Chrysanthemum Bread

There is a stand in Itaewon that sells various Korean street snacks.  Y’all know the one– it’s the lady who’s more-or-less right in front of Dunkin Donuts.  Anyway, I guess I’ve never really paid close enough attention to what she puts in her Chrysanthemum Bread because one day, I had three concurrent thoughts: (1) That sounds like it could be interesting, (2) It would be good for the blog, and (3) I’m going to order some.

This was only a good idea if you like those pastry-like things that are shaped like fish and filled with red beans, because, in reality, that is exactly what Chrysanthemum Bread in Itaewon is, and I’d just never noticed that this ajumma was putting red bean filling in her treats.  Delicious, but only if you like pastries filled with red bean filling.

Mandu Ramyeon

 

Ramyeon has many different faces.  There’s regular ramyeon, cheese ramyeon (ramyeon with a slice of processed cheese on top– I don’t understand the appeal), haemul ramyeon (ramyeon with seafood), ddeok ramyeon (ramyeon with ddeok), and the list goes on.  I try not to order ramyeon when I’m at a restaurant.  For however cheap you can get ramyeon at a Gimbap Chunguk (it will only set you back about $3), I just have a hard time ordering it when I know I could have the exact same thing for so much cheaper if I just made it for myself at home.  But when I do cave in and order ramyeon at a restaurant, I always go for mandu ramyeon because it’s got delicious mandu in it.  Mmmmmm….

Apple Mint Ice Cream at Baskin Robbins

 

Apple Mint ice cream at Baskin Robbins is one of my favourite things ever.  It only took me nine years of being off-and-on in Korea to figure out that this is actually a seasonal flavour, which is why my heart’s been broken for the past few years when I went to Baskin Robbins and saw they didn’t have apple mint and why I jumped for joy last month when I noticed that apple mint was back.

Jaeyukdeopbap

 

As a flexitarian, this is one of my favourite guilty pleasures.  The whole dish is centered around pork… pork in a spicy red sauce with onions and, mmmm, some other stuff.  It’s delicious.  If you haven’t already, you should try it.

Paris Baguette Bulgogi and Sausage Croquette

 

At least, I swear that’s what this was called, but when I bit into it, it had some kind of wholegrain mustard in it, which is actually okay because I happen to love wholegrain mustard.  The reason why I wasn’t able to finish this was that I’m not too into eating wieners unless they’ve been cooked on a campfire and are smothered in lots of ketchup and cheap French’s yellow mustard.

Ddeok

 

It’s made out of rice, it’s incredibly chewy, it’s for special events, and I don’t quite understand the appeal.

Kindergarten Cafeteria Food

 

This photo does not do justice to the terribleness that is Korean kindergarten cafeteria food.  Ohmyspaghettimonster, the stuff is terrible!

Jeju Tangerine IPA

 

I had seen this on the menu at a few different places so I felt compelled to try it.  It was okay.  It’s probably either because I’m not a huge connoisseur of beer or because maybe my tastebuds aren’t that great, but I would have expected a tangerine IPA to taste a little more citrus-y.

Dunkin’ Donuts: New York Donut (in Korea)

I’m not entirely sure because I’ve never had a cronut, but from what I’ve read about cronuts, I think Dunkin’ Donuts may have created their very own cronut.  And again, I’m not sure, because I rarely go back to North America and, when I do, let’s be honest, I’m a Tim Horton’s gal not a Dunkin’ Donuts gal, so I really don’t know if the “New York Donut” (which is maybe just a “cronut”) is a unique thing to Dunkin’ Donuts in Korea or if it’s available in all countries where there is Dunkin’ Donuts.  Hmmmm… maybe more international travel is in order so I can investigate…

Buttercup Cafe

 

Alright, here’s a confession: this picture is a little more than a month old and I’m just getting around to posting it now.  The story behind it: it was one of the first truly nice weekends after an admittedly mild winter in Seoul, and I was out for a walk when I realised, “Hey, this is patio weather!”  So I ordered a latte and parked myself down on Buttercup Cafe’s cute little patio.  When the barrista brought out my coffee, she also brought out a glass of fresh flowers.  I thought it was such a nice touch and what a way to brighten an already bright day that I took a photo.  An voila, there it is!