The ramen burger has become one of the latest food crazes to hit the world. Starting in New York, people were queuing up around the block to try one of these bread-less burgers. With ramen being a staple of Korean cuisine I thought it would be churlish not to give it a go myself and see what all the fuss is about. I had a burger leftover from the ones I made a few weeks ago, so all I had to do was put it together. I wouldn’t stand in a queue to try one, but it was certainly novel to try something new.

Ingredients

1 burger

2 packets of ramen

2 eggs

BBQ sauce

Spring onions

Spinach

Directions

To make the ramen buns, boil the noodles then drain them. Mix each set of noodles with a beaten egg. Wrap them in cling-film, put them in a bowl or round container, and pop them in the fridge with something heavy on the top. Leave them for an hour to firm up.

When they are firm fry the buns in a frying pan for a few minute in oil until golden brown and crispy on the outside. Serve your burger in the middle of the buns, top with the sauce, spinach and spring onions.  Check out this page from Buzzfeed for more details.

As you may know, we are off to Hong Kong tomorrow to ring in the New Year. It has been a tradition of mine to for quite some time now that I spend New Years Eve in a different country every year. New years Eve can be such a let down, but if you spend it in a different place then you have no preconceived ideas and it always ends up being a great night. Anyhow, I thought I would leave you with one last post before I venture on my holidays since it is related to Hong Kong.

Last Saturday we were out and about in Myeongdong doing some last minute Christmas shopping when we were feeling rather peckish. Personally I can never find anywhere other than Ashley’s in Myeongdong that I really like to eat. However shopping days do not always go hand in hand with all you can eat buffets. It usually puts a swift stop to all shopping.  We were having a browse around and saw a sign for Smokey’s, a burger place up on the 6th floor of Noon Square mall. However when we got there we saw this place next door and decided to try it instead to get us in the mood for all the dim sum we will be eating in Hong Kong.

They have a wide and varied menu consisting of many Chinese delights that I would have loved to have sampled. Noodle soups, wontons, fried rice, and meat dishes. There was a large variety that seemed of more of a western style than the Korean. Which is always a thumbs up for me! As I said before, we were eating light so we had an order of dumplings.

I ordered the steamed soupy pork dumplings – 6,000 for 6. In my zest to eat them I forgot to take a picture of the soupy goodness inside. For such a bargain these were incredibly tasty. The juice inside was great along with the soft doughy dumpling and a piece of pork these are my new favourite lunch. 6 was the perfect amount and with the free tea and traditional picked vegetables this was an ideal lunch.

Niall decided to get a mixed set of three spicy soup dumplings and 3 pork -7,000. Although in the end he said he preferred the original pork ones that I had ordered. They also have crab, and cheese varieties available.  I cant wait to try them in Hong Kong now, who knows how many I shall manage to eat in the next week.

Although hidden at the top of the mall I’m very glad we ventured up to this little place, the series of escalators was well worth it and I’m sure this will be my new lunch venue of choice when I’m out shopping in Myeongdong. Not only is the food tasty and cheap but you even get some entertainment in the form of the chefs in the kitchen, showing off there talents as you watch them make noodles.

Crystal Jade restaurant is located on the 6th floor of Noon Square at 83-5 Myeong-dong 2(i)-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul. It’s the same building as CGV and H&M. The closest station is Euljiro 1-ga Station (Line 2), Exit 6.
Walk straight for about 200 meters. The turn when you reach 7-11 and walk along the main shopping street.  Noon Square is on the left. You can call them on 02-3783- 5428 or visit their website for more details.

Just a few weeks ago I wrote a review for Buddha’s belly in Kyungnidan. Well last Friday night I was craving Thai food once again. However I decided to make a change and try the restaurant opposite Called Sukhavit – A taste of Thailand. A taste of Thailand was exactly what I got. It trumped Buddha’s Belly in pretty much every department and will now be my new Thai restaurant of choice. Not only do they provide a great take away service with an extensive menu far longer than the one at Buddha’s Belly, they also have a large restaurant that can accommodate many people.

First up were the spring rolls. Slightly expensive at 7,000 for 6.  But they were fairly good none the less. I have to say rolls are slightly better at Buddha’s Belly but the dipping sauce at Taste of Thailand was better.

Our next choice was the cashew chicken 11,000. This dish blew my mind. It was exactly the same as the ones I used to eat in Thailand. full of flavour without blowing my head off. There were plenty of cashews and lots of chicken  The sauce was slightly sweet and spicy, just how I like it.

I also ordered the Pad See Ew – black-bean fried noodles with chicken 11,000. This is my favourite dish from across the road so I was curious to see how it would compare but it was just as good with lots of noodles, chicken and sticky sauce.

Last up was the Thai green Curry 11,000. The moment I opened the lid I could smell the lemon-grass wafting out. It was perfect. they also asked us how hot we would like it, which was a nice touch, everyone likes their curry differently and they got this one spot on. It also came with white rice, but I think we have all been in Korea long enough to know what that looks like.

They also have a great sweet and sour chicken dish that I don’t have a picture of it but it certainly gets the thumbs up from me.

I chose chicken for all my dishes but you have the option for tofu, pork, shrimp, or beef if that’s what floats your boat.

Sukhumvit is located in Kyungnidan at 671 Itaewon 2-dong, Yongsan-gu. Seoul. 140-861. To get there take a train to Noksapyeong station (line 6)  exit 2 and walk straight down until you reach the under pass then go underneath. Sukhumvit is on the second floor above Noxa just opposite the exit of the underpass. You can call them on 02- 790- 2722 to place an order or make a reservation.

I like to think of myself as very lucky food wise. Living in HBC I am surrounded with foreign food stores and restaurants. Even the shop across the road stocks everything I could want for any western dinner. As well as all this goodness I am blessed to work around the corner from Pho Mein.  Pho Mein is the best Vietnamese restaurant in Korea ever. Just walking past that place on my way to get a vanilla latte has me drooling.

I don’t think you could go to Pho Mein without trying the pho. They had various varieties of these soup noodles on the menu.  We opted for the Pho Meins Pho (9,500). The pho arrived in a huge steaming bowl with the various accompaniments. The broth was very tasty and full of flavor. Some pho that you have really need a good amount of the hoi sin sauce in them before they get tasty but this one was fine on its own. It had a generous amount of meat which was good too. Although you couldn’t compare it to the pho we had in Vietnam, there was just something different about those, it was very good.

We also ordered the shrimp rolls (5,000) They are king prawns wrapped in a crispy coating and served with a sweet chili sauce. I think we all know by now that I enjoy anything deep fried and these are no exception they have a great texture and taste. They also have various other spring rolls and wedding shomais on the menu.

This time I was keen to try to the fried rice, they had several varieties on the menu and we chose the pineapple shrimp fried rice (10,500). It was everything I hoped it would be. I had the true taste and smell of an authentic fried rice, which bok um bab (korean fried rice) just can’t seem to replicate. There were plenty of chunks of pineapple and shrimps. We had this to accompany the cashew chicken but it could easily stand alone as a main dish.

Lastly we ordered the pièce de résistance – fried cashew nut chicken (16,500). I literally could not fault this dish, it is absolutely perfect. The chicken is coated in this amazing crunchy batter. There’s a generous portion of cashew nuts and the vegetables are fresh and crisp, just what I look for in a dish like this. The sauce is perfect too, sweet and spice balancing in perfect harmony. If you enjoy kung pao chicken at home then this is the dish for you. China factory could learn a lot from this place. I think this one is also even better than the one at Ho Lee Chow, but I would have to do a taste off to make sure.

As you can probably tell I am a huge fan of Pho Mien, they have served me some of the best westernized asian food I have eaten in Korea. The price is also fairly reasonably, considering the amount we ate. We visited the Bangbae location but they have restaurants all over Korea. Take a look at their website to see the menu and find your nearest one. You won’t be sorry.  http://phomein.com/Main/

For those not in Korea, bulgogi is thinly sliced pieces of beef. fried with onions, pieces of carrot and mushrooms in a sweet gravy like sauce. Koreans serve it with rice, which is a very enjoyable way to eat it. However it got me thinking about what other dishes we could use bulgogi for. Beef in general is quite expensive here in Korea and lots of people shy away from buying it, especially if they are living by themselves. The great thing about bulgogi though is all the big store like homeplus sell it by weight, so you can easily get a small potion just for yourself. We bought a huge pack at Costco 2kg for 22,000. So I decided to make a trio of western delights using the bulgogi as my base.

If none of these babies tantalize your taste buds you could also use it to make Spaghetti Bolognese, fajitas/burritos, stew, chili, hotpot, pies,burgers, empanadas, stir fries or nachos supreme.

Steak Sandwich

Ingredients 

250g of bulgogi per sandwich

1 Panini, baguette or sub roll (you can always use two slices of bread in a pinch)

75g of grated cheese (whatever you have is fine, or use Philadelphia for a philly steak sandwich)

Lettuce, tomato, onions etc (optional)

Directions

Cook the bulgogi in a frying pan, no need to add any oil as there is already fat in the meat. Meanwhile toast your roll or bread in the oven for a minute or two. Sprinkle on the grated cheese and pop it back into the oven until the cheese has melted. If you are using Philadelphia then you can omit this step just spread on a thick layer on to your roll or sandwich. Load the bulgogi into roll and top with salad if using.

Bulgogi Noodle salad

Ingredients

500g of bulgogi

250g of Vietnamese rice noodle (you can use any kind of noodles for this though)

1/2 cucumber thinly slices

1 red pepper thinly slices

150g of cooked endamame beans (found at my local veggie mart)

5 spring onions

2 tablespoons of soy sauce

2 tablespoons of sweet chili sauce

1 tablespoon of sesame seed oil.

1 tablespoon of sesame seeds

Directions

Cook you bulgogi in a frying pan without oil. When the meat is completely cooked through leave to cool a little. Meanwhile boil your rice noodles for 5 minutes or until they are done. Drain the noodles until dry then mix in with the bulgogi meat while it is warm but not hot. The noodles will absorb all of those flavorsome juices. Leave to oneside until it has gone cold. Meanwhile slice your vegetables. You can use anything you like really, I just used what I had in the fridge. When the noodle bulgogi mixture has cooled. Mix with the sliced vegetables, throw on the endamame beans and add the soy sauce, sweet chili sauce and sesame oil and mix well. Sprinkle on the sesame seeds and spring onions. Voilà a quick and easy noodle salad.

Stroganoff

Ingredients

500g of Bulgogi

1 onion

2-3 cloves of garlic

200g of mushrooms

1 tablespoon of paprika

1 tablespoon of mixed herbs

4 tablespoons of sour cream

1 glass of white wine

300g of flat pasta  or noodles (I used fettuccini)

A glug of olive oil

A knob of butter

Directions

Fry the garlic and onions in the oil for a few minutes until they have softened. Add the mushrooms and the butter then fry until the mushrooms have cooked. When they are done transfer them to a bowl. Fry the bulgogi in the frying pan. When it has started to color add the paprika and continue cooking until the meat is done. Add the onion and mushrooms back into the pan along with the wine. Cook for 5 minutes or until the wine has cooked out. Add the sour cream and mixed herbs, then  stir in to make the sauce. When the mixture is ready serve with the pasta. Voilà a delicious bulgogi stroganoff. .

So I realize its still pretty warm outside at the moment and hot soup is not really on everyones mind but since I just moved house I had a few bits and pieces that needed using up so I thought I would make this tasty Thai soup. I am a big fan of anything I can make a large portion of in one pan. That way I can portion it out and eat it for a few days in a row. Some people might think that’s a bit boring but once I get a taste for something I have to eat it again and again until I get sick of it. You could also put it in little containers and put a couple in the freezer and just zap them in the microwave when you want to eat it. I do this with quite a lot of the foods I make so there is always something for dinner if I don’t fancy cooking.

Ingredients

2 pints of chicken stock (preferable home made, just boil left over chicken bones in water)

300g of left over roast chicken

1 can of coconut milk

1 onion

4 cloves of garlic

1 red pepper

1 green pepper

2 table spoons of green curry paste

3 stalks of lemon grass (I bought mine at the foreign food mart in Itaewon)

4 kariff lime leaves (a friend brought me these from home, but I think they are in the foreign food mart too)

200g of rice noodle

A bunch of spring onions

1 lemon

Directions

Fry the onions and garlic until they have softened. Add the green and red peppers and fry for a couple of minutes, before adding in the curry paste. Pour the chicken stock into the pan along with the coconut milk and bring to the boil. Chop up the lemon grass very finely and throw it into the soup. Add the kariff lime leaves and leave to reduce by half. Add the rice noodles into the soup and cook for a further 5 minutes or until the noodles are done. Add the juice and zest of the lemon. Throw in the chicken and spring onions and serve. Voilà a tasty Thai chicken soup.