Oh my god, this dish is so insanely good I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. And until a week or two ago I had never even heard of it! I was having a little browse on Pinterest when I first came across this tasty delight. I read a few recipes, and knew that I must have a go myself. The results were delicious and it’s now making its way on to our regular list. I even had The Fat Boyfriend whip us up a batch of his lovely bread to go with it.

Ingredients

5 eggs

1 tin of tomatoes

200g cherry tomatoes

2 red peppers

1 onion

3 cloves of garlic

200g chorizo (optional)

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon cumin

Olive Oil for frying

Cilantro leaves to top

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Finely chop the onion and garlic, then fry in olive oil for a few minutes until translucent. While the onions are frying chop the cherry tomatoes in half and chop the peppers into small pieces then add to the pan and fry for a few more minutes.

2. Slice the chorizo and put it in the pan with the tomatoes and peppers.

3. After the cherry tomatoes have started to break down, add the tinned tomatoes, cumin, and paprika. Simmer on a low heat for about 10 minutes. Taste, then season with salt and pepper. You should have a rich and tasty tomato sauce. If the sauce hasn’t come together cook for another 10 minutes.

4. Using the back of a spoon make a well in the sauce and gently break an egg into it. Repeat with the remaining four eggs.

5. You may fit more or less eggs in your pan depending on its size. The eggs will take at least 10 minutes to poach. But if you have a lid they will cook much quicker and more evenly (as I discovered on my second time making it.) Do not overcook the eggs, you want the yolks to be nice and runny. Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve with delicious bread.

When I found out that this new British restaurant had opened, I was chuffed to bits to say the least. When I found out they had Pimm’s I was ecstatic. Being from the motherland myself, I love all things British. So a taste of home was just what the doctor ordered and I wasted no time at all in paying them a visit.

Located on furniture street, Bulldogs is cool, hip, and minimalist in it’s decor with a salute to British icons pasts and present. We took a seat and scanned the menu.  Salt and vinegar popcorn was given to us to snack on while we waited for our drinks. What a fab idea I thought, there is not enough salt and vinegar for my liking in the land of the morning calm. Although owner Tom tells us he is still tinkering with the recipe. Koreans aren’t used to the flavour of vinegar so he doesn’t want to make it too over powering. Personally I like mine so strong I cant feel my tongue after eating a family sized bag of crisps.

Our drinks arrived and how lovely they looked. A homemade Pimm’s for me (12,500). I think we all know by now what a fan of Pimm’s I am. It thoroughly upsets me to not have a bottle nestled under my sink, ready to make my favourite summer cocktail. So a bar selling it is fantastic. The recipe produces a very good result, if there were a few strawberries in there, he would have pretty much cracked it. I know what I will be drinking this summer. I also adore the giant jar it comes in, making it well worth the price tag, it’s like 2 drinks in one.

My assistant Victoria chose the peachy Punch (12,500). Bulldogs have devised a whole collection of cocktails featuring Britain’s favourite drink, tea! Served up in a giant teapot, it’s quite a sight. Teapots are the new jars don’t you know? This one has a fruity twist but you can still taste the tea. We also tried the aptly named G & Tea! A cool twist on the classic.

On to the fare. Hot dogs dominate the menu thus far, but restaurateur Tom assures that it will be growing bigger over time. The hot dogs all range in price but are 8,000-9,500 for 2 and 11.5-13,000 for 3. With 7 different kinds on the menu, they are anything but the usual. In Fat Girl tradition I decided to give four a go. First the “Slumdog Millionaire”  an Indian take on a hot dog. Topped with curry sauce, yoghurt, onions, and cucumber. We definitely liked this one. Assistant Victoria forced the Kimchi one upon me. Despite the fact we are a kimchi free zone it would have been churlish not to give it a try. Despite my lack of interest in kimchi it was not bad, I would have eaten it if I didn’t have more food coming.

The Mash & Gravy was spectacular. Sausage, mash, and gravy are a match made in heaven so I don’t know why no one has ever thought of putting them in a hot dog. What could be finer, those deep fried onions on top were orgasmic in themselves. This one was my favourite by far. I also enjoyed the brunch hot dog. More traditional toppings such as an egg, bacon, hash browns, and ketchup. This one was breakfast in a bite. Perfect after too many drinks at the weekend.

We also tried out the Bulldog Fries (12,000.) There is not much in life that I enjoy more than fries topped with steak, bacon bites, and garlic mayo. Throw in some coleslaw and you have a party in your mouth where everyone is invited. There is also kimchi, though  I can always ignore that and  I think next time I shall just ask for extra coleslaw instead. Cabbage has never looked sexier than when its dressed in mayonnaise.

I didn’t really have much more room after all the goods I had sampled so far, but I managed to make some for scotch eggs (10,000). Still a recent convert to scotch eggs, freshly out of the fryer is how I like them. Cold on the supermarket shelves can stay in England. I like them fresh and hot. With their oozy yolks these were perfect. A little more seasoning in the sausage mix wouldn’t go amiss but the coating was crunchy. A nice mushroom and bacon salad was paired and went well with the eggs.

The dessert menu is still under construction but we were lucky enough to try the sticky toffee pudding. Mmmmmmm.

Bulldogs is a cool bar with cool food and even cooler music. All British tunes make it my new choice of hangout. Festooned with Britain’s  greats on the walls and even Harry and Hermione guarding the loos, it’s a motherland haven. So Keep Calm and go to Bulldogs.

Bulldogs is located at 2F 116 Bogwang-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. To get there take a train to Itaewon station and walk out of exit 3. Go back on yourself and take a left at the intersection. Go stright past Taco bell, its a few doors down on the left on the second floor. Call 02-6248-2998 or check out their facebook page for more information.  Bulldogs is opened Sun-Thur 11.30am-11.00pm Fri-Sat 11.30am – 12am Closed Mondays

Until recently eating organic has never really been something that has appealed to me. Well maybe it has appealed but the vegetables costing twice the price have generally been enough to put me off. I’ve also always put it down to being one of those gimmick things too. We all ate vegetables filled with pesticides growing up and we were fine, well most of us! But  since embarking on the Raw till 4 movement, I’ve figured that this could be improved upon even more by eating organic fruit and vegetables. It is also my resolution this year to be a bit more ethical in the companies I choose to buy my food from. I’m certainly not renouncing all large companies, I’ll still be eating plenty of Big Macs, but I want to choose to buy from small independent businesses rather than handing my cash over to conglomerate chains without thought. Then as luck would have it I received an email from WWOOF asking me if they could send me a box of organic produce so I could write about it.

What a fabulous idea I thought. Back at home farmers markets are ten a penny and virtually every item sold in the supermarket can be bought in organic form. But here in Korea life is not so simple for the those who prefer their produce pesticide free. The supermarkets of course have sections of produce devoted to organics, but when it comes to eggs, meat, and fish we are as baffled as can be. Also out in the sticks it can be near to impossible to get these things.

Enter WWOOF – they will send you a box filled with in season organic fruit, vegetables, eggs, and other goodies. Produce will obviously change from week to week but you know that you are getting is ethical and organic. In my box there were 6 eggs, a ciabatta, a loaf of potato and walnut bread, yuja cakes, cream butter, omelette snacks, a cabbage, carrots, potatoes, apples, mushrooms, and a selection of salad leaves.

The first thing that jumped out at me, were those lovely organic eggs. You can’t beat eggs that are fresh from the farm. Eggs Florentine is my absolute favourite breakfast, so with the lovely walnut bread they included I could make some toast. I also decided to have some mushrooms too, just because there is nothing better in life than mushrooms cooked in butter.

Ingredients

1 egg

2 slices of bread

A handful of mushrooms

6 kale and lettuce leaves

50g of butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Hollandaise Sauce 

125g butter

2 egg yolks

½ tsp white wine vinegar

A pinch salt

1-3 tablespoons of lemon juice

Direction

1. The first thing to do is make the hollandaise sauce. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Put 2 egg yolks,  white wine vinegar, and a pinch of salt in a metal or glass bowl that will fit over a small pan. Whisk for a few minutes then put the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water and whisk continuously until pale and thick, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and slowly whisk in the melted butter, bit by bit until it’s all incorporated and you have a creamy hollandaise.  Squeeze  in the lemon juice  to taste. I like mine zingy so I use quite a bit. Then season with salt and pepper and keep it warm until needed.

2. Slice the bread and preheat the grill, ready for toasting. Then wash and slice the lettuce, kale, and mushrooms.

3. Melt a knob of butter in a frying pan and cook the mushrooms for a few minutes until, soft and juicy. Push to one side of the pan then add the kale to the other side, cook for about 30 seconds then add the lettuce. Cook for another minute until the leaves have wilted then turn off the heat.

4.  Bring a pan of salted water to the boil, and pop your bread under the grill to toast. Don’t forget to flip it over after a few minutes.

5.  Add a few drops of vinegar to the water and make sure its on a low heat and a soft boil. Using a fork draw it around the edge of your pan making a vortex in the middle then crack your egg and drop it in. The organic eggs are so lovely and fresh that they keep their shape really well. But the vortex will stop you losing any white. Let the egg cook for about 3 minutes. By this time the egg white should have set and the egg yolk should still be runny.

6. Put your toast on a plate and layer one piece with the mushrooms and the other with the wilted salad leaves. Pop your perfect poached egg on top of the leaves and drizzle with hollandaise sauce and sprinkle with black pepper.

If you too would like to get on the organic bandwagon, then check out WWOOF’s website or facebook page for more details about how to get a box delivered to you. You can sign up for a month or a few months at a time, but if you want to give them a try first they have a 1-2 person sample box for only 30,000. I know I will be signing up for sure. The taste of the eggs and apples alone made it worth it for me. With my ingredients I also made an amazing apple coleslaw, with I used in a chicken and ciabatta sandwich . Sour dough starter, and a chicken breast on a bed of roast cabbage and root vegetable rosti. Recipes coming soon. What will you make with yours?

Suji’s Deli has been a stalwart of the expat community for many years now. However there are still plenty of new arrivals that are unaware of this fabulous restaurant located at the very end of Itaewon. They have just relaunched to promote a new deli and takeaway service in addition to the restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. I have been meaning to write my review of Suji’s for some time now, and the new deli is the perfect reason to do so. Plus, they invited me to their media party at which they let me try lots of their yummy foods and drinks. It was my first media party and was fabulous, finally my Media degree is paying off.

The menu at Suji’s is large and has pretty much every option you could hope for covered . Omelettes, French Toast, Eggs Benedict, pancakes, bagels, burgers, sandwiches, salads, and pastas. I have eaten here plenty of times and am quite fond of the Eggs Florentine. What sets Suji’s apart from other brunch restaurants in Seoul is the fact that almost everything they serve is made in house. The meats and salmon are cured, the breads are baked, and all of the potato salads, pickles, mustards, and sauces are all made on the premises. They have even started selling their own coffee, which after trying I have to say is lovely. Pair it with a freshly baked cinamon bun or bagel and breakfast is good to go.

Whist taking some picticture I decided to stay and have some brunch. After having a long look at the new menu, I couldn’t resist my favourite Turkey Club Sandwich (13,000). I love the turkey here, it’s even better than the stuff I would buy at home. This sandwich is perfection. Throw in some chips and coleslaw and I’m in sandwich heaven.

My lovely friend Matt  accopanied me on the trip and ordered the Spanish Omelette (13,500). He let me try some and it was cooked to perfection. Despite their simplicity omelettes can easily go wrong but this one was spot on. With toast and potatoes it was a nice hearty start to the day.

I think you are all more than aware, that I can’t consider a meal to be brunch unless there’s booze involved. Luckily Suji’s has me covered with my favourite Bloody Mary (8,000) which always comes adorned with a giant piece of celery. They also have a peach bellini (7,000) or mimosas on the menu. It’s the most fun way to cure a hangover. However always expect to queue for around 30 minutes if you come on a Saturday or Sunday as it’s very busy.

Suji’s Deli is located on the 2nd floor of Yangjin building, 34-145 Itaewon-Dong, Yongsan-Gu, Seoul. To get their take a train Itaewon station (line 6). Walk straight out of exit 4 for about 5 minutes, past Mcdonalds until you reach the gate. Suji’s Deli is at the very end of the road on the left, just around the Skinfood shop. You can call them on 02-797-3698 or check out their website  for more information and to take a look at their menu.

Taipei was not the foodie trip I had imagined it to be, as we spent a large quantity of out time drinking. I did manage to pack in a few culinary delights for you to enjoy which I shall present to you now.

Most of the eating that we did went on at our Hotel. We decided to treat ourselves and stay at the W. It certainly did not disappoint. The food was all spectacular, especially the breakfast buffet. Highlights included the french toast, fried rice, Eggs Benedict, and Caesar salad served in a giant bowl made from Parmesan.

Lazing by the pool can really take it out of you so to keep up our strength we ordered some chicken quesadillas and french fries with truffle mayo’ and a truffle, rocket, and fontina cheese pizza.

Being the lazy trollops we are we also enjoyed various delights from the room service menu, including a Reuben sandwich, a club sandwich and some bircher muesli.

The star of the W show really was the cocktails, I was too drunk to remember all the names so i’ll just show you the pictures instead. They also came served with the best free bar snacks ever, test tubes filled with potato chips and wasabi peas. I dread to think how many of these I consumed. I’m pretty sure it doesn’t account to your daily calorie allowance if they are free though.

You possibly know how I adore the 7-11 . Although no Hong Kong, Taipei 7-11 still had a few favourites within its grasp, inclusing malteasers, mixed berry skittles and Kinder buenos. So not too bad a haul.

I had made plans to visit Din Tai fung whilst there but didn’t get around to it. We still managed to have plenty of soup dumplings though, as there was a handy restaurant in the department store next to the hotel. We tried the usual pork ones, a curry and leek, and a few vegetarian varieties. We came here twice so I am quite sure I managed to get my quota of dim sum.

Sadly our trip ended on a bad note when we managed to lose my bag filled with duty free goodies somewhere between the taxi and the house. Some lucky son of a gun will be feasting upon my Godiva goodies and Mango vodka as we speak. There’s $60 I’ll never see again. Though as they say worse things have happened at sea. All in all it was a great trip and a good time was had by all.

A few weekends ago we decided to check out the new kid on the block and have brunch at 7 ATE 9. We had already had a really great brunch the day before at Le Brunchic and I have to say that I didn’t think it would be up to the same standard. We perused their brunch time menu and made our selections. I was thrilled that they had a rather extensive cocktail list but no Bloody Mary, although I have been assured that one will be making it on to the menu very soon indeed. It was a glorious sunny day so while we waited for our breakfast we took our mojitos outside and soaked up the sun in their lovely chairs just outside and watched the world go by. Had I had a nice English news paper to read it would have been the perfect Sunday.

I of course had to order the Eggs Benedict (12,000). I have to say they were absolutely smashing. The eggs were perfectly cooked and very tasty. The yolk oozed out when I cut into it. The ham I could have done without but I managed to trade it with my boyfriend for his mushrooms, so I was a happy camper. The rosemary potatoes were well cooked and full of flavour and the strawberry salad was light and fresh. It made me feel as though I was doing my body some good.

Niall ordered the Breakfast (13,500) The eggs were perfectly fried and came with a nice slice of toast. The bacon was crispy and he was also happy that baked beans were included. It’s just not breakfast if there aren’t any beans! The sauce was the korean standard one you seem to get everywhere but it was well cooked. The star of the show of this plate for me were the mushrooms. The were chestnut, they look a lot like button mushrooms but they have so much more flavour. The only place I ever see them in Korea is Homeplus so I was chuffed to bits when I got to eat these! He also had the same potatoes and strawberry spinach side salad. It was a good meal, and included some important vitamins for any of those of you with hangovers to cure..

As previously mentioned they have a large range of cocktails, which I shall be very excited to try out, especially since 14 is closing it doors and too many of the other bars around HBC consider a screw driver to be a cocktail. Vodka and orange do not a cocktail make. Lemongrass Martini, and Strawberry mojitos? Yes, yes, yes! The other brunch options on the menu included chilli, omelettes, french toast, salads and a seafood platter.

7 ate 9 is located in Hae Bang Chon at 39-16 Yongsan-dong 2ga, Yongsan-gu,Seoul.  To get there 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 going along that street past Phillies and Casablanca, 7ate9 is on the left next to the CU. You can call them on 02-792-0789.

After making my lovely key lime pie, I wondered if the mix would work as well with lemons. It certainly did, plus I had the added bonus of being able to use fresh lemons instead of concentrate without having to bankrupt myself. It was still quick and easy to make and totally delicious. You can also make it with just a trip to your local Korean mart.

Ingredients

200g of digestive biscuits (Graham crackers)

100g of butter

1 can of condensed milk

3-4 lemons (zest and juice)

3 egg yolks

200ml of whipping cream

Directions

Crush the digestive biscuits until they resemble fine bread crumbs. You can do this with your blending or smacking them up a bit with a rolling pin.  If you wrap them in a tea towel and keep them in the packet, you can prevent making a big old mess.

Melt the butter in a sauce pan, then add the biscuit crumbs and mix together  Pack into your pie tin and make sure you bring the mixture up around the sides.

In a separate bowl mix together the condensed milk, egg yolks, and lemon zest and juice. Pour this mixture onto the biscuit base. Then bake at 170 degrees Celsius for about 15 minutes. Allow to cool then pop it in the fridge for 2 hours to set. Once the pie has been chilled, whip the cream and then pipe around the edge to decorate. You could also add a slice or two of lemon and a little zest too. Serve with more cream and strawberries. . Voilà the lovely lemon pie.

Last week we popped off to see the cherry blossoms in Yeouido park and whilst there we thought a spot of brunch might have been in order. Located in the depths of the brand spanking new IFC mall is Le Brunchic. A restaurant specializing in, you guessed it, Brunch! We arrived on a busy saturday afternoon to be told of course there would be a wait. We  put our names down and went off to do some shopping. Several hundred thousand won and too many shopping bags later we returned and were shown straight to our seats.

The cafe is chic, light, and airy, it would be perfect if it was on a tree-lined street instead of a shopping mall. There are a mixture of booths, tables, and private areas for those on romantic dates. They serve beer and wine but sadly no cocktails.

We perused the menu and selected our dishes. The menu consisted of the usual brunch fare, salads, pasta, benedicts, omelettes, and pancakes. I, of course, chose my favourite Eggs Benedict with spinach and bacon (16,000). The eggs were cooked to perfection, when cut into the yolk just oozed out, and the hollandaise was rich and tasty. I have never had bacon this good in Korea it was just so damn tasty. It had a kind of char-grilled taste which was just so nice. I usually give my bacon away to my boyfriend but he was only given a tiny piece of this.

My boyfriend opted for the Eggs Benedict with smoked salmon (16,000). Once again the eggs were cooked to perfection. The salmon was succulent and the capers gave it a nice balance of flavour.  His only complaint was that there were too many olives in the side salad, but it was a very minor gripe.

I very much enjoyed Le Brunchic and it is the first brunch I have had in a while that can rival the Flying Pan. If they had had a Bloody Mary or a Bellini on the menu it would have been a 10/10 for me. I love going to hang out in Yeouido park now that the weather is nice. Throw in some shopping and brunch and you have my ideal Saturday. Le Brunchic is located in the  IFC Mall in the basement. L334 at 23 Yeouido-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. You can call them on 02-6137-5531. To get there take a train to Yeouido station (lines 5 and 9) and just head for exit 3. Follow the signs to get to the IFC mall.

They also have a branch at 524-35 Sinsa-Dong, Gangnam-Gu, Seoul. The telephone number there is 02-542-1985

A little while ago we discovered that just across from our work in Bangbae-dong there is a cute little brunch restaurant. Although, its not so little, its actually over 3 floors with a gallery at the top! I’m always looking for new places to brunch so one Friday we decided to go to work a little early and hit this place up.

The industrial style space is decorated with art and has a cool warehouse vibe. It was really busy when we ventured there at lunchtime. They have a menu of around 10 brunch options that can be purchased in a set with an americano. Perfect for those ladies that lunch, and lunch they did, this place was heaving. The food was of western style but designed to please the Korean palette.

We opted for a Mandarin Salad. It was huge. The chicken was well cooked and very tasty. There was lots of fruit and it was very refreshing, although a smaller amount of salad would have been better. Overall it was very nice, a good summertime option.

We also had the eggs English style. An English muffin topped with a fried egg, spicy bulgogi, and a side of potatoes and salad. It was actually pretty good.

I wouldn’t travel across Seoul to go out of my way to come here, but the food was reasonable and it’s a cool place. If you live in the area I would say it’s worth a visit.

The Brunch Page is located at 796-27 Bangbae-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul. To get there take a train to Naebang station(line number 7) and come out exit 7. Walk straight until you pass the BMW dealership and make a right. The page is a few meters up on the left opposite Gastro Pub. The nearest bus stop is 22-222. You can call them on  02 536 5961 for more information. They also have valet parking.

I do love a good brunch. It is swifly becoming one of my favourite meals of the day. In an effort to save money over the last few weeks I have been making my own rather than going out. My fridge is always well stocked with appropriate ingredients and I always have a steady supply of vodka for making Bloody Mary’s, so it seems churlish to venture outside when there is so much goodness at home. This weeks choice was a Spanish omelette. Quick and easy to make. I don’t own a metal skillet that is capable of fitting in my tiny toaster oven so I used a round cake tin I bought from Daiso. It came out great and I’m sure it will now be a regular feature for weekend brunch from now on.

Ingredients

7 eggs

1 red pepper

1 green pepper

2 potatoes

1 onion

3 cloves of garlic

A small bunch of spinach

1 tablespoon of freshly chopped coriander (cilantro)

1 tablespoon of freshly choped parsley

1/2 teaspoon of paprika

1/2 teaspoon of rosemary

A glug of olive oil

Directions

Thinly slice the potatoes and fry them in a little olive oil for about 5 minutes on each side until they are golden brown and cooked right through. Remove them from the pan and set to the side. Next slice the onions, garlic, and green and red peppers and fry for about 5 minutes until softened. Roughly chop the spinach and add to the pan until it had wilted then remove from the heat. In a separate bowl, break and beat the eggs together with a dash of salt, pepper, paprika, and rosemary. Finely chop the fresh parsley and coriander and add that to the egg mixture too. Next take the potatoes and add them to the egg mixture in the bowl. Then fold in the onion, garlic, peppers and spinach. Make sure it is mixed thoroughly then pour into a cake pan. Pop the the mixture into the oven and cook for about 15-20 minutes at 175 degrees Celsius. Its done when a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. You may also want to cover the top with foil after the first 10 minutes to stop it over browning. To remove put a plate over the pan and flip it. Cut the omelette into wedges and serve with a side salad. Voilà Spanish style omelette.