The Seoulite

Summer is over and that means that most restaurants and cafes that served ‘pat bing soo’ (팥빙수) or Red Bean Ice dessert have taken it off their menus! But what’s a Seoulite to do in the dead middle of fall or winter when you want this icy treat?

Go to Hyundai Department store in Apgujeong. There is a famous cafe that has been serving pat bing soo as their main dish for years. Who knows what the name of that place is… real Seoulites tell each other to find obscure places without the use of store names, street names or phone numbers. You should too!

Just go to the top floor of the department store where there is a group of restaurants. Look for the cafe that is designed to look like it’s outdoors. The Seoulite had no idea if he was in the right spot so he started looking at people’s plates and voila! Everyone was eating pat bing soo!

This is THE place to see upper crust Korean baby mamas and baby mamas in training spending the afternoon.

And how is the pat bing soo? EXCELLENT. The ice shavings are permeated with whatever flavor you choose to get. The Seoulite got the Pomegranate flavor. The rice cakes are the best part. They are delicately handmade fresh and they just melt in your mouth.

Here’s a picture of the Hyundai department store. Line 3, Apgujeong Station.

Sweet heavens… this place can get LOUD! This watering hole for the foreign expat community seems to beckon everyone back to those college days of yelling while you’re drinking. If you’re in the mood to remember why you left the western world or want to save an airplane ticket back there… go to the Wolfhound in Itaewon. When they say it’s an Irish pub, it truly is an Irish pub… right down to the drinks, food and environment.

If you’re in the mood for a good burger, apple crumble, mozzerella sticks, caesar salad or any other type of western food done authentically and expertly… the Wolfhound is the best. If you can slip in for an early dinner before the bar crowd arrives, it is awesome. Otherwise, it’s a toss-up of whether you enjoy the juicy burger more… or if you’d rather be saved from a bunch of nuts playing quarters and screaming two feet away from you.

Chicken Caesar Burger

Mozzerella Sticks

Native Koreans come here for the exoticism of a ‘real western’ environment. Gyopos have said ‘Wow, this reminds me of what it feels like to be an outsider.’ And white expats have said, ‘Ah, here is home.’ For whatever it’s worth, the staff here did a great job in creating an authentic venue. The biggest surprise is that the food is sooooo good!

Hours:
Weekdays from 3pm
Saturday & Sunday and Holidays from 11am

Contact:
02-749-7971
http://www.wolfhoundpub.com/

Okay… eww, no. This place has gone downhill. The owner/management has decided to use stock ingredients that taste really cheap-o while jacking up all the prices. For example, the chocolate sauce just comes out of a can. Most of the food now tastes like it came out of a box, package or can. Not to mention, many of the best items from the past are now no longer on the menu. I’m attaching my previous post for reference as to how good it once was. But please save your money and time by going elsewhere.

It’s been two weeks since I first went to this restaurant and I can’t help but go back multiple times. One of the Seoulite’s friends almost eats one meal a day at this restaurant. For the original post click here. Here are some additional dishes that were sizzlingly fierce. Right above is the Croque Monsieur.

Potato Bacon Cream Soup. I haven't had a soup this textured and varied in over a year.

Burger and Fries. Very interesting marinade on the patty. It definitely had the chef's touch... but he tried just a tad too hard with the flavors. There was one too many. But it shows he knows how to work the taste. It's almost like a Father's Office burger in LA. I think he was trying to impress us because we keep bringing him new customers.

The crispy fries showed lots of ingenuity. Halfway between chip and fry.

Tomato and Vegetable Panini. The roasted vegetables are sauteed in olive oil after being grilled. Cheese is great. And the panini is just like the type you get at a UK sandwich shop. Now, only if they could make a red curry panini with that bread!

The Rosti Potato Pancake. By far one of the Seoulite's favorite dishes. We're so scared he will take it off the menu because it takes 20 minutes to prepare and a lot of elbow grease. They shred the potato from scratch. Such good warm comfort food. It's also only served as a dinner side item. But they made an exception for us. So appreciative.

The Affogato. Haagen Dazs ice cream and Illy espresso. So great on their own, but mixed together as it's supposed to... you get a watery mess. Don't get this. But the esperesso drinks are amazing. And of course the flourless chocolate cake is where it's at.

French Blue
Seoul, Gangnam-gu, Daechi-dong, 897-8, First Floor
Seolleung Station Exit 2. Make a left after the Burger King. French Blue will be on your right within the first block.
02-566-7940
Open 10AM - 2AM

Food: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Ambiance: 5/5

Eww!

The Seoulite is expanding his online offerings… now all kpop fans can unite… and date each other! Tired of so-gae-ting? Want to find someone new? Need to just waste some time online by flirting with fellow kpop fans? Well, well, well… go to my new website: www.kpopsingles.com.

Everything is free. You can chat, send messages, do video conferencing and even browse through the kpop zone. We’re just getting started so if anyone wants to volunteer to update the kpop pages with more recent stars, let me know. I only put up my favorites from back in the day…!

A love like this... how romantic.

“I wonder if they named this place after that actress who was on ‘The Sopranos’,” said Patrique on his way up the imported cobblestone stairs into the wood-brick oven pizza shop. Steven always wondered why the Frenchman was always grasping at the bits of American TV trivia but he too couldn’t help but wonder and be titillated by the flashing image of Drea DiMatteo’s lingerie and Michael Imperioli’s guns.

Charles gave the statue a little rub on the nose… “for fertility.”
And trotted up the stairs muttering, “This place better be better than KFC. Much better.” Charles never admitted that he went to fast-food chains, but that’s all he could compare any restaurant to.

Nancy just kept silent and followed the crowd. All she had to do was get through lunch and open up the pregnancy test when she got home. For extra luck she wouldn’t eat anything that would be nourishing for a baby. But only because she liked them, she would order anchovies. The salty fish always brought every flavor and enhanced the buttery texture from the cheese. She always silently cursed anchovy haters.

“How about we sit by the window?” asked Agnes. She just lost her sunglasses that morning at the wedding. But she couldn’t help rubbing the tragedy into her eyes. $400 dollars at duty-free. Gone without a trace.

“No, by the photos,” insisted Nancy. If she was going to eat well, she didn’t need Agnes complaining about the bright sun and hear her endless talk about the interior. “She really needs to just start her business already. How many times does she have to tell us about living room versus bathroom tiles,” she thought.

Steven followed Nancy, which led the others to quietly comply. They all liked being bossed around by Nancy, but didn’t want to be the first to show it. Things felt secure and clear when you followed her orders and Steven never seemed to be bothered by taking the hit to his ego. In fact, Charles almost thought Steven got off on it. Patrique just garbled up another half-quote by Jennifer Anniston trying to equate our pizza gathering to “Friends”.

“Ew, anchovies? At 1,000 won each?” crooned Amanda. “Why don’t you just use salt?”
“If you don’t want to share, then you can use your own salt,” Nancy blurted. She was getting tired of this already.
“No, it’s okay. Well, maybe we can order it on the side.”
“Yeah, fine whatever.”
Amanda just couldn’t justify 40,000 won for a pizza for herself, especially with anchovies… no matter how good it was.

The pizzas arrived and immediately Charles said it was better than Pizza Hut even though he said it had been years since he’d been there. Agnes stared at the wall and nibbled at the risotto she had ordered against better judgment. According to Patrique… there has yet to be a restaurant in Seoul that uses actual risotto instead of white rice. And he was right. Much to Steven’s consternation. He didn’t like the way Nancy smiled at Patrique’s constant showing off.

Amanda dropped her fork at the sight of the anchovies even though the rest of the table tried to pick at it with curiosity.
“Get over it already,” said Nancy as she stabbed her fork into a fish. “If you’re not going to eat it, stop spreading your germs on the plate.”

Suddenly Steven’s two bottled cokes arrived. And he and Charles happily gulped it down. Patrique thought what an ass. “Didn’t even offer if the rest of the table wanted to order something to wash down the pizza.” But he didn’t mind at all when Nancy’s bellini arrived shortly thereafter. She seemed so discreet and sophisticated. He wondered if she had ever been to France.

The meal ended rather unceremoniously. Despite being a bitter crowd, the quality of the food was quite satisfying. It certainly shut up all the critics who kept their banter to themselves or blurted out at a bare minimum. Everyone saved some room for dessert because the next stop was Patrique’s favorite patisserie in the neighborhood.

So from Italy and now on to France. “On y va!”

The story above is a complete work of fiction and unrelated to the persons in the photos. Just consider this an exercise in artistic practice as the Seoulite has grown tired of just giving a straight review of places and things. So suck an egg… or don’t read because he’s not really gonna care who reads it or not. It’s all an exercise.

Di Matteo
www.dimatteo.co.kr
02-511-4444

It is truly a superb pizza restaurant. The texture of the crust and the quality of ingredients are the star features. Price is bit expensive, but then again pizza is expensive in Seoul to begin with. To get there, find Once in a Blue Moon. Then go across the street into the Rodeo Alley. Make a right in the first alley after entering the Rodeo Alley.

Food: 5/5
Service: 4/5
Ambiance: 5/5

Or maybe one day you can get pizza from a vending machine: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/14/business/worldbusiness/14vend.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss&pagewanted=all

Spring is in the air and officially it’s right around the corner. Time to look for good brunch places. The Flying Pan Blue in Itaewon has drawn lots of attention from both the domestic and foreign crowds. It’s in an alley nearby the Hamilton Hotel and some of the food is quite amazing. Dinner and lunch items are so-so. Breakfast and brunch are where it’s at.

Go downstairs.

It's a small space with lots of charm.

The sink is right next to the entrance to wash your hands. The bathroom is in some untrackable location. Watch your head on your way in and out.

Latte. Delicious. Latte. Delicious.

The French Toast is amazing to look at and eat. Cooked to perfection.

Pesto Eggs Benedict with Goat Cheese. It's a South Beach diet breakfast. Very healthful and nutritious. The goat cheese is the most indulgent part of the dish.

The Flying Pan Blue
Tel : 02-793-5285
Hours: 10:30~22:00
Directions: If you’re staring at the front door of the Hamilton, go to the right and make a left into the first alley. You should see it straight ahead on the corner of the next street.

Food: 4/5
Ambiance: 4/5
Service: 4/5

Where can you get a delicious kebab? If you’ve been missing your lamb or chicken, head over to Itaewon to Sultan Kebab House. For 4,000 won you will be able to indulge in a juicy, meaty kebab wrapped in a toasty warm wrap.

Mmm...mmm... drips all day. The one in the front is Chicken and the spit in the back is Lamb.

Order like you're at a Middle Eastern McDonald's. The menu is clear, succinct, bright. The only variation may be whether it's too spicy or not.

It's a real community project here. And the effort that they take to prepare your food can be tasted in every bite.

Tons of people from the expat community line up for some delicious kebabs.

The phrase is essentially Turkish in origin and Turkish tradition has it that the dish was invented by medieval Turkic soldiers who used their swords to grill meat over open-field fires. However, the dish has been native to the Near East and East Mediterranean—especially Greece—since ancient times. Indeed, there exist pictures of Byzantine Greeks preparing shish kebabs and such food is attested in Ancient Greece as early as 8th century BCE (archaic period) in Homer's Iliad and Odyssey and in classical Greece, amongst others in the works of Aristophanes, Xenophon and Aristotle.

The Korean Gyopo Konglish Route Report

A: So you ask: How do you get there? (위치)

B: 6호선 이태원역 해밀턴호텔에서 내려가다가 왼쪽 골목으로 들어가심
바로 보입니다.

A: Oh, take the exit 6 line off at Itaewon Station. At the Hamilton Hotel walk down and make a left turn into a little alley and it should be right there.

B: Here’s a tip, 타코아미고 건너편 골목.

A: Taco Amigo is in the alley across the way.

전화
02-749-3890
케밥-술탄터키 케밥하우스|작성자 레나

If you’re walking along Sinsa-dong behind the Ferrari dealership on your way to Dos Tacos… you may stumble upon this cafe that looks like it’s part of someone’s patio of a mid-century house in West Germany. It is indeed South Korea… but the cafe is part of a duplex if you take a close look. No matter… it’s the inside (and the cute outside) that counts. This place has ‘new favorite secret spot’ written all over it.

There are specials listed... but many don't change. If you go for lunch... get the green chicken curry. It's what the servers are always eating too. There are real bay leaves in the dish.

From certain angles, it looks like you tripped into a friend's apartment in the Czech Republic. The art here changes every monthly and it's for sale as well.

Sturdy furniture for lots of reading, writing and people watching.

In the afternoons, you may even be able to meet the artists and share a cup of tea while you see them work.

Hungry? Have a four-cheese pizza. The food here has the homey taste of a bed and breakfast.

Here is an assortment of sausages, carrots and broccoli.

Shin Seung Hun filmed music jams over at OPP. This is definitely a celebrity dive type of place. The espresso here is quite amazing.

To get there all you need to do is take along a seeing-eye dog because you will swear your sense of direction has become blind. Go to the Ferrari dealership. If you don’t know where that is… stand in front of Benihana and look across the street.

Once you find the Ferraris go into the alley and then make a left at the second alley. OPP will be on your right. Closest subway? Apgujong Station exit 3. But from there you will be coming from a completely different direction. Get a homing piegeon. Or consult this map if you can read Korean.

Food: 4/5
Ambiance: 5/5
Service: 5/5

Phone: (02)2238-3437

Where can you find the warm afternoon sunshine of a Provence afternoon or the cozy glow of a French wine cellar? At Les Baux right here in Seoul. This restaurant is located across the street from Zen Hideaway in Apgujeong, but you would think you are a world away once you step inside.

Find a bright spot by the window upstairs.

Or find a rustic table in the wine cellar downstairs.

Due to the economic crisis and the lateness of the hour the Seoulite and his friends just had drinks. But here's a sampling of the food. A tomato frittata. I'll post updates if and when I taste the glorious food.

Here is the Filet au Boeuf from another fan.

Provence is a region of southeastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. The cuisine of Provence is the result of the warm, dry Mediterranean climate; the rugged landscape, good for grazing sheep and goats. The basic ingredients are olives and olive oil; garlic; sardines, rockfish, sea urchins and octopus; lamb and goat; chickpeas; local fruits, such as grapes, peaches, apricots, strawberries, cherries, and the famous melons of Cavaillon.

In the 19th and 20th centuries, many of the most famous painters in the world converged on Provence, drawn by the climate and the clarity of the light. The special quality of the light is partly a result of the Mistral wind, which removes dust from the atmosphere, greatly increasing visibility. Artists included Paul Cézanne, Vincent Van Gogh, Auguste Renoir, Henri Matisse, Claude Monet and Pablo Picasso.

The Romans complained about the competition from and poor quality of the wines of Provence. In the First Century A.D. the Roman poet Martial, condemned the wines of Marseille as 'terrible poisons, and never sold at a good price.' Sounds like the wine in Seoul due to heavy import taxes! Vote for the EU-SK free trade agreement please!

Pastis is the traditional liqueur of Provence, flavored with anise and typically containing 40–45% alcohol by volume. When absinthe was banned in France in 1915, the major absinthe producers (then Pernod Fils and Ricard, who have since merged as Pernod Ricard) reformulated their drink without the banned wormwood and with more aniseed flavor, coming from star anise, sugar and a lower alcohol content, creating pastis. It is usually drunk diluted with water, which it turns a cloudy color. It is especially popular in and around Marseille.

Les Baux
Food: Je ne sais pas. Cal domage!
Drinks: 5/5 You can find Stella Artois and not to mention wonderful capuccinos and extensive wine list.
Ambiance: 5/5

Phone: 02-3444-4226
Location: Apgujeong
Go straight from the Cine City Alley
Make a left a Milk Bar and the restaurant will be on your right
Hours: 11AM - 2AM

In Korean:
위치: 압구정 씨네시티골목에서 직진
밀크바에서 좌회전해 쭉 들어가다 오른쪽 위치
전화번호: 02-3444-4226
영업시간: AM11:00~ AM 02:00

Hi, I’m Sean Lim, an American expat living in South Korea.  This is my blog about becoming a Seoulite.

What is a Seoulite?
A ‘Seoulite’ (서울깍쟁이) is a citizen of Seoul, just as a ‘New Yorker’ is a citizen of New York. Of course the label ‘Seoulite’ doesn’t simply denote a place of residence [...]