13Aug2013

Kyungnidan Foodie Crawl

Posted in Restaurant Reviews, Uncategorized by fatgirlkr

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Last Saturday I helped lead 10 unsuspecting victims around Kyungnidan on the Chips Maps foodie crawl. We all met up at Noksapyeong station then trawled around the area and tried to eat as much as humanly possible.

Our first stop was Craftworks Taphouse where we enjoyed chicken pepper poppers with 12 different dips. We all had different favourites, so here are our top picks , peri peri, buffalo, honey mustard and chipotle mayonnaise. I will have to go back to try a few more next time. A Bloody Mary and some chicken later it was time to move on.

Our second stop was Springs Taphouse, another craft beer joint. Although it was a food crawl we did spend a lot of time drinking, as eating can be very thirsty work. At Springs Taphouse we tried the three mushroom pate with cherry tomato and chickpea tapenade. I love this dish so was thrilled to be able to try it again, everyone agreed that it was absolutely delicious.

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Third stop was Beer O’ Clock pizza. I had been meaning to eat here for quite some time now, so was very keen to try it out. The pizza crust was thin and crispy just how I like it. I was starting to get pretty full by this point but still managed to eat 2 slices.

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Last stop was Maloneys. Here we enjoyed mini sliders. Thank God they were mini as I might not have managed a whole one. The meat was juicy and tasty though, I will be definitely coming back for a full sized one when I have more room. We even stayed here and had a few more drinks after we were finished.

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Everyone on the crawl was tonnes of fun and we all enjoyed a great afternoon. I am already looking forward to next weeks crawl around the world in Itaewon. If you would like to sign up for one of the future crawls, please check out the facebook page for more details.

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5Aug2013

Braai Republic

Posted in Restaurant Reviews by fatgirlkr

Braai Republic is a South African BBQ restaurant and bar hidden in the back streets of Itaewon. I have been meaning to review this place for over a year now, however we have just only got around to visiting. It’s very strange as both me and my boyfriend were well aware that they served lamb chops, but it still took us a while to get around to eating here. We decided to visit on a Tuesday as they have all you can eat lamb chops for 15,000. Yes that’s right, all you can eat lamb chops for 15,000.

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On a Tuesday for one hour between 5pm and 8pm you can get all you can eat lamb chops. The hour starts as soon as your first plate of lamb chops is put down. Once you have devoured them, you can order more and keep ordering until you’re so full with meat you cant bear to move, or your time runs out, whichever comes first. I had high hopes about my abilities but had to stop after 3 plates. We had plenty of time left but I just couldn’t fit any more in. The lamb here is spectacular, well seasoned, full of flavour and fresh from the BBQ. We asked for ours rare and it was cooked to perfection.

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The lamb all you can eat doesn’t come with any sides, so if you want some, you can order them as extras. They have creamed spinach, mashed garlic potato, wedges, and coleslaw. If there are a few of you it’s easy to share and mix and match.

Elsewhere on the menu they have sausages, pies, lamb shank, wors(South African Sausage) and various side dishes. Our friend Jen wasn’t really in the mood for all you can eat so ordered the Meat platter (30,000) which consisted of 2 lamb chops, 2 sausages, creamed spinach, coleslaw and mashed potato. This is a big plate of food and could easily be shared between two people. The sausages are homemade but it’s really the lamb chops that steal the show.

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All you can eat lamb is cash only, so be sure to bring some with you. However sides, drinks, and other menu items can all be paid for by card. Reservations are also recommended unless you can get there early as space is limited.

For those of you not living in Seoul but still hankering after a taste of the Braai, check out their website The Biltong guy who will deliver boerwors directly to your door.

Braai Republic is located in Itaewon at 63-4 itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. To get there take a train to Itaewon station and walk straight out of exit 4 for about 500 meters. Take a left just before you get to Mcdonalds. Keep walking straight down that street past the intersection. Braai Republic is on the left, on the second floor. You can check out their facebook page or call them on 02-795-1967.

27Feb2013

Pizza Peel

Posted in Restaurant Reviews by fatgirlkr

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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.

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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.

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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.

30Jan2013

Tartine

Posted in Cafes / Takeaways / Bars by fatgirlkr

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Last week we were having a browse around Itaewon and passed by Tartine. Tartine is an Artisan style bakery specializing in pies. However they also have various cakes and breads for sale too, as well as a restaurant opposite serving food.

It had been a while since I was last there so I thought I would treat myself to a few of their cakes. It was very busy inside so we just got them to take away. I have had their chocolate cream pie once before, but although I enjoyed the filling, I didn’t think much of the pastry. Especially since it cost about 7,000 for one.

This time I opted for the lemon bar 4,800. I have been rather obsessed with lemon flavoured delights lately and was looking forward to this. It tasted like sherbet lemon candy, which is good but left a very artificial after-taste in my mouth. The pastry wasn’t all that great either. It was okay but a little disappointing.

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I also bought a pecan brownie 3,800. It was fine but nothing special, a little dry actually. I think mine is much better. I would rather buy one of the dollar ones from Paris Baguette than shell out for one of these again.

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The last dessert I purchased was the Cheesecake 7,000. It looked the part and the texture was great but sadly it was really lacking in flavour. The topping was very bland. Indigo’s is much better and almost half the price.

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Overall I don’t think I will be a regular at Tartine. It’s way too pricey for desserts that are not really all that great. However if you are in the mood for pie they have a large variety (including rhubarb!). They also have a loyalty stamp card where you get something for free after every 5 pies that you buy.

Tartine is located in Itaewon at 119-15 Itaewon, Yongsan -Gu, Seoul. Take a train to Itaewon station (line 6) then come out of exit 1 and walk straight. It is in one of the alleys up to your right (the second or third one I think). You can call them on 02-3785-3400 or check out their website for more details.