classic rock coffee co.

classic rock coffee co.
#6-7, first floor, shaukat plaza, school road, F-6 markaz, islamabad
tel: 051) 873-6437

what was consumed: omelet, nutella french toast, bottomless (drip) coffee

yay for coffee and classic rock!

if you're looking for a fun place to brunch, put classic rock on your list! they have a nice selection of eats, along with fruit juices, smoothies, and coffees (including pour over - nice). and, really, you can't go wrong with a place that offers an all-you-can-drink drip coffee option (imo). the mexican omelet i ordered was really intersting, with the eggs inside of the bread. coupled with what seemed to be a cross between a tostada salad and nachos, it was a perfect meal with a bit of tex mex spice i had been looking for.

the slabs of bread that the pakistanis use here for french toast is different from what i'm used to, but a welcome surprised. and when topped with dollops of nutella, it's a delicious and sweet brunch option.

and be sure to pay attention to all of the little details they put in with the decor and music. classic rock lovers (loose definition, of course) will definitely appreciate all of the little things - the decorated walls, the guitar chairs, even the bathroom!

i didn't know that this islamabad location is just one of many. i'm glad to see that whoever it was that loved coffee and classic rock brought it here for us to enjoy. thanks so much!

online: http://classicrockcoffee.com/locations/islamabad-pakistan/

taj palace

taj palace
서울 용산구 우사단로 39; also at 서울 용산구 이태원동 132-2 2층
tel: 02-790-5786

what was consumed: sunday buffet! i.e., lots of butter chicken and tandoori.

kenny and i are always on the hunt for good indian food (my cravings for it really began in seoul. funny, huh?) and as itaewon was a more convenient location for the both of us, we focused our search there. lucky for us, there's taj palace.

on sundays, taj palace does a great buffet with some classic (or western?) favorites. some sort of tandoori (usually chicken), butter chicken (or something similar to it anyway), something veggie, usually a lamb/mutton dish ... and a hearty serving of naan. YUM.

while our experience with taj palace is primarily on sundays, when they do their buffet (because, really, that's the best way to satiate my craving), i'm sure they have delicious dishes at other times.

nom nom nom ... 

casa brasil grill

casa brasil grill
서울특별시 서초구 방배로 83-9 동화빌딩; also at 서울특별시 서초구 방배동 909-4
tel: 02-598-5066

what was consumed: brazillian bbq!

of all the brazillian bbq places i visited while in seoul, this was probably my favorite (even though we only made it out there once). the meat was delicious, the service was great, and the ambiance was really ... family-oriented (probably because the chef is a brazillian dude and the restaurant is run by his korean wife. and their daughter runs around, politely. so cute!)

we found out about casa brasil grill because b had a coupon and kenny and i wanted in on that action. hahaha. they have quite a few cuts of meat that are available, served on swords (though without the gauchos that you'll see in other brazillian bbq places). there are only a few side dishes (and sadly, no cheese bread. my favorite!), but the sides are bottomless and the rice and potato salad are pretty delish.

your meal ends with some brazillian coffee and grilled pineapple, with refills for both if you ask. i'm not the biggest grilled pineapple fan, but maybe you are! they also sprinkle a little bit of cinnamon on the fruit, so if not anything else, it smells pretty delish.

let's go! omg, casa brasil grill, i miss you! 

 

hae-byun-eh kkot-geh (해변의 꽃게)

hae-byun-eh kkot-geh (해변의 꽃게)

서울특별시 종로구 인사동3길 5-3; also at 서울특별시 종로구 인사동 142tel: 02-722-7237

what was consumed: the big table! which includes soy sauce crab, spicy marinated crabs, soy sauce shrimp, and crap stew

i love soy sauce crab. like love. so when m told us about a place she'd discovered that offers unlimited soy sauce crab, we made an almost beeline to visit. hello, hae-byun-eh kkot-geh, why didn't we meet earlier?

Yum.

we ordered the big table, and have ordered variations of that at subsequent visits to hae-byun-eh kkot-geh. we didn't know the spicy marinated crab was unlimited, so the next time we went, we made sure to order multiple iterations. and probably my favorite. it's super spicy, but the seasoning is so delicious! i powered through. and the soy sauce crab? nice and salty, just the way i like it. and unlimited! wootwoot!

and when they say unlimited refills, they really mean unlimited refill. and not just for the soy sauce crab, but also for the soy sauce shrimp (provided that it's included in the meal you selected) and the spicy marinated crab as well (as mentioned). additionally, they have a bar of other treats (soup, salad, noodles, chicken stew, banchan, etc) for all of the fixin's. only the rice (i know!), crab stew (if you order it altogether), and maybe the kimchee pancake (though we never asked) is not unlimited.

hae-byun-eh kkot-geh is sort of difficult to find. here's how we did it: off the main insadong road, turn in to the street next to the nature republic. then make an immediate left and in about 30 feet, you'll see the entrance.

omg, i want to go right now! nom nom nom ... 

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?

HBC go-gi--jip (고깃집)

HBC go-gi-jip (고깃집)
서울 용산구 신흥로2길
tel: +82-2-796-5528

what was consumed: all you can eat k-style bbq (sirloin) on monday nights!

beef is expensive in korea. the "all-you-can-eat" mentality of the korean bbq that is ubiquitous in so.cal is not so common here. and yes, i think it's true, that beef is sometimes tastier from other places (in fact, lots of the beef here in korea is not from here. it's from the US or australia or new zealand or or or). but that doesn't matter. korean bbq is korean bbq and there's something really awesome about eating korean bbq IN korea. and so, i was so happy to go to HBC go-gi-jip.

now, i've only been to go-gi-jip (and to both of the locations that are near my home) on mondays because on mondays, they do an all-you-can-eat sirloin day (they do all-you-can-eat pork belly on thursday). i hear they're affordable on regular days as well. anyway, you have 1 1/2 hours to sit and eat as much as you can. and i surely do! you cook your own meat and wrap it in a bunch of greens. YUM. because, you know, sometime you just want to eat lots and lots. or, for me, that's just another day in my life. ha! 

전주밥차 (jeonju babcha)

전주밥차 (jeonju babcha)

서울특별시 종로구 종로1가 (ground floor of Gran Seoul)

tel: 02-2158-7919

what was consumed: jeon-ju style korean food

the strip of restaurants at the base of the gran seoul building is known as "shik-gek-cheon." from what i understand, these restaurants were showcased in a sort of long-running comic strip, by the same name, highlighting different korean foods. or is it that these restaurants were created to reflect the different types of food highlighted in the long-running comic strip? i forget. point is, they're there, and i'm wanting to go through the list of deliciousness.

for lunch one day, a group of us head over to jeon-ju bahb-cha. one of our local staff took the lead (of the many things they are awesome at, one is knowing the delicious places to eat). for less than USD10, you can eat as much of the jeon-ju style comfort foods as you can within your lunch period. 

i'm only now learning the subtle differences that make up the different regions on korea. that is, while much of korean cuisine might be standard, the way in which different dishes are prepared and the versions that are presented are, of course, region specific. here, they serve vegetables, more salad than deeply fermented, lightly dressed with the korean standard (soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, a bit of crushed chili flakes). the veggies are served raw and are crunchy, providing a great texture in contrast to the soft rice. and the pork! spicy pork that has been marinated in a spicy, red chili sauce (goh-choo-jang), cooked on a skillet. yum.

the different dishes are served cafeteria style, though the decor at this eatery is far from the institutional and fluorescent feel of stereotypical cafeterias. rather, it reminds me of the large parties my parents used to throw where large plates of food were presented to guests and one would take as much (or little) as one would like to consume.

but be sure to get there early because the lines can get long and the seating is limited. but even if there's a bit of a wait, take the time. i wonder if the menu is always the same, variations of the same, or completely different on a daily basis. i'll have to go again and try, just to be sure. you know. hehehe.

online: http://www.ricecar.co.kr

kogiya

kogiya

422-A annandale road, 22003

tel: 703) 942-6995

what was consumed: all you can eat korean bbq!

despite my blanket statement about wanting to refrain from eating asian food (as i knew i would be enjoying a lot of it in seoul), i found myself eating a lot of asian food. because i love it. so, when friends wanted to eat at the new-ish korean bbq place (near honey pig and in that same vein), i happily obliged.

once we made it out to annandale, rain and all, we were famished. good thing, though, because that made us ready for some all you can eat korean bbq! kogiya has a basic all you can eat option and a fancier one. we opted for the basic and that was more than enough (also because you could order more of everything!). we cooked our meat, talked about how our lives had changed in the last 2 years, and speculated on how our respective next 2 years were going to be. delicious food and great company - i couldn't ask for more!

as for kogiya's decor, there's also something quite nostalgic about sitting there. the round, can-like chairs that open up so you can put your belongings inside, the tables, the grills, etc. i couldn't help but to be taken back to all of the days, in seoul, sitting at korean bbq joints eating delicious food and among great company. ahhhh~~~

like many new restaurants, kogiya has a few service issues to hammer out, but so be it. that should not stop you from visiting and enjoying korean bbq, kogiya style.

online: http://kogiya.com/

tony cheng's mongolian bbq

tony cheng's mongolian bbq
619 h street NW (between 6th street & 7th street), washington, DC 20001
tel: 202) 842-8669
hours: lunch carryout monday-friday 11am-3pm; dinner carryout sunday-thursday 11am-11pm, friday-saturday 11am-12am midnight; dim sum hong kong style (daily) 11am-3pm, all you can eat mongolian bbq (i'm assuming daily, during all operating hours)

what was consumed: all you can eat mongolian bbq (of course)

so, childhood friend steve has been in town for the past few weeks doing a training here in DC. as he was about to finish, we (c & i) got together, with some other friends, for a sort of departing dinner. we were thinking of matchbox because, for whatever reason, we always find ourselves taking friends visiting from out of town. steve, however, had visited matchbox not once, but twice in the past few weeks (that's a lot!), so we decided on tony cheng's. not only had i never been there, but it is also on my never-ending list of places to eat, it's in a relatively convenient location, and they have an all-you-can-eat option. excellent!

now, before i continue, a couple of words about chinatown. i've been to a couple of chinatowns in my day. heck, i've even been to china. DC's chinatown may be the most not-chinese chinatown ever, even despite the chinese writing, the chinatown gate, and the chinatown busses (haha). the best chinese food in the area (in my opinion, of course) isn't even in chinatown. now that so many have moved out to the 'burbs, where is this (albeit wannabe, i admit) city-girl supposed to go for chinese food if she can't (for now) drive out to the city?! - sigh - ...

anyway ... we walked into tony cheng's and were sort of confused. there's an upstairs and a downstairs and nothing is really labelled (that is, nothing is labelled in english. these non-chinese speakers (who are on occasion mistaken for chinese peeps) were lost lost lost). but some friendly people soon directed us - seafood upstairs, mongolian bbq downstairs. the place was pretty empty, but that it was soon after 6 (i.e., still on the early side for dinner), we figured it would fill up later (it did ... sort of ... but mind you, the dining area is quite large).

so, for those of you who have never had mongolian bbq, this is how it works. you choose all these veggies, noodles, and meat that you want to be bbq-ed. you give it to the guy at the huge (for real, like, 4 foot diameter) skillet sort of thing that gets really really hot (something like 4x the heat of a regular pan or something) and he sautees your selections, including some special sauces, garlic, hot sauce, etc. once sauteed, he puts your concoction in another bowl and you go back to your seat to enjoy. YUM. i remember going to mongolian bbq when i was a kid, but after some time, we never went back. that place was all you can eat as well, and my dad once said something about not going back because the owners didn't like that we ate a lot. but come on - an asian family of 4? we do have voracious appetites, but we cannot be compared to some (if you know what i mean). anyway ...

so, once at our seats at tony cheng's, we got right back up and headed to the bar to create our bowls. noodles, carrots, broccoli, lots of sprouts, and thin slices of beef later, i took i to the guy to sautee. he then proceeded to ask me if i wanted garlic (yes) and hot sauce (yes), and then added all of these other sauces to my bowl. while delicious, it was a bit too salty for my liking. i reminded myself to ask the guy to add less sauce. and so, the second bowl was the same thing, but i opted for lamb instead of beef (and this time, while seasoned better, but i was not really a fan of the lamb). third bowl was essentially the same as the first. but by this time, i was SO full that it probably would have mattered less.

all of the ingredients were pretty fresh to begin with, so i would imagine it would be sort of hard to mess up the dish. but still - the combination of flavors and ingredients filled my stomach over and over and over again (yes, in total, i had 3 bowls. while that seems like not that much, you must believe me when i beg to differ and say that it was. a lot. YUM).

all in all, i'll have to say that the meal was grand and we all left thinking that our money was well spent, and not a lot of it was spent at that (mind you, we didn't drink - does that matter? i know, so uncharacteristic). especially on a day where we are super hungry and we want some straight up veggies and beef, asian style, i know i will have a hankering for tony cheng's!

online: http://www.tonychengrestaurant.com/

oegadjib

oegadjib
7331 little river turnpike, annandale, VA 22003
tel: 703) 941-3400

what was consumed: all-you-can-eat gogi! yum~

oegadjib (more or less) means "mother's house" in korean (that is, the house on my mom's side, that sort of thing. there's a whole explanation about korean society and culture behind all of this, but i won't get into that here. ask if curious/interested). in my attempt to find good korean food, friend leonard and i ended up at oegadjib. that is, once we found it. for whatever reason, it was hard to find. probably because it's in a sort of shopping center (different from others) and sort of set back, to the side (but behind) a salon/bath house. i remember making fun of it, but i'll have to admit it's been a bit of time since i've visited oegadjib.

above all else, i kept hearing about oegadjib for their all-you-can-eat special. oh, and that they have dduk-bo-ssam (a la sikdorak, etc. in so.cal). so, when i finally got the chance, i was super excited. they also have all-you-can-eat shabu shabu, but we didn't have that (everyone in the party has to eat the same thing - all gogi or all shabu shabu).

we opted for the all-you-can-eat gogi. yum.

once we ordered, the food came out pretty quickly. and once the plate of gogi was gone (primarily consumed by me - wtf, leonard? man up! haha), another plate was quicly offered. hurrah! on top of that, the beef was cooked on top of this rock-plate-slab-thing (i don't know how else to explain it ...). it cooked the gogi well and was quickly consumed (yes, by me).

the bahnchans were good and the meal also included dwenjang jjigae as well as gyerahn jjim (the steamed egg bahnchan - delicious. what korean bbq is complete without it?!). and so, i can definitely say that i enjoyed my meal. the downside? the dduk for the dduk bo ssam was totally not to my liking. -sigh- too bad! especially because i luuuuuuuuv dduk bo ssam (have i already mentioned that i have it at least once when in so.cal?). the dduk was mooooshy (i.e., overcooked) and not so good. sucks. but that's ok. everything else made the trip worth it.

so, all in all, delicious meal! i look forward to visiting again ... let's go!!! i hunger~

las brisas

las brisas
361 cliff drive, laguna beach, CA 92651
tel: 949) 497-5434

what was consumed: weekend breakfast buffet - YUM.

i'm not a big brunch person. i don't necessarily super love pancakes and waffles, i don't really crave bagels (though i have to admit, i can eat bacon any time, any day ... and while not a connoisseur, coffee is often running through my veins. oh, and mimosas. love the mimosas). then again, i'm also not going to deny an invitation to brunch. also, because i'm not a huge brunch person, i don't know that much about brunch in so.cal. it used to be my job to find the restaurant we'd have easter morning brunch/breakfast, but that was about it (and usually, we would eat around my church in the northern parts of the o.c. in contrast to my residence in the south). so, parents wanted to go to brunch and suggested going to las brisas. was it my suggestion? was it theirs? i don't remember. point is, we got ready and head over to the beach for some good eatin'.

las brisas is a hotel right on the water of laguna beach. the restaurant is right on the water and the view is amazing. it's supposedly a restaurant that has mexican flair, but seeing that i've only been there for breakfast, that makes it hard to judge. when i was growing up, we would go to las brisas to take photos (for the tennis team, for example).

the early birds that my parents are, we were at the restaurant right as they opened. this turned out to be a good thing because we got our pick of the seats in the restaurant. i.e., right next to the windows facing the beach. awesome. the sun was shining (but it was nice and cool inside), they skies were blue, and not a cloud was to be seen. hooray for grrrreat so.cal weather! i knew that after breakfast, we could head over to the beach and enjoy the beach (i miss being so close to the beach while here on the east). i guess i'm more of a so.cal beach gal than i'd like to admit and more than i'll usually share. ahhh, the beach.

but i digress.

the food at las brisas is delicious - let's just start with that. it's buffet style, with an omelette station, hot foods, cold foods ... the works. usually buffets vary in quality, but it seemed like the chefs at las brisas were attentive and made sure the food stayed fresh and delicious. the omelettes were made to perfection and to order (that's the best!). they provided quite a few toppings for the omelettes and that always yields fat and delicious omelettes - so delicious. quiche, crepes, fruit, bacon, scrambled eggs, toast, muffins, cereal, etc. all of the usual breakfast favs were a part of the menu as well (of course, i found myself eating other delicious things - YUM).

my parents proceeded to take out a bunch of their friends in subsequent weeks and those old farts (haha - just kidding) all totally enjoyed las brisas as well. i look forward to going again!

online: www.lasbrisaslagunabeach.com