Author Archives: fatgirlkr

Richard Copycat – All American Diner

Posted in Restaurant Reviews by

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Where to begin on this dining experience. Hmm I guess lets start with the name. Is Richard Copycats not the stupidest name ever!!! What are you copying Richard??? All American Diner was just fine, really summed up you and what you do.

As some of you may be aware RCC’s has recently moved. Instead of being by Mcdonald’s it’s moved premises to the other end of of Itaewon. The new premises are a former night club. They clearly like the vibe and have decided to keep the decor. When I first arrived I thought it was quite cool. Who doesn’t like white leather sofas and faux palm trees?

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However as we waited for our menus we started to look around a bit and found that all the glass was smeared and dirty and various fixtures had broken, come apart or been set on fire. Yes there was evidence, no I didn’t take a picture a la Trip Advisor. Maybe when this was a night club the dark cover of night hid these things well, but it’s daytime, you’re serving brunch and the tables are in need of a good clean. Perhaps Richard should invest in some Windex and ask his waitress to stop playing Candy Crush, and clean the tables. As you can see from the photo the place was empty so I’m sure she had ample time.

On to the food. We perused the menu filled to the brim with all American classics. We placed our food orders and tried to order a Bloody Mary, but our waitress told us they don’t serve alcohol until 6! WTF! It’s brunch, we are in a nightclub sitting on white leather sofas, listening to hiphop blaring out the stereo and you want me to do this sober, really? I was very upset, you know Fat Girl likes a cocktail with breakfast, especially when she is hungover. If it was a diner like space I could live without the Bloody Mary but it’s a club, and they could seriously cash in on the day drinking crowd, as it’s a huge, light space which would be ideal for drinking on a summer’s day. Also drunk people would care less about the smudged glass.

On to the food. My dining companion (Mat from food blog Restaurants of Korea) ordered a strawberry smoothie when informed there was to be no booze. He didn’t like it and thought it was very artificial, personally I enjoyed it though. But it’s more of a milkshake than a smoothie. I just had a coke, 4,000 but its refillable.

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I ordered the Bacon Cheddar Burger (15,800), nothing off the breakfast menu was jumping out at me, so I figured you can’t go wrong with a cheeseburger. A couple of years ago it was also often featured in the Top 5 burgers lists so I wanted to give it a try for that reason alone. Presented nicely enough and a toasted bun I ate, I chewed, I swallowed. It was fine, but really nothing special. Kind of like a frozen one you would buy at home. At best a 6/10. The fries were again fine but just the frozen ones from Costco. I don’t think it justified its 16,000 price tag. I can get a real gourmet burger from Left coast, Burger B , or Brooklyn Burger  for less than that, and all 3 restaurants have a hell of a lot more ambiance.

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My dining companion went for the Farmers Breakfast (14,100). Gravy and biscuits, bacon, sausages, scrambled egg, and country fried potatoes. This one again was fine, the potatoes were good and so were the herby sausages. The eggs needed more seasoning and neither of us enjoyed the biscuits. They just tasted like margarine, but so do the ones at KFC so maybe I have unrealistic expectations of what biscuits should taste like. The gravy wasn’t like anything I had tried before. If you are more familiar with american style gravy it could be a little bit more up your alley.

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All in all I didn’t leave Richard Copycats with the same enthusiasm that I came in with. Although on using the 50% discount coupon that’s available until March 31st I only paid 10,000 for my dinner, which is about what it was worth. Had it cost the 20,000 it was supposed to I would have been pissed off. The food is over priced for what is, just mediocre diner food. Maybe if you are craving that kind of taste of home then you will be happy but I just felt let down. Years ago when they opened and dining choices were limited this was probably a great place, but Itaewon has boomed since then and we have restaurants galore and your 20,000 can buy you a damn good breakfast. With the mixed messages of the alcohol free club like atmosphere I can’t see too many customers queueing up for this place. Though if you are set to have a taste of home, go before March 31st while it’s still half price and just show this picture.

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Richard Copycats is located at 736-9 Hanam-dong, Seoul. To get there take a train to Itaewon Station (line 6). Walk straight out of exit 3 and keep going straight. Cross the street and keep on going. Richard copycats is just past Rocky Mountain Tavern on the 3rd floor. You can call them on 02-790-0411 or checkout their website for more details.

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Merguez Sausages with Couscous

Posted in Recipes by

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If you are sick of eating the same old foods for dinner, then you really need to order some of these fabulous Moroccan merguez sausages from France Gourmet. I wanted to treat them special, and find a dish that lived up to their taste. Just thinking about them now is making my mouth water. It’s hard to describe their taste, I guess they are a kind of spicy sausage. But not spicy in a hot way, spicy in an amazing flavourful way. So much taste and flavour I could burst. I’ve never had a sausage like it. These caramelised onions and peppers were the perfect accompaniment along with couscous. You could also add a drizzle of tzatziki if you have the ingredients to hand.

Ingredients

500g of Merguez sausages

1 large onion

2 red peppers

2 tablespoons of brown sugar

1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce

1 cup of couscous

1 cup of hot water

3 tablespoons of raisins

Directions 

1. Heat a frying pan to medium and add just a drop of oil, you don’t need much as the sausages have plenty of fat in them. Fry on each side for about 5 – 10 minutes until browned and cooked through. While the sausages are cooking, slice the onion, aubergines, and peppers. When the sausages are done, remove them from the pan but leave the fat.

2. Add your peppers, aubergines, and onions to the pan and cook for 10 -15 minutes until they have softened and started to caramelize. Then add the brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce, and cook for a further 2 minutes.

3. While your veg is softening, prepare your couscous by putting it in a bowl with the raisins then pouring over one cup of hot water. Your cup can be any size just use equal measurements of couscous and hot water. Then cover with a plate and leave for five minutes. When it’s done, use a fork to make the couscous fluffy. Serve with your sausages and caramelized vegetables. Voilà an easy and tasty dinner which doesn’t require an oven.

Greek on the Grill

Posted in Restaurant Reviews by

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I spotted this little place a few weeks ago when walking around Itaewon, I made a note of it and vowed to give it a try next time I wasn’t so full. Then a few days ago we passed it again and I figured it was about time. I love kebabs and love grilled food so I figured there really wasn’t anything not to like. They are very similar to kebabs except the meat is cooked on skewers and not sliced from a giant piece like the Turkish ones. They are also wrapped in thick pita breads rather than the thinner tortilla breads the kebab shops have.

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I ordered the chicken souvlaki pita (5,000). Chunks of char-grilled chicken, fresh salad and topped with  a tzatziki sauce. All wrapped up in a chewy pita bread it was rather good indeed.

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And of course The fat boyfriend wanted to try the lamb souvlaki pita (5,500). He really does love his lamb!

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As well as the souvlaki pitas, they have just plain meat on a stick and a few different Greek salads. There is room for seating or you can get it to go. A cool little place to grab food on the go and a nice change from kebabs and sandwiches.

Greek on the Grill is located at 64-67 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. To get there take a train to Itaewon Station, come out exit 4 and walk straight until you get to Dillinger’s. Take the stairs down to the left of Dillinger’s and then turn right and it’s on your left after about 50 metres. You can call  them 02-797-7043 for more details.

Bluenananut Smoothie

Posted in Drinks & Cocktails, Recipes, Vegan / Veggie Friendly by

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So you may have noticed I’ve got a bit smoothie crazy lately. Which I have. Because smoothies are delicious and healthy. I have one for breakfast almost every day. The bluenananut smoothie is insanely delicious, which is why I keep it as a bit of a treat, while still having lots of goodness in it too. Blueberries seem to be in season at the moment and I’ve been finding them everywhere. I even got one of the little boxes for a mere 2,000 the other day. The peanut butter I used was the amazing white chocolate kind from i-Herb but use the regular stuff if you have it. Or you could do a scoop of the peanut butter powder instead. I also used some of my Pure coconut water to give it a tropical taste and get some much needed electrolytes.

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Ingredients 

2 bananas

a handful of blueberries

1 tablespoon of peanut butter

200mls of coconut water

100mls of milk (optional)

Directions

1. Put all the ingredients into your blender and blend.

2. Pour smoothie over ice and drink!

Patatas Bravas

Posted in Recipes, Vegan / Veggie Friendly by

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After retrying it at Mi Casa I haven’t been able to get this dish of my mind. It’s so simple to make I figured it was high time that I gave it a try myself. Fried potatoes, covered in a rich tomato sauce, and topped with home made aioli. Easy and incredibly tasty.

Ingredients 

6-8 potatoes

2 tablespoons of corn flour

1 tablespoon of flour

1/2 a teaspoon of celery salt

1/2 a teaspoon of pepper

250g of cherry tomatoes

2 red peppers

2 cloves of garlic

1 teaspoon of mixed herbs

olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Aioli

1 egg yolk

2 cloves of garlic

1 teaspoon of mustard

1/2 lemon (juiced)

300ml olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Start off by boiling your potatoes in salted water for 15 minutes until soft. Then strain and leave to cool.

2. While the potatoes are cooling preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Put the cherry tomatoes, red peppers, garlic, and olive oil in a pan and roast for 15-20 minutes until soft.

3. When the tomatoes, garlic, and peppers have roasted, pop them into the blender along with your mixed herbs and blend until smooth. Then set aside.

4. To make the aioli put the egg yolk and mustard in a bowl and whisk together. Add the oil very slowly, about a teaspoon at a time and make sure the last portion of oil has been incorporated before adding the next bit. Keep adding the oil until it has thickened and has the texture of mayonnaise. Squeeze in the lemon, add the crushed garlic, and add salt and pepper to taste. The aioli will keep for about a week in the fridge in a sealed container.

4. Once the potatoes have cooled cut into chunks then pop in a bowl with the cornflour, flour, celery salt and pepper and toss together. Heat some soy bean oil in a wok or frying pan and fry the floured potatoes in batches until crispy and golden brown. Then drain on kitchen paper to remove the excess oil.

5. Pile up the potatoes on your plate, top with your home-made tomato sauce and drizzle with the aioli and enjoy.

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Wine Odyssey

Posted in Restaurant Reviews by

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I always seem to get a lot of requests asking for my advice on nice restaurants to visit for anniversaries and other such occasions. Well last week I got to add another to my list. Wine Odyssey is a chic, romantic wine bar and restaurant located in Hannam-dong. Warm and inviting, it breeds the feeling of romance as soon as you walk in, with the dim lights and plush furnishings. With an extensive wine list it’s the perfect place for oenophiles. They also have live music on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. The perfect ambiance for those looking to go somewhere special.

While I waited a beautiful place was set for me and I was given a whole basket of bread all to myself. The baguette was perfect, real bread for once, with a lovely chewy texture and oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping. The menu is large, filled with Spanish and Italian tapas dishes and main courses, with a few Russian favourites thrown in as a nod to its owner.

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I really find it hard to choose between things I love. So when I perused the menu and saw they had garlic mushrooms and garlic prawns I really was torn. Luckily for me I am a VIP food blogger and they agreed to let me have a half portion of each. The Setas a la Cazuela (18,000) were so good! Sizzling in the pan when they arrived and doused in a delicious garlic oil that was perfectly flavoured with garlic without being too strong. The mushrooms were so juicy. I kid you not, I wiped the bowl clean. Soaking up all that lovely garlic oil with my bread.

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As well as the mushrooms I had my Gambas al Ajillo (18,000).  Plump juicy King prawns in a garlic and chili oil. The sauce was so tasty without being hot. The chef told me the flavour comes from a Spanish sweet paprika he brought with him from Spain. A sure fire hit.

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Lobster Pasta (35,000) was my main course. It was presented so beautifully I felt I was being spoiled. There were generous chunks of lobster throughout the rich and tasty tomato sauce. Served over spaghetti this was a really nice dish and different from most of the pastas you get in Seoul. Authentic and tasty, you won’t be disappointed if you try this.

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To finish up I was treated to a service size tiramisu (8,000). The full sized portion is at least twice the size. Served up in an espresso cup this was the most adorable dessert ever. It was pretty damn tasty too. Smooth and creamy with a delightful coffee sponge without being too strong. The perfect end to a lovely meal.

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Wine Odyssey is located at 3F, 273-2 Hannam-dong,Yongsan-gu, Seoul. The restaurant is in Hannam-dong and not that close to a subway station. The closest one is Hangangjin (line 6). You can walk from there in about 10 minutes. The directions are kind of complicated, so just check your smartphone’s map for directions, if I can find it then so can you! Call 070-8959-1198 or check out their facebook page for more details.

Roast Chili Bread

Posted in Baking, Recipes, Vegan / Veggie Friendly by

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I whipped up this loaf last week as another dish to take along to The Seoul Vegan Potluck. And when I say I, I mean The Fat Boyfriend. Although I devised the recipe, he just did all the hard labour, just how I like it. We often make bread, but I wanted to change it up a bit. I had some chilies which needed using, as I often do, so figured this would be a great way to use them. Had it not been destined for the Vegan Potluck I probably would have thrown some cheese in too.

Ingredients

250g of whole wheat flour from bob red mill (FFM, i-Herb, Bangsan Bakers Mart)

250g of white bread flour

2 x 8g instant yeast

2 tablespoons of white sugar

2 teaspoons of salt

1 1/2-2 cups of warm water

4 tablespoons of olive oil

5 red chillies

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Roast the chilies in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil for about 20 minutes until browned and softened. Remove the ends and half the seeds. If you like it spicy keep them all in. Blend the chilies and the rest of the oil in your coffee grinder until there are no large lumps.

2. Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Start to add the warm water and mix together. After you have added a third of the water, stir in the chili oil. Continue to add the water bit by bit until a dough has formed. You may find that you do not need all of the water, so stop as soon as you have enough. Once the dough has formed knead for about 8 minutes. Oil your hands if kneading by hand as the dough will begin to get sticky. When the dough has been kneaded, place it in a bowl with a damp towel over it in a warm place. Since it’s still cold I just put it on one of the hot spots on the floor, I find this does the job well. Leave it to rise for one hour. The dough  should have risen nicely.

3. When the dough has doubled in volume, Punch the dough back down and shape into a two long baguette  loaf  shapes and place them on your baking tray. Put your baking tray inside of a plastic bag and leave to rise again for another 30 minutes to an hour.

4. Once they have risen again (just like the South)  pop them in the oven at about 190 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes, turn the tray around halfway through cooking to produce a more even rise. Check your bread is done by tapping it, if it doesn’t give a good knock, put it back in for another 5-10 minutes.

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Cassoulet

Posted in Recipes by

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Sometimes in life everything comes together and things work out perfectly. This was exactly what happened in my kitchen last Sunday when I made this fabulous cassoulet. I was toying with what to make with the Chipolata sausages that I had got from France Gourmet and thought a french sausage stew would be perfect. Obviously I didn’t have the duck confit but everything else I had ready and waiting. We even had half a loaf of stale homemade bread just begging to be used. I also subbed canoli beans for baked beans as I had some and I think if anything the tomato sauce adds to the richness of the dish. It was divine and a perfect dinner for a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Ingredients

500g of chipolata sausages (France Gourmet)

1 onion

4 cloves of garlic

600g of baked beans

5 rashers of bacon

1 carrot

1 stick of celery

1 glass of wine

500ml of chicken stock.

1 tablespoon of mixed herbs.

150g of bread crumbs (about half a loaf)

30g of gruyere (or nicest cheese you have)

Directions

1. Cut the bacon into small pieces and fry off until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan but leave the fat. Then add the sausages and fry for a minute on each side to brown them, then remove from the pan too.

2. Roughly chop the onions, garlic and celery. Then pour the bacon fat into a large saucepan. Heat then add the onions, fry for a minute or two before adding the celery, garlic and carrots. After a few minutes add the sausages and bacon to the pot then pour in a glass of wine, let the wine reduce then add to the stock and bring to the boil.

3. Once the stew is boiling reduce the head and stir in the beans, season with salt and pepper and add the mixed herbs. Cook for another 5 minutes, then taste the sauce, it should already be delicious by this point. While the stew is cooking grate or tear the bread into pieces of crumbs.

4.  Preheat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius, then put half of the stew into your dish then top with half the breadcrumbs. Top with the second half of the stew and then again with the second half of the bread crumbs.

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5. Pop the the whole thing in the oven for 30 minutes, although keep an eye on the top. If the breadcrumbs look like they might burn, cover it with foil. After 30 minutes grate the Gruyere onto the top and return it to the oven for another 10 minutes until the cheese has melted and the top is golden brown. Serve by itself or with mashed potato or polenta.

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P’tit Paris

Posted in Restaurant Reviews by

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Last week I was invited to try the newest French restaurant to hit Itaewon. P’tit Paris is a small and cute little restaurant which specializes in crepes! J’adore crepes and all things French, so I was super excited to try them out. There is a lovely large bar in the front and seating for about 10 in the cozy restaurant at the back. The menu is in French and Korean, but the lovely Uni is there to explain everything if you need any help.

We started off with a glass of their freshly squeezed orange juice (6,000). It was so tasty, I finished mine in minutes. My dining companion remarked that it was a little warm, so maybe a few ice-cubes wouldn’t go amiss. But not too many as we really wouldn’t want to take the space of that wonderful juice.

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Our first crepe to try was the Galette Champignons (12,000). I think we all know how much I love mushrooms, but mushrooms in a creamy cheese sauce wrapped up in a crepe is perfection. This was so tasty and comforting I will certainly be back to have another one. If we didn’t have more dishes coming I really would have had another one, it was just perfect.

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Our sec0nd crepe was the Galette Complete (12,000). Inside were mushrooms, ham, and cheese and it was topped with an egg. This was made in the very traditional way so the the egg wasn’t cooked 100% right through. I’m personally fine with having raw egg, but for those who don’t perhaps you can ask them to cook it more. The crepe again was nice and cheese and ham is always a winning combination. Although the mushrooms were not cooked in this one, I would have loved them to have been fried in butter first.

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Next up was Prosciutto salad (15,000). My assistant Victoria was starting to get a bit full by the time the salad showed up, but I really picked up the slack and ate the part of her share that she couldn’t manage. There was something so rich and creamy about this salad. Chunks of mozzarella, strips of prosciutto and lots of grated parmesan. It really was good and went perfectly with the crepes.

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Finally we tried their special cinnamon apple filling crepe (15,000). This was lovely too. Just like an apple pie with a crepe instead of pie crust. It was so tasty we didn’t leave a bite. If there was a scoop of ice-cream on the top it would be heavenly. They also have a variety of other dessert crepes on the menu including Nutella!

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As well as the sweet and savoys crepes and galettes , there are salads and various other accompaniment dishes on the menu. There is also plenty of booze including wine, beers, and cocktails!  With Pancake Day on the way soon (March 4th) it’s the perfect place to try if you can’t or won’t make your own.

P’tit Paris is located at 57-19 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. To get there, take a train to Itaewon station (Line6) and walk out of exit 1. Walk straight all the way down to the end of the road and walk up the hill. P’tit Paris is located in the small alleyway opposite Starbucks. For more information call 070-4243-3302 or check out their facebook page.

Vegan Spinach & Ricotta Lasagne

Posted in Recipes, Vegan / Veggie Friendly by

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Last weekend I headed to the monthly Seoul Vegan Potluck. Despite being a carnivore I always enjoy the vegan events, meeting new people and trying new foods. This time I even managed to pick up some spices and a bread loaf pan which I have been wanting for so long, from a lovely man who is leaving and wanted to give all his cookware and condiments to a good home. It’s such a lovely sense of community that I enjoy, as well as challenging myself to make new things and of course getting to eat lots of yummy foods.

I was kind of in a quandary on what to make this month. The theme was red foods, but I had my heart set on trying a vegan lasagne. I make lasagne a lot, but without the dairy it was quite the challenge. I had seen a cauliflower alfredo sauce on Pinterest which I knew I could use for a bechamel sauce and figured tofu might make a decent ricotta substitute. Despite never having made it before it really came together in the end, and was enjoyed by everyone so I’m really glad I took the chance to make it.

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Ingredients

12 lasagne sheets

4 tablespoons of olive oil

2 bunches of spinach

4 red peppers

500g of tomatoes

3 cloves of garlic

Cauliflower Alfredo 

1 medium cauliflower

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves of garlic

200ml of soy milk

4 tablespoons of nutritional yeast

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon of celery salt

Pepper to taste

Tofu Ricotta

2 packs of tofu (squeeze and freezed)

1 tablespoon of parsley (fresh)

3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 lemon zest and juice

1 teaspoon of celery salt (or salt)

1 teaspoon of black pepper

Topping

2 tablespoons of panko crumbs

2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast

1 tablespoon of ground almonds

Directions

1. First you need to prepare your tofu in order to make the tofu ricotta. Do this at least a day in advance using the squeeze and freeze method. Remove tofu from the pack and pour away the excess liquid. Put into a tray then place a chopping boards on top then put something heavy on top and leave for a few hours. Pour away any excess liquid then wrap the tofu in clingfilm and put it in the freezer. You can store it like this for months. Then defrost when needed.

4. Put your defrosted tofu into a blender or food processor along with parsley, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, celery salt, and pepper and blend until combined and somewhat smooth. It doesn’t have to be perfect and a few lumps recreate the ricotta texture.

2. To make the alfredo or bechamel  sauce. Boil your cauliflower for about 10 minutes until soft then strain. Meanwhile saute your garlic in the olive oil until softened but not browned. Pop the drained cauliflower into the blender along with the sauteed garlic, soy milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth then set aside.

3. To make your red sauce. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees, cut the peppers in half and pull out the seeds then put them in a roasting tray. Add the tomatoes and cloves of garlic to the tray, season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 20-30 minutes until soft. Then put everything in a blender or food processor until smooth. Stir in the mixed herbs, season to taste, and set aside.

5. Roughly chop your 2 packs of spinach, then heat a little olive oil in a pan. Add the spinach and cook in batches for a few minutes until wilted. To make the topping mix the panko crumbs, nutritional yeast, and ground almonds in a bowl together.

6. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Put a layer of lasagne sheets in the bottom of your dish. Then half of the tomato sauce, followed by half of the spinach and half of the tofu ricotta. Then repeat.

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7. Finish with a layer of lasagne then top with the cauliflower alfredo, sprinkle on the topping, and bake for 30-40 minutes or until the pasta has cooked and the top is golden brown. Voilà delicious vegan spinach and ricotta lasagne.

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