Hongdae, kill me, love me~ you are my chocolate bar

     Beyond the realms of soju, crap beer, and all around inebriated debauchery, Hongdae is a place of positive (though pained) moments in my Seoul-ife. When I first got here, every weekend involved at least four hours in the Hongdae streets/ clubs/ park, etc kicking it with friends, guzzling coffees, rockin' hips, observing too many sweaty, pretty people. Hongdae is covered in clubs, littered in themed cafes, spotted with hofs and restaurants, and drenched in creative and artistic expression. Once you arrive in Hongdae, your liver prepares itself, while your brain exercises a bit more energy (must articulate a bit right), and you automatically accept that you will not be getting home anytime before 4am.
     I'm in a reminiscent place of being, as much as my head and sleep schedule tends to be hurting and hankering from Hongdae's grand influence~ it's got a bruised place in my cavity. It's has held a lot of positive events and experiences and has made some relationships either begin or grow a frazzled more-secure.
     This past weekend I revisited my dancing grounds, my old stomping place. It wasn't planned, but like candy and a child...denying the opportunity is near impossible. Hongdae started off early, Pol, David, Chris, and I chilled in a darkly lit bar and watched an amazing concert DVD, we all could have stayed watching it all night...but we had to rally out. (Check out Fishmans, A Piece of Future).
     Next was a self-service bar where more friends joined, wines and beers swallowed, and somehow in that swill, a club was decided upon...and where else would we go but Gorillas, right?! Now, I realize and recognize when it comes to a classy club, this one doesn't make it to the top (throw in any number) but it's where my club Seoul began.
     Gorilla has three different club/bar venues, the original Papa Gorilla >.<#, Mama Gorilla, and Big Baby Gorilla, we all went to Big Baby and the location is a bit jarring. It's in a garage! The crowds pretty young, music is the same (at all three), dancing is a plenty, drinks are cheap (though they were weak this time around), I felt out of place...I felt old...but all I needed was to dance. Buckets, shaking, laughing, and hours later...I found myself on the subway home this morning at 6:30...Hongdae, you always do this!

Ooh~ but this time I around, I left with three new changes...

green eyes~ (photo taken by VeganBeats)

blue eyes~ (photo taken by VeganBeats)

purple eyes (photo taken by VeganBeats)

make up playing (photo taken by VeganBeats)

     Hungover Sunday was make up playing and some baking...check it out!

coconut vanilla muffins (photo taken by VeganBeats)

matcha coconut almond muffins (photo taken by veganBeats)

     These are both coconut vanilla and cinnamon muffins, the one on top is almond and the other is matcha almond~

    

Don't forget the Great Weekend....all smiles*!~ still....

T_T  It's been so long since I've last posted...so many issues this week...but none to let me lose sight of an AWESOME weekend...(I'm loving that the greatness of weekends is not getting old, and instead is a silver lined singing glowing glimmering consistency....knock on wood**)

Let's start with Friday...Midnight shopping happened in 동대문 with Jaxs, Patricia, Brian, and Meeyun. Haven't kicked it with Brian in a while, OR with Patricia so it was super nice to kick it with them and catch up.

The markets were filled with people and I set a goal for myself ot NOT spend any more money...so lots of window wander shopping for a couple hours...Brian had to get up early so left and the ladies and I went to 홍대 around 4am! We met up with Stephanie there, another wonderful fabulous Seoul*!~

We wandered the streets for a while and checked out a couple new clubs (new phbbbt), I forgot what the ones we went to were called.

Went to a HOF and got some persimmon soju...yumm*!~

photo taken by VeganBeats

It was super sweet, but so yummy ㅎㅎㅎ ended up getting another sojut o mix with this pitcher...only 8,000W!!!
At HOF's you have to order food, and they're rarely vegan but do come up with vegetarian possibilities, so Meeyun and Jaxs got this bad ass boat of fruit, ice cream and blueberry sauce....


aparently the icecream was "super good vanilla" ...why are you not soy green tea ice cream?!!!
photo taken by VeganBeats



The fruit was beautiful, and smelt wonderful....but it was a bit pricey...about 18,000W!!! I thoroughly enjoyed my persimmon soju though*!~

cheers to Soju*!~
photo taken by VeganBeats

So I ended up discovering some more places in 홍대 super early Saturday morning...and spent the day napping at Jaxs*!~

Around noon we met up with fellow Vegan George and galavanted around Gangnam to find some eats...we stumbled into about four places that just didn't understand Veganism...or veggies only please and found Sinpo Woori Mandoo! They had english on their menu and suprisingly a lot of Vegan and Veggie options*!~

Sinpo Woori Mandoo menu
photo by VeganBeats

George got the bibim-myun, which is bascially bibimbap with noodles as opposed to the rice fix...The noodles were thick buckwheat udon noodles, and the ingredients looked really fresh. I loved the mountain of veggies*!~

pre-mix, look at those veggies*!~ nom nom nom
photo taken by VeganBeats

 ...I love all the gochujang on this, and it looks so colorful and vibrant...I'm not a noodle girl, but I tried some of the veggies and they were crisp, fresh, and had a great snap to them!!! chyea*!~

post mix...(O:
photo taken by VeganBeats

I can't find a link to this place, but turns out through researching it is a chain place...I would def check this place out again, and maybe this time I'll be hungry.

I met up with my fam later at a Chinese place and needless to say I got pretty sick after...and the pics of the food are not what I want ot brag about at all....nothing like the Chinese glory I was spoiled with when I went last year...sigh::: China......

Anyways, after dinner with the family I kicked it back home to Junggye and then went back to 홍대, and to Gorilla!! I know I go often, but I do love it there...the beautiful Seouls*!~

A night of 진 mix drinks and kicking it with my ladies, Patricia, Jaxs, and Stephanie....lots of dancing, laughing, drinking (ai ai ai) and kicking it with good people.

Sunday I spent most of the day with a friend, walking around laughing and smiling....I'm loving my weekend...and so glad that it's Thursday...

The stress of my work is making the weekends so essential for my mental and emotional balance....

Thursday night...plans with the Jaxs, and then maybe...my go to again*!~

Finding new places, kicking it with good Seouls....another speedy weekend*!~

Another great and super speedy weekend....
I spent all of Saturday with my mom and it was GREAT ㅎㅎ We went to Gangnam first and met with some people and got treated to an AWESOME restuarant called Seven Springs. It's super green and all about organic and local, which was so great. The salad bar was spectacular....my vegan self was literally wiggling in excitment! There were sprouts, tons of lettuce greens (!!!!!!!!!!!!), beets (!!!), broccoli, cauliflour, asparagus, tons of olives, sweet pumpkin, lotus root, banchans, mmuk, etc etc etc...I love me some fresh organic veggies...

nom nom salad....
photo taken by VeganBeats

 I put a bunch of 거추장 on my salad....so basically I made bibimbop without rice...chyea!
They also had a coffee bar (had like 8 espressos), a beautiful dessert bar, nothing vegan but I can appreciate. Green tea chocolate chip cookies, green tea almond cake, red bean cookies, carrot cake, etc...they also had a pasta bar, seafood fiogoli, soybean alfredo, and a homemade sausage pasta...lots of things...
Turns out there's  a bunch of Seven Springs throughout Seoul...one in HONGDAE!!!

hmmm

After nomming with the mom we went to Dongdaemon and shopped around, caught up and were just girls together, it was really nice. I haven't been able to spend as much time with my mom as I would like...work so much )O: But I really appreciated this time with her. Seeing her home, where she grew up and seeing her glow with rememberance for some of these places is...beautiful!
We then went to Myeoungdong, a place where she used to go all the time as a young woman. She said she used to escape stress and pressures by wandering through this market, guess when my dad and her got married they shared a lot of dates here....(O:
     After a whole day of playing, walking, shopping and girling out, we parted ways and I met up with Stephanie...Hongdae again! Threw on a new outfit and met up with the ladies for a night out...once again, I cannot stress the love of my ladies!
     Stephanie, Jaxs, Myeon, Christine and I wandered into a HOF and got some makali...a couple bottles of it and kicked it ladies style. Our friends Ju-hee and Seoungeun met up with us later and then we scampered over to Gorilla. Another night of dancing, kicking it, and having fun....

again....the lack of sleep continues*!~

ㅎㅎㅎ when Stephanie and I woke up we played around Wangsimni a bit and found a teeny restaurant and I got some vegan soondubu  and she got some kimchi jiggae....

nothing like hot spicey soup to cure any and everything

kimchi jigae up top, banchan, then my soondubu
photo taken by VeganBeats

nommmmm
photo taken by VeganBeats

After filling our bellies with yummy spiceyness I got a personal tour of the Emart in Wangsimni....whoa ^^ overwhelming. Walmart has nothing on this place...it's MASSIVE first off and has just about anything you need, from brooms, to oranges, to lizards...and GIANT beatles.

Anyways, great weekend, great eats....and always, wonderful Seouls in my life....

Food and more Weekend Business*!~

Lots to update on, but I'm remembering this blog is supposed to have some food in it, some Vegan slices of heaven...
My emo has been talking about her BOMB japchae since I have gotten here, and a while ago she made me a WHOLE bunch of it an dI have to say, it was pretty damn tasty*!~ Lots and LOTS of veggies (I really kind of hate noodles, so thank you Emo!)
Check this out~~ (PS! working on my hangul, so I am guessing on how to spell some of the Korean dishes...do not, DO NOT quote me on any of these....I'll let you know if I am near right)

nom nom nom
photo taken by VeganBeats

All that spinach...and carrots...are you speaking ot my heart Emo?!~

(O;
photo taken by VeganBeats

Potatoe noodles are used for Japchae, super yummy. They are light, not heavy and slightly sweet (atleast to these tastebuds of mine!) There's suprising a lot of prep work involved for this dish. You need to soak dried shitake mushrooms, then lightly blanch and pan fry them, set them aside, fry the carrots with a little salt and sesame oil, set aside. Blanch the spinach, dry them, and let them cool down. On the other hand you make a sauce of sesame oil, garlic, sugar, soy sauce, a kiss of vinegar and sesame seeds, add the spinch to it, mix thoroughly...boil the noodles, make a sauce of sesame oil, a kiss of sugar, a kiss of soy sauce, and sesame seeds, mix all the veggies together and add salt until it's to your liking. My emo has mastered japchae (잪재artistry...nom nom nom*!~

This is another dish I made one of these past weeks, I had some veggies waiting to be played with (mmmm) so of course I did! These are oyster mushrooms, carrots, garlic (nom nom nom), and yellow sweet yams. I threw a splash of sesame oil and rice oil (yes, rice oil) into a pan and let it heat up a bunch, threw in the potatoes, and let those bubble up a bit (I really never can master potatoes..kind of don't like them...AAAAA) then I threw in the carrots...after I cut them I threw them in ice cold water...for some reason I feel like they taste better, fresher this way....annnyyyyways then I threw in the mushrooms, sliced thin and then about threee good sized cloves of garlic...everything was on medium heat and I continually mixed...threw in some kimchi broth (my kimchi!!!) and obviously the staples soy sauce and sesame seeds...when the oil burnt (?) off I added some water, vinegar and some left over green tea (why, experiment), then a little red chilli powder...result, a steamy yummy flavorful concoction....

I could do without the potatoes though...just not a fan of the textures....

Alright...now the weekend, another GREAT ONE*!~
Friday night I busted out of work, showered, dressed, and met up with Jaxs and Stephanie...Hongdae, again! I live in Hongdae....
It's across town and I've been there this entire weekend, nearly and seriously...ahhh
Went back to papa Gorilla and as expected, had a wonderful time!I went and visitied a buddy (O: ~~
Anyways...the night was great and...eventful to say the least.
Left Gorilla around 3 am and took a cab with Jaxs and Kevin to Gangnam and the cab driver tried to rip us off...by nearly 100% more the actual price..he locked us in the cab and when I tried toget out he grabbed me, GRABBED my arm...bruised. Now I don't swear, but I was fuming and infuriated..you never ever grab me, or a woman, ever I don't care how pissed, how angry how whatever you are...if you want to send me into a violent swearing extremely articualte (O; raging energy...try me...
Physical altercation with a cab driver..he got out of his cab after we all scrambled out and seriously...I don't think this jerk will mess with three foreigners again, we were not violent or agressive, just grounded...we would not and refused to take any BS...he got in his cab...left...grrrr
Anyways.....morning after I left Gangnam to go visit my emo and this is what I passed....
A GIANT BURGER.....blech....

My mom is in Korea visiting my halmuni (하무니) and harabagi (하라바기) so kicked it over to their place and rested. I was all ready to nuzzle up in my covers and get some rest...recover and all that good jazz...I was going to go to the G20 concert and see Rain and 2am...but bailed )O:  and Jaxs shot me a text saying Hongdae again...thought about it for maybe an hour then got showered, ready and peaced...didn't get there until around midnight..but so glad I went...!!! Met up with the crew...and not a ton of pictures but...chyea*!~

Phillip and Kevin....sassy*!~
photo taken by VeganBeats

Phillip is a rocker!! Dance partners yea!!! So much "GREAT" music was playing...rocked out to JaRule...hellz yea*!~

Phillip, Kevin, and Brian
photo taken by VeganBeats

 Still many creepafaces but I was with my crew...creepafaces blocked*!~

Jin (진우)!!!~~
photo taken by VeganBeats

 Spent a wonderful time (as always) with Jaxs*!~ I seriously cannot put into words how happy and wonderful it is to have such a beautiful person here...in Seoul, so close to me!!! Jaxs...ahhh there will be a Jaxs post!

I love me some Jaxs*!~


my lovie*!~
photo taken by VeganBeats

Jaxs and I stayed until way way late and kciked it with the Gorilla crew (VIP whaaa)
Didn't actually leave Hongdae until much later today, I've been up for far too many hours,....had a wonderful day, kicked it with some Great people (O:
Thinking Gorilla next week....How did I start liking clubs?*!~??!?~

Hongdae*!~

Saturday night I went out with Jaxs and a crew to Hongdae...just got in from a day of shopping and was ready to go out!! I thought I would plan on straight chilling after the market but, I was riled up, and ready to go!! Jaxs called me as I got off the subway and it was like the fates were calling me...don't stay in, go out...GO OUT!!
I strapped on my new boots, new jeans, and a new shirt and was out the door, dolled up and dancing desires pumping through my veins!!
First Jaxs and I met up at Konkuk University and watched Shaun of the Dead...zombies before a night out...HELL YES!!  

Konkuk University area
photo taken by VeganBeats

 Her friends were hesitant about going out and bailed, all but one, so it was myself, Jaxs, and Kevin on the subway to Hongdae...
We met up with more people there and all cruised through town in search of a bar that could handle our energy...passed some quircky clothing shops...

 And ultimately we all ended up going into papa Gorilla, a bar that...well more fun than I imagined!! We initially only walked in to check out the crew inside...

photo taken by VeganBeats

 The signs promoted well...you know. Naive me, I just took the pics as shock value and the animals were kind of cute, regardless of the dirty deeds.

Jin and Hong, and K
photo taken by VeganBeats

The bartenders all spoke good English and were super kind. The two below are the ones my crew primarily worked with. The drinks are all affordable, there's a stage in the middle of the bar...with poles...eeep so dancing clearly was done. Luckily, no embarassing photos of me haha

Jin and Hong!!
photo taken by VeganBeats

Needless to say but gorgeous guys!!

mid-laugh...
photo taken by VeganBeats

I drank more than planned, danced so hard, and had a BLAST!! I have to comment, there were so many foreigners at this place...a lot of creepafaces too. eeeghhad

Kevin  and  Jaxs...rounding out the evening
photo taken by VeganBeats

Not only did I get to go out, have a great time, and meet some great new people...I saw more of Seoul....

and in the morning...I woke up to a notepad full of numbers...

...Hello Seoul*!~