kinja baeerin (긴자바이린)

kinja baeerin (긴자바이린)
서울 종로구 율곡로 1길 39
tel: 02-734-9765

what was consumed: tonkatsu! and curry udon. and and and ...

HJ's favorite food is curry and/or tonkatsu. so, when she tells me that kinja baeerin (긴자바이린) is her absolute favorite place, who am i to question a local connoisseur? when HJ's friend came to town (a japanese american living in europe), she insisted that we go to kinja baeerin not only because it's her favorite place for tonkatsu and curry, but also because he, living in europe, always had hankerings for asian food (he says it's expensive and the good places are few and far between ... i believe it!). it was also a rainy day, so the crispy-ness of donkatsu and the sort of soothing flavor of the curry was something to look forward to.

in the middle of all the cute cafes and galleries of bukchon is kinja baeerin. the space was, apparently, a former gallery. the decor of the restaurant shows as much as the owner (?) exhibits favorite works of favorite local (?) artists. ok, so i frankly just appreciated the works from afar. i was too busy looking at the menu! kinja baeerin specializes in tonkatsu. and the tonkatsu is so deliciously prepared! the crispy and light outer coating and the

the curry at kinja baeerin also pairs with the tonkatsu so nicely. not too salty, just filled with flavor. i wished for a few more noodles in the curry udon, but the abundance of curry offered the opportunity to dip the tonkatsu as well as mix with some rice. delish!

next time, we'll have to make sure we get there early so that we can order the tonkatsu sandwich, they only make a handful of them, daily. and the bread is special made just for this! must go back. must order more more more! nom nom nom!

dahl-ryuh-rah gae-mi by gae-mi-jip (달려라 개미 by 개미집)

dahl-ryuh-rah gae-mi by gae-mi-jip (달려라 개미 by 개미집) 

(or, if you're looking for a direct translation: run, ant by ant hill)

서울 용산구 녹사평대로46길 18, 2층

tel: 02-794-5955

what was consumed: makgulli (막걸리) and associated anju :D

i love the current trend/fad/popularity of traditional korean wine specialty bars. many of the bars make their own makgulli and all of them offer some sort of goodies that pair well with the makgulli. i, of course, just go to eat. hehehe.

after some delicious korean bbq (and after a few drinks elsewhere), friends and i make our way to gae-mi jip for some makgulli. gae-mi jip makes their own makgulli, and a few variations - we tried original, citron, and toasted rice (i heard the greatest number of compliments for the citron flavor). and, as some will argue is the correct way, served in metal teapots.

more importantly (for me) were the tasty treats. we, of course, ordered pancakes. gae-mi jip offered a few fusion versions of my favorites. kimchee pancake with cheese? chives pancake with beef? yes please!

there's something pretty awesome about going to places like this. a bit hip, a bit traditional ... a combination of all. i can't wait to go again!

guhl-goo-neh (걸구네)

guhl-goo-neh (걸구네)
서울 용산구 이태원로2길 6
tel: 02-795-3992

what was consumed: korean bbq! pork belly, pork ribs (korean american fusion), 

some complain that there aren't enough korean food options in itaewon. while there are lots of international options in itaewon, there are also a few korean cuisine gems. for sure! the haters need to look. not even look harder. just look.

friends and i got together to entertain some other friends who were visiting form out of town and started the night at guhl-goo-neh. we wanted to wait until the rest of our party arrived, so we ordered some deliciously spicy sea snails and noodles (골뱅이 무침). note: this is probably one of my favorite dishes when i join others who are drinking. it's always spicy and always accompanied by a good amount of veggies to mix with the flour noodles. some places make it spicier or vinegar-y-er than others, but it's always right around the same amount of deliciousness. the price of sea snails seems to be rising exponentially, though. sad (for me).

but we were here at guhl-goo-neh for korean bbq, specifically pork belly.  the servers will prepare the stone grill that tilts down. the pork belly is brought to your table uncut, on skewers. the fat from the pork belly drips down into a bed of veggies that cook in the pork fat allowing the fat to drip down and collect in a bowl at the bottom of the tilted grill. and, of course, the pork belly is consumed in lettuce and/or sesame seed leaves (yes! my favorite!).

we also got an order of the pork ribs. they're prepared like american style ribs, but cooked with a korean style sauce. at guhl-goo-neh, the ribs are prepared well. and the sauce is on the sweet side and very spicy. if you're looking for something that's korean-ish, be sure to order at least to taste. it's well worth it!

i'm glad to have visited guhl-goo-neh. definitely must go back. the long lines outside show that others agree with me too. next time, i'll have to try the fried rice at the end of the meal and also "gohb-chang," which is what this place is really known for. MUST!

two two chicken

two two chicken
multiple locations (likely one near you). for lunch, we went to this location:
gwanghwamun location
서울 종로구 사직로8길 42
tel: 02-737-2292

what was consumed: ddukbokki! cooked at the table (their lunch special. do all of the two two chickens do this?). and an order of fried chicken. of course.

lunchtime! and when t told us that he wanted to go to one of his favorite places, especially good when it is cold, we took his word for it. when he led us to two two chicken, we first thought he was joking. now that we've eaten there, we're glad he wasn't (joking).

two two chicken is one of the most popular fried chicken places in korea (or so i've heard). but for lunch, at least the location by the office, they offer spicy rice cakes, cooked at your table, will all sorts of fixin's (i've been hankering for this as of late. our meal started with some warm fish cake soup and a big bowl of rice. a note about the rice. it looks like a big bowl of rice with a bunch of dried seaweed on top. and a plastic glove. what the ... you're supposed to put the glove on (of course), mix the rice with the dried seaweed, and make bite-sized rice balls. YES!

soon after, our server turned on our burner and plopped a large pot of spicy rice cakes accompanied by fried mandoo, ramen noodles, egg, etc. a bit salty, a bit spicy, and totally a delicious, warm, and filling lunch. we also couldn't come to two two chicken and not order chicken. the sauce is a little sweet and a little spicy. i was able to nab a few pieces that were sans sauce. they were just the right amount of crispy and seasoned so that no sauce was necessary. a great lunch!

let me know if you want to go. i will endure smelling like ddukbokki afterwards and join you. yes please!

left coast artisan burgers

left coast artisan burgers
서울특별시 용산구 이태원동 130-43 2층
tel: 02-6223-5338

what was consumed: burgers (juicy lucy: cheese stuffed patty, lettuce, grilled onion, L.C. sauce and the hot stuff: pickled onion, spice pepper and garlic spread), of course. and fries. and even more of course, tater tots!

finally! time to enjoy the burgers i've been hearing so much about. and california-inspired? sigh. i'm totally at the right place.

left coast has classic fare as well as some pretty creative burger options that are must tries. cheese stuffed patties? garlic spread? pickled onions? these are the things are total pluses to your burger enjoyment. the patties are cooked well (i.e., not overcooked) and placed between nicely toasted buns (i'm not a bun fan, but i definitely enjoyed the ones served to me). the buns also soak up all of the yummy meat juices as well as the special sauces the chefs at left coast have prepared, making it a delicious flavor profile combination. the default side for the burgers is a salad (i know, i know); there's an upcharge for a fries substitution (the nerve!). that said, that didn't matter for me because additional orders of fried potatoes were going to happen anyway. of course!

and for reals, order the fries and for sure order the tater tots (or whole orders of them altogether):

this photo does not do the fried potatoes justice. 

they are so delicious. crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and seasoned with something that will make you want to eat the entire plate as soon as you can. and as is (my) california style, you can order a side of ranch for dipping. hooray!

i will also note that friend s was a veggie for years and years. but claims that her current obsession with left coast burgers is a sign of the end of that veggie era. what! welcome to the carnivorous world! and thanks left coast burgers!!!

online: http://www.leftcoastkorea.com/

meok shwee dohn nah (먹쉬돈나)

meok shwee dohn nah (먹쉬돈나)
multiple locations. we went to the location in sam-cheong-dong (서울 종로구 율곡로3길 66-5, tel: 02-723-8089)

what was consumed: ddukbokki! prepared at your table (of sorts) with the option for all sort of additions. we chose seafood, cheese, fried mandoo, kim ma ri (noodles rolled in seaweed then fried), ramen, chewy noodles ... 

i love ddukbokki. there's just something about the spicy rice cakes that are so delicious. and when the dish is prepared at your table with all sorts of goodies, i can't resist! i also told myself that i need to eat my heart's content of korean "street" food so that i don't crave it later. not possible! additionally, i'm back on my k-drama kick and one of them had the characters either talk about or enjoy ddukbokki on a regular basis (ok, so it was this one). and so, any chance i get to enjoy ddukbokki, and with good friends, i'm all for it!

here's what we ordered: 

YUM!

at meok shwee dohn nah, you take your seat, decide the sort of ddukbokki you're going to order, what sort of additions you'd like, and order. in a few minutes, the staff bring out a large bowl filled with all of the things you just ordered. and then, on the burner that sits on your table, the broth starts to boil and all of the ingredients just ... meld together. it's so delicious, i can't even describe. 

and once you're eaten the bulk of your meal, be sure to get at least an order of fried rice: they take the leftover sauce/broth, mix it with rice and a few other things (e.g. seaweed), and they place it back on your table's burner at a low heat. this allows the bottom layer to begin toasting, just a little bit. a great end to a fabulous snack food-turned meal :D can't wait to go again!

online: http://www.mukshidonna.com/

jang teo soon dae guk (장터 순대국)

jang teo soon dae guk (장터 순대국)
서울 특별시 종로구 종로 1, 2, 3, 4가동
tel: 735-8055

what was consumed: soondae guk! with all the fixin's

on cold days (and even on the not cold days), there's nothing like a hearty bowl of soup, especially if the soup has a deep deep flavor. and when the dish is filled with loads of goodies, then all the better! that's how we find ourselves ordering soondae guk at jang teo on a regular basis. now, when i tell my local friends that i love soondae, even soondae guk, they are surprised. i'm not sure why. and then i ask them to take me to their favorite places. hehehe. once, i saw a gaggle of them here at jang teo. yet another good sign of good food!

YUM!

so, if we decide to go to jang teo, we make the decision early and race out of the office so that we can secure our seats. jang teo has quite a bit of seating, but even in the summer, you'll miss first seating if you don't race over. you can join all of the slow walkers in the line that goes out the door. hahaha ...

 while jang teo offers a few other varieties, i (and most of the rest of the diners) will opt for the soon dae guk. each table is fitted with a variety of additions that will allow you to season your soup to your liking: sliced peppers, red spicy paste, chopped garlic, salt, salted shrimp, sesame powder, chives ... experiment to see what combination suits your fancy! 

and, as is the case with many of these places that specialize in bone broths, the kimchee (both cabbage and radish) is fantastic. the fresh cabbage kimchee (my preferred) is seasoned well and crisp. they leave large bowls on the table and ask you to spoon out just what you'd like to eat. i always end up eating a lot. A LOT.

let me know if you go - i want to come with!

hon cham chee (혼 本 참치)

hoan cham chee (혼 本 참치)

서울 마포구 공덕동 463-109

tel: 02-6353-2555

what was consumed: fish! to be more specific, tuna! to be even more specific, the special tuna.

have a hankering for sashimi? i usually do, more often than not. much like lots of other things, i don't consider myself a connoisseur (i.e., i'll still super enjoy my sashimi even if it was previously frozen. i know. there may be some sort of wrong in that statement, but ... oh well); rather, i enjoy the good eats with good friends. we'd been told that the restaurants in the gong-dok area, at one time, catered to the japanese tourists and businessmen in korea. so, when A made a suggestion, i was all in. M, A, and i resolved that we had to go. asap.

after work, we head over to hon-cham-chee (the nearest subway stop it ae-oh-geh, but we walked a tad more from gong-deok which is more convenient for us). we knew there was a GS25 in the building and when we didn't see the "hon" sign on the outside, we figured the restaurant was probably somewhere in the building (we were right). while we were on the early side for (korean) dinner, we were surprised to see that there was no one inside. oh well. we opted for bar seating (my fav) and all ordered the special-cham-chee. the chef wanted to make sure that we knew the price (we paid krw 60,000 pax) was per person. we assured him that we did and that we were ready for a great meal.

the meal started with a small bowl of rice porridge ... and then came the slices of tuna:

seriously, i didn't even know some of those cuts existed.

some cuts were more fishy, some were more fatty, some were more chewy, some had some cartilage (intentionally) ... but i definitely enjoyed the variety. apparently, you're supposed to dip the tuna in a little soy sauce (my preferred as well), with a the tuna wrapping a bit of wasabi (which i voluntarily omitted) and a bit of the greens. i would have not thought to wrap the greens, but it was pretty tasty. the server also brought out some dried seaweed/lavar in case we wanted to wrap the tuna in seaweed (we didn't, though we tried with a cut and it was pretty darn good too).

what's more, in between the different sashimi, they will bring out a variety of dishes to round out your meal:

i can't even ... 

fresh chives kimchee salad, udon, baked corn, potato and chives pancake, grilled makeral, salmon sushi, spicy fish stew ... YUM.

the rumor (and maybe experience) is that the chef will keep cutting tuna slices for you until you order the final course, the spicy fish stew (bottom right corner). i'm not sure if this is true, or if this is just for those who order the special tuna, or or or ... but our chef definitely kept bringing us things to eat, both tuna sashimi as well as more conventional sushi (like masago hand rolls). we seriously rolled out of hon cham chee ... happy :D 

so, friends, when are we gonna go again?

mellow mushroom

mellow mushroom

2436 18th street nw, washington, DC 20009

tel: 202) 290-2778

what was consumed: pizza! veggie lovers, meat lovers ... and beer.

despite previous trips to wdc, i didn't eat as much pizza as i would have liked. so, before the turkey trot, we opted for some carb-o loading the pizza way. with the cuisine selected, bjl suggested we go to mellow mushroom. i was a little skeptical especially because mellow mushroom is a chain (think what you will about chain restaurants), but i was happy to try. that it's down the street from home was a total plus, but the delicious pizza we ate is why we'll go back.

mellow mushroom has a variety of different pizzas, along with the option to make your own. they also accommodate so that if you can order a pizza that is half one kind of pizza and half another. they do a standard crust, and when you see that your pizzas are overloaded with toppings, you're glad that you have that little bit of crust to help shovel the toppings in. the veggie pizza was like a salad, made up of well-prepared veggie chunks, a top a cheesy crust-plate. and the meat lovers? a meat-y equivalent, that is for sure. 

big beer drinker? mellow mushroom also has a beer club. if you drink at least a pint of each of their beers, within a given period of time (i forget what it is), you get your name on their wall of fame. the club also has beer specials for its members. a neat way to try all of their different options!

mellow mushroom also has a nice rooftop seating area, according to bjl. i'll have to check it out next time when the weather is not so bone-chilling. the inside, though, is also really interesting. they have a circus motif with an acrobat suspended from mellow mushroom's high ceiling right as you enter. 

while i love the thin crust, neapolitan style pizzas, sometimes you just want to enjoy the great toppings, served pizza style, prepared well. yum yum yum. mellow mushroom, you will see me again!

online: mellowmushroom.com/node/48782

the red hen

the red hen

1822 1st street nw, washington, DC 20001

tel: 202) 525-3021

what was consumed: pasta! and the burrata. and brussel sprouts. delish!

happy birthday (dinner), to me! when bjl asked about where i wanted to go for dinner, i quickly decided on the red hen. that a respected wdc chef once mentioned to me that the red hen was his favorite new wdc restaurant made a dining experience there a must. bonus: it was an easy bus ride from home.

by the time we thought about dinner, the few reservations the red hen offered had long been taken up. the website says they always leave room for walk-ins (that always fill up quickly) and i'd heard that they have quite a bit of bar space and that those seats free up pretty regularly, so we took the chance (with a contingency plan in the works) and head over. sure enough, the restaurant was packed, including all of the bar seating. our fault for not being more strategic (we went right at a popular dinner time), but it was a risk we knew we were taking. that said, we did what most diners do and assessed our surroundings and found a couple that was about to leave and politely asked for their seats as they were getting their things ready to leave. yay!!

the bartender at the red hen told us that while their menu was inspired by italian cuisine, their specialty was pasta. we took a look around to see what everyone else was ordering, along with recommendations from the bartender, and quickly decided on what turned out to be  some of the favorites. the burrata was oh so creamy and coupled with sauces that i drew out that creaminess even more, if that's even possible! the brussel sprouts were crispy in the right places and tender in the others, all well seasoned and delicious. and the pasta! the noodles were perfectly cooked (chewy and delicious) and the sauce was tomato-y with just the right touch of spices. and the meat in the pasta was highlighted just as much as the noodles (the dish was about half meat, half noodles ... !!!). the two of us most definitely were 2-seconds away from licking the plates, the dishes were so good. the healthy portions also ensured that we would leave the red hen with our hunger completely satiated, our bellies filled with deliciousness.

the red hen's decor was also so welcoming. the exposed brick walls, the open kitchen, the bar that sort of jutted out in to the dining area ... and diners with lots of smiles on their faces and laughter emanating from all of the tables. it all felt like i was entering a communal dining area of friends and i feel like that always makes food taste better.

i can't wait to go back to the red hen and try the other parts of their menu! no matter what, i know it will be so so so delicious.

online: www.theredhendc.com

boss shepherd's

boss shepherd's

513 13th street nw, washington, dc 20004

tel: 202) 347-2677

what was consumed: delicious fried chicken! and some greens, salad with seared tuna, chicken pot pie fritters, and and and ...

kdk and i got together for a delicious birthday lunch. she had mentioned eating some of the best fried chicken in the city, so i was pumped abut trying it for myself.

boss shepherd's is located beneath (or near beneath) the warner theater. i was running late (why!?!? when did i become that person who is always late?!?! so so sorry, friend!!!), so was frazzled and a bit confused by the time i got to boss shepherd's entrance. turns out, i entered through a side door and not the main entrance. whoops. of course, that didn't deter their friendly staff.

once seated, our server was prompt and attentive, without being too overbearing. he had his opinion about what he recommended along with why he made those recommendations. and we were happy to listen. so, in between all of our girl-y chatter, we ordered a feast of deliciousness.

the chicken pot pie fritter balls were served crispy on the outside and oozing with delicious gravy on the inside and with just the right amount of salty to match the creamy. the greens were cooked to perfection and while they were served in what looked like a small container, they certainly went a long way (of which we totally consumed, of course). and the salad! fresh, properly dressed, and a good accompany-er to ... the fried chicken! at first, i thought that, albeit "gourmet," the dish still had a bit of a hefty price tag for what it was (fried chicken) and the time of day (lunch). but one it came out and after kdk and i polished it off in its entirety, i can't wait to order it again. the fried chicken batter was crispy without being too oily. the chicken was juicy-ly cooked, and the entire dish was seasoned so perfectly. i did not have the urge to douse my chicken in any sort of sauce or feel the need to peel off an overwhelming batter. rather, i gobbled up each and every bite, commenting on how delicious it was and how happy i felt consuming the food. 

boss shepherd's has a wide array of other dishes, many of which have been recommended by other diners. i have confidence that no matter what you eat, you'll enjoy it most definitely! so for now, i'll dream about the fried chicken ... 

online: boss-shepherds.com/