From the moment I walked in I was amazed at the change. I’m a fruit and veg fanatic these days and drooled all over the new section. Ingredients which were hard to find before are now prevalent. 3,000 won for a dragon fruit or only 2,000 for a coconut or passion fruit. Even avocados are only 2,300 each now. I never thought I would see these kind of exotic ingredients at such low prices.

Next I popped over to the meat selection. Homeplus stocks an amazing brand now called Mr Beaks which do all manner of proper flavoured sausages, steaks, and packed meat. They even have marinated fresh lamb chops!

The dried goods selection has made an amazing transformation too. They now have all the spices of the world. I didn’t have a look at every single one, but they had an amazing selection, plenty of cumin, dill, and chives. Compared to three years ago when all they had was rosemary, parsley, and curry powder it’s a huge step up. I also noticed cloves in the reduced section, so it might be a good idea to get in early for the mulled wine.

I was also a bit excited to see they have a giant pick and mix selection, until I found out that it’s not technically pick and mix. They have tiny prepacked sachets, though for only a few hundred won each, you could just get lots! They also have Haribo finally, although still no Tangfastics, but it’s only a matter of time!

Probably the best section was the Tesco’s Finest Range. The change here was incredible. Gourmet ketchup, cherry compote, Tuscan olive oil, orzo pasta,  a variety of Swiss chocolate bars and much much more.

And look at these little beauties I found in the freezer. At 8,000 each they aren’t cheap, but they are proper English Ice-creams. Made in the West Country where I am from, Madagascan vanilla, West Country Fudge, Coconut and Mango, Passionfruit and Jaffa Orange, and Stem Ginger. I got the jaffa orange and passionfruit sorbet which was scrumptious and well worth the price tag.

They even had a couple of other proper British items lurking like Heinz baked beans and shortcake biscuits!

Anyway here is what I ended up with, came to about 100,000 which isn’t cheap but I bought lots of luxury items so I think I did quite well overall.

Parmesan, Emmental, Giant pot of yoghurt, 2 pineapples, 300g of quality chocolate, sorbet, steak, croissants, prosecco, blackcurrant jam, black beans, and cheese sticks to name a few. I couldn’t even imagine finding these items 5 years ago and now my shopping basket was filled with them. I am one happy although slightly poorer camper indeed!

The Homeplus I visited is the one located at Gubeundari station on line 5. This was decently sized Homeplus but not giant. So hopefully they should have some these items at your nearest one too, although stock will vary from store to store.

After the success of the chickpea fries I thought it was about time that I gave polenta fries a go too. I bought a bag of corn grits on i-herb some time ago and had only used it once. So this seemed like the perfect way to use it. These fries come out delicious and crumbly, like they have been coated in breadcrumbs. They are also a bit sturdier than the chickpea fries. I’m not super keen on the taste of polenta, so i added some Parmesan and herbs to jazz it up a bit. You can also bake or deep fry. I deep fried of course, but mainly because I had the fryer out already, I’d be happy to bake if I didn’t already have the oil out.

Ingredients

1 cup of polenta

4 cups of water (you can use milk instead if you want it a little richer)

salt & pepper

A knob of butter

A knob of parmesan (but be as generous as you like, vegans can use nutritional yeast))

1 teaspoon of mixed herbs

Olive oil

Soybean oil for frying

Directions

1. Put the polenta and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil stirring all the time. As it gets warmer the polenta will thicken. After as few minutes it should start clearing the sides of the saucepan.

2. Add the salt, pepper, olive oil, butter, parmesan, and herbs then cook for a few minutes while stirring to make sure everything has combined then turn off the heat and set aside.

3. Oil a tray with a lip, then pour in the polenta and leave to set for an hour in the fridge. You can even leave it overnight if you want to make these ahead of time.

4. When the polenta block has set, cut it into fry shapes and heat your oil. Cook the fries in small batches. If you do too many at once they will end up clumping together. Cook for a few minutes of each side until they are golden brown. They should be crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. Serve with your favourite dipping sauce. I paired mine with my roasted red pepper hummus.

If there’s anything that gets my morning started right, it’s a nice cup of coffee. Without coffee in my body I really fail to function well. Coffee is such a personal choice, but for me it has to be an ice vanilla latte. If I’m counting calories I’ll go with a hot americano, and if I’m not a mocha frappuccino with whipped cream and a shot of Kahlua!

Now Seoul has no shortage of coffee shops unless you happen to work in Sangil-dong like I do and there are none, literally none! Okay there is a Paris Baguette but they don’t make an ice vanilla latte and their ice latte is tiny, so tiny it’s about two sips worth. On a Friday I’m a venti girl! And by the time I add my own vanilla syrup at work it never dissolves properly. I have serious coffee problems at work. So much so I’m considering bring my espresso machine from home and buying a mini fridge to keep milk in. That or I may invest in a bottle of Dutch coffee. I really love that stuff.

Anyway, enough of my problems and on to the Coffee Expo! It’s not just for coffee shops or business owners, it’s for the coffee loving public like yourself. Tonnes of stalls selling all things coffee related. See what’s new, buy some hand roasted beans, a coffee machine, some  flavoured syrup, a cool mug, the list is endless. You will also get to see all the professionals at work and see some amazing pictures in foam. And let’s face it, who doesn’t love those?

For those not on a liquid diet there is also food!!! Gelato, cakes, macaroons, tea and more…

The Coffee Expo will be held at COEX from April 10th-13th. Coffee, cakes, foam pictures, what more could you want?  Tickets can be bought on the door for 10,000 won. Or you can get a 30% discount by picking up a coupon from High Street Market or The Seoul Global center.

Happy new Year everyone! Sorry this is a bit of a late post but jet-lag, work, and an unrelenting toothache have really taken it out of me, and I lost all resolve to blog despite my long absence. So I do apologise if you have been having  been suffering Fatgirl withdrawals, although I have been updating my Facebook page to keep you going.

So on to the first post of 2014. It being January and all I thought I would kick you off with a healthy one. Now before you go running and screaming away from the word healthy, it is no less delicious. So I present to you the beetroot, carrot, ginger, and apple smoothie. This is how I always start my day. I either have this one or a green smoothie, which I shall bring to you later in the week. Now I know you all like to think that I begin my day with half a dozen burgers or a few slices of cake but I don’t (except on Sundays!). For many years I have always believed it important to start my days with a healthy and nutritious breakfast, as it generally only goes downhill from there if I don’t. On weekdays I actually follow raw till 4, where I have either fruit or a salad for my lunch (usually with a bit of plain chicken in it) and snack on more fruit, veg or nuts until I get home from work. Then when I cook up dinner that’s when all the fun begins. I like junk food, in fact I love junk food, but I also enjoy lots of fresh and natural delights too. I just rarely share them, as most of you already know how to make a salad.

I’ve put on 9lbs over the 2 weeks I was visiting home and I’ve enjoyed every single one of them. I ate until my heart was content, because you have to enjoy it while you can. No roast potato, wrap, chip, chicken ball, or pastry delight was left uneaten. But now it’s time to pay the price and get back to it, or I shall never fit into all those lovely new clothes I bought myself.

So here’s my breakfast smoothie. I used to drink this as a juice, years ago when I lived in Australia, but here in Korea I don’t have a juicer. I actually think it’s better to have it as a smoothie though, all that fiber and roughage is important. My blender is nothing special and manages to make this smoothie 80% of the time. Sometimes it gives up half way through and I finish it off with the hand blender. The better your blender, the less chopping work you need to do. If the smoothie does come out a bit thick, you can always add a bit of extra ice or water. This recipe makes about 2 ½ smoothies. The fat boyfriend and I each have one for breakfast then I usually finish the leftovers when I get home. If you get up super early, you can always make it the night before and give it a stir before you drink it.

Ingredients

1 apple

½ a beetroot

⅓ of a carrot

2-3 baby oranges

2 inches of ginger (use as much as you like)

1 tablespoon of chia seeds (get them on i-Herb)

200ml of orange juice

Directions

Start by putting the softest ingredients in first, so for me its the oranges, apple, beetroot, ginger then finally the carrot. How finely you chop depends on your blender. If you have a vitamix, you probably don’t need to chop at all. 1-2cm pieces work for me, but if your blender is especially crappy you can always grate the beetroot carrot and apple. Then add the chia seeds. If you are unfamiliar with chia seeds, I urge you to get on i-Herb and give them a try. They don’t taste of anything and they are great for cleaning the toxins out of your liver. Once it’s all in add the orange juice and blend. If it’s a bit thick, a handful of ice cubes usually gets things going again. Serve in a recycled coffee cup and head to work feeling smug about how healthy you are. Happy 2014 everyone!

After years and years of spending Christmas in Korea, this year I shall be going home for Christmas. But with that comes a whole host of questions of what I would like for Christmas. We will be spending the day with my family, then heading over to Ireland to spend some time with Niall’s family. Obviously my own friends and family know me well and what I might like but with in-laws it’s really hard not to know what to get. To make things easier, Niall and I decided to make wish lists on Amazon with lots of little things we both liked to help make present buying a lot easier. I have really taken to this making a wish list thing, so much so I thought I would make a fat girls wish list. This is a collection of lovely things I would love to own one day. Obviously Le Creuset pans and Cath Kidston dishes are probably a bit beyond my means at the moment, but there are lots of lovely thing like ingredients and bake-ware that I could afford but never seem to buy. I figured I would share it with all my lovely readers, since it is the season of giving and perhaps some of you are rich, generous or want to buy your favourite food blogger a lovely present (wink,wink). So here is my list of lovely things if you would like to check it out. Happy Christmas shopping everyone! #buymepresentsplease.

When I first found that an English fish and chip shop was going to open on my street I was very, very excited. Being a Brit I take fish and chips very seriously, it is our national dish after all. So when I walked past and found out that it had finally opened I was one of the first people in line to give it a try. it’s a tiny hole in the wall which looked very authentic. With a name like Whitby, one of Britain’s premier seaside towns and a fish and chip mecca, I had my hopes up high.

I ordered a fish and chips (9,000). I duly waited for about 5-10 minutes and was presented with a package wrapped in paper, exactly as we would get them at home.

i opened them up to reveal two pieces of fish and a portion of chips served with tartar sauce. The chips, which are my personal favourite part of the meal, weren’t bad; but for a restaurant that sells only two things, fish and chips, the chips should be made with real potatoes not bought in frozen from Costco.

The fish is not bad, the batter is fairly light, and it does hit the spot. But it is in no way reminiscent of the lovely thick soft and crispy batter we have at home. The fish and chips at the wolfhound is far superior.

Whitby is located in HaebangCheon. Take a train to Noksapyeong station (line 6) . Walk straight out of exit 2 for about 200 meters and take the first left and walk straight along the road with all the kimchi pots. Keep walking straight up the hill until you see Whitby tucked away to your left.

Being a Somerset girl I am particularly fond of Cider. But when I first arrived in Korea, I was rather dismayed to find that there was rather a lack of cider on the fair peninsula. I scoured the bars and finally found that they served it at The Wolfhound in Itaewon. It was on this night almost 5 years ago that I met my fiancé. If it wasn’t for cider, we probably never would have met. So it shall always have a special place in my heart for this reason alone.

Luckily for all you lovely cider lovers out there, things have moved on quite a lot in the past five years. This month I even wrote a piece about cider for Chips maps!!!  If you haven’t heard of Chip’s maps  you should run right out now and grab yourself a copy from your neighbourhood bar in Itaewon. It’s a fun, fantastic, and free magazine which has all the latest happenings in the Itaewon area. In the article  I gave my top 5, but I like to go the extra mile for you my dear fans so here are the top 10!

1. My top place has to go to Bulmers Pear. I was always a fan of this one at home, so I was thrilled to finally find it here. For me it is the best pear cider available in Korea an always quenches my thirst. Available at Bonny’s in cans for 7,000 won.

2. Magners – Magners is finally available in draft form in various bars around Seoul. They even have their own bar at the IFC Mall in Yuiedo.  It’s by far and away the nicest cider available on draft. The cheapest price in Itaewon is at the Bull and Barrel where it costs a mere 8,000 a pint.

3. Hunters Gold – You may have discovered by now that I have a bit of a sweet tooth. I prefer my cider slightly sweeter too. So I love this South African offering. It also comes in a dry variety for those who don’t  like it quite so sweet. Available at Phillies, Bonny’s, Scrooges and Braai Republic for around 6,000 a bottle.

4. Savannah Dry – I tried this for the first time, on my cider crawl and was pleasantly surprised. One of my favourite bar tenders recommended drinking it with a slice of lemon and it was such a delight. Available at Braai Republic and that amazing little bottleshop in the alley behind the Hamilton Hotel.

5. Monteith’s – In particular I am a fan of the berry one, but they also have crushed pear and apple. A nice little trio of ciders hailing from New Zealand. I was stoked to see these in my local convenience mart in HBC and at Bonny’s for around 5,000.

6. Sommersby – I wasn’t overly keen on this when I first tried it. It had a very artificial sweet apply taste. I decided to pour it over the ice that had accompanied it and found that it tasted a lot better. I wont get into the cider with ice debate, but if it makes it taste better then why the hell not. At Reilly’s and The Wolfhound for 6,500.

7. Strongbow – At home I have been known to enjoy a bow or two. No it’s nothing compared to some of the local ciders we get back in the west country but its consistently good. You can even pick these up in Homeplus for about 3,000 now so it’s always worth keeping a few in the fridge.

8. Bulmers Original is pretty much available in bottles all over Itaewon. Costing around 9,000 a bottle, it’s still worth every penny to quench that summer thirst.

9. Magners pear. You may have guessed by now, that I am somewhat fond of pear cider and I sure do like the Magners one. This one is at The Wolfhound for 7,000.

10. Rock Creek – I had to have this on the list, even though it isn’t all that special now that other ciders are available. It was the original and is served at various bars all over the country. It filled that cider hole in my heart for a long time and for that I am very grateful.

For all you cider lovers out there, you may also be interested to know that down at the Wolfhound they have cider Sunday, where they knock off a 1,000 won off of everyone one of their six ciders. If that’s not a reason for a few pints then I don’t know what is.

You may be well aware by now that we are big lamb lovers in our house. We just can’t get enough of that sheepy goodness. However, lamb options in Korea are sadly rather limited. So when I discovered a bag of New Zealand leg of lamb shavings in the Foreign food mart, I just had to have it. I would more or less describe them as lamb sam gyub sal. It cost about 10,000 for 1kg. I decided to make some home-made lamb gyros and they went down a storm. Quick and easy to make, a great dinner on a hot summers eve.

Ingredients

Gyros

500g of frozen lamb shavings

1 teaspoon of cumin

1 teaspoon of coriander

A pinch of chili powder (or as much as you like)

4 tortillas

1/2 a red onion

1 tomato

1 small handful of lettuce

1/2 a cucumber

Tzatziki

250g of plain yogurt

1 teaspoon of lemon juice

1/4 of a cucumber

1 clove of garlic

12 mint leaves

A small pinch of salt.

Directions

To make the tzatziki put the yogurt in a bowl, add the lemon juice and salt, and stir. Finely chop the mint leaves and cucumber and add to the yoghurt. Crush the garlic and  stir into the tzatziki. Leave for about 20 minutes to marinate.

Wash your salad leaves and slice the tomato, onion, and cucumber and set aside. In a dry frying pan, fry the lamb shavings for a minute or two before adding the cumin, coriander and chili powder. Fry until the lamb has cooked through. Warm the tortillas by cooking on each side for one minute in the frying pan.  When everything is ready, assemble and devour. Voilà homemade lamb gyros.

In keeping with my new plan to bring you a few healthier recipes, here’s one I whipped up the other night. We have regular couscous quite frequently for lunch or dinner in our house but I fancied a change. Whilst browsing on iHerb I came across this pearl couscous. It’s very similar but much bigger and has a slightly different texture. It’s quick and easy to make and the perfect side dish to take to all those barbecues you will be invited to this summer. If you are unfamiliar with iHerb then I urge you to check it out, they have all manner or grains, herbs, spices, etc which can be delivered straight to your home. You can also use my code MRV792 for $10 off your first purchase.

Ingredients

1 cup of pearl couscous

1 1/4 cup of water

1/2 a courgette

1 red pepper

1 green pepper

1 aubergine

8 cherry tomatoes

1/2 a red onion

5 cloves of garlic

3 tablespoons of olive oil

2 tablespoons of mixed herbs

A few fresh basil leaves (optional)

Directions

Chop your vegetables into small pieces, then put them in an oven pan, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with mixed herbs. Roast them in the oven for 10 minutes at 190 degrees Celsius. After 10 minutes check if they are done, if not give them a good mix and put them back in for another 5-10 minutes. To make the couscous bring your cup and quarter of water to the boil in a small saucepan. Add the cup of couscous to the pan, turn down the heat and put on a lid. Cook until all the water has evaporated and the couscous is soft. Stir in the roasted veg and serve. Top with fresh basil if you have some. You can eat this warm or cold, as a side, or on its own. Voilà pearl couscous salad.

A few weeks ago it was my birthday. Like any respectable 28 year old girl I yearned for a Hello Kitty birthday cake, lets face it, who doesn’t yearn for one?  However, considering my boyfriends lack of baking skills the chances of me getting one without making it myself were slim, very slim (not unlike myself). I set him the task of trying to find a cake shop that might make it for me but where in the world would I find such a thing in Seoul? It seems that cake heaven was not actually too far away. The lovely Dali of iDalicious Homemade Bakery creates and makes her own wonderful cakes and will custom make anything you want.

My boyfriend sent a few ideas of what he wanted, then she sent him back several pictures to choose from. You can then pick the size of your cake. We went for the medium which cost around 30,000. The design was amazing and the cake was delicious. I was thrilled when it was presented to me and it made all my birthday wishes come true. So if you have someone specials birthday coming up and you want something different, then iDalicous bakery is the place to go. It beats a crappy cake from Paris Baguette any day of the week. You can contact Dali through her facebook page and check out all the pictures of her delightful cakey creations.