Tag Archives: French Fries

Poutine Factory!

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So a couple of nights ago we stopped by the new restaurant on the block, Poutine Factory.  It opened last Thursday and seems to have been pretty busy since it opened its doors. As the name suggest this places serves up that Canadian classic Poutine. I have to admit that before coming to Korea I was oblivious to this tasty treat. For those not in the know, poutine is chips/french fries covered in gravy and melted cheese. Sure you can get cheesy chips or gravy and chips back home but rarely does anyone put these things together to make a batch of super chips.

Anyhow on to poutine factory. They have a variety of different kinds of poutine on the menu. We opted for a classic and the Saunders which is sweet chili shrimp. It had been a very trying hangover Monday so we got ours to go. They came served up in cute little boxes , a real improvement on the polystyrene containers we would get back home.

The classic poutine was pretty good, a generous amount of gravy and topped with authentic curds rather than the grated mozzarella you seem to get offered as cheese in most Korean establishments. Although I would like to have seen more curds on the top.

I had never tried a flavoured poutine before and I have to say I preferred it. The chili shrimp was good, although there were only 4 of them in the small portion. I would be eager to try the vegetarian option with guacamole and sour cream.

They have recently lowered their prices and a portion now runs from 9,000 -12,000. This is much better value than it used to be. They also have a special on chciken on Fridays 50% off which is such a bargain. You will more than likely see me there on a Friday night buying wings by the dozen.

As well as the various poutines, there is also a side menu consisting of chicken balls, chicken wings with a choice of various sauces, hot, teriyaki or honey garlic, garlic, cheesy garlic, thousand island, mustard etc. A side salad and a pulled pork sandwich (I do enjoy a menu that considers a sandwich to be a side dish). They also serve up draft beer and various bottled beers.

The interior had that fast food kind of vibe. This is not the kind of place to bring a date. However is a great place to come if you want to grab something quick and easy with your mates. I think places like this do pretty well in Korea, not everyone wants to sit down in a restaurant for a proper meal and they enjoy the easiness of this kind of establishment.

Poutine Factory is located at 242, Noksapyeong- Daero, Yongsan-Gu, Seoul. T get there come out of Noksapyeong station (line 6) exit 2 walk straight until you reach the overhead bridge. Walk over the bridge and take the stairs on the right. Go straight and Poutine Factory is on the left. You can call them on 070-8692-3907 or check out their facebook page.

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Burger B

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I love a burger more than most. A thick slab of beef in between two slices of bread, slathered with cheese and sauce is definitely the way to my heart. Serve it with french fries and you pretty much have my favorite meal. Gourmet burger joints are two a penny at home but here in Korea a good burger is hard to find. Burgers appear on most restaurant menus but  they are rarely char grilled pieces of heaven.

The menus have changed since the last time I went. They are now in the style of a newspaper called Burger B Times, its tres cute. They have a reasonable selection of burgers, although only the shrimp burger is suitable for vegetarians. My vegan friend Derek opted for the mushroom burger thinking it would be a veggie delight, but it was as meaty as all the others. He ate it anyway though so it must have been pretty good. Apart from the burgers they have a variety of  other dishes like salads, sandwiches and Tex mex fare.

My dinning companions and I all opted for a burgers (prices vary between 6,500 – 8,500). I went for the ultimate BB burger 12,000 which is topped with caramelized onion and gruyère truffle aioli. Served with french fries and a shot of vanilla milkshake. I have to say the first time I had this burger is was absolutely amazing , I would have handed over my first born child to get another one of those babies. However the next 2 times I have been, the burger has been good but somehow missing that je ne sais quio (maybe its the truffle). I don’t know what they did to change it but I urge them to return it to its former glory, immediately if not sooner. It also used to be served on a nice wooden board, it just didn’t look as appealing on a white plate. The french fries are fine although nothing special (unless you like them skinny bordering on anorexic). The milkshake is a sweet shot of goodness, a nice way to finish the meal.

My lovely friend Tonya ordered the Gorgonzola burger which she kindly let me try, but since I don’t really like gorgonzola it was a bit hohum for me. She remarked they were to stingy with the pesto. My boyfriend Niall inhaled his bacon cheese burger so I was unable to try it, I can only assume that it was tasty and that’s why it was gone so quickly.  Apart from the ultimate BB , burgers don’t come with fries. So be sure to order them on the side, the large portion is quite substantial and only 5,000.

The other reason I returned to Burger B is the drinks. I think all my friends would say I’m pretty fussy when it comes to cocktails.  The mojito here is fairly good and they have a fair range of other drinks too, including homemade alcopops. They used to offer jugs of Pimms but sadly they are no longer on the menu.

Overall I’m sure I will return to Burger B again, however if they want to reclaim my  best burger in Korea title they need to get the Ultimate BB back up to par and bring back the Pimms.

Burger B has three location in Seoul,  Hongdae (070-8870-9220), Apgujeong (070-7536-4639) and Sangam (02-375-7001). The Hongdae branch is located at 362 -7  Seogyo-dong Mapo-gu  Seoul. (Just around the corner from American Apparel on the same road as Aloha Table).

Aloha Table

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Last night I dined at the Aloha Table and it was a very enjoyable evening. They have a beautiful terrace here for you to enjoy but sadly we could not get a table as they were all reserved. We ate inside, which was still very nice and had the weather not been so beautiful it would have been the ideal place. We came early (at around 5pm) so they clearly are not aware of  how to turn tables, when we left 2 hours later there were still several tables unoccupied which we could have used.

There are plenty of choices on the menu at Aloha Table, some of them Hawaiian others not much (spaghetti bolognese???) There are lots of salads, burgers , meats and fish to choose from but we decided to go for the set BBQ menu priced at 19,800 per person. For this you get a platter of barbecue meats, a variety of side dishes, unlimited french fries and edamame beans plus a Hawaiian shaved ice to finish it off. If this couldn’t get any better you can add an unlimited beer 5,000 or wine 7,000 for 90 minutes.

The sides came first, small buffalo chicken wings in a yummy BBQ sauce, macaroni salad, tofu and nacho chips with sour cream. The sides were fine but nothing to write home about. Next up were the bottomless french fries and edamame beans and boy were they good. For 5 people we must have got through about 12 portions of chips at least, I think I manages about 5, they were so good. Chips are one my favorite foods, so the fact that it was all can you eat pretty much made my day. I also love edamame beans and this is the only restaurant in Korea I’ve seen them in. I’m sure plenty of Japanese places must have them, but bottomless? perhaps not. I wish they sold them in supermarkets here, they are one of my favorite snacks, if anyone knows where to find them let me know!

On to the main course. We were served up a sizzling feast of barbecue meats. Rib-eye steak, garlic soy chicken and spicy ribs. The steak was thick and juicy and the chicken was covered in this glorious thick BBQ sauce, which was amazing if you dipped the french fries into it. I thought the ribs were good although they could have been improved by being doused in the sauce (I’m a big fan of sauce). One of my dining companions didn’t really enjoy the rosemary on the ribs but overall the barbecue fare went down very well indeed, the pans were left bare at the end. Accompanying the meat was corn on the cob and a vegetable kebab which is a nice treat  for anyone not wanting to dine solely on meat and french fries.

Last up was the Hawaiian shaved ice, to be honest it looked better than it tasted. It was reminiscent of Mr Frosty the toy we all had when we were kids. It was just ice covered with flavored syrups, but it was cool and refreshing and I think after all that food we couldn’t have manged anything too heavy anyway. They have plenty of other more substantial desserts on the menu if rainbow ice isn’t your thing.

Overall our group left happy and well fed, the goal of any meal out. Everyone enjoyed it, (even the former vegetarian) and vowed to return again. It’s a great place to go for a big group meal if you get the set deal as it eliminates all the problems that can arise from group dining, ie when the check comes. It’s located in Hongdae so you can head straight out after to party the night away.

Aloha table is located in Hongdae at 364-14, Seogyo-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. If you walk along the main road at the bottom of the park away from the university towards Club FF and the like, it’s on a side street on the right hand side just a little further up from Burger B. If you’re hoping to enjoy the summer nights on the terrace then a reservation is recommended. Call them on 02-324-7718 or check out their website  (Korean) http://www.alohatable.co.kr/waikiki/