Holy Smoke opened  on Saturday, and as always I was one of the first through its doors. Although the close proximity of my house to the restaurant probably had something to do with it! I was just desperate to find out if all the banging in the early morning was worth it.

Despite the mother Mary logo and the godly like name, the interior is dark and slightly satanic. Some cows are certainly getting slaughtered up in here to serve at the altar of deliciousness. With the glowing red lights they have a real juxtaposition of good and evil going on. Maybe it’s supposed to represent the glowing coals upon which the meat is cooked, but I really couldn’t say for sure.

Hot on the tail of Linus’s success, some might say this is a copycat restaurant as the menu is somewhat similar.  However there’s room for more than one BBQ restaurant in Seoul. In fact there are thousands of them. Koreans love BBQ meat so I’m surprised the American style trend didn’t catch on sooner.

I got a few sandwiches to go on opening weekend, and finally ate in last night. They have been running out later in the evening so I would advise going early to avoid disappointment. The menu offers a good selection of BBQ foods without having too much. We ordered the pulled pork sandwich (6,000), with fries on the side (2,000).  There is generous amount of meat served in a soft buttery roll. The meat is unsauced, allowing you to add your own. They have three available, Franks (a BBQ styled thousand island kind of sauce), Carolina Gold (a mustard laced vinaigrette), and Red hot chili. I find the Franks to pair best with the pulled pork, and with the coleslaw piled in on top this is a damn good sandwich for the price. The meat is tender and juicy but could possibly do with just a touch more flavour within it. Without the sauce it would be a bit bland though.

We also got the rib platter (16,000). On the menu it said three ribs but we got five which was handy as otherwise my poor and long suffering boyfriend would have been left with just one. The meat on the bones was tender and well cooked, but they were just too plain on their own. The sauces that they currently offer completely overpower the flavour of the meat, so they need to serve some regular BBQ sauce. That or perhaps a dry rub before they are cooked. I’m not really into plain old ribs, they are missing that sticky crispy crust that you get when you cook them in sauce.  I asked the owner if he planned to serve BBQ sauce but was met with a resounding no. He was rather stand offish when I tried to talk to him. It was a soft opening and I thought these things are usually done so they can receive feedback, especially from your neighbours who are most likely to become regulars if treated well. The two counter staff were incredibly friendly though. I enjoyed the beans from this platter a lot, I just can never get enough baked beans in my life. The small rolls were a bit stale though, if they aren’t fresh they should at least toast them. If they get some BBQ sauce on the menu then I would have the platter again.

I got the brisket sandwich to go (8,000). Again the meat was tender but unflavored, the mustard sauce definitely goes better on this one. I think if pushed though I probably think the pulled pork sandwich has the edge, it’s also cheaper.

Between Sunday and last night they changed the fries. At the weekend they had the larger ones below, but last night they had the shoe string ones you get everywhere. Bring back the big chips and I’ll order double sides, the skinny ones I’m really not fussed about.

Later in the evening I was in the mood for something sweet, so The Fat Boyfriend was dispatched across the road to pick me up the deep fried Snickers (6,000). This is for the very sweet toothed. It was just too sweet for me, I liked the crisp exterior on the outside, but the middle is supposed to be soft and gooey but the peanuts in the Snickers opposed this. It works much better with a Mars bar. I think I’ll try the lemon berry curd next time.

I didn’t have anything to drink as they only serve craft beer. They have a couple of homemade sodas which look great but at 7,000 with no booze in them I had to decline. Maybe after pay day. This place has the making to be a great spot as the portions are large and good value. But they need to make a few changes to get to the same standard as Linus in the taste department. I would definitely continue to get the sandwiches to go either way, but the platters need more work to get me back inside.

Holy Smoke is located at 1F, Sinheung-ro, 3-gil, Yongsan-gu, seoul. To get there take a train to Noksapyeong station (line 6) and come out of exit 2. walk straight until the road veers off and you see the kimchi pots. Walk along this road until you reach the turning just before bonny’s pizza and go left. Holy smoke is located on the left hand side just after HBC coffee shop. For more information you can call on 02-792-3719.

I love ribs. I am a huge rib fan. I could eat a million. Lovely soft pieces of pork slathered in a BBQ sauce is my idea of heaven, and who doesn’t like gnawing on bones?  I occasionally buy them frozen from the supermarket, or order them in restaurants but for some reason I rarely make them from scratch. Earlier in the week I was having a look around the small Korean supermarket near my work , and spotted these beauties. Since it was pay day I figured I would treat myself and a few hours later, I was eating some of the best ribs I have ever had.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons of rib rub (homemade or bought)

200ml of Coca Cola (or Pepsi)

5 tablespoons of BBQ sauce

1 rack of ribs

Rib Rub

2 tablespoons of brown sugar

2 tablespoons of paprika

1 tablespoon of cumin

1 tablespoon of garlic powder

1 tablespoon of onion powder

1 teaspoon of celery salt

1 teaspoon of black pepper

1/2 a teaspoon of sage

1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

Directions

1. To make the rub rub, mix all the ingredients together then store in an airtight container. This will keep for a few months at least. If your spice rack is bare you can just buy a packet, no one will judge you.

2. Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celcius. Then rub the spice rub on the ribs, making sure they are all coated.

3. Put the ribs in a pan, then pour the coke into the bottom of the pan. Then cover tightly with foil.

4. Put the foiled container in the oven and cook for 2 hours.

5. After 2 hours the meat should be falling off the bone. Turn the oven up to 200 degrees Celsius. Next smother the BBQ sauce on the top of the ribs. Then bake in the oven with the foil off for another 20 minutes, until the ribs are all glazed and sticky perfection. Serve on their own, or with coleslaw and fries Mmmmm.

A week or two ago my lovely friend Mat took me out for dinner. He knows I’m a lady who needs to be well fed so he took me out for treat, and what treat it was. I wasn’t sure what to expect as all I had heard was the name, but the food was spectacular. Modern pan-Asian cuisine that took me right back to my days of living in Sydney where everything was fresh and full of flavour just like this. Located near Hangangjin station, this small and cute restaurant, is nestled in a little side street amongst a lot of other eateries. If you are unfamiliar with this side of Itaewon It would certainly favour you to have a little walk around up there. I am sure there are lots of food finds to be had.

The first dish we tried was the Soft shell crab with pink peppercorn (9,000). Neither me or my rather handsome dining companion is particularly fond of crab but we were dazzled by this dish. I had only had the hard shell crabs before, but these were amazing so crispy on the outside while the lovely white meat inside was juicy and tender. The salad that accompanied it was fantastic. I will certainly be back again to try this dish, you must try it .

Next up was the Tom Yum Soup with mussels and mung bean noodles (14,000.) The perfect dish for cold winter nights, the broth was tasty and spicy, and the mussels a nice addition. Throw in some noodles and you have a very satisfying dish that could easily serve two.

Salt and pepper ribs with chili sauce (15,000) . Any rib fans need to try these, especially if you like them spicy. The crisp outsides matched well with the spicy dipping sauce, although I wish there had been a few more of them.

Twice cooked pork belly with sweet and sour sauce (17,000) was probably my favourite dish other than the crab. I love sweet and sour sauce and I love belly pork, so it was like this dish was specially designed for me. Again slightly spicy, the glaze on top the soft and tender pork belly was divine. Served with more salad, pepper and cilantro on top. It was a winning combination.

Last we tried the crispy noodles with tofu and mushroom stir fry (12,000.) This dish was such a surprise, the soft silky tofu, was not the texture I really go for but combined with the crispy noodles and sweet sauce it really worked. I would definitely recommend this dish to any vegetarians or vegans looking to try something a bit different.

On the beverage list they had several imported beers on the menu for reasonable prices. I decided to have my old favorite Chang.

Spicy Bite is located at 104 , 682-12, Hanam 2-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul.  To get there take a train to Hangangjin station (line 6) and come out of exit 3 and walk straight. Go through the archway that announces Itaewon and then take the alley on the left when you get to the Volkswagen dealership. Spicy Bite is about 50 meters further on the left. For more information call 070-4028-8011.

After the success of my last large batch of chicken burritos I was keen to try to make some more. A recent trip to Costco had led me to  acquire another huge piece of belly pork and I only had a use for half of it. I decided why not make more burritos to keep in the freezer for an easy grab and go snack for work or dinner. My freezer is once again stacked with burritos ready to go whenever I fancy one.

Ingredients

1 kg of Pulled Pork (I used about 2kg of uncooked belly pork to make these)

12 Tortillas

A small handful of coriander (cilantro)

1-2 cups of brown rice

250 ml of sour cream

Directions

To make the pulled pork follow the directions here on my previous post. I also threw in some extra peppers and courgettes 30 minutes before it was due to finish cooking. This just made it slightly healthier and added a little bulk too.  Cook up a batch of brown rice and allow to cool. Then chop your cilantro.  Take your tortilla and cover with a spoonful of sour cream. Add 2-3 tablespoons of the pulled pork, 2 tablespoons of brown rice and sprinkle with the coriander.

Roll the burrito and then tuck in the ends. I used a little sour cream on the end of the flap just to make it stick down. Repeat until all your mixture has been used. Roll the burritos in cling-film and store in a zip-lock bag in the freezer. To cook them just pop them in the microwave for a few minutes or remove the cling film and cook them in the oven. Voilà easy pulled pork burritos to grab and go.

Shanghai soup dumplings or Xiao long bao are so amazingly good that I wish that I could eat them every day. Funnily enough I first tried them when I was in Shanghai, however I didn’t get around to eating them in Korea until just recently. They are served at Crystal Jade and Din Tai Fung, both located in Myeong-Dong if you are hankering after them as much as I am. After eating even more of these bad boys I decided it was about time I tried to make my own. A quick search on Google gave me the basic formula of how to make them. You get the soup into the dumpling by making a meat jelly, which you can cut into chunks when it has cooled. Then when the dumpling is cooked, the jelly melts back into the delicious soup. Pretty clever, eh? I also decided to try using mandu wrappers instead of making the dough. Making and cutting tonnes and tonnes of little wrappers would have driven me insane so I though I would try it with the mandu wrappers instead. They worked pretty well actually, although they didn’t taste the same as the real thing.

Ingredients

200g of minced pork

I pack of mandu wrappers (만두피) (the large round ones)

500g of chicken wings

750g of belly pork

1 packet of gelatin crystals

3 cloves of garlic

1/2 an onion

2 litres of water

Directions

Place your onion, garlic, chicken wings and belly pork into a large saucepan and top up with the water and place a lid on top. A lot of recipes online recommend using Chinese ham too, but I didn’t have any and the broth still tasted great.  Boil them for about 2 hours until the water  has reduced to about 1/2 a liter and you’re left with a great stock. Strain the stock and mix in the gelatin. Then pour the stock in to a flat shallow container and leave in the fridge for a few hours to set. Once the jelly has set you can cut it into cubes. Meanwhile season the minced pork and roll it into small balls. Defrost your mandu wrappers then take one and place a piece of jelly on top.

Then place a small ball of the pork mince on top of the jelly.

You now need to gather the dumpling together, making as many pleats as you can. This is a true skill and mine are certainly not all that artistic. You can watch this video on you tube to see how the professionals do it. As long as they seal then that’s the main thing. You can practice working on their appearance the more you make them.

Once the dumplings have been formed put them in a bamboo steamer (I bought mine at Bangsan bakers mart). Place the dumplings on a piece of parchment paper, then  cook them above a pot of simmering water for about 10 minutes.

You can tell when they are done when the skin turns translucent.

Carefully remove the dumplings from the steamer and serve with Chinese rice vinegar and thinly sliced pieces of ginger. To eat the dumplings place the dumpling in a soup spoon and make a small bite on the side. Suck out the soup then eat the dumpling. Voilà homemade Shanghai Soup dumplings.

Scotch Eggs are a very popular snack or picnic food in Britain. They are also one of my boyfriend’s favourite foods to eat. Personally they have always tuned my stomach and I have never dreamed of eating one. But because I am such a loving and wonderful girlfriend I do occasionally make them for him as a very special treat. In England they are always found in refrigerator section and served cold. I think that is what has always put me off. I cannot stand cold egg, which probably explains my reluctance to eat egg mayo too (although the smell may also be accountable). Last week we went to Reilly’s in Itaewon and were shocked to see scotch eggs on the menu as I never dreamed they would make it to Korea. These however were served hot and tasted amazing. Later that week I had some left over pork mince from some dumplings I had been making and decided I would whip Niall up a batch. I tried these ones too, straight out of the fryer and they were amazing! I think I have finally been converted into a scotch egg eater after all these years. If you want to be truly authentic, then scotch eggs should be made with sausage meat which you can buy from Gavin’s sausages in Myeong-dong or online. However the pork mince works quite well too.

Ingredients

5 hard boiled eggs

1 beaten egg

200g of pork mince or sausage meat

150g of pankco crumbs

A pinch of salt

A pinch of pepper

1/2 a teaspoon of sage

1/2 a teaspoon of mixed herbs

Directions

Boil the eggs for about 10 minutes. When they are done take them out of the pan and plunge them into a bowl of cold water to cool them down. This will also help with the peeling process. Meanwhile season your pork mince with the herbs and salt and pepper. Its really up to you how well you like it seasoned. On a large flat surface, lay a piece of cling film down, and put the pork mince on it. Then cover it with a second piece of cling film. With a rolling pin, roll the meat flat until you have a nice large rectangle of it about 5mm thick.

When the eggs have been fully cooled, remove the shell being careful to keep the egg intact. After they have been peeled, place the egg on the mince and wrap the mince around the egg. You should be able to get it covered but you may have to fill in a few patches by yourself. Making sure the egg has been completely covered in the mince, dip the mince covered egg into beaten egg then roll in the panko crumbs. Make sure that the egg has been completely coated. Deep fry them in hot oil for a few minutes, turning then over occasionally so they brown evenly. Be careful to insure the pork mince has cooked through thoroughly. When they are done, pat them with a kitchen towel to remove excess oil and serve. Voilà your favourite British snack in minutes.

I had been planning on making pulled pork for weeks now. Ever since I discovered how cheap the belly pork is at Costco it has been on my shopping list. For 25,000 you can get a 4 kg slab of belly pork. That might seem a lot to the humble person living alone, but those of you of two or more, it’s certainly a bargain. I have already made slow roasted belly pork with a delicious apple gravy. But now I thought it was time to throw my hand at making pulled pork. I am a big fan of pulled pork sandwiches and regularly enjoy them at various pubs  around Itaewon. I often enjoy the one at Poutine Factory although at 8,000 it’s not so cheap, especially when you can buy belly pork and make it at home. For true and authentic pulled pork you have to roast it for many hours so you get some crispy skin in amongst all that lovely spiced meat.  However since I have already tried roasting I decided to make it in my rice cooker. Everyone has a rice cooker so I think this a great recipe for everyone. It cooked slowly in the juices and turned out great. The pork comes in such a huge piece that you have to do it in two lots. Sadly when you buy the belly pork it is already frozen so once it’s defrosted you do have to use it pretty quickly, but you can always share with a friend. The good news is though once it’s cooked you can keep it in the freezer for future use, unless you having a lot of people over for dinner. I tried two different methods of making the rub and I don’t think the outcome varied that much. You can either use a bought barbecue spice mix available at Homeplus etc or you can make your own. Just do whatever is easiest for you.

Ingredients

2kg of belly pork (you could also use shoulder)

1 large onion

6 cloves of garlic

1 litre of beer (Cass is fine)

1 bottle of barbecue sauce

Spice mix rub

3 tablespoons of molasses or dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon of paprika

1 tablespoon of garlic powder

1 tablespoon of cumin

1 tablespoon of mixed herbs

1 tablespoon of sage

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

1 teaspoon of coriander

1 teaspoon of rosemary

1 teaspoon of black pepper

Directions

If making your own spice mix put all of the herbs and spices in a bowl and mix thoroughly. I just used a little bit of everything I had. There are lots of recipes online if you want to be more authentic though. Place your pork fat side up into the rice cooker then top with the spices. Pour about 500ml of beer on top then place on the cook setting. After one cycle the liquid will have evaporated a lot so top it up with beer and put on another cycle. You will want to do this about 3 or 4 times overall, topping up with more beer or water when necessary. After about 4 cycles pour in half the barbecue sauce and just leave on the keep warm setting for at least 4 hours or overnight. When you awaken there will be a lot of fat on the top of the pan. Pour the fat off but try to save the juices at the bottom. Take the pork out of the rice cooker, remove the fat on the meat then shred the meat using two forks. Once the meat is has been shredded put back into the pan with the juices and pour on the other half of the barbecue sauce. Put on  for one more cycle. Skim any remaining fat that has floated to the top and enjoy your delicious pulled pork. Serve in bread rolls or tortillas. I made my own wholemeal bread rolls to make it slightly healthier. I also served it with a homemade lemon coleslaw and baked sweet potato fries. Voilà a thoroughly satisfying southern style meal.

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.

So winter is here and so are the holidays. To me that means large joints of meat. Now is the time splash out on ingredients we wouldn’t usually buy. At a Thanksgiving dinner a few weeks ago we were served up some amazing belly pork, cooked by my talented friend James. It was so good, that I immediately sent Niall out into to the cold to buy some as soon as we got home. This glorious piece of meat is for sale in Costco (I have included the label below). Be warned though its not for the faint hearted, this slab of frozen meat was a a whopping 3.7kg but priced at only 22,000(that was the smallest one)! Luckily it just about fit in my freezer. Last weekend I defrosted it and then cut it into 2 large pieces so it was able to fit in my oven. This would make a great christmas day alternative if you cant find a turkey or just if you really love pork.

Ingredients

2kg of belly pork

1 large onion

7 cloves of garlic

1 apple

Salt and pepper for rubbing

Directions

Thaw you meat thoroughly over night. When you wake in the morning cut the piece into two or three unless you have a giant oven (In which case I hate you!) Wrap up the unused pieces and put into the fridge or give to a friend (eg: me). Slice your onion and apple, then roughly chop your garlic. Then put them into the bottom of your roasting tray. If you have any fresh herbs you could put them on too,  mine all died in the snow though :( Score lines in the fat then rub on the salt and pepper.

Put into an oven at 140 degrees Celsius uncovered for about an hour, this helps the skin get crispy. Then loosely cover with foil and cook for another 4-6 hours. All the fat  juices will collect at the boom of the pan so make sure to pour them off into a jug to save for later. You should also baste about once an hour. This was very easy for me as my oven only cooks for an hour at a time.  After about two hours you may wish to remove your onions and garlic if you are hoping to use them later for your gravy. Other wise they will burn to a crisp.

Once the pork has been fully roasted remove from the oven and leave to rest for at least an hour, loosely covered in foil. Then slice your delicious meat. You can serve exactly how it is or cover the slices in a beautiful apple gravy.  I made mine with the onions, garlic and apple from the roasting pan, the juice from the pork, a little red wine, and a bit of bisto for good measure. Pour over the slices to keep them soft and tender. If you’re not using it straight away this is the best method of storage. Be sure to keep your fat for roasting the potatoes, no one minds a bit of cholesterol at Christmas. Voilà there you have the best roast dinner ever!

I picked up this recipe at the cooking class I did whilst I was in Vietnam. It’s not a dish I had ever made before but it’s incredibly tasty and easy to make. I finally got around to buying my clay pot last week, so I thought it was about time that I made this dish again. I picked mine up from the kimchi pot lady based in Hae bang chon, but these dishes are very common throughout Korea and you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding one (they are used for various jiggaes and soups).

I bought my pork stock in Vietnam, it’s a Knorr brand one, we stocked up as soon as we tasted this delicious dish. You can find pork stock in the foreign food mart, but if you can’t find it you could always try it with chicken instead.

Ingredients

2 Chicken Breasts (you can also use pork or firm white fish)

1 onion

5 cloves of garlic

1 tablespoon of oil

2 tablespoons of white sugar

2 tablespoons of pork stock

2 tablespoons of fish sauce

1-2 teaspoons of chili powder

1/2  a teaspoon of black pepper

100ml- 150ml of water

Directions

Pour a tablespoon of oil into the bottom of the clay pot. Slice your onion and garlic and add to the pot. Chop your chicken breasts into pieces and put them into the pot too. Add all of the other dry ingredients to the clay pot and mix everything together. Add the water and mix again. Leave to marinate for at least 20 minutes. I usually make this up in the morning before work, that way it has all day.

When it has finished marinating, cook on a medium flame if you have a gas cooker or high if you have electric. Put the clay pot directly on to the heat with the lid on. It should take around 15 minutes to cook. The chicken will be cooked through and the sauce will have reduced. You can stir it every five minutes or so just to check the sauce isn’t catching on the bottom. Serve with brown rice and green vegetables, I used broccoli and green beans but I’ll leave it up to your discretion. Voilá delicious healthy clay pot curry.