noh-rang tong-dahlk (노랑통닭)

noh-rang tong-dahlk (노랑통닭)
서울특별시 서대문구 연세로11길 10; also at 서울특별시 서대문구 창천동 52-8
tel: 02-326-2292

what was consumed: fried chicken! mixed. and fried potatoes (to include tator tots. yeah!)

yay chi-mek! noh-rang tong-dahlk is one of my favorite places because they have a good fried chicken variety and include tater tots in their fried potatoes option. what's not to love?

the other thing i like about noh-rang tong-dahlk is that they have a super spicy option (in addition to the standard fried and sauce variation). there's something about the spiciness that cuts through the oil and makes the fried chicken so delicious. and spicy food is so yummy. they give you the option of getting one or all three, so go wild! and have some for me (at a location near you). YUM.

8색 삼겹살

8 색 삼겹살

multiple locations, but i visited the one near 신총 (107-111 nogosan-dong, mapo-gu)

tel: 02) 719-4848

what was consumed: 8 flavors of pork belly!

pahl-sek is a chain (for better or for worse) is probably one of our favorite korean bbq places. they take pork belly and marinate it in 8 different flavors (pine, herb, ginseng, wine, garlic, curry, miso, hot pepper). you have the option of order single servings of all 8 or ordering individual flavors 2 servings at a time. friends and i will usually order the 8 color set and then go back and pick our favorites (mine are garlic and miso, closely followed by hot pepper).

your meal is also accompanied, on your table, by korean style spicy seafood soup (more soup than seafood). be sure to leave some of this, though, so you can order rice that they will sauté with the nicely reduced soup. you can even get it with cheese! or not.

each table is also equipped with a plate of veggies. no need to conserve, though. there's a self-serve bar with all you can eat veggies for ssam, kimchee with bean sprouts, various sauces, etc. i love it.

pahl-sek is also a good place to go with larger groups. they take reservations for groups that are 6 and larger and they are pretty good about respecting your reservation (as long as you respect that they're saving seats for you. i.e., don't be too late!). larger groups also give you the opportunity to try all of the different flavors and decide on which is your favorite without having to worry about having to consumer everything. love it.

yes, there are chain locations in the US (i.e., LA). but still! i will be back at pahl-sek and i will enjoy it, gosh darn it! and let me know if you go - i will join!

연대포 (yeon dae poh)

연대포 (yeon dae poh)

서울 서대문구 창천동 52-71

what was consumed: 딸기 막걸리, 김치두부, etc.

on the streets in front of yonsei university, there are lots and lots of places to eat. so when we looked for a place that specialized in mock-guhl-lee, the reviews let us to yeon-deh-poe. apparently, in the style of yogurt soju, yeon-deh-poe offers fruit-y mock-guhl-lee options, in addition to lots of other more typical korean bar fare (soju, beer, etc.)

in the tradition of most korean bars, patrons must order food along with their drink. this is where i come in. one of my favorite things to order at these places is kim-chee coo-boo. kimchee, usually sautéed with other ingredients (usually onions and slices of pork), is places on slices of warmed tofu. i'll make it at home sometimes, but it is fun to enjoy with others. also, when i order this, first time-ers will often look at me with confusion, wondering about the combination and question its deliciousness. those individuals are usually the ones who consume the deliciousness when it comes as they realize what a great mix of flavors kimchee + tofu is.

i also like that, almost immediately after you sit down and order, yeon-deh-poe brings out a whole slew of dishes that come with your meal. corn in cheese sauce, some seafood soup, veggie sticks for dipping, etc. i imagine these dishes change with time and season, but i like that they are regularly provided. this, of course, is in addition to thhe food that they ask you to order. hahaha.

the decor at yeon-dae-poe isn't particularly special. picnic-style seating, some chair, mostly made of wood. it's dark inside, posters from the alcohol companies adorning the walls (which isn't too bad as most ads feature korean celebs - yay!), a few other little things the owners add. but for me, this sort of decor is really nostalgic. it reminds me of being in college, of being in korea. sigh. nice.

herb chicken 포차

herb chicken 포차 

이화 점

what was consumed: a cup of spiced fried chicken, tator tots, and rice cakes

it seems odd that i would include street "fast" food here, but it's just so good not to mention. 

when on the streets in front of eehwa women's university, there's a street food vendor that, turns out, is really popular. they take bite-sized pieces of fries chicken, rice cakes, and fried tator tots (yay tator tots!), and mix it together with a slightly sweet, slightly spicy sauce. they'll then pour the ingredients into a cup, hand it to you (after you pay), and you use toothpicks to enjoy the fare as you continue walking around.

yum.

i've seen this particular brand of chicken in a cup in other locations. i guess it's possible for street food to be franchised as well ... ??? either way, i'm happy to enjoy the few bites as a snack. always. and per usual. hehehehe.

noodle kimbap

noodle kimbap 

(near eehwa women's unversity: 서대문구 이화여대8길 2, 120-808)

what was consumed: 김밥! 그리고 주목밥! both in a few different styles with a few different fillings.

the area around eehwa women's university is known for some of their eats, especially ones that are popular among young college women. as a result, i'm usually more than happy to try any establishment that has been around, any place that has "made" the cut. and if friends initiate or want to come along, all the better!

friends and i were looking for a night on the town (i.e., a night of eating) in an area that wasn't our neighborhood. isa took the lead, and i was happy to follow along. friends j and j were also in town, so i was happy that we could all get together to form a large group. we decided to start the night with some bites of rice at noodle kimbap. 

noodle kimbap offers a variety of rice balls and kimbap. i would recommend going in groups in order to give yourself an opportunity to try as many as possible. some are wrapped in kim (seaweed) while others are intended to be consumed wrapped in lettuce leaves. there is a deceptive amount of rice that ultimately gets consumed, so be prepared for some massive belly expansion in order to accommodate the happy taste buds. 

and so, whether it's for a meal or a snack/appetizer, be sure to put noodle kimbap on your list!

online: http://blog.kbmyshop.com/%EB%88%84%EB%93%A4%EA%B9%80%EB%B0%A5

1st 도마

1st 도마

서울 서대문구 창천동 5-50

tel: 02) 392-8592

what was consumed: beef! served kilograms at a time. partly marinated, partly plain (i like it plain). accompanied by kimchee stew, salad, and other bbq-related bahn-chan.

oh, korean bbq (or, as they say in korea, just "bbq"), how i love you.

friends got together after others had visited 1st doh-mah with an former language teacher. they had a great experience and wanted to share with others. i was happy to be a part of that subsequent group ... !!!

in some ways, 1st doh-mah is just like any other k-bbq place. some booths, some free-standing tables. once your server takes your order, it's a flurry of activity. there's an in-table place, usually in the center of the table, where the servers will place the wood-charcoal (yes! one of the preferred methods) fire for cooking your selected meat. additionally, there's a gas burner for kimchee stew that comes with your meal (in addition to all of the other bahn-chan) to ensure that your stew comes to a boil right in front of your eyes. delish! 

at 1st doh-mah, you order your meat by weight. the general rule of thumb is 250g per person (about a pound a piece), but let's face it. i definitely can, and do, eat more. per usual, i will place a piece of deliciously cooked meat into a piece of lettuce, and shove it in to my mouth while grinning widely :D some people will dip the meat in a sauce, but i like it just as it is.

ooh, so hungry. let's go to 1st doh-mah now! 

online: http://www.1stdoma.co.kr/