Eating Seoul...after a couple week (?) hiatus

     Whoa~ it's been a hella while! Where have I been?

     working...playing...baking...dancing...and inebriating...

     Since the camera and robbing jam, I've been trying to figure things out, naturally detaching from those "WHY ME!?" and "GODDAMNSHITBAGGINMOTHERPOOPINGCRUMBLYFACESNOTMUNCHER!" thoughts... I've been absent, not in life, but from the blog...aiaiai

     There is a silverlining though, there always is. I had a camera gigging promise and it fell on the Saturday right after the steal, but a wonderful Seoul reached out to me and lent me his camera. (Thanks Chris!!) Regardless of the favor, I was and am far more excited about the fact that I got to kick it with Chris, it's been far too long!
     We had plans to wander off in some restaurant, but it was closed. So we kicked it at his place, watched UFC, drank maekgoli, and ate some homemade DELISH miso soup~

oh hey you....I'm eat you...DEAL~ (photo taken by VeganBeats)

     The maekgoli was delicious...and hella strong! We shared a bottle and even after filling our bellies, got red-faced and tipsy!

Chris' miso soup~ ughhhhh (photo taken by VeganBeats)

     I barely ever have miso soup, and having some with a wonderful friend may have made it even better~ a friends making it for you, sharing it with you...BEST~~
     There has been a bunch of eats from the past that...well I'm going to lay on you~
Coco Bruni is a swank and pricey cafe that kicks it around Sinsa and Apgujang and during a lunch tutoring session I got a DANK loaded, vegan sando...but only after over half an hour of explaining what I'm not very keen on shoving down my throat.
      "No mayo."
      "okay."  and then five minutes later. "Mustard okay?"
      "Yeah! Sounds great!" and then ten minutes later.
      "The mustard sauce has mayo, is okay?"
      "Ahh, no mayo, so no thank you."
      "Ahhh, aiiii, what do we do...no mustard, no mayo, it;s not sanwichi."
      "....do you have balsamic?"
      "uhhh yes....but..." scurry to the back, conversin with the boss....shuffle back "balsamic is with salad, sanwichi maybe, okay, maybe...no, yes..."
     etc etc etc....

the monstrously delish sando~ photo taken by VeganBeats

     Well WELL worth the confusion! I got a toasted ciabatta sandwich filled with caramelised onions, slivered grilled zukes, slices of pumpkin, grilled balsamic eggplant, sweet tomato slices, green leaf lettuce, spicy green lettuce, sprouts, and a generously garlic kissed balsamic...they even threw in a salad...ughhhhh~
     Hit up hospital dining also...a buddy decided to climb trees...then snap them~

hospital 비빔밥...rice niente~ (photo taken by VeganBeats)

     I've also done some itchin'n'the kitch...'cooking' for myself lately has involved grab'n'go cucumbers or carrots...I've been translating the "I'm hungry" into cooking kitch challenges~~

jajangmyeon for breakfast?~ had mine with cucumber noodles~ photo taken by VeganBeats

chickpea, black-bean, pea burgers with a sesame, garlic, tofu-sauced salad bedded on top~ photo taken by VeganBEats

 Oh...and being summer I had my first official So Delicious ice-cream!! nom nom nom

chocolate mint chip~ photo taken by VeganBeats

     I got the chocolate mint chip~ perfect for a hungover and heated Sunday! SoulScience and I went for a bit of a wander, sipping and knocking back an orange hooch (hungover healers?) and indulged in these coconut sweetened vegan darlings~ I think he got the cherry amaretto...I didn't try it but it's got to be SO DELICIOUS!!!



ahhh I'm done, mind in gutter...growing up (phbbbt chyea)

anyways~ in the next couple days (or week) they'll be loads more posting...annnnd atem~

Some vegan eats~

     Oh right...this is a vegan blog~ Here are some eats from the past couple weeks...

loaded 김치김밥~ (photo taken by VeganBeats)

반찬~ (photo taken by VeganBeats)

마파두부~ (photo taken by VeganBeats)

extremely disappointing hummus from Rocky Mountain....do NOT get~ (photo taken by VeganBeats)

Balwoo Kong: Budget Vegan Resto

     A long time ago I went to a Baru, temple food resturaunt with fellow veg heads Mipa of AliensDayOut and the lovely Kia! Since that last time, I haven't wandered over there but this past weekend I did! After the last hike with Alex and the family, we were hankering for food (some of our reasons differed) and going vegan was a natural choice, being in 인사동 and all..oh yea, and because of me!!
     A while ago I spoke with Mr. Seouleats and he mentioned how Baru actually has a more affordable restaurant, since then it's been on my list...and coincidentally this was the place we wandered to!

photo taken by VeganBeats

     The second floor restaurant is slightly more gentle on the wallet and offers a pretty decent spread of options! I can't state how it really works, it's a bit overwhelming. There is a buffet near the entrance and people line up grabbing plates, trays, bowls, etc. I think the price is determined by which bowls/plates you get. Everyone was in a hustle down the buffet line, apologies that my tired eyes didn't study fully the "order."

menu~ photo taken by VeganBeats

     When I went there was grained rice, soybean sprout and kimchi soup, turnip kimchi, spinach banchan, lotus root banchan, hot crispy mushrooms, and a colorful salad.

a loaded plate~ (photo taken by VeganBeats)

     I bailed on the rice (obviously), and loaded up on greens. Although 반찬 typically is loaded with salt, the 반찬 here didn't overwhelm your palate, everything was light and fresh. I use "fresh" a lot, the vegetables were not over-flavored, marinated, or sauced up...the vegetables were left mostly untainted with palate-teasers. The mushrooms were crispy and served with a spicy sauce, I usually would steer clear of the fried stuff, but I was hungry and considering the previous night's adventure...I'll be a bit easy on myself! And, bonus, the mushrooms were not oily at all...phew~
     While leaving the restaurant, I spotted the chefs rolling thick, ingredient-heavy 김밥. Dried tofu, shitake mushrooms, spinach, carrots, etc...the 김밥 I'm accustomed to (the easy vegan pick-ups) are skimpy on the filling, and there's so much damned rice. I decided to grab one and save for a later starving time~ for 4,000원, I'll say it's worth it!

boxed up and ready to go~ (photo taken by VeganBeats)

     The roll I saw when I opened it way later was not what I expected. Again, used to the rolls that are easy to pick up, it's packed with rise, low on veggies, and has no distinct odor. This 김밥 smelt delicious, the toasted sesame oil teased the senses while the hinting sweet carrots played with my eyes!

filling spilling out...a tad~ (photo taken by VeganBeats)

     So much color, so much filling, and though it's hard to see, the rice is full of other grains...quality 김밥 for the win!

loaded 김밥~ (photo taken by VeganBeats)

     Oh, and how did it taste? Easily the best 김밥 I've had (outside from mama Beats' loving creations!!)

바루 Balwoo phone#: 02.2031.2081

website

address: 서울시 종로구 견지동 71번지 템플스테 5층 

71 Gyeonhji-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-070

Directions:

안국역6번, Anguk station (line 3) exit 6. Walk straight, pass Insadong street on your left and at the street where Mao's Vegetarian is, take a left. Walk straight for maybe 300 yards and you'll see the Temple Stay building..hit up the 2nd floor!! 

명동보리밥 MyeongDong Boribap~

     I've whined for ages and my dislike for rice has been pretty clear, when it comes to that grain, I steer the other way. My 비빔밥 has been stripped of it's rice partner and joins me singly as "비빔." What am I doing in Asia then, let alone Korea? An aversion to rice and inhabiting these Seoul-lands is ironic...brown rice has been suggested, but I just can't (don't want to) do it. I'm not a grain lady, not a fan of any grain-focused meal, quinoa I can do, but sparingly. It doesn't come from pure pickiness, I have a very hard time digesting rice. brown or white, or black, or yellow, etc. Imagine polishing off a keg of beer, three pasta pizzas, and a pound of potatoes~ that's my stomach after just a little rice.
     I love 비빔 too, assorted veggies snuggling into one another, coated in spicy 고추장, I'm happy with that- I'm all for salads. This past week though has been including a little bit more than that, a great substitution for the 밥~보리밥 or barley. I've mentioned this before, but from my understanding (thanks to the tales of Mama VeganBeats) barley was introduced and used for the Korean people due to struggles in the past. The war forced many people to go poor and in that, feeding themselves and their family was very difficult. Barley filled up tummies and kept people full, even though it is low in calories and easier to digest.
     Korea being really into the "health title" turn to 보리밥 and these restaurants are popping up all over the place. The past week I've had 보리밥 twice, Alex is here and my family, as accepting and supportive as they are, while kicking it in Seoul-town are craving some traditional Korean noms. Though, on Saturday my mama beats was wonderful and treated Alex and I to this healthy plate at 명동보리밥 near my 이모's house.

photo taken by VeganBeats

There was a decent spread of 반찬 that you're supposed to throw into your barley and mix up with 청국장, a soybean tofu stew that is literally just soybeans and tofu, and 고추장. I like this option because I can construct a bomb salad!

반찬~ (photo taken by VeganBeats)

반찬~ (photo taken by VeganBeats)

청국장 (photo taken by VeganBeats)

my 비빔 and no 보리밥~ (photo taken by VeganBeats)

This meal went well with the pained heads Alex and I were lugging around.

There are several of these places all over Seoul, the one I went to is by Olympic park.
Directions:
강동구청역 (line 8) 4번 (exit 4)
Walk straight for about 5 minutes, cross an intersection, then pass by Lotteria on your right, the restaurant will be on your right side!

Enjoy~

반찬 with the Family (Alex and mom's in Seoul!)

     My brother and mom are kicking it in Seoul!! They got here yesterday afternoon and though tired, my uncle came over and we all went out to dinner. We went to a barbecue/meat house that's a stone's throw away and parts of me were slightly concerned about vegan options, but the 반찬 spread left me full and more than satisfied. I'll let the pictures do the talking~

lettuce, 고추, spicy spring onions, and 단호박 (sweet pumpkin) 튀금 (photo taken by VeganBeats)

pickled radish (photo taken by VeganBeats)

Spicy kale and carrot salad!! (photo taken by VeganBeats)

shredded cabbage in a sweet rice and apple vinegar sauce (photo taken by VeganBeats)

     The best 반찬 (banchan- side dish) was a green salad with a raw blueberry dressing! The salad was full of bok choy, spinach greens, romaine lettuce, and cabbage. I usually hate sweet dressings but this was a great change to the mix. There were chunks of little blueberries that hid in the sauce. Considering how everyone around me was throwing back flesh, I was throwing back antioxidants and crunchy glory~ and some maekgoli! >.<#

the blueberry dressing on greens! (photo taken by VeganBeats)

     After dinner, Alex and I wandered my hood, did some coffee binging, and caught up! I still can't believe that he's here! The journeys that await us!! 

I look like I'm balding, he's exhausted, and we're both tipsy...ehhh Seoul (photo taken by VeganBeats)

     Oh and~ my mom's friend made a batch of sesame crackers for me! I'm a crunch woman, I've always wanted food that way. Crunchy veggies, snappy greens, toasted breads, thin crackers, if it's got a snap it's better in my book. I was genuinely surprised for this~ 

     This post is rushed but I promise there'll be more places I'll talk about~

Until next time^^*

English Lesson with food~

     Actively and enjoyably learning something, anything, especially a language comes with a lot of natural challenges. The more difficult the task, the easier it is to throw in the towel and give up all together. I do this all too often, especially when it comes to learning Korean. When it gets too hard, or even overwhelming, I take a break...and that hinders my progress even more.
     You need to work with admirations and interests, sure this is an obvious but having the freedom to work with someone one on one makes their learning experience and your teaching that much more effective. One of my new students is painfully shy, for the first couple hours with her, I felt like I was fishing for elephants in a shallow stream...in Attleboro. No luck...
     I called to my joys and whipped out a lot of paper, nearly every drawing utensil and art supply I had and found that she LOVES expressing herself creatively...so now we draw and chat about everything. I don't want to abuse the art power, so last week...we did an English cooking lesson.
     I don't really think anyone doesn't like to use their hands when it comes to learning something...unless your learning about the sharpness of poisonous darts~ get in touch with several senses, get more brain activity going, being a part of a production. We made Korean food and while making the kitchen a mess, she was chatting away all sorts of facts about Korean food and her relationship with it. So what did we make?

빈대떡~ (photo taken by VeganBeats)

     Bindaeddeok, 빈대떡, or mungbean pancakes! These are high in protein, fiber, and you can literally throw everything you've got into them. In ours we added 김치, scallions, soybean sprouts, teeny mushrooms, zukes, and garlic leaks...result? Crispy, crunchy, flat mess of yum!

What you need:

1. 14 ounces of mung beans, soaked overnight
2. 1 onion sliced thin
3. 1 small carrot julienned (optional)
4. handful of green onions sliced up
5. as much 김치 as you want, slice this up too
6. handful of bean sprouts
7. whatever chopped up veggies you're feeling for
8. salt, to your taste
9. water

What to do:

1. rinse the soaked mung beans and put in a food processor and crunch all that jazz up
2. add some water to create a paste
3. in another bowl mix all the sliced goodies you have and the salt
4. add the mung bean paste
5. heat a pan with some oil
6. ladle the mixture in, and get the sides crispy brown, serve with soy sauce or eat plain!

     Next we made one of the simplest, yet satisfying Korean Vegan go-to's...pan fried tofu (두부)

두부~ (photo taken by VeganBeats)

What do you need:

1. tofu
2. oil
3. some salt and pepper to taste

What to do:

1. pat the tofu dry and cut into rectangles
2. heat oil in a pan
3. sprinkle salt and pepper on the tofu, fry it up

**I like adding garlic... because garlic is great~

     I made a sprouted green salad for the side, and we had a little English cooking date~

홍대 Hungover creations~

     홍대 is back, and in full force. Ugh~ devilish chocolate bar!!
There are always a few things that hit my mind faster than a shot of soju, 홍대 is: lots of dancing, lots of drinking, lots of laughing, and some sort of hangover. It's not always guaranteed that all of these things will happen, but being prepared for at least 80% is a smart thing to do.
     The past few weekends have granted me a "next morning" glory of groggy cooking, simple (or uncomfortably complex) head-healing noms. Here's nearly everything~ (I'm still stuck cooking with my eyes...ugh the repeated meals~)

green pea and chickpea white pepper hummus, whole grain mustard, smoked tempeh, sprouts, spinach, lettuce, and cucumber on balsamic toasted foccacia (from The Baker's Table)~ (photo taken by VeganBeats)

red lentil, green pea, and torn tofu dahl~ (photo taken by VeganBeats)

spicy cheezy (nutritional yeast) ramen, loaded with broccoli, carrots, and garlic along with chick'n style tofu~ (photo taken by VeganBeats)

the best "pick-me-up" tea~ (photo taken by VeganBeats)

premix 콩나물비빔밥 (soybean sprout bibim bap)~ photo taken by VeganBeats

post mix  콩나물비빔밥~ (photo taken by VeganBeats)  

     And the best cure for any 홍대 hangover (whether from too much fun, dancing legs shake, sleep deprivation, eye spoilings, etc.) kick it with your friends, spend the day laughing in bed, snuggle up~ 

the 100th day birthday (백일)

     There are several birthday celebrations that are highly valued in Korean culture, like America, certain ages mark big milestones in your life. There's your sweet 16, the legal 18, the drinking 21 and the hilling 50. My newborn cousin just had his "100 day celebration" (백일)  this past Sunday and it really brought me back to when my brother had his. It was first time meeting my new cousin and he is precious. As over-used that word is towards any infant...he was a really good baby (I mean how bad can they get?)

     Classic dished in Korea for any birthday are 미역국 (miyeok guk), also known as seaweed soup. It is usually prepared with fish broth but my family is far too kind and whipped me up a vegan one AND organized a massive vegan spread...

Who's a lucky lady?~

the spread (just some of it) photo taken by VeganBeats

김치 whaaaaa (photo taken by VeganBeats)

콩나물반찬!! (photo taken by VeganBeats)

버섯반찬 (photo taken by VeganBeats)

오이김치반찬 (photo taken by VeganBeats)

I forget the name of this but...divine! (photo taken by VeganBeats)

     Is it ever really a party is there isn't any 떡 around?

cute! (photo taken by VeganBeats)

Buchu banchan sengchae (chive banchan) 부추승재반찬 (serves 3-4 as banchan)

my recipe as featured in NEHmagazine
Buchu banchan sengchae (chive banchan) 부추승재반찬 (serves 3-4 as banchan)

     Sengchae is a type of food preperation that refers to raw vegertables in a sour and spicey sauce. The raw factor means that the ingredients are full of all of their nutrients so that they are much more healthy versus boiled down foods. Buchu (chives) are inexpensive and full of Vitamins A, B, C, calcium, and iron. On top of that, chives have a detoxing effect, naturally cleansing the body. They naturally provide the body with energy and essential nutrients. This dish is served well with rice and other banchans.

Ingredients:
*2 cups of chives
*1-2 tsp minced garlic (feel free to adjust for your own taste)
*1/8-1/4 tsp minced ginger (feel free to adjust for your own taste)
*1-2 tsp soy sauce
*1/2-1 tsp red pepper powder
*A little bit of sesame oil
*Sprinkle of sesame seeds (for garnish)

Directions:
1. Clean and cut the chives into 2-3 inch lengths
2. Add the minced garlic, minced ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce, and red pepper powder. (feel free to
add more red pepper if you want more spice)
3. Mix well and garnish with sesame seeds.
-Serve with rice and other banchan.

Kong namul banchan (soybean sprout banchan) 콩나물 (serves 3-4 as banchan)

my recipe as featured in NEHmagazine 


Kong namul banchan (soybean sprout banchan) 콩나물 (serves 3-4 as banchan)

     Kong Namul is a popular banchan that is both easy and quick to make. It is rather popular and a necessary part of any bibimbap. It requires very little seasoning, allowing the true flavor of the soybean sprouts to shine. It is high in fiber and protein along with low calorie. For a quick and easy meal, try serving this with rice, some kimchi and sesame oil.

photo taken by VeganBeats

Ingredients:
*4 cups of soybean sprouts
*2 chopped scallions
*3 Tbsp sesame oil
*sea salt (to taste)
*black pepper (to taste)
*red pepper powder (optional)
*sesame seeds

Directions:
1. Steam soybeans for 15 minutes, they will appear clear in color. Put them in a bowl until they cool down.
2. Add the red pepper, salt and pepper to taste.
3. Add the sesame oil and mix with your hands.
4. Garnish with sesame seeds.

If you want a quick and delicious meal serve with rice and kimchi along with some sesame oil!

silver linings and breathing freely

     As the Sunday of every weekend comes there is reflection and retracing of the events of the prior two nights, two or three days and a dissection of the highlighting details...this particular Sunday was filled with only highlights and silver linings...^^*!~
     Friday night was filled with coworker bonding, lots of billiards, too many drinks...and just smiles...


chandelier in On the Border (photo taken by VeganBeats)

ordering...photo taken by VeganBeats

          On the Border is a really cute Mexican place located in 아푸장 near Rodeo street. I wasn't really in the mood for some heavy Mexian cuisine...so I ordered the side salad (5,500W) and neglected to take a picture of it, because how pretty or alluring can I make lettuce? The portions were huge though, and the price is pretty decent. And NEVER in Seoul have I found a place where you get continuous bowls of salsa...real spicey hot salsa, none of that tomato paste sugar infected "salsa." In all honesty, the margaritas were getting talked up so much this whole week that my heart was set on a fruity margarita...and that's what I got ^^*!~

strawberry margarita! (photo taken by VeganBeats)

     The night continued onto billiards, connect four, dancing (as always ^^*!~) and an overwhelmingly positive event...      The next morning however was not my finest...most of the day was spent in bed, chatting with Jaxs and postponing too much activity  (womp womp) but I had a birthday party...a 3 way birthday party to go to...so motivation and love of the crew got me going and...what a  wonderful birthday it was!
     The crew met up for dinner at 샤부샤부 and then to flair bar...that's where I met them. Flair bar is a fun place, and provides enrtertainment. The bartenders all do tricks with fire, from lighting their jeans up or setting your drinks off!
     After Flair trusty Woodstock was the next destination and it was more than memorable this time. Everyone seemed to be celbrating Fiona, Pol, and Matts birthday, pitchers didn't stay full for longer than three minutes, drinking was the expected, dancing was necessary, and being foolish was demanded. Without giving out too many details, this one is for the books.
Happy Birthday Fiona, you're beautiful*!~
Happy Birthday Pol..."DAMN YOU!"
Happy Birthday Matt, hope you're feeling better!

     This morning I woke up rather early (despite the arrival home) and decided to go exploring...I found a mountain about ten minutes away and started hiking. It was beautiful, calming, and mentally well deserved. There was nearly no one sharing the mountain with me, and I was spoiled with woodsy smells, leaves crackling, and birds whistling.



following the noises (photo taken by VeganBeats)

...while on the walk I started to hear some chanting, being curious I followed it and soon approached a temple. It was during bowing that I entered the temple and hoping not to disturb them I simply wandered and took in my sorroundings.



photo taken by VeganBeats



the statue of Buddha (photo taken by VeganBeats)

     The temple is called 미륵암. After the chanting ended, the monks and I tried to speak with one another, but it turned more into a confused laughter and a meal invitation. They motioned towards the kitchen with them and pulled up chairs for themselves and I. Before I could say anything, there was a scurry of 반찬 and 김치 being taken out, along with savory scented soups, teas, rice cakes, etc. Everyone was so happy and everything felt safe and strangely comforting. I tried my hanguel, they tried some english and there was a couple hours of laughter...when the meal was finished I tried to offer some money, some help, anything, but they insisted that I pay nothing and that I please come visit them again. touched...their warmth is beyond me.       On the way home, I passed by a resturaunt that I have walked by so many times before but today was somewhat different. It is owned by two ajjumas and this time they waved me in. They appparently have seen me several times before (and probably caught me squinting and reading their menu) and waved me inside. They spoke nearly no english but pulled out a chair and sat me down. They started cooking and singing, and holding up random veggies saying their names in hanguel. I couldn't be rude and tell them I was more than full, I can't be disrespectful. They sat with me, random 전 all around me and some 두부, and 반찬. Another gifted meal of food made fromt he heart. I only ate some 두부, explaining that meets make me sick, along with all the other vegan resrictions...they refused my money and asked I come again...


The 반찬 was simple, and delightful...



pan fried 두부 simple delicious and fresh (photo taken by VeganBeats)

A weekend of wonder, laughter, exploration, chance....I'm feeling for a wonderful week^^*!~