty Ribena, an alcoholic and adult friendly version of British kids favourite blackcurrant squash. I was inspired to make this after having a chat with Charlie, the owner and resident mixologist of Battered Sole, who told me he plans to put a Dirty Ribena on the menu of their new British Gastropub restaurant. It hasn’t quite made its way onto the menu yet, so I figured I would have a go at making my own and it turned out perfectly.

Ingredients

4 shots of Berentzen blackcurrant

2 shots of vodka

4- 6 shots of sparkling water

A wedge of lemon

Directions

Pour the vodka and Berentzen blackcurrant into your glass and top with the sparkling water. Squeeze in the juice of a wedge of lemon then stir and serve over ice.

The second cocktail I made was a good old rum punch. Now the sun is shining I just can’t get enough of this fruity rum delight. This one makes a whole jug-full, so you can share with your friends, or if you’re a lush like me just drink it alone. This one is kind of boozy so feel free to add more juice if you need to. Ah punch, the answer to all of life’s problems.

Ingredients

4 shots of Berentzen blackcurrant

4 shots of dark rum (I used Captain Morgan)

2 shots of Malibu

12 shots Pineapple juice

Fruit & ice to garnish (strawberries, orange, and lemon)

Directions

Pour all the alcohol and juice into a large jar or glass. Give it a good mix then top with ice and sliced fruit. Voila two amazing cocktails to see you through the summer season. Happy Birthday Berentzen!

13
Jul
2014

Lobster Bar

categories: Restaurant Reviews

Last week, despite being immensely poor, I decided to treat myself and my man to some lobster. Not a whole lobster of course, I’m not that flush, but some lovely lobster sandwiches which are the new star attraction at Lobster bar in Itaewon. The place is located at the top of the stone stairs just next to Rocky Mountain Tavern. A small cafe with seating for about 12 inside and another 12 outside. It was rather muggy on the day we went, otherwise I would have loved to sit outside and soak up some rays.

The menu is small and efficient with only 4 items. It host three varieties of lobster sandwich and a whole lobster steamed or grilled. I was thrilled to find that despite the small size of the menu they offered 3 different cocktails and I think we all know how much I love the cock-tails. I inquired about the punch and it came highly recommended. I left my cocktail enjoyment in their hands and set about choosing my sandwich.

There are three kinds of sandwich, The Maine, which is lobster with mayo, The Connecticut which is lobster with butter and The Grilled Cheese, which is lobster in a grilled cheese sandwich. We decided to opt for the grilled cheese and the Connecticut, although I’m still itching to try out the Maine one, if anyone fancies taking me?

The punch arrived and I was glad to see it was held in a lovely large jar which justified its 12,000 price tag. The waiter held his breath as I tried my first sip. It was delightful, a fruity dance upon the taste buds with a lovely hit of blackcurrant. He walked away triumphantly as I enjoyed my drink.

The sandwiches were shortly presented in all their glory. The Grilled Cheese (17,000) is really very tasty and filling. Toasted bread, smeared with delicious melted cheese, spinach and plenty of pieces of plump lobster. You get a nice hit of flavour when you bite into it, followed by a spicy finish. It’s very moreish indeed, a bit like crack as Super Hans would say. It comes with salad and fries and they’re also working on getting some fresh corn to accompany it too.

The Connecticut (17,000) is also exceptionally nice, generous chunks of lobster covered in juicy melted butter and housed in a soft roll. I was very impressed with the amount of lobster that was in it, one is enough to keep you happy. All in all a very good price, some may balk at paying 17,000 for a sandwich but it is lobster after all and they really don’t skimp on the portions.

There is also a tank outside full of live lobsters just waiting to be chosen and win the prize of becoming your dinner. For a mere 49,000, your lobster will be grilled or steamed and served up on a platter. Sadly too rich for my blood, but if anyone needs a date? I’m always available for lobster.

Lobster bar is located at 736-49 Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. To get there take a train to Itaewon Station (Line 6) Exit 3. Walk straight until you get to the stairs next to Rocky Mountain Tavern. Walk to the top of the stairs, Lobster Bar is on your left. For more information you can call them on 070-8225-3963 or check out their website.

10
Jul
2014

Sweet Chili Sauce

categories: Recipes, Vegan / Veggie Friendly

I do love sweet chili sauce, we always have a bottle or two in the cupboard and it’s my secret ingredient to all things savory. There isn’t much that I make that can’t be jazzed up with a little sweet chili sauce, from coleslaw, potato salad, or dips, to bolognese. It’s a wondrous ingredient that’s forever in my heart. However last Costco run I sadly neglected to pick up any and was not relishing living without it. I knew that it’s pretty much sugar, vinegar, and chilies so it really couldn’t be all that hard to make. I had a load of chilies in the fridge which were in desperate need of use. So I thought I would whip up a batch. It was a resounding success and it was cheaper to make than buying it at Costco.

Ingredients

2 cups of white sugar

1 cup of water

1 cup of apple vinegar (You can buy this in any Korean Mart)

2-6 red chilies (keep the seeds if you like it hot, take them out if you want it mild)

4 cloves of garlic

1/2 an inch of ginger (or less)

4 tablespoons of cornflour

4 tablespoons of cold water

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Put all the ingredients in a blender, except the cornflour and cold water, and blend until smooth.

2. Pour everything into a saucepan and put on a low heat. Meanwhile mix together the cornflour and cold water in a cup to make a paste, then add it to saucepan and stir together.

3. As the sweet chili sauce heats up it will thicken. When it begins to boil you can turn it off. Taste and add more salt, sugar, or vinegar to suit your own tastes. When it cools you can store it in the fridge in an airtight container. It should keep for a few weeks at least.

08
Jul
2014

Fell + Cole

categories: Cafes / Takeaways / Bars

I’m fairly certain that all my regular readers are well aware of my lust for ice-cream these days. It’s actually getting quite out of control, as these lovely luxury ice-creams run quite high. Thankfully they are rich and creamy so one does the job.

I’ve been on a mission to dig out the tastiest frozen treats in Seoul, so I knew I was going to have to bite the bullet sooner or later and leave the loving sanctuary that is Itaewon-dong and head over to Fell + Cole in Hongdae. I’m not a huge fan of Hongdae so wasn’t relishing the trip, however luckily for me I checked their facebook page and found they had opened a brand new branch in Jong-no which was terribly easy for me to visit.

They have about 12 flavours which change daily. They all have crazy names like Busan Seagull, Corny White, and Youth Potion No.6. If you want to find out the flavours before you head to the parlour then they post them daily on their facebook page. However if you like a little mystery in your life as I do, head on over and just try them all until you find one that suits your fancy. I think we were rather lucky in this regard as there were no other customers, I’m thinking on a hot and sunny Saturday trying 6 may be frowned upon, at least by those waiting in the queue.

So after trying the numerous different ones I settled upon Lemon Frozen Yogurt (5,200). The Fat Boyfriend is a fan of all things, fruity, zesty and sour. So this really ticked all the boxes for him and I knew it would have to be one of the two we ordered. It was rich, creamy, sweet, and zingy all at the same time. Pure poetry in ice-cream form. No one could turn down that beauty on a hot day.

I decided upon the Tough Cookie (5,200). A bit of a dull choice for a foodie, but I couldn’t seem to decide between the others. The Strawberry was too mild, the Burnt Caramel too sweet, the Love Potion a strange blend of sesame and something. So the Tough Cookie was just right, (I think I may have been channeling Goldilocks)! It was a creamy ice-cream filled with cookie nuggets.

On their website they have a huge range of sorbets on the menu, but sadly they had none at the Jong-no store, which was very upsetting as I had brought along my friend Vanessa from Vegan Beats website to enjoy the wealth. So she left with an empty tummy. However I was quite happy and shall certainly pay another visit, next time I am in the area.

Fell + Cole have three locations in Seoul, one in Hongdae, One in Apgujeong and one in Jong-no. I visited the Jong-no branch. To get there take a train to Jonggak station (line 1). Aim to come out exit 1(but you can’t at the moment due to construction) so take exit 2 and double back on yourself. The entrance to the Grand Seoul Mall is right there in front of you. Fell + Cole is down one level on B1. You can’t miss it. For more information you can call on 02-2158-7909, or check out their website or facebook page.

July 2014 archive