Maangchi's Korean food and cooking forum » Forum: Jamie's Jip - Recent Posts

Naomi L on "Hanmiri Restaurant - Part 1"

Naomi L — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 01:24:13 +0000

I love "Paris Baguette"!! When my elder sister and me were in Seoul, we have visited this shop many times. We have tried different flavours and I like Green Tea Latte the most. There's one branch in the Incheon Airport. I have ordered one Green Tea Latte again before I left Seoul. I look forward to have another cup of Green Tea Latte!! Really taste super and smooth!! :-)

Naomi L on "Jamie in Korea - Day 1"

Naomi L — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 01:18:26 +0000

Hello Jamie, Yes!! I have the same feelings as yours when I have visited Seoul. People are very friendly and they love to introduce the Korean culture for foreigners. Thank you very much for sharing your wonderful photos with us!! Impressive!! :-)

JamieF on "Jaimie in Korea"

JamieF — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 23:17:37 +0000

I had the same situation Helen - I went there a long time ago but didn't really try any unique Korean food. Maangchi (many years later) showed me how amazing it is with her videos :)

Helenloh on "Jaimie in Korea"

Helenloh — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 00:44:45 +0000

What a wonderful experience for you Jaime. I have been to Korea but it was before I discovered Maangchi's site and way before I knew very much about Korean food. I definitely must go again. Love all your posts

JamieF on "Hanmiri Restaurant - Part 2"

JamieF — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 09:41:33 +0000

stanford you are in for a treat then - because there was a LOT of that :)

JamieF on "Hanmiri Restaurant - Part 1"

JamieF — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 09:40:56 +0000

stanford it isn't incredibly bland but it doesn't pack the punch that so much other Korean food does.

stanford on "Hanmiri Restaurant - Part 2"

stanford — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 05:02:41 +0000

Oh man, these look pretty good! Can't wait to hear about the drinking!

stanford on "Hanmiri Restaurant - Part 1"

stanford — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 04:58:23 +0000

I've never had gujeolpan before. Is it really bland?

JamieF on "Hanmiri Restaurant - Part 2"

JamieF — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 03:26:02 +0000

Thanks mokpochica :) It was a really awesome holiday. I have lots more pics and stories to share!

mokpochica on "Hanmiri Restaurant - Part 2"

mokpochica — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 03:02:29 +0000

Really enjoying your photos and descriptions. Ahhh! 2 hours of eating Korean food--so wonderful. So sad that I haven't had any songpyeon this year for Chuseok. Now that I see your photos I'm planning to send my kids out to pick pine needles this coming Saturday and make some. Everything looks delicious. I remember eating bibimbap on a Korean air flight once. Definitely the best airline food I've ever had. Keep enjoying yourself and keep the posts coming!

JamieF on "Hanmiri Restaurant - Part 2"

JamieF — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 22:02:49 +0000

[<a href="http://www.maangchi.com/talk/topic/jamie-in-korea-day-2-part-1">Read Part 1...</a>] Then the pancakes arrived! <a>Seafood pancake</a> (use this recipe but add seafood to taste), <a>green onion pancake</a>, and a chewy brown sweet pancake folded in half and stuffed with sweet red bean paste. The latter was very chewy and sweet and as filling as it was delicious. Just when we thought there could be no more food we were served a <a>soybean paste soup</a> with sea snails, a bowl of rice, and a long platter with four side dishes and <a>kimchi</a> - the side dishes were <a>sigeumchi namul</a>, <a>ojingeojeot</a>, a fermented soybean paste and tofu side dish, and a thin green leafed pickle. The soybean soup tasted just like Maangchi's! It was - or appeared to me to be - the bow to the average Korean daily family dinner. To finish off we were given <a>persimmon drink (sujeonggwa)</a>, two <a>chuseok rice cakes on a bed of pine needles (songpyeon)</a>, and two large pieces of melon. It was all incredibly delicious and a true representation of good Korean food. We are now preparing to go for a coffee and after that a walk to the local palace for some history! Tonight we have the second part of the tour - a gourmet night dining tour in Insadong run by <a href="http://www.ongofood.com/">O'ngo food</a>. That post will be next!

JamieF on "Hanmiri Restaurant - Part 1"

JamieF — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 21:37:06 +0000

JamieF on "Day 2 - Hanmiri Restaurant"

JamieF — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 21:35:31 +0000

Day 2 started with breakfast in the hotel which was the usual fare in Korean hotels as far as I am aware (from this and my previous stay): a buffet of European and Asian foods. I had scrambled eggs, french toast, bacon and kimchi (I had to have at least one Korean food for breakfast!) After that we walked to Nangdaemun market which was absolutely amazing. It was street after street (and alley after alley) of clothes, fabrics, foods, kitchenware, and virtually anything you could want or need. I bought eight stainless steel nangmyeon bowls and eight rice and soup bowls. Needless to say I will definitely need to send a crate back to NZ with my shopping! After the market we had a snack at a French coffee shop chain called Paris Baguette. I ordered a latte which was as good as at home and a red bean paste bun which was incredibly soft and delicious. Today was also the first day of the government sponsored food tour: lunch at Hanmiri - an upmarket restaurant based on traditional Korean food. For the meagre price of $49 US per person we ate non-stop for 2 hours. The first wave of food was a series of salads which were <a href="http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/cheongpomuk-muchim">mungbean jelly side dish (cheongpomuk muchim)</a>, <a href="http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/japchae">japchae</a>, lettuce salad, radish beef and cucumber salad and a huge bowl of <a href="http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/yeolmu-mulkimchi">mul kimchi</a> which was amazing! It was incredibly refreshing and savory. Next we got <a href="http://www.koreataste.org/lang/en/en/food-en/recipes-en/gujeolpan/">gujeolpan</a> which was beautifully presented in a special gujeolpan dish made of Korean brassware especially for the restaurant. The pancakes were slightly green - colored with spinach juice I suspect. I was later told by a food expert that gujeolpan is more important for its colors (harmonious) than its taste which is considered to be bland. Next we had wild sesame soup which was a light tan color and had a very subtle flavor. That was accompanied by <a href="http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/galbijjim">galbi jim</a>, a slightly seasoned dish of thinly sliced pork, and a plate of something that was very much like kimchi but wasn't made with cabbage - it was a very crunchy vegetable - maybe Maangchi can enlighten us on that one. One piece each with two huge mushrooms. Then the pancakes arrived! <a href="http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/ya-chae-jeon">Seafood pancake</a> (use this recipe but add seafood to taste), <a href="http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/pajeon">green onion pancake</a>, and a chewy brown sweet pancake folded in half and stuffed with sweet red bean paste. The latter was very chewy and sweet and as filling as it was delicious. Just when we thought there could be no more food we were served a <a href="http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/tofu-stew-doenjang-chigae">soybean paste soup</a> with sea snails, a bowl of rice, and a long platter with four side dishes and <a href="http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/kimchi-kaktugi">kimchi</a> - the side dishes were <a href="http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/sigumchi-namul">sigeumchi namul</a>, <a href="http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/ojingeojeot">ojingeojeot</a>, a fermented soybean paste and tofu side dish, and a thin green leafed pickle. The soybean soup tasted just like Maangchi's! It was - or appeared to me to be - the bow to the average Korean daily family dinner. To finish off we were given <a href="http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/sujunggwa">persimmon drink (sujeonggwa)</a>, two <a href="http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/songpyeon">chuseok rice cakes on a bed of pine needles (songpyeon)</a>, and two large pieces of melon. It was all incredibly delicious and a true representation of good Korean food. We are now preparing to go for a coffee and after that a walk to the local palace for some history! Tonight we have the second part of the tour - a gourmet night dining tour in Insadong run by <a href="http://www.ongofood.com/">O'ngo food</a>. That post will be next!

JamieF on "Day 2 - Hanmiri"

JamieF — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 21:32:22 +0000

JamieF on "Jamie in Korea - Day 2 - Hanmiri"

JamieF — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 11:58:01 +0000

JamieF on "Jamie in Korea - Day 2 - Hanmiri"

JamieF — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 11:54:37 +0000

JamieF on "Jamie in Korea - Day 2 - Hanmiri"

JamieF — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 11:53:54 +0000

Maha on "Jamie in Korea - Day 1"

Maha — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 11:01:13 +0000

That was very interesting to read , waiting for more from you Jamie :)

Maangchi on "Jamie in Korea - Day 1"

Maangchi — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 04:12:31 +0000

"Other non-food related observations are that there are LOTS of people around on a Sunday night (including children), " "there is a man employed to do nothing except stand in reception and bow to the guests as they arrive or leave! " haha, come to think of it again, I didn't see any bowing people here in USA! It is very interesting and funny to hear your perspective on Korean life! Tofu donuts? I have never tasted it but it looks delicious!

admin on "Jamie in Korea - Day 1"

admin — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 04:10:31 +0000

"Other non-food related observations are that there are LOTS of people around on a Sunday night (including children), " "there is a man employed to do nothing except stand in reception and bow to the guests as they arrive or leave! " haha, come to think of it again, I didn't see any bowing people here in USA! It is very interesting and funny to hear your perspective on Korean life! Tofu donuts? I have never tasted it but it looks delicious!

JamieF on "Jamie in Korea - Day 1"

JamieF — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 02:33:28 +0000

Today I arrived in Seoul - at around 5 in the afternoon. Fortunately Korea is only 3 hours behind New Zealand so there is no likelihood of jet lag. The flight was good with Korean Airlines keeping to their extremely high standards of service (with a smile all the way). For breakfast I had <a>bibimbap</a> (they described it as beef with rice and vegetables and I had to ask if they were talking about bibimbap - it is a shame they didn't just state that first). The bibimbap was delicious - though the little tube of gochujang (hot pepper paste) was a little small for my linking (I like my bibimbap to be super spicy). Also the <a>sigeumchi namul</a> (spinach side dish) was cooked but not seasoned - there was far too little garlic over all for my taste. Nevertheless it made me feel like I really was on my way to Korea. The bibimbap was served with <a>miyeok guk</a> (Seaweed soup) which was very tasty. For dinner we had three choices (two chicken and one beef) - I asked for the Korean food option and the hostess gave me one of the chicken dishes. I have no idea what it was called. It was rice with chicken in a very plain sauce with garlic. It was nice but definitely did not come up to the standard of the bibimbap. I wouldn't order it again. We (my sister is traveling with me) caught a cab from the airport to the Koreana Hotel. The first thing we did was to seek out a place for dinner. We ended up in a very clean and bright restaurant down an alley way behind the hotel - I was drawn in by the very delicious looking photos of <a>bibim naengmyeon</a>. We ended up ordering the <a>galbi jjim</a>, however, because the restaurant owner recommended it. It was my first time trying it as I hadn't had a chance to cook Maangchi's recipe yet. It was amazing. It had a delicious soy based sauce and the ribs were braised with ginkgo nuts, chestnuts, jujubes, chills, and rice cakes. It was served with a delicious <a>kimchi</a>, <a>oijangajji</a>, pickled radish, and rice. I also had two glasses of soju (and had to take the rest back to the hotel for the rest of the week because it was so strong - especially after a 13 hour flight!) After that we wandered around a bit and ended up at Mister Donut - Dunkin Donuts had no donuts left so we will have to wait to try their infamous tofu donuts. The flavors we picked were chocolate and coconut, pineapple cream, rice sugar, banana, coffee, and plain glazed. The texture was unlike donuts I am familiar with - being extremely chewy. They were not as chewy as rice cake but far more chewy than western donuts. The flavors were subtle and they weren't too sweet. Our favorite was the coffee one. I later found out that Mister Donut is a Japanese company - not Korean. Other non-food related observations are that there are LOTS of people around on a Sunday night (including children), the people in general are extremely friendly and polite, and the weather is incredibly hot! Having come from the end of the coldest winter I remember experiencing in New Zealand it was quite a shock. Our hotel room was upgraded for free (presumably because they saw that we are guests of the government) and the hotel service has been outstanding - there is a man employed to do nothing except stand in reception and bow to the guests as they arrive or leave! Amazing.

SimonJPro on "Leaving For Korea"

SimonJPro — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 03:34:33 +0000

Stop by my old house in Tokori, I think i may have a big pot of kimchee still waiting for me. Might be a little strong since it has been in the ground since 1989. Don't forget to sample the local soju.

powerplantop on "Leaving For Korea"

powerplantop — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 12:46:53 +0000

I am looking forward to more post about your trip!

mokpochica on "Leaving For Korea"

mokpochica — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 03:24:31 +0000

Excited to read your posts and see your pictures. I love Dae Jang Geum too. My husband and I watched all those episodes together. What were there...like 80? Have you watched Pasta? Not Korean food, but it is a great drama in which food features largely as well. I love the male lead. He's great in Coffee Prince as well. Bon Voyage. Eat some kamja tang and Cheonju tak kalbi for me! Those are the foods I miss eating the most at restaurants in Korea.

Maha on "Leaving For Korea"

Maha — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 19:55:11 +0000

Good Luck Jamie , I liked how you start your interest in Korean culture "in reverse" . Waiting for your photos & videos & trip review ^_^

Reinier on "Leaving For Korea"

Reinier — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 19:03:40 +0000

Dear Jamie. You deserve this trip do much, as a fellow korean food fan i compelety understand your passion for korean cooking, but you are truly taking it to a higher level! Have fun and post lots of photos and stories. Gapshida!

JamieF on "Leaving For Korea"

JamieF — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 16:38:05 +0000

Thanks everyone :) I will hopefully have lots of pictures and even some videos!

Meilani on "Leaving For Korea"

Meilani — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 15:15:36 +0000

Wow!! So great, Jamie!! You deserve it!! Waiting your pics and more stories about Korean culture and food. Keep it up!! :)

Meilani on "Leaving For Korea"

Meilani — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 15:09:21 +0000

Wow!! So great, Jamie!! You deserve it!! Waiting your pics and more stories about Korean culture and food. Keep it up!! :)

Meilani on "Leaving For Korea"

Meilani — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 15:08:48 +0000

Wow!! So great, Jamie!! You deserve it!! Waiting your pics and more stories about Korean culture and food. Keep it up!! :)