osulloc

osulloc
many locations, such as this one in insadong: 서울특별시 종로구 인사동길 45-1; also at 서울특별시 종로구 관훈동 170
tel: 02-732-6427

what was consumed: green tea! and green tea lattes and green tea ice cream. try the citrus lattes ... YUM.

tea seems to be a part of east asian culture, no matter which culture. in korea, green tea is one of the many popular teas and of the many brands, shops, and options that are available, there was always something about osulloc that called my name.

osulloc offers green tea and a slew of other tea beverages a la coffee shops (i.e., tea-based lattes, served hot and cold). their green tea is probably the most well known, and most enjoyed. they also have a slew of other teas, as well as green tea ice cream and a few other baked goods (like the green tea roll cake! yum). and be sure to also pick up some of their green tea spread, which is DELISH on shortbread cookies.

bjl and i went to osulloc's tea fields during our trip to jeju island. it's quite expansive and we could see how much care goes in to all of the tea production, as well as all of the other green tea products that result from osulloc.

also, as my time in seoul comes to a close, i thought it appropriate to end my seoul posts with memories of osulloc green tea. the creamy lattes, the subtle but fragrants scents of the teas, the delish ice cream ...

and so, in celebration, let's go get some ice cream :D

online: http://www.osulloc.com/

yu:k

yu:k
서울 종로구 종로3길 17 디타워; also at 서울 종로구 청진동 246
tel: 02-2251-8686

what was consumed: the weekday lunch special - grilled beef on rice

as though we needed more eating options, here comes all of the restaurants in the d-tower. of course, i welcome them all with open arms. one of my favorites is han-yook-gam aka yu:k.

i've actually only been here for lunch, but when we decide to lunch at yu:k, it's a bit of an ordeal. it's because they have a delicious beef and rice dish that is a must! but they only prepare 50 servings, so you'd better be in your seat and ordered when their doors open (right at 11:30).

while you wait for your meal, enjoy the salad and kimchi. they're refill the kimchi, but not the salad, so savor it! and share! but don't worry, because here comes the beef and rice!

the beef and rice set menu comes with a variety of things on your tray, including instructions. apparently, you're supposed to enjoy a third of the beef with the salad, a third of the beef on its own/with half the rice, and then the final third of the beef with rice after pouring the beef stock in your bowl (or something like that. i wish i had taken a photo of the instructions!). and while there are instructions, you are free to eat your meal however you'd like! just enjoy. and don't forget to grab the complimentary ice coffee on your way out!

imo, the serving size left me a bit lacking, but that's only because i eat like a giant and could have easily consumed two full meals (yes, maybe i should eat less. or not!). but the quality of the meal makes it ALL worth it!

gwanghwamun jjambbong (광화문짬뽕)

gwanghwamun jjambbong (광화문짬뽕)
서울특별시 종로구 종로 19 르메이에르종로타운; also at 서울특별시 종로구 종로1가 24
tel: 02-2075-7565

what was consumed: jjambbong! and sweet and sour pork

language partner ehy and i head out for a lunch of k-chit-chat, gossip, and some good food ... at gwanghwamun jjambbong! apparently, they opened a new branch and before the lines got too long, we raced over.

we ordered a spicy bowl of noodle soup along with some sweet and spicy pork (my usual combination). the noodles were chewy, the broth rich and spicy (with lots of seafood), and the sweet and sour pork was lightly fried (just the way i like it) despite the syrup-y sauce (which was pretty delish on this day). nom nom nom nom nom!!!

sinbad's kitchen

sinbad's kitchen
서울 용산구 이태원로 180 스카이하이; also at 서울 용산구 이태원동 127-12
tel: 02-792-0069

what was consumed: some middle eastern, some ethiopian ... yes!

i would see sinbad's kitchen every time i would utilize the itaewon subway station. but it wasn't until i had heard that they also served ETHIOPIAN FOOD on the weekends that i got myself out there. and boy was i glad i did!

sinbad's kitchen serves a variety of foods, mostly of the middle eastern variety. as a result, we couldn't not have falafel (i have an addiction). and while a little different from what i had grown accustomed to (a la jordanian, kuwaiti, amsterdam falafel in DC and so on), we gobbled up the pieces right up with no complaints. and the sauce! the sauce was totally delish and really brought the entire appetizer together.

and then, the ethiopian food. yaaaassssss~~~ the injera, the lentils, the lamb/mutton ... the spices that i love. it had been such a long time since i'd had ethiopian food that it'd be hard to say how it compares. that said, it was pretty darn good and we gobbled it all up. and even when we were already filled to the brim (per usual), especially with injera, we tried to fit more in to our bellies. happily :D

and to close out the meal? turkish coffee, the coffee that reminds me of my time in the middle east. a meal at sinbad's kitchen, imo, would not be complete without a cup of this before taking off.

thanks, sinbad's kitchen! until next time ... 

kitchen talk

kitchen talk
서울특별시 종로구 종로1길 50 더케이트윈타워; also at 서울특별시 종로구 중학동 19 더케이트윈타워 지하1층 키친토크
tel: 02-730-5672

what was consumed: korean set lunch!

looking for a quick meal, korean style? head over to k-twin towers and kitchen talk. in a sort of upscale cafeteria setting, you'll get all the fixin's of a usual, but delish, korean lunch - rice, soup, banchan, and a main (i chose spicy pork. of course i did). 

and while kitchen talk is a little pricier than i would have paid otherwise, think of the fee as including a "seat fee." no cafeteria seating for this one! just yummy eats in a nice setting.

online: http://www.facebook.com/kitchen5672

song-chu gah-mah-gol (송추 가마골)

song-chu gah-mah-gol (송추 가마골)
서울특별시 종로구 새문안로5길 31 센터포인트; also at 서울특별시 종로구 도렴동 65
tel: 02-6031-6211

what was consumed: their lunch set menu - korean bbq!

looking for a good place for a group/office lunch? consider 송추 가마골! while they have a pretty extensive korean bbq menu, they also have set menus that are easy to order and, sometimes, on sale! hahaha ... my team and i head over for lunch one day. reservations in hand, we were immediately seated (next to quite a few groups of seasoned individuals who looked like they were "ladies who lunch." what does that make us, then? hahaha), and within a few minutes, our orders were in and we were munching on some side dishes as we awaited our korean bbq. YUM.

my recommendation, of course, is to have members of your party get a variety of items. that way, you can try everything, especially as korean style eating is generally family style. 

yay!

online: http://www.gamagoll.com/

chung-ki myun-ga (청키면가)

chung-ki myun-ga (청키면가)
서울시 용산구 이태원동 128-4
tel: 02-322-3913

what was consumed: hong kong style noodles and chinese food!

noodles and dumplings? yes please! and who am i kidding. someone told me that this is hong kong style (and i'd had it while transiting through HGK), but what do i know? nothing. all i know is that the noodles were delicious, the dumplings were savory, and i was super full as i departed chung-ki myun-ga. let's go again!

potato house (청년장사꾼감자집)

potato house (청년장사꾼감자집)

서울특별시 종로구 자하문로1길 25; also at 서울특별시 종로구 내자동 24

tel: 070-7778-4676

what was consumed: fried potatoes! both sweet and regular. and beverages in pyrexes. fun!

a place that focuses on fried potatoes? yes please! as we were leaving dinner, despite being full, we couldn't resist the sound (and sight and smell) of fried potatoes, both regular and sweet:

their fries are seasoned so deliciously and the sweet potato fries are served with honey (turns out, that's a pretty delish dessert-ish combo).

and yes, they serve their beverages in pyrexes. it's a fun idea AND you know how much you're actually being served because you can see the measurements. hahaha.

so don't be deterred by what looks like no seating - they expand to the "tent" next door. so especially when the weather is nice, be sure to stop by and grab a drink and some fries! YUM.

online: http://www.facebook.com/passionpotato

durga

durga
서울특별시 종로구 종로8길 5; also at 서울특별시 종로구 관철동 45-2 2층
tel: 02-720-4786

what was consumed: all things indian and nepalese! samosas, curries, tandoori, lots of rice ... though an indian american friend of mine said that the staff is all from nepal ... works for me!

i knew little about food from nepal, but have come to love it as much as i love indian cuisine. YUM. 

i first visited durga when a colleague of mine suggested it as a good place for lunch. it was, though i was thankful i was interviewing in the afternoon (i.e., on my feet) because i definitely ate enough rice to put me to sleep otherwise! that's a good sign :D

durga has a variety of foods, from your favorites that you recognize from other indian restaurants (with a nepalese twist, from what i understand) and maybe even some things that you don't. either way, they have fun decor and the wait staff is patient and kind, ready for good recommendations. definitely give durga a try! and let me know so i can come with.

online: http://www.durga.co.kr/

rye post

rye post
서울 용산구 이태원로 164-1; also at 서울 용산구 이태원1동 72-34
tel: 02-792-9991

what was consumed: sandwiches! we were looking for good bahn mis and their korean cheesesteak is also pretty good. and don't forget about the fries!

i went through a phase in seoul where all i wanted was sandwiches (ok, so maybe it's not a phase and it's something i'm always looking for). like a good, solid, delicious sandwich with delicious filling on delicious bread. you'd think it wouldn't be too difficult in a cosmopolitan place like seoul, right? right ...

enter rye post. isa and i had heard about it as a place to go for bahn mi. and yes, their bahn mis are pretty delish. during my time in seoul, i visited rye post a few times, especially to get that sandwich fix. the other one i'd recommend is the kimchee cheesesteak. kimchee, cheese, and steak, all in one? yes please!

rye post's fries are pretty solid as well (though, there are few fries i've met that i didn't like. i'm looking at you, in 'n out -__-). i wish an order of fries came with the sandwich, though. of course, i dished out the few extra won to have the delicious addition. YUM.