Last week I visited my good friend Susan who lives in Gangnam. It’s not often that I like to leave the loving embrace that is Itaewon, but she had me over a barrel since she had come to me the last couple of times. She had been raving on about this new Little Greek place she had found for weeks now, so at her insistence we went for dinner.

Baby Greek is located in the food court on the basement floor of a large office style building near Seolleung station.There is a large cafeteria style seating area and then all the food court options. There is a lot down there, mainly Korean food, but there was a little salad place which caught my eye along with Baby Greek. Although the cafeteria style seating didn’t hold much ambience, the prices are insanely cheap, and you can also get the food to take away and enjoy in a more romantic setting. If you are out shopping it would be a great place to grab and go, especially with the sky-rocketing prices in Gangnam where even a sandwich from Paris Baguette will cost you 7,000 -8,000.

After a little peruse of the menu I thought we needed to try the flat bread and dips (6,000). As we waited I had a chat with the owner and she told me that she used to get the pita breads from The Bakers Table, but now she has a local bakery make them up for her to her own recipe. She told me it’s the only thing she doesn’t make herself. As a hummus creator and aficionado myself I was very keen to check it out. A nice and nutty concoction I was rather impressed. However it’s the tzatziki on the dips platter that really shines. It was amazing, possibly the best tzatziki I have ever had (and I’ve been to Greece). Creamy and cool home-made Greek yoghurt, with just the right amount of lemony zing and fresh herbs to balance it. The olive oil she had used to drizzle on top was also rather good and had a lot of flavour. A great dish to keep us going while we waited for our gyros.

My friend had been going on and on about the chicken gyros for forever, but I spotted the falafel one on the menu and couldn’t resist. We decided to get one of each and share. They are both (6,000).

The chicken gyros was stuffed to the brim with succulent authentically grilled chicken. It was really tasty, plenty of salad and sauce, all wrapped up in the fluffy pita. The size of it was enormous, with the thick pita encasing it, you would definitely be full all day.  Beats a kebab any day of the week.

The falafel gyros was also huge. The falafels were a nice size and had a great texture. Some of the best I have had in Seoul. I liked both gyros a lot. I would be hard pushed to choose my favourite and will probably just order two next time, in true Fat Girl style.

I was pretty stuffed by this point but still had a tiny bit of room for a bowl of Greek yoghurt. Oh god how I love Greek yoghurt, I could eat at least a bowl a day, if it was cheaper here in Korea. This yoghurt is made on the premises and is fabulous. Thick and creamy, it’s pure unadulterated luxury dairy goodness. It’s served with maple syrup for that touch of sweetness. Although I think honey might be nicer and more in keeping with the Greek theme. It was so good I practically licked the bowl clean. For those who’s bellies are not as big as their eyes, you can also get yoghurt to go.

Baby Greek is located at Underground food court 136, Hanshin intervalley 24, 707-34 Yeoksam-Dong, Gangnam-gu To get there take a train to Seolleung station (line 2) and come out of exit 4. Keep walking straight until you see McDonalds. Baby Greek is in the 24 building next door. Walk through the double doors and take the escalator down to the basement. Turn left off the escalator and walk straight, Baby Greek will be right in front of you. Baby Greek is open from 9am- 9pm. For more information call 070-4414-7161 or check out their facebook page.

As you may be aware by now, I’m a big eater of hummus. I make a huge batch every week to sell but always keep extra for myself. Whenever my friends come to visit, I always have a bowl ready and waiting in the fridge to whip out for their eating pleasure. One of my favourite flavours of hummus is roasted red pepper, which is why it’s surprising that I have taken so long to share this recipe with you. I was eating it by the truckload earlier in the summer when red peppers were in season.

I first made the bagel chips one night when I knew the girls were coming over, we had no tortillas in the freezer for me to make into chips and I knew they would be expecting something a little bit more special than a bag of crisps from the shop. As I frantically looked through the cupboards I came across a bag of bagels which desperately needed to be used. I sliced them up and cooked them and they were absolutely delicious. The perfect accompaniment to the red pepper hummus.

Ingredients

Hummus

400g of Chickpeas (soaked weight)

A large bunch of cilantro

2-4 tablespoons of olive oil

1-2 tablespoons of cumin

1-2 lemons

1-2 tablespoons of salt

1 teaspoon of pepper

3-4 red peppers (bell pepper)

Tahini

100ml of olive oil

3-5 cloves garlic

100g of sesame seeds

Bagel Chips

2 bagels

3 tabelspoons of olive oil

Salt

1 tablespoon of rosemary (or other mixed herbs)

Directions

The first thing you need to do is soak your chickpeas. This can take between 6 hours to overnight. The longer the better in my opinion. After they have been soaked, you need to cook them. This can take a while. I usually cook mine in the rice cooker because you don’t have to top up the water as often and they won’t burn. If not you can cook them in a pan of water, they will take between 2-3 hours. Or you can skip this step and buy a can. When your chick peas are done, drain them but make sure you keep hold of that water, you will need it for the hummus.

The next step is to blend the chickpeas, you may need to do this in a couple of batches depending on the size of your blender. If they are too hard to blend, use a little of the hummus water to get things going. Some like their hummus chunky and rugged others like it smooth and silky, so blend until you get the consistency you’re happy with. If you want want an ultra silky hummus then peel off all of the skins of the chick peas before blending. It’s a pain in the ass so I never do it. Also my hummus is generally made in industrial style batches so it would probably take me a month to do it, plus I’m very lazy.

You can buy tahini in the foreign food mart in Itaewon and on iHerb and various other stores. It’s also very easy to make. Just place the garlic, sesame seeds, and olive oil in a blender and blend for a few minutes until the seeds have been pulverized.

Once the chick peas are blended place in a large bowl and stir in the tahini and lemon juice. Then the salt, pepper and cumin. Hummus is a very personal food, so start by adding a little of each at a time until you get a taste you’re happy with. A lot of factors can affect the taste of hummus so you rarely use the exact same amount of each ingredient every time. I always get the best results when the chick peas are warm.

To make the hummus red pepper flavoured, drizzle the peppers with olive oil and roast in the oven for about 20 minutes until the edges are charred and the flesh is soft. Pop them in the blender with a little olive oil and blend until you have a paste, then stir it  into the hummus. Use as much or as little as you need.

To make the bagel chips, cut the bagels into 5mm slices then arrange on a baking tray. Drizzle the slices with olive oil then sprinkle on the salt and herbs. Cook in the oven for 5-10 minutes until they are brown on one side, then flip them over and cook for a few minutes of the other side. Serve with your favourite hummus and enjoy. Voilà red pepper hummus and bagel chips.

I was compelled to make this after I tried the amazing jalapeño hummus from the fabulous people at Hummus in Korea. We eat a truckload of hummus in our house, mainly because I always have lots left over from my batches that I sell. I’m always looking to make things a bit different, otherwise I would go insane eating the same hummus day after day as a work snack. I haven’t quite mastered this recipe as it’s not as lovely as the one made by the Hummus in Korea professionals but it added a nice kick that wasn’t too hot or spicy. I’d certainly urge you to give it a try if you are in the mood for something a little different.

Ingredients

Hummus

400g of Chickpeas (soaked weight)

10 slices of jalapeño (they come in a jar)

2-4 tablespoons of olive oil

1-2 tablespoons of cumin

1-2 lemons

1-2 teaspoons of salt

1 teaspoon of pepper pepper

Tahini

100ml of olive oil

3-5 cloves garlic

100g of sesame seeds

Directions

The first thing you need to do is soak your chickpeas. This can take between 6 hours to overnight. The longer the better in my opinion. After they have been soaked, you need to cook them. This can take a while. I usually cook mine in the rice cooker because you don’t have to top up the water as often and they won’t burn. If not you can cook them in a pan of water, they will take between 2-3 hours. Or you can skip this step and buy a can. When your chick peas are done, drain them but make sure you keep hold of that water, you will need it for the hummus.

The next step is to blend the chickpeas, you may need to do this in a couple of batches depending on the size of your blender. If they are too hard to blend, use a little of the hummus water to get things going. Some like their hummus chunky and rugged others like it smooth and silky, so blend until you get the consistency you’re happy with. If you want want an ultra silky hummus then peel off all of the skins of the chick peas before blending. It’s a pain in the ass so I never do it. Also my hummus is generally made in industrial style batches so it would probably take me a month to do it, plus I’m very lazy.

You can buy tahini in the foreign food mart in Itaewon and on iHerb and various other stores. It’s also very easy to make. Just place the garlic, sesame seeds, and olive oil in a blender and blend for a few minutes until the seeds have been pulverized.

Once the chick peas are blended, place in a large bowl and stir in the tahini and lemon juice. Then the salt, pepper, and cumin. Hummus is a very personal food, so start by adding a little of each at a time until you get a taste you’re happy with. A lot of factors can affect the taste of hummus so you rarely use the exact same amount of each ingredient every time. I always get the best results when the chick peas are warm.

To make the hummus jalapeño flavoured, blend your jalapeños with a little olive oil until you have a paste then stir it into the hummus. Use as much or as little as you need to suit your own tastes. Serve with your favourite dipping apparatus and enjoy. Voilà jalapeño flavoured hummus.

After trying the wonderful flavoured hummus of Hummus in Korea, I thought it was about time I started doing a bit more experimenting myself. I have made a spinach one before and a red pepper I never posted but I wanted to get more creative. I had a large bunch of cilantro in the fridge that was coming to the end of its life. I threw it into the blender and it totally tantalized my taste buds. Cilantro is not as hard to find as you would think. The Korean name is 고수 (go-su). It usually comes in large packets, cling filmed on to a white tray. The cilantro has long roots on it, which is always what used to throw me off.

Ingredients

Hummus

400g of Chickpeas (soaked weight)

A large bunch of cilantro

2-4 tablespoons of olive oil

1-2 tablespoons of cumin

1-2 lemons

1-2 tablespoons of salt

1 teaspoon of pepper pepper

Tahini

100ml of olive oil

3-5 cloves garlic

100g of sesame seeds

Directions

The first thing you need to do is soak your chickpeas. This can take between 6 hours to overnight. The longer the better in my opinion. After they have been soaked, you need to cook them. This can take a while. I usually cook mine in the rice cooker because you don’t have to top up the water as often and they won’t burn. If not you can cook them in a pan of water, they will take between 2-3 hours. Or you can skip this step and buy a can. When your chick peas are done, drain them but make sure you keep hold of that water, you will need it for the hummus.

The next step is to blend the chips peas, you may need to do this in a couple of batches depending on the size of your blender. If they are too hard to blend, use a little of the hummus water to get things going. Some like their hummus chunky and rugged others like it smooth and silky, so blend until you get the consistency you’re happy with. If you want want an ultra silky hummus then peel off all of the skins of the chick peas before blending. It’s a pain in the ass so I never do it. Also my hummus is generally made in industrial style batches so it would probably take me a month to do it, plus I’m very lazy.

You can buy tahini in the foreign food mart in Itaewon and on iHerb and various other stores. It’s also very easy to make. Just place the garlic, sesame seeds, and olive oil in a blender and blend for a few minutes until the seeds have been pulverized.

Once the chick peas are blended place in a large bowl and stir in the tahini and lemon juice. Then the salt, pepper and cumin. Hummus is a very personal food, so start by adding a little of each at a time until you get a taste you’re happy with. A lot of factors can affect the taste of hummus so you rarely use the exact same amount of each ingredient every time. I always get the best results when the chick peas are warm.

To make the hummus cilantro flavoured, blend your cilantro with a little olive oil until you have a vibrant green oil then stir into the hummus. Use as much or as little as you need. Serve with your favourite dipping apparatus and enjoy. Voilà cilantro flavoured hummus.

Ah hummus, there is nothing like a big tub with pita bread or chips while watching a movie. Sadly too many people in Korea, are living a life without hummus. I can’t bear to think about the suffering that some of you have to bear, constantly longing for this delicious yet healthy dip. For those living in and around Itaewon, finding hummus is no problem at all. You can even buy my hummus if you are lucky enough to live in Hae Bang Chon. But what about everyone else? You can make your own of course, check out my recipes here or here. But for some, all that soaking and blending is just too much hard work. You shouldn’t  be deprived  of all that chickpea goodness just because your lazy. Don’t worry salvation is here in the form of Hummus In Korea.

Hummus in Korea, delivers hummus directly to your door. Luckily for us delivery companies are setting up all the time, bringing us more and more of the foods  that we miss from home. So now you can have your hummus delivered, and eat it too. So it was about time I got to try some of this fabulous hummus. Coming in 6 delicious flavours (garlic, red pepper, olive, egg plant, jalapeno and spicy),  there is something for everyone. Prices vary between 5,550 – 7,000. You can buy packs of 4 (24,000) to save money or just choose your favourites.

I’m not going to lie, I tried five. After all, fat girls don’t get fat by just choosing one flavour. They were all good, but here are my favourite 3.

My top spot is a close call but I would have to give it to the roasted red pepper. A glorious orange colour and delicious taste of roasted red peppers throughout. Couldn’t get enough of this one. It was just as tasty as I hoped it would be.

Second place was surprisingly jalapeno heaven. It was the one I was least looking forward to, and thought I could just palm it off on my boyfriend. However after one fingerful, I knew he wouldn’t be getting any. It had the essence and flavour of jalapeno without being too hot or spicy. It was perfectly mild and delicious. In fact I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this one since and will have to try having a go at making my own. Be sure to add this one to your order.

My third favourite was probably the crazy for garlic. The regular hummus we all know and love with extra garlic. It was well balanced and the garlic was not at all over bearing, like some can be.

To make things even better for you, hummus in Korea sell pita bread too. Sold in packs of 1 for 1,500 or 3 for 4,000 don’t forget to add a few to your order.

Fat girl I hear you cry, how can we get our hands on this wondrous hummus? Well here’s how. Click here to get to the website, fill out the form and click place order. Do a simple bank transfer to pay and sit back and relax while you wait for your delicious delivery. Delivery costs 4,500 and they deliver  Tuesday- Friday and it generally takes between 24-48 hours. Pretty cool right. Visit the website for more details and to place orders.

After making a big batch a dips last week I found myself chip-less. How was I to enjoy my delicious dips? Walking to the store in the blistering heat seemed like such a big effort so I thought why not try and make some myself. I had plenty of tortillas in the freezer so I set about making some  tortilla chips to go with my lovely scrummy spinach hummus. I also took these to the Vegan Potluck and they went down a storm.

Ingredients

Spinach Hummus

300g dried chickpeas or  2 cans of chickpeas.

3-5 tablespoons of Tahini (buy it at the foreign food mart in Itaewon or make your own, it’s really easy just blend sesame seeds with olive oil)

200g of fresh spinach

200 – 300ml Olive oil

3 – 5 cloves of garlic

The juice  and zest of 1 or 2 Lemons

2 -4 tablespoons of cumin (foreign food mart or Gmarket)

1-2 tablespoons of paprika (foreign food mart or Gmarket)

Lime and Coriander Chips

4 tortillas

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 tablespoons of lime juice

1 tablespoon of Mexican seasoning

1 bunch of coriander (cilantro)

1/2 a teaspoon of salt

Directions

Soak your chickpeas over night or for several hours in cold water, do not add any salt. Cook your chickpeas in boiling water for 2-3 hours or until they mash easily with the back of a spoon. I use my rice cooker to cook them as you don’t have to worry about topping up the water, just give them a lot at the beginning and they will be fine.  Once your chick peas are done, strain them but reserve some of the water for later. If you are using the canned chickpeas you can skip the cooking stage.

If you are making your own tahini, blend the olive oil and sesame seeds until they form a paste. Then add the garlic and blend again. Finally add the spinach. Keep blending until you have a lovely vibrant green paste. I prefer to use fresh spinach as frozen or cooked is too stringy and will cause problems for your blender unless you have a very good one.

Blend the chick peas in your blender with a little of the extra water,  until they start to resemble the consistency of hummus. Everyone has a different preference about how they like their hummus, some like the runny oily kind whilst others prefer it thick. It’s really up to you, whatever floats your boat, so add more or less water depending on how you like it. Once your chickpeas are blended, add the tahini and lemon juice. Then you can start to add your salt and spices, a little at first stirring them in until you get the taste you want. You also might want to add more tahini and lemon juice too. Hummus is one of those recipes that is hard to pin down. I generally make it the same each time but the results always seem to vary. As long as you get all the basics in there though it should turn out well.

To make the chips cut your tortillas into triangles. The tortillas I use, are the large ones from Costco so I usually get about 10-12 chips from each one. Place the olive oil, lime juice and coriander in your blender and blend until you have a green paste. Then stir in the salt and Mexican seasoning. Using a brush or the back of a spoon coat one site of the triangle then lay on a baking tray. Try not to overlap the chips. Bake in the oven for about 2-4 minutes. Times will vary depending on the size so make sure you keep checking on them. They are done when they are golden in colour and the paste is dry. Store in an airtight container and they will keep for at least a week if you can resist eating them. Voilà home-made chips and a dip. Perfect for any party.

When it rains it pours, and these past few weeks it’s been raining falafels. First Zayd started selling them over at Med food in Korea. Then I had some over at El Grecos. Then finally I made some myself and they are so good that I just can’t stop. I have been making them by the truckload lately and having them in all manner of salads and wraps. I also took a batch a down to the vegan potluck and the whole plate had disappeared within minutes. They are actually surprisingly easy to make if you have a sturdy blender.

Ingredients

2 cans or 800g of soaked chick peas (this is the weight once they have been soaked in water)

1 onion

5 cloves of garlic

1 lemon (zest and juice)

A large handful of parsley

A large handful of coriander (cilantro or 고수 found in many korean supermarkets)

1 -2 tablespoons of cumin

2 teaspoon of ground coriander

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of black pepper

2-3 tablespoons of flour

1 teaspoon of baking soda

Oil for frying (I use soybean because it’s cheap)

Directions

If using dried chickpeas, soak them in lots of  cold water overnight. Drain the chickpeas and blend until they resemble cous cous or bread crumbs in consistency. Next you need to blend the parsley, garlic, and onion. I did this in the blender too until it made a green onion smoothie. Mix together with the chickpeas, then add the salt, pepper, and spices. Add the juice and zest of the lemon and mix.  Stir in the flour and baking soda then cover with cling-film and leave in the fridge for about an hour. When the mixture has had time to rest remove from the fridge and form into ping-pong sized balls. Heat your oil to a medium heat then fry the falafel, they should take about 3 minutes on each side. If the oil is too hot they will not be cooked on the inside. Once they are done let them drain on a piece of kitchen towel to remove excess oil. Enjoy fresh from the pan with lots of hummus and flatbread. They can also be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days. Voilà fabulous falafels.

Nestled in a side street in Kyungnidan is El Grecos, a small Greek style restaurant. Serving up gyros and falafel’ it’s a cute place to hit up the next time you are craving all things Greek. The menu is much smaller that the Greek restaurants in Itaewon. I haven’t actually eaten at them so I am not sure if the food is better or not.

After perusing the menu we couldn’t decide between the gyro or the gyros platter (13,000). The platter was bigger so we went for that. However after seeing the gyros I think I would prefer to try one next time as they looked great. The meat was rather fatty, which wasn’t so great. Although, the chips were excellent, some of the best I have had in a long time.

My dining companion chose the falafel plate (12,000). The falafel was ok but not amazing,  we all agreed they needed a little bit more seasoning or oomph. The tzatziki was good though and so was the pita bread. The hummus was also fine but personally not the best I have ever had, though I am quite fussy when it comes to hummus.

For a greek restaurant I was surprised to see no lamb on the menu . The gyros come in pork or chicken but no lamb. However we looked at the specials board and they had a lamb and chickpea soup (5,000). It was served with their lovely pita bread and was very tasty. Such a cheap and filling meal.

We all agreed that the food was fine, but not all that special.  However it was cheap and is a nice option if you are looking for something a little different. I do have to mention that the day I came I had gotten some bad news, so for once in my life I wasn’t all that fussed about eating. However the cocktails are excellent and I felt much better after a hot toddy made with brandy and a mulled cider. I plan to drink all of my troubles away there from now on.

El Grecos is located at 273-11, Itaewon-dong,Yongsan-gu, Seoul. To get there take a train to Noksapyeong Station (line 6) exit 2 and walk straight down past the entrance leading to Haebangchon and go over the pedestrian bridge  above the road. You will see the Bakers Table as you exit the stairs on the other side. Walk down the alleyway to the right of Bakers Table until you reach El Grecos. You can call them on 070-8263-8678.

For a reasonably small store the Pinoy Mart is very well stocked. They have a huge variety of foods and ingredients. I have tried to take as many pictures as possible to show what they have.

For the bakers among you they have various baking supplies such as powder sugar, chocolate chips, pie crusts, sprinkles, flavoured extracts, food dyes and plenty of Betty Crocker boxed mixes and ready-made icing.

They also have a refrigerator chocked full with  dairy products including, cream cheese, ricotta,  cottage cheese, butter, cream, half and half, spray cream and a large variety of cheeses. My dips and hummus can also be found there.

There are snacks and candy galore, including Peanut-butter Cups, Twizzlers, Tim Tams, Cheetos, Sour cream ruffles and plenty more.

The drinks selection hosts a wide variety of beers and soft drinks. They also have some pre-made mixers such as Margarita mix and Bloody Mary mix, which I can personally vouch for. They have cans of Clamato, the Canadian’s favourite beverage. They also have a freezer filled with goodies, along with canned and dried food and a large selection of herbs and spices, as well as other goods.

If there is anything you want and they don’t have they will try their best to get it for you. So pay them a visit and stock up on my goodies if you are in the area.

The Pinoy Mart is located in Hae Bang Chon. 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 along that road for about 200 meters. You will pass by Noa, HBC Galbi Jib, and Burgermine. Its on the right just next to a chicken restaurant and opposite Fix. You can call them on 010-2664-2221.

Petra is a delightful middle eastern restaurant full of delicious delicacies for everyone. I have visited this restaurant twice now, once with a vegetarian and once with a vegan so this is good choice for anyone that can’t eat meat and a great one for those who can as they have lots of lamb on the menu. It always good to have somewhere a bit different to go to. If you’re not familiar with middle eastern food, I would urge you to give it a go.

After surveying the menu we made our choices. First up was the trio of dips, hummus, baba ganoush and labanah (10,000).  We also got an order of pita breads (1,000 each). These dips were amazing and so was the warm pita. Just thinking about them now is making my mouth water.  The hummus is insanely good, even better than mine. I am a big fan of the more, middle eastern, oily creamy version of hummus so it was great to eat one. The baba ganoush and labanah were both very tasty too. An excellent start to the meal.

We also ordered the mixed kebab (24,000) and boy were we glad we did. One of the lambs had such an amazing intense flavor on it I thought I was in food heaven. I’m not sure of the exact combination of spices that they used but I would love to recreate this at home. It produced such an indescribable taste. It was fantastic.

They have various wet curries on the menu that come with a choice of meats and different side dishes such as rice or cous cous. They vary in price but are around 15,000 each. The one I tried on my first visit was really good, but sadly for me I was too drunk to recall the name. On my second visit I went for the lamb kofte although this was a little lacking in flavor and not as good as my first one. However it may be a good choice for people who like milder food.

I was also lucky enough to try the falafels (a large portion is 10,000) , I considered making these a few weeks ago, and after rediscovering how much I like them, I will certainly be giving it a try in the near future.  They had a good texture and a great flavor. Falafel is something that we take for granted back home, I wish I could eat them everyday.

Overall I was very happy with my dinners at Petra, the food is full of flavor and well priced. Its nice to have something a little different from the usual offerings too. My only slight disappointment is that they do not serve alcohol (I got drunk before I went there, if you were wondering why I was so wasted on my first visit) . Obviously they have their own religious reasons for doing so but it would be nice to have a beer. Although I can learn to live without it since the food is so good. They do have shisha on offer if flavored steam floats your boat.

Petra is at 522 Itaewon dong, Yongsan gu, Seoul. Its located on the hill at the bottom of Itaewon just overlooking the intersection n.. From Noksapyeong Station (line 6): Go out exit 1. Cross the overpass bridge. Petra should be straight ahead on the second floor. From Itaewon Station (line 6): Go out exit 1. Walk straight about 5 minutes. Go up the alley across the street from McDonald’s (look for the yellow Money Exchange sign). Follow the curve around and Petra is on your right. You can call them on 02-790-4433.