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.

Owner and head chef Matthew J Chung has created a simple yet elegant menu chock full of comfort foods and American classics like steak, fried chicken, and mac & cheese. But he has cleverly revamped and modernized the dishes in a way you have never eaten them before. Everything has been made from scratch in house where possible and it really comes through on the plate.

I attended The Beastro at Matthews invitation with The Fat Boyfriend and my good friend Susan, and together we ambled our way through the well sized menu. Despite the heat we decided to sit up on the terrace and were delighted to find that there was a refreshingly cool breeze up there making it the perfect spot for alfresco dining.

After we had ordered we were presented with home baked potato bread rolls served with garlic jam, always a great start to a meal.

To start we tried the Kale and Ricotta Salad (13,000). With freshly shredded kale and home-made ricotta this is the perfect summer salad. Plenty of chicken breast was found on the plate and there was a tasty citrus dressing on top, it was very good indeed.

We also ordered the Salmon Rillettes (12,000). I am not a salmon eater myself but The Fat Boyfriend can’t get enough of it, so was incredibly eager to try this dish. When asked to describe the dish he declared it to be “amazeballs,” and that he would “smother himself in a bowl of it.” At his insistence that it wasn’t too fishy I gave it a try and it was very good indeed. Kind of like a prawn cocktail, zingy, and well balanced.

Our last starter was the Fried Brie Wheel (15,000). A whole round of brie in a cornmeal batter, served with orange tomato jam and croutons. The tangy yet sweet jam worked really well with  the richness of the cheese. A must for cheesaholics.

On to the main courses, we decided to get a couple and share them between us. First up was the Fried chicken platter (17,000) Oh the fried chicken platter, mere words cannot describe the wonderfulness that is The Beastro’s fried chicken but I shall try anyway. For a start this is the best fried chicken I have ever had in my life! KFC has forever been ruined for me and I love KFC more than my own mother. The breast is so moist and juicy, probably because of the 6 hour long brine soak that they do. The skin is like a crispy blanket of pure crunchy fried goodness. It’s amazing, I could eat about a bucket-full. The mash is creamy and the perfect accompaniment to the chicken. The biscuit was also the best I’ve ever had, it was so light and fluffy that it was almost like a pastry. The two accompanying sauces also worked perfectly. The sour honey sauce and the bagna cauda(garlic and anchovy) both really added an interesting flavour to the dish. It was the perfect meal, even the mustard seeds on the top were great, a 10 out of 10 in every way. I will certainly be back for more.

We also tried the 24 hour hangar steak (20,000). Slow cooked for a whole day, the steak was exceptionally tender. Personally I still prefer a grilled steak over one cooked sous vide, but this one was very good. The beef dripping roast potatoes and onion gravy were also excellent. I don’t think you will find a better steak anywhere in Seoul for 20,000. I’m sure I would have loved this dish more if I hadn’t had it at the same time as the chicken but I would certainly order this dish again if I was in the mood for beef.

We needed a couple of sides to go with our mains and opted for the Buffalo Mac and Cheese(13,000). Topped with a parmesan crust and buffalo chicken. This was a match made in heaven. Again, one of the best Mac & cheeses I’ve ever had it, it was just so creamy. Pairing it with the buffalo sauce was genius. I’m going to have to try this at home. The portion is pretty big, so you could order it by itself if you wanted.

Chimichurri Fries (8,000). I couldn’t resist these. I’ve loved chimichurri sauce since I went to Argentina and who doesn’t love fries? The chimchurri, and parmesan are a nice addition on top of the fries and they would be perfect to pick at while enjoying a drink on the roof.

You wouldn’t have thought we would have room at this point but were recommended the Whisky on the Rocks (12,000). A Whiskey custard, panna cotta and savoury crumble. Not normally a huge fan of boozy desserts, this one was delightful. Rich yet light, with the flavour of coffee and whiskey which was not at all over powering. A sweet end to the meal.

I think we all know that I couldn’t enjoy a nice meal without a few cocktails to help wash it down, and with head mixologist Ray S. Oh at the helm The Beastro have created a fabulous and provocative cocktail list.

Excellently priced, the drinks range from 8,500 – 13,000. Which considering the amount of thought and time which has gone into creating them is is amazing. I think you can guess that I took full advantage of the menu and these are my favourites. The Pretty in Pink (12,000) was probably my number 1. Vodka with pink lemonade and carbonated lychee jelly which practically danced and popped upon the taste buds. It was heaven in a glass.

We also tried The Malt Shoppe (13,000), a tequila laced strawberry shake, topped with homemade vanilla whipped cream. Ours came with a fabulous chocolate chip cookie, as the chefs had been having a bake off. Neither too sweet or boozy, you could enjoy this before or after your meal.

Other notable mentions are The Good Thymes (9,000) and 11pm (8,500). Both great short and refreshing concoctions perfect for a hot summer’s night.

The Beastro is located at 358-32 Seogyo Dong 2F, Mapo Gu, Seoul. To get there take a train to Sangsu station (line 6). Come out of exit 1 and turn back on yourself. Keep walking straight for about 5 minutes until you reach the Hongdae Park. Walk up the stairs till you reach the road that runs parallel and you should see The Beastro on the 2nd floor above M.A.C (Make-up and great food!!!). For more information call 02-334-2500 or check out their facebook page.

Coronation chicken, a blast from the past and a sandwich filling invented many years ago to celebrate our dear old queen Lizzy. An old favourite, it’s been years since I’ve eaten this. But after eating all my favourite salads far too often lately I figured I was in need of a change. There are a million ways you can make this that run from quick and easy like mine, to incredibly complex and time consuming. Mine is just a simple version, ain’t nobody got time for hours in the kitchen in this heat. Make a big batch up and throw it into salad, sandwiches, and wraps. Or take it to a barbecue and wow your friends with this tasty classic dish.

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts shredded (or a similar amount of cooked chicken)

10 tablespoons of mayonnaise

2 tablespoons of raisins

1 small handful frozen mango (fresh is fine too, just chop it into chunks)

5 dried apricots

2 teaspoons of curry powder

1 tablespoon of sliced almonds

1/2 a teaspoon of celery salt

1/2 a teaspoon of pepper

Directions

1. Blend your mango to make a purée.   Then stir in the mango purée to the mayonnaise. If you have it then you could use mango chutney which would give you a much better flavour.

2. Add the curry powder to the mayonnaise. It’s really up to you and how strong your curry powder is for how much you use. So keep adding a little at a time until you reach the desired taste. Then add the salt and black pepper.

3. Mix the sauce with your shredded chicken. Then chop the apricots and stir in along with the raisins. Serve in your favourite bread or on a bed of salad.

Ok Fat Girl fans, I am about to rock your world right now so hold on to your hats. A mere two weeks ago the greatest company ever was launched in Korea. The name of that company is Y-Not takeout. These amazingly smart people have done what no one ever thought possible, delivery western food in Korea. The service is just starting out in Seoul but they plan to make it nationwide overtime. They are currently operating in the following central Seoul areas; Itaewon, Haebangchon, Kyungnidan, Hanam-dong, Yongsan Army Base and Banpo-dong.

A few months ago I was thrilled at the prospect of getting Indian food delivered to me through Chakra. But now I can get Mexican, Russian, Thai, American, African and even KFC! A bucket of the Colonel’s chicken delivered right to my bed. I’m salivating at the thought. No longer will I have to pester the Fat Boyfriend into going to Itaewon for food on hangover Sunday. I can get it delivered right to the door and the best thing is it’s all in English. No more Konglish and call backs to Pizza hut for me.

We tested the service out a few nights ago and decided to opt for some Mexican from Taco Amigo. This was actually the very first restaurant that I ate at in Itaewon nearly 6 years ago. So it’s about time that I got round to eating there again. I had forgotten how good it is. The Mexican cuisine here is actually very authentic while still offering the dishes you know and love. Even the corn tortillas taste homemade.

We placed our delivery order and  less than 45 minutes later it arrived with the kind and friendly delivery driver. You can pay with cash or card which makes it even simpler. As you can see above we ordered a chimichanga (13,000), Enchiladas Suizas (14,000), and Steak Taco set (10,000)which came with chips, rice, and beans. All this for only 41,000 and I didn’t even have to leave the sofa. I’m living the dream.

To check out the ever list of restaurants check their website. The site will tell you which ones are open and which are closed.  You can also order from more than one restaurant at a time. So if your fights revolve around Thai verses pizza as ours often do, peace will be resumed as you can have both, you just have to pay two delivery fees. You can even order on Kakao Talk. This service is so simple to use you will be able to navigate even through the hangover induced fog. Not convinced? Well too bad I’ve got a bucket of chicken to order.

So as per usual I am way behind the foodie times. Every food reviewer and his dog has already written about the wonders of Vatos.  The restaurant already has queues going down the hill so I’m sure none of the regulars want me sharing it’s deliciousness with the few people that don’t know about it. However readers I want you to know about all the places that I love to eat and Vatos is definitely in my Top 5 which is why it was 100% necessary for me to write about it, even if it has taken me a year and a half!

This place is tres cool with a hip and happening vibe, in fact it’s probably so cool it’s out again. On any given evening it’s always filled to the brim with people eating, drinking and having a good time. As well as trying some of the best Mexican fusion food and drinks in Korea it’s the place to be seen.

Almost everything on the extensive menu is good here, but I will will run you through my favourites and some of the new items that are on their Spring/Summer menu. But before I can even get to to the food I have to talk about the cocktails. No one loves a cocktail more than Fat Girl and at Vatos they have a pretty damn good choice. Now for me the star attraction is their margaritas! With a huge variety of fruity flavours and a whole host of accompanying bottles you can  have upturned into one. Why have one drink when you can have two right? For the sweet toothed I have to recommend the Sexy Sanchez (17,400). A strawberry margarita with a strawberry Brunty’s cider, cider + taquilla = drunken fun times ahead! I am also a big fan of the new passion fruit margarita (12,500). For non frozen fans try the Texas Tea (14,000) and the Mexican Martini (15,000).

I have pretty much tried all the tacos at this point and hands down, the Lime Shrimp (10,000 for 3)  are my favourite. They are so good I would crawl over my grandmother to get them. In fact I usually order 3 then have another 3 because I love them that much. Breaded pieces of shrimpy goodness, salad, delicious limey sauce and their amazing homemade soft tacos. Just thinking about them right now is making me hanker after them. Just recently they added another flavour to their taco collection, Chimichurri Chicken Tacos (9,000 for 3). The chicken and chimichurri sauce has a really nice kick without being too spicy. They pack a punch of flavour while still remaining fresh and tasty.

Also on the new menu are the Honey Tequilla Chicken Wings (12,000). I do love a good wing and these are exceptional. The crunchy coating is spectacular. I asked for the recipe and they told me it was just seasoned flour, but mine never comes out like that!  The sauce has a dozen or so ingredients that I am sure I would never be able to recreate. I could have eaten at least two portions of these even on top of the tacos.

The Sid Burger & fries(15,500) is the latest and most popular burger on the burger network. Aptly named after it’s genius creator Sid! Now I love a good burger, I have written about this fact dozens and dozens of times. I even belong to a Seoul Burger Lovers Group on Facebook, yes there is one you can join here. Among the elite burgeratti of Seoul this is one of the most highly regarded and I was desperate to try it. A burger, cheese, and pulled pork. It’s like two things I love got married and had a burger baby. This is a serious mouthful of meaty goodness. Vatos makes some seriously good burgers, so be sure not to neglect them in favour of their more Mexican style dishes.

Lastly we has to try the Tamales (10,000 for 2). I fell in love with tamales when I was in Argentina and never thought in my wildest dreams they would turn up in Korea. When Vatos put them on the menu I was one of the first to try them. Two big tamales stuffed with corny goodness and two dipping sauces. One cool and one spicy, so everyone is happy.

One word of advice, this place gets packed during prime dining hours especially at weekends. Luckily you can make a reservation, do it or prepare to queue. The other option is eating at the bar or a little island table. As the cool and trendy folk that like to queue come here to be seen as well as enjoying amazing food, and are not generally interested in those tables so you can usually jump the line a little. Call the number below to reserve a table.

Vatos has three locations in Seoul. One in Sinsa, one in Apgujeong, and one in Itaewon. My local is the one in Itaewon. Yongsan-gu, Itaewon-dong, 81-8 2nd Floor, Seoul Korea(서울시 용산구 이태원동) For the other location please click on the above links. For more information including maps and a full menu check out their website or call 02-797-8226. 

I have been craving a chicken pie for quite some time now. This craving was increased ten fold when a friend sought out my own advice on baking a chicken pie. We had a good long debate about filling and pastry crusts. He went for a more difficult double pastry pie, I went for the more simple one layer. Now I love pastry as much as the next girl, probably more, but for one I don’t have a real pie tin, not a deep one anyway and Mary Berry has me petrified of producing baked goods with  soggy bottoms. So I figured I could make a nice deep pie in my lasagne dish covered with a pastry top. It came out perfectly and I’m glad I went with this decision. It was quick and easy and who can be bothered with a lot of fuss on a Monday night? The Fat Boyfriend also made the shortcrust pastry making it even easier. Since he’s begun baking I love him even more than I used to. I would advise all girls get their boyfriends the Paul Hollywood bread book as a present as it’s the gift that keeps on giving!

Ingredients

Pastry

250g plain flour, plus a little extra for dusting

Pinch of salt

125g chilled unsalted butter

2 medium egg yolks

About 50ml cold water

Filling

2-3 chicken breasts (I used 3 as I had a few that needed using up)

1 onion

3 cloves of garlic

4 potatoes (small-medium)

1 green pepper

1 carrot

3 mushrooms

1 small bunch of spinach

1 small bunch of parsley

1 tablespoon of rosemary

1 tablespoon of sage

3 + 1 tablespoons of butter

3 tablespoons of flour

1 litre of of chicken stock

Salt and pepper to taste

1 egg beaten (for washing)

Directions 

1. To make the pastry, first put the flour and salt in a bowl and mix together. Add the butter. You can either cube the butter or grate it with a cheese grater. I find the second method makes the next step easier. Rub the ingredients together with your fingers until you get a texture that resembles breadcrumbs, making sure that all of the butter has been evenly incorporated. Next add the egg yolks and mix using your hands. Finally slowly add the water and keep mixing until everything has come together and the sides of the bowl are clean. You may not need all of the water. Form the pastry into a ball and then gently flatten it into a disk shape with your fingers. Take care to handle it as little as you possibly can at this stage. Wrap it in cling-film and then leave it in the refrigerator to rest for at least 30 minutes.

2. In a saucpan, bring the chicken stock to a boil and add the chicken breasts and poach for about 20 minutes. Peel the potatoes and chop the carrots then after 10 minutes add the potatoes and carrots to the stock. When everything if done remove the chicken carrots and potatoes from the stock and set aside. When the chicken has cool shred into pieces. then chop the potatoes.

3. In a separate frying pan, heat a little oil and chop the onions and garlic and fry for a few minutes until translucent. Meanwhile chop the green pepper, mushrooms, and spinach then add to the pan along with a knob of butter. Cook for a few more minutes until the vegetables are cooked and the spinach has wilted then turn off the heat.

4. To make your sauce melt the 3 tablespoons of butter in a pan then stir in the flour to make a roux and cook for a minute or so then add back in the chicken stock that you saved from earlier. Keep stirring and let the sauce come together, be sure not to let it catch on the bottom. After a few minutes the sauce will have thickened, add the herbs and salt and pepper to taste.

5. Add the coked vegetables, chicken, and potatoes back into the sauce and make sure it has combined. Pour the filling into your pie dish and allow to cool while you roll out the pastry.

6.Preheat your oven to 190 degrees Celsius. Then on a lightly floured surface roll your pastry until it’s 2-3mm thick and bigger than the size of your dish. Carefully take your pastry and lay it across your dish and seal the edges of the pastry on to your dish by pressing them together. Cut a cross in the middle to let any stream escape then use any leftover pastry to cut some shapes and make a pretty pattern. Brush the whole thing with your egg wash and cook in the oven for about 20-30 minutes until your pastry is golden brown and cooked through all the way. Serve, enjoy and give yourself a pat on the back, cause you just made a pie!

Since it’s Monday and the sun is shining it only felt right that I should kick off the week with a salad recipe. Eating healthy can be somewhat challenging for most of us when it’s just so easy to go and grab take away food for work lunches and dinners. A trip to the supermarket requires thought and planning, not a lot mind you so don’t let it put you off. Stock up for the week and even make your salads in advance on Sunday or Monday night. As long as they are in airtight containers and you hold off on the dressing they will stay stay fresh.

Being a seasoned salad eater myself, I’m always on the look out to make our salads that little bit nicer and include a few more ingredients we usually don’t eat. When I was first preparing this one in the morning The Fat Boyfriend seemed unsure, but I later received a text message telling me that the salad was amazing. So the pecan and mandarin salad is now a firm favorite. I made this one here with chicken, but I think it would be even better with some halloumi, feta, or goats cheese if you happen to have some. Just be sure to include plenty of pecans, I had forgotten how tasty they are. It’s easy to get a big bag on i-Herb.

Ingredients

1 chicken breast

A handful of mixed lettuce leaves

A handful of spinach

A small wedge of red cabbage

1/2 a cucumber

1 red pepper

1/2 an avocado

2 mandarins

5 strawberries

12 pecans

5 green onions

Directions 

1. If using a raw chicken breast, wrap in foil with a couple of pieces of garlic, and sprinkle on your favorite seasoning and cook in the oven at 200 degrees Celsius for about 30 minutes. Allow to cool then thinly slice.

2.  Wash your lettuce and spinach leaves and leave to dry.

3. Finely slice the red pepper and the red cabbage. Then chop the cucumber and avocado. Slice the strawberries and mandarin and set aside.

4. When all ingredients are prepared toss together and top with finely slices spring onions. Drizzle with the dressing of your choice and rock your salad world!

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.

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.

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

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.

This is pretty much the best chicken cashew that I have ever had. It tastes better than one from a restaurant, or even the streets of Thailand . It’s also exceptionally easy to make and mega, mega cheap. You can pretty much source all the ingredients from your local Korean supermarket too. The only thing a tiny hard to get is the dried chilies (말린고추), but most supermarkets should have them. If you cant find them just use regular chillies , don’t deny yourself the pleasure that is this dish of delightfulness.

Ingredients

3 chicken breasts (trust me you will want this many)

5 tablespoons of cornflour

3 tablespoons of flour

1 onion

3 cloves of garlic

1 inch of ginger (optional)

1 red pepper

6 mushrooms (optional)

2-3 small dried chillies

100g of cashews

A bunch green onions

Oil for frying (soy-bean or grape-seed, not olive oil)

2 tablespoons of brown sugar

2 tablespoons of soy sauce

1 tablespoon of sweet soy sauce

6 tablespoons of oyster sauce

1 tablespoon of sesame seed oil

Directions

1.  Mix the flour and cornflour together, then season it with salt and pepper then set aside.

2. Chop the chicken breasts up into bite size pieces and coat in the seasoned flour. Heat the oil up very hot then quickly fry the pieces of chicken. They only need to be browned on the outside, no need to cook them the whole way through. When they are done remove from the oil and set aside.

3. Drop the dried chilli into the oil and fry for a minute or so. How much chilli you use, really depends on how hot you like it. Remove from the pan and place with the chicken.

4. Pour away most of the oil leaving a tablespoon or  two and return to a medium heat. Chop the onion and add to pan. Chop the garlic and ginger and add them too. Stir regularly.

5. Chop the mushrooms and pepper and add to the pan as well. After frying for a minute or so, add the chicken, chillies and cashew nuts.

6. While the chicken and vegetables are cooking, make the sauce. Put the oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar and sesame seed oil in a bowl and whisk together. Pour the sauce into the pan and make sure everything is coated. Cut the green onions into pieces and stir and turn off the heat. Serve with plain white rice, or egg fried rice if you are feeling really special.

I had a good look of the menu and settled upon the Chicken wings, in a barbecue sauce. They were good, the sauce was excellent and hit the spot exactly, even more so since they were a mere 4,000. They will also give you ranch dressing for 500 won!

Now, when I see that food is on offer, I like to buy twice as much. Why couldn’t I behave like a normal person and buy one discount appetizer and save the money, no no no Fatgirl has to eat twice as much, saving nothing at all. So on to my next order. Popcorn chicken, little pieces of chicken breast, breaded in a crazy crispy coating, and came with a side of chips for 5,000. These were really good,  and we ordered quite a few more of these between us.

Another hit was the poutine (4,250). Not remotely authentic, but really really good. Match stick fries, a delicious thick gravy, and cheese. So comforting, even if it was a bit wrong.

We also had a buffulo wings, (4,000) again, great.

The chicken burrito, was also a hit (4,000).

We also tried the deep fried  chili peppers (5,500). Although these were probably our least favourite of all the things we tried.

So next Tuesday I would definitely advise you hit up Hollywood for all the fried goods they are worth. It’s Christmas eve so you don’t even have to go to work the next day. Merry Christmas!

Hollywoood is located at 123-33 Itaewon 1(il)-dong Yongsan-gu Seoul Korea. To get there take a train to Itaewon station (Line 6.) Come out of exit 2 and walk straight for about a minute. Hollywood islocated on the left on the 3rd floor  of the building next to Smoothie king. You can call them on 02-749-1659.

Last week we tried Marakech Night’s new sandwich place. The original restaurant is still open but they have added another string to their bow. Hidden just in the alleyway where Wolfhound is, it serves up delicious Moroccan food in a small friendly environment.

Thanks to the wonderful people at Casablanca, I am crazy about Moroccan sandwiches so I could barely wait to try the offering from Marakech Night. They have various other Moroccan dishes on the menu too, which, for the size of the place, is actually quite varied.  They have all the favourites on there, kebabs, hummus, pita, baba ganoush, falafel so there are plenty of options for the veggies and vegans. However, it was the sandwiches that I was interested in.

We ordered up one Panachi (chicken sandwich with fries 7,000).  The bread was tasty and the filling was quite satisfying. A slightly different take on the Moroccan sandwich than the one at Casablanca, but not in a bad way.  It was a good sandwich filled with the delicious potatoes which were covered in batter, cheese, meat, salad , and lots of sauce.

We also ordered a Moroccan beef sandwich (5,000), it would have been churlish not to. The beef was thinly shredded, a bit like bulgogi, and the filling was the same as the chicken one. All in all a very hearty sandwich for such a cheap price.

This is the perfect restaurant for a quick bite or some late night eats after way to many drinks. I’d say these lovely sandwiches would definitely go a long way to curing a hangover! Marakech Night 2 is located in Itaewon. To get there take a train to Itaewon station (line 6) Come out of exit 4 and turn left,(you may have to come back on yourself slightly). Walk straight past Geckos and the bank, and take the first right. Walk straight down the road, past the supermarket and the wolfhound. Marakech Night 2 is on the left at the end of the road.