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/

mahn-seon jju-kku-mi (만선 쭈꾸미)

mahn-seon jju-kku-mi (만선 쭈꾸미)
서울특별시 종로구 자하문로1길 20; also at 서울특별시 종로구 체부동 193
tel: 02-735-6570

what was consumed: spicy mini octopus! and a seafood pancake

walking along all of the eateries near gyung-bok palace, we are always in a quandry as we decide where to eat. chicken? beef? pork? seafood? one day, we stumbled in to 만선 쭈꾸미, from where we decided that seafood was going to be our pick!

만선 served spicy mini octopus. you order based on the number of diners and it is served to you, family style (as is the case with lots of korean cooking). once served, you add a bit of the octopus to your bowl, along with some rice and some of the other side dishes, and mix it up before eating. and oh yum oh yum oh yum, is it tasty! the spicy sauce covers all of the other additions in your bowl, and the saute/grill that they utilize to cook the octopus puts just a bit of char on the octopus that comes through in such a tasty way.

and don't forget a seafood pancake! while i'm not a fan of green onions (or scallions or spring onions or or or), i have to say that the pancake is quite a delicious appetizer as you wait for the rest of your meal to be served. there's nothing like biting in to a crispy pancake, hot off the stove, filled with delicious seafood bites. YUM.

toh-seong ah-gu-jjim (토성 아구찜)

toh-seong ah-gu-jjim (토성 아구찜)
서울 용산구 이촌1동 - in the market outside of the ichon station (take exit 3-1, pass yong-gang middle school, and go in to the market) in 동부이촌동
tel: 02) 795-3055

what was consumed: spicy seafood bake, korean style (해물찜)

one of the dishes i miss most when i'm away from korea is hae-mul jjim. so when khj told me she wanted to check out a hae-mul jjim place, i was all for it.

while we were waiting for our bake, we devoured side dishes of seaweed salad, kimchee pancakes, and steamed cabbage.

toh-seong ah-gu-jjim offers a few varieties of seafood bakes (focusing on fish or focusing on shellfish; we opted for the latter) that's baked in a spicy sauce, as is tradition, served on a bed of steamed soy bean sprouts. a huge pile of shellfish appeared and we began to enjoy layer after layer, with bites of soy beans in between. yummy!

be sure to save room for fried rice at the end! the ladies at toh-seong will fry the rice in the bake's sauce and leave the rice on the grill just enough for the rice to toast. YUM.

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

burger mine

burgermine

45-9 yongsandong 2-ga, yongsan-gu

tel: 070-8263-2034

what was consumed: burgers! and chili cheese fries ... 

sometimes, all i want is a good burger. i remember the days when burger king would be my go to burger place partially because i enjoyed their burgers and partly because it was my only option.

now a days, there are ample options when it comes to burgers (perhaps i should engage in a korea burger challenge? i'll think about it). and while i fear that western food will always come out a little sweet (it frequently does, i'm not sure why), i am still on the lookout for my favorite burger in town.

per kenny's recommendation, we head to burger mine in hbc. it was a nice day, so we sat in the seats in the outdoor section of the restaurant which also gave us an opportunity to do some major people watching.

burger mine has quite a few varieties for enjoyment. i'm always a sucker for anything that has chili (such as chili cheese fries), so i definitely got an order of that. you can be sure that kenny and i devoured some major orders of regular and chili'ed fries. and the burgers were good! the patties are nicely cooked (i.e., leaning toward medium and away from well-done). yum.

i love that burger mine does the bottomless sodas. i'm trying to decrease the amount off soda i drink. but when i do drink soda, i want to drink to my heart's content (it's not a lot, but ... it's the principal of it!). they also do an all-you-can drink beer option. they did when i was there anyway.

oh, burger mine. i can't wait to go back. soon please~

online: http://www.burgermine.com/

magpie

magpie

녹사평대로 54길 7 (용산구 이태원2동 704)

what was consumed: thin crust pizza, cheese plate, roasted nuts, and on-site micro-brewed beer!

of the great many things i love about my local staff, they're also great resources when it comes to delicious places to eat as well as trending locations (this, of course, in addition to being able to do some research on my own). so when kgj suggested we go out for beers at one of his favorite places, who was i to protest? in fact, and rather, i insisted (hehe).

magpie is conveniently located in an area increasing in popularity for tasty treats, near where most of the expats venture, on the nok-sah-pyeong side of itaewon. i guess convenient is relative. it's location is convenient for me. there are usually groups of people standing outside, enjoying a pint, mostly expats. looks like it's convenient for them too.

magpie has a list of pretty tasty pizza options. they make all of your pizzas to order, which means it takes a bit more time. that said, it also means they will accommodate  special orders and personalized requests. bonus.

 

their level 1 is where they brew the beer (from what i understand). next door, on the B1 level, is where they offer more seating, and where they make the pizza (you can order pizza on either level). polished (?) cement seems to be the primary choice for decor. i like that that gives it a bit of a brewery and almost rugged feel. also interesting is that magpie has bar seating, western style. i don't see that very often, but am happy to see it as sitting at the bar (alcohol or not) is probably one of my favorite places to sit at comfortable restaurants like this.

magpie is definitely on my list of places i take my guests, especially the beer enjoying ones. and even for those who are not, a must go. i've certainly been back, already and happily, multiple times.

online: http://www.magpiebrewing.com/

breakfast & brunch

breakfast & brunch

in salmiya, near marina mall

wherever i go, there seems to be a dearth of breakfast/brunch places. apparentlly, that's the case in Q8 as well. normally, i don't mind seeing that i don't particularly crave breakfast foods. nonetheless, it's always nice to find a gem!

there's a cute cafe that is probably a 10ish mins. fast walk from my house. i imagine i will find myself doing that walk quite often. that is, when it's not what feels like a billion degrees outside. haha ... 

the owner, a young kuwaiti entrepreneur, spent many years studying in the u.k. as a result, there's a lot of british influence on her menu (which is filled quite a large selection of omeletes, pancakes, sandwiches, etc.). per her recommendation, i had the arabic omelette (which was de-licious!) which came with toast, bacon, and hashbrown (very recommended).

of the many things i liked about breakfast & brunch, i enjoyed the general ambiance. the cafe is small, but cozy. patrons are invited to leave the staff "messages" on post-it notes that are then displayed/posted on the walls. there are only 4 tables, and while they turn the tables over pretty quickly, it seems like there is hardly a time when the place is empty. and be sure to get your fix early! since they specialize in breakfast & brunch, per its name, they're not open late into the evening.

breakfast & brunch, what should i have next time? can't wait!

lola gaspar

lola gaspar

211 west 2nd street, santa ana, CA 92701
tel: 714) 972-1172
hours: monday-thursday 11:30 am-1am, friday 11:30am-2am, saturday 5pm-2am, sunday 5pm-11pm

what was consumed: bacon wrapped dates, mussels, flat bread, salted caramel mousse

i'd been wanting to try out lola gaspar for some time now. in fact, i remember trying to get reservations here for c's bachelorette party a couple of years back and instead of advising us to come early, told us (basically) to go elsewhere. which we did. and we had a great time. even still, i didn't totally take lola gaspar of my list. finally, as s and i were thinking of a place to meet, she suggested lola gaspar, and i was all in. turns out, i'd been here for drinks. a long time ago.

that's the other thing. i'd passed by lola gaspar many many times, mostly not intentionally. but this time, for the life of me, i couldn't find it. darn google maps! it totally lead me the wrong way. though, in google map's defense, the address is not really reflective of the actual location of the restaurant.

anyway, s and made sure to meet at lola gaspar early enough to beat the regular crowd. there was also just the 2 of us and neither one of us minds sitting at the bar (i, in fact, prefer it). and that's exactly what we did. i let s do all of the ordering, as i am want to do especially when people rave about places they'd been. we ordered a series of small dishes, to share. in short, the dining experience was marvelous! the dates were sweet and complemented by the salty and fatty bacon. the mussels tasted fresh and flavored the broth delicious (which we sopped up with bread). the flatbread had a delicious crust with fresh topping that went so well together. yum.

i've read that people were disappointed by the service at lola gaspar. s and i got great service. our server was attentive, but not overly aggressive to get us to eat or drink more than we wanted. he was also knowledgeable about both the food and drink menu when we asked, which is always welcome.

admittedly, i was a little skpetical about lola gaspar because of my past encounters with the staff there. i'm glad s and i had a delicious time (this time) at lola gaspar. i look forward to trying more of their menu next time!

online: http://www.lolagaspar.com/  

fojol brothers

fojol brothers

(of merlinda, of benethopia)
travelling food truck

what was consumed: from merlinda, chick peas and chicken; from benethopia, beef and collard greens

if my memory serves be correctly, the fojol brothers were the first of the blossoming washington, dc food truck scene. i remember people talking about a bunch of kids who got together and started selling indian food out of a truck (the story i heard was that they were a bunch of georgetown kids who learned how to make some of their favorite indian foods from a roommate/friend's mom. and they were really good at it. so good, in fact, that they took their talents to the public and started selling their wares to interested parties. thus the start of the fojol brothers!) i'd heard that the kids would wear irreverent (in that ironic way) costumes, play music loudly, and wave (almost obnoxiously) as they drove through the washington streets. i was immediately intrigued. most of all, i thought it a great idea and was super excited to partake it their wares myself. sadly, it took almost 4 years (and many other food truck encounters and an expanding fojol brothers fleet) for me to make their acquaintance.

finally, within a 2-day period (and just as i was about to head out of town), i had the joy of trying the food from both the fojol brothers of merlinda (indian) and the fojol brothers of benethopia (ethiopian). while the cuisines of the trucks are different, the idea is the same. you have a few meat options and a few veggie options. you can opt for a dingo bite (i.e., 1-item), a 2-item plate, or a 3-item plate. yay or nay on carbs (rice at merlinda, injera at benethopia). you also have the option for lossipops. in both cases, i opted for the 2-item plate with carbs. and, to make a totally general comment, i enjoyed both of the means immensely. the entrees were cooked well, with a successful inclusion of spices that made my lunch quite delicious. the rice and injera were cooked well and were proper accompaniments to the entrees. yummy.

i also love how, near the fojol brothers' trucks, they have blankets laid (on the grass at the location i was at) down for diners to enjoy the weather during lunch. i think we often get so caught up in our work (myself included) that we often need a reminder to take a break and enjoy the weather, enjoy the sites, enjoy good food, even if it's just for the 15 minutes it takes for you to wolf down your lunch. i will try to keep this in mind.

fojol brothers, keep up the good work. when back in washington, i will be on the lookout for you.

online: http://fojol.com/

boundary road

boundary road

414 H street NE, washington, DC 20002
tel: 202) 450-3265

hours: 5pm–2am daily, sunday–thursday dinner 5:30pm–10:30pm, friday-saturday dinner 5:30pm–11pm, tuesday–friday lunch 11am–3pm

what was consumed: charcueterie and cheese plate (including a delicious pate), foie gras torchon PBJ (grilled country bread, homemade peanut butter, peach vanilla jelly), grilled hanger steak (chestnut purée, spicy kale, sauce charón), paprika dusted flounder over a spanish fishermen's stew), seared arctic char (wilted turnip greens, duck fat potatoes, salsa verde), pork (cooked medium with some sides that i don't remember exactly and isn't listed on boundary road's sample menu online), cocktails (such as the seelbach made with bourbon, cointreau, sparkling wine, peychaud’s & angostura bitters), apple pie for dessert

boundary road, i finally made it!

i'd been hearing about boundary road for some time, way before they even opened. bartender friend d told me about how he was helping his friend who was opening a place out on h street. friend d/j, on a separate occasion, told me about his friend (who also is a neighbor) who was opening a place out on h street. turns out, he was my neighbor as well! point is, i didn't put two and two together to realize that d and d/j were talking about the same person - brad who is the main guy at boundary road. small world!

and then, president obama visited.

blergh.

good for boundary road, bad for me and the prospects for getting reservations (even with knowing people who know people who know people -__-). though, that didn't stop me from requesting boundary road as one of my last meals before moving out of washington. yay for c for making the reservations!

like most places, boundary road wouldn't seat us until our entire party was present (they also asked us to remind our party to be on time, that 15 minutes beyond our reserved time, they would give up our seat. i think that's fair - respect the reservation time and they'll respect our reservation). c and i were early, so we sat at the bar for drinks while we took in the place. c ordered a recommended drink (she says the seelbach was delicious, and totally perfect for the warming washington weather) and i proceeded to break a glass (with my bare hands! er, no. the glass tipped over and broke into some large pieces when my clumsy elbows knocked it over as i arranged the glasses to take a photo) during the 2 seconds we were at the bar. the rest of our party were right on time. and right as they arrived, we were seated. yay!

we were starving, so once seated, we quickly looked through the menu (which wasn't too large - good!) and decided to order a bunch of things to share, my favorite way to have a meal. the menu is supposed to be seasonal. while that should be the norm and anticipated, i realize that that's not necessarily the case. i'm as guilty as anyone else regarding this, though, as i often want to eat foods (especially veggies) out of season. i like that i can eat brussel sprouts and broccoli all year long, leave me alone! i know - first world problem -__-

we began our meal with a wonderful  charcueterie plate which included a wonderful pate. granted, i love love love pate and will eat almost all variations (from average to excellent) of it, but boundary road's was delicious. creamy, soft, and seasoned just right. we also had to try the foie gras torchon PBJ that everyone has been talking about. like pate, i love foie gras, so i was excited to read about it and see it on the menu. when i first heard about it, the whole pb&j idea seemed a little odd (though i love pb&j). if not for any other reason, i'd recommend trying it because it's different. my opinion? loved it. it's different and it may seem odd, but there's something about the foie gras mixed in with the sort of savory sort of sweet peanut butter and the fruity jelly that ... just works.

our entrees came out just as we finished with our appetizers (i was very happy with the service that i received while at boundary road). the portions were reasonably sized (which has grown increasingly important to point out, i've come to understand), but my large appetite really wished for more. no surprise there. anyway, the servers described the entrees well, and the food was seasoned well, cooked perfectly, and the flavor combinations were interesting and a twist on traditional american dishes. and that seafood stew! such a deep seafood flavor that also wasn't stinky.

all in all, i had a great experience at boundary road and recommend that you check it out whole heartedly. just make sure that when the chef comes around and asks how you enjoyed the food, be sure to remember that you're at boundary road (not boundary stone - long story). i hope it's still delicious and doing well when i am back visiting washington ... !!!

online: http://www.boundaryrd.com/

boundary stone public house

boundary stone public house
116 rhode island avenue NW, washington, DC 20001
tel: 202) 621-6635
hours: monday-thursday 12pm-2am, friday 12pm-3am, saturday 11am-3am, sunday 11am-2am

what was consumed: delicious cocktails, beer, hot honey wings, bacon burger

in DC, and maybe in lots of other places, lots of businesses are turning towards neighborhoods and "locals" as their primary target market. i think it's a great idea and am happy to support places near where i live. boundary stone is one of those places. i hadn't heard about it; admittedly, i haven't been paying attention these days (though i'm sure i'd pass by it frequently on my runs). no matter; when d said he wanted to check it out, i was happy to accompany.

when you get to boundary stone, you enter through a large and heavy sliding door. the bar is, then, to the left through another door (you enter into a dining area, turns out). there isn't anything fancy shmancy about its decor, but that's what helped me feel right at home.

boundary stone had a nice selection of beers and an amazing whiskey selection, as well as house specialty cocktails. i started the night off with a delicious old fashioned (remember, though, that i'm not a connoisseur. i simply enjoy. ha!). our bartender was knowledgeable about her bar, about the menu, and was overall fantastic.

food: all of the reviews i'd read recommended the bacon burger. i love burgers, so am always willing to try it out. the burger was well cooked (though the server didn't ask me how i wanted it cooked; nevertheless, it came out a nice medium/medium rare) on a buttery bun that had bacon spread on it. yes. bacon spread. i love it! i received a jar of bacon spread for my birthday (thanks, k!) and have been looking for even more ways to use it (besides dipping my fingers into the jar to directly consume. yes, i know. gross. but delicious). on burgers - of course! the burger also came with fries and ... homemade ketchup. now, i'm not a big ketchup fan. i think it's too sweet and doesn't taste anything like tomatoes. but boundary stone seems to make their ketchup homemade. d was saying something about it having cinnamon and other stuff (i've since forgotten -__-) ... ??? delicious. i think i still prefer going sans ketchup, but that didn't keep me from dipping some of my fries into boundary stone's variation.

the hot honey wings were also delicious. i'm usually not a fan of wings doused in sauce, but i was happy to get all of the sauce on my fingers this time around. while "honey" is in the name, the sauce wasn't overly sweet. it was, however, hot, with a nice spiciness. the wings were prepared well, crispy on the outside, but weren't soggy despite the sauce. and the meat came right off the bones. yum!!

the couple sitting next to us also highly recommended the quesedillas. i'll have to check them out the next time i'm around. so, if you're looking for a local place (and even if you're not) with a relaxed and neighborhood feel, swing by the boundary stone public house for a drink! you will most definitely enjoy it. see you there!

online: http://boundarystonedc.com/