Category Archives: Restaurant Reviews

Eat’taly

In the land of grilled meats, kimchi, and rice…sometimes we find ourselves craving other cuisines..Sometimes, just not exactly sure what cuisine it may be.

Take tonight for instance..

Mr. B: “What are you hungry for?”

Me: “Doesn’t matter”

Mr. B: “just pick something”

Me: “Oh it doesn’t matter to me”

Mr. B: “Dino Meats?”

Me:”Doesn’t matter”

Mr. B: “You know what….na…no Dino meats”

Mr. B: “Grilled chicken?”

Me: “Sure” “Doesn’t matter”

Mr. B: “Na…”Eventually we end up with deciding on a newer restaurant located in New City. Eat’taly. The restaurant opened a few months back and ever time we passed we though to ourselves, we will go back and check it out. You know you always end up saying something like that and forget about it when it comes time to eat. You end up going to the places you know very well, you know what to expect, it’s comfortable.

Tonight just happened to be one of those nights, we craved something different.

Eat’taly is a very quaint little place. The food delicious, the service superb, we were delightfully surprised.

After looking over the many possibilities of pasta or pizza decisions, we ended up going with a shared set menu item. Gorgonzola pizza with honey, a garden salad, garlic bread, and pasta carbonara. Yum!

We ended the night with a shared pot-bing-su from Lotteria.

Grab the map coordinates here!

Isn’t Summer time so sweet?

Thirty-Two Sucks…

Or, does it?

Nevertheless, it never tasted so sweet!

Today is June 9th. June 9th marks a very, very special day of the year for me….

Yes, today I cheers another year of having the sweetest man I’ve ever known to call my own in my life. I know, I know, every wife under the sun says that about her husband. But honestly, for me, he really is.

Mr. B has shown me what real love is in its truest form. From the very first day we met, Mr. B has continually portrayed what a friend, a man, and a partner is. I swear this man has such patience, an incredibly understanding heart, a faithfulness, a forgiveness, and the most genuine love just for me. How blessed am I to have him as my best friend?

Mr. B threw a bit of a wrench into the birthday weekend festivities. He has pool classes all day today and all day tomorrow. However, I don’t think there is another way he would want to spend his birthday, well besides being with his family, naturally.

I had to do a smidge of improvising with how to celebrate Mr. B’s special day from the hotel location. Did you check out the ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins?!

Happy Birthday, my dearest Beebs! You’re nothing less than my dream come true. Only you!

When in Palau…

Do as the Palauans, and that’s just what we did! While we stayed in Palau we tried out various local cuisines, you know, really immersed ourselves in the local culture. Here’s a list of suggestions if you ever find yourself with a rumble in your tummy in Palau.

Sea Passion Hotel (Breakfast): We realize that most Americans and foreigners might find the breakfast buffet quite strange. I say this, because the options range from things like rice, to fish sticks, to ham, pancakes, soup, to fresh fruit, cereal, waffles, tuna sandwiches, noodles, to made to order eggs. We have lived in Korea the past year or so and have grown very used to the non-breakfasts options when traveling in the wee morning hours. All and all it was perfect to us. We felt there’s no feeling of needing to over indulge in food before our boat rides to do tours, diving, or snorkeling.

Oh! Almost forgot! Make sure you order yourself a fresh fruit juice or shake to sip on while you take it easy by the hotel pool or private beach. We highly recommend the orange banana or pineapple shake.

Located on the main street in Koror
Phone: 680.488.0066
Website: www.palauseapassion.com

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Sams Tours had a restaurant on location -Sam’s Bottom Time Bar & Grill: You can shower at Sam’s, super nice after a long dive or snorkel trip. We were told the sashimi is rather tasty.. The menu features hamburgers, burritos, ice cold Red Rooster, and outstanding iced tea!

Open 7 days a week from 7:30-21:00
Phone: 680.488.7267
Website: www.samstours.com

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Kramer’s: Located within a short walking distance from the Sea Passion hotel. The restaurant is wonderful for late night meals. It is a comfy waterfront place. The menu features typical entrees, but also allows for some tasty twists, like having your fish blackened (we highly recommend this). Our group really enjoyed the freshness of the restaurant. Our favorite dishes hands-down were the the Sashlmi Poke (palauan sashimi) and the blackened mahi mahi fish wish a side of garlic mashed potatoes

Meal price range: $3-$8/Lunch, $7-$15/Dinner.
Phone: 680.488.8448

The Drop-Off: Also conveniently located within a very short walk from the Sea Passion Hotel. We really enjoyed the outdoor marine view. Our favorite dishes hands-down were the Poke (palauan sashimi), and the freshly caught grilled bluefin tuna steaks. We can’t even describe in words just how amazing these dishes were. You simply have to take our word for it on this one folks!

Open 7 days a week!
Phone: 680.488.1755/2009
Website: www.necomarine.com/facility.html

The Taj: MMMmm! (mouth watering while saying Taj). Located not to far from the Sea Passion hotel. A descent walk into town, or a nice short car ride, you decide. Incredible Indian cuisine. We loved the large outside deck eating area. The food, uhg the food! Where to start? Okay, appetizer, Fish Amritsari cubes of seasonal red snapper, batter fried. The Baingan Bharta Eggplant grilled over charcoal, mashed and cooked with fresh tomatoes, onion, garlic, ginger and spices. A house specialty. The garlic, cheese, and stuffed nan, and Kulfi Indian ice cream enriched with nuts and flavored with rose water. All were all a huge hit in our books. Bonus! We were able to get picked up from the hotel and dropped off as well. Excellent service all around!

Located on the 2nd floor of the PDC building in downtown Koror.
Phone: 680.488.2227
Hours: Open 7 days a week. Lunch: 11:00-14:00 & Dinner: 17:00-22:00
Website: www.tajpalau.com

Elilai: We’d have to vote that Elilai was the most elegant restaurant in Palau that we had visited. The cuisine is “Asian-Mediterranean fusion”. The view is breathtaking! Make sure to call ahead and get reservations with a view. the teeny tiny Japanese waitresses in their floral sarongs are amazingly sweet. The food is quite good, however, we found the prices to be a bit high for the food itself. Our group ordered the mangrove crab spaghetti, the seafood salad, tuna sashimi, and the Milky Way Course menu. Last but certainly not least, for dessert we ordered the homemade coconut ice cream, a must! We did have one in the group that ordered the lemon tart with Italian meringue, pretty delish too.

Located on the 1st floor of 1732 Belvedere East Ngerkebesang Island, Koror
Phone: 680.488.8866
Hours: Open 7 days a week from 11:00-23:00
Website: www.elilaipalau.com

Little Italy: I’m sure from the name you guessed the cuisine was Italian. Great job! Your guess was absolutely correct. On a long downtown hike one night we stumbled upon this quaint little place. We were instantly greeted by the fresh oregano and basil growing outside on the restaurants covered patio dining area. The waitstaff were very helpful and very kind too.

Our group opted for the eggplant appetizer, a caprese salad, the smoked sausage pasta dish, and a 4 cheese spinach pasta. Plus, when you order, they bring you a nice little basket of assorted breads. We all really enjoyed the crusty rosemary bread!

Guess what? The menu also features excellent desserts too! Tiramisu, Pana cotta, and Limoncello with a raspberry drizzle.

Smacks lips, shouts out È squisito! (delicious in Italian).

Located on the main street in Koror and right across the street from the Palasia hotel.
Phone: 680.488.6637

We realize now there may be some readers suffering from food envy. We apologize. Truly you just need to make a trip across the globe from wherever you are located and try it all out!

Ho Lee Cow!

No.. wait.. it’s Ho Lee Chow (홀리 챠우)! he-he-he I know…I know…I am sooo cheesy but I know you all love it. Anywho, Ho Lee Chow is a restaurant located in Itaewon and I got to grab a quick bite to eat with my co-worker while I was in the area for work.

Ho Lee Chow serves up Chinese-American dishes. These dishes range from sweet and sour pork, General Tso chicken, vegetable fried rice, Szechaun beef, to fried noodles, and lemon chicken. Really, there is just about something for everyone because of the plethora of menu choices. The food at Ho Lee Chow really takes me back to memories of ordering chinese in our hometown of Pennsylvania. Isn’t it funny how the little simple things in life tend to do that sometimes?

Check this out! How helpful is this? I Found the below listing on a Korean message board for people to share information. It’s almost the entire menu! Enjoy!

Ho Lee’s Super Spring Rolls

Ho Lee’s Wings — Original, Spicy, or Honey Garlic
small 5,500 / large 9,900
Ho Lee’s Super Spring Rolls (pork, shrimp, veggies) 5,900
Shrimp Spring Rolls 4,900
Vegetable Spring Rolls 3,900
Ho Lee’s Super Platter (beef and veggies in special sauce) 12,900
Soups

All soups are 3,500 for a bowl or 9,500 for a ‘regular’ size.

Sweet Corn Soup with Crab

Hot & Sour Soup (pork, tofu, mushrooms, hot pepper sauce)
Sweet Corn Soup (choice of chicken or crab)
Wonton Soup (has chicken)
Mushroom Egg Drop Soup (made with chicken broth)
Beef

Ho Lee’s Mongolian Beef 13,900
Beef and Broccoli 14,500
Beef in Oyster Sauce 13,500
Pepper Beef 13,500
Beef with Mixed Vegetables 13,500
Ho Lee’s Szechuan Beef 13,500
Kung Pao Beef 13,900
Chicken

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Ho Lee’s Orange Chicken 12,900
General Tsos Chicken 12,500
Lemon Chicken 12,900
Kung Pao Chicken 12,900
Ginger Chicken 11,900
Sweet and Sour Chicken 11,500
Ho Lee’s Szechuan Chicken 11,000
Pork

Ho Lee’s Spicy Pork Lein 12,500
Sweet and Sour Pork 11,500
Ho Lee’s Favorite Pork 11,900
Pork Ma Po Tofu 12,500
Hot Plates

Ho Lee’s Sizzling Eggplant (choice of chicken or pork) 14,900
Beef Sizzler 14,900
Chicken Sizzler 13,900
Beef Tenderloin 14,900
Shrimp Sizzler 16,900
Seafood

Ho Lee’s Szechuan Special 15,900
Garlic Shrimp 16,900
Kung Pao Shrimp 16,900
Spicy Squid 12,900
Spicy Shrimp 16,900
Vegetables

Chinese Greens in Oyster Sauce 9,900
Chinese Greeens in Garlic Sauce 9,900
Spicy Fried Bean Curd 10,500
Spicy Eggplant 10,900
Vegetable Ma Po Tofu 9,900
Noodles

Ho Lee’s House Special Chow Mein (beef, chicken, shrimp, octopus, veggies) 13,900
Choice of “Special Sauce” or black bean sauce
Ho Lee’s Ho Fun (beef) 13,500
Choice of soya sauce or black bean sauce
Shanghai Style Noodles (vegetarian) 12,900
Chow Mein
Choice of beef (12,900), chicken (11,900), or vegetable (10,900)
Rice

All are made with egg.

Vegetable Fried Rice

Ho Lee’s House Special Fried Rice (chicken, octopus, mushroom) 11,900
Szechuan Fried Rice (shrimp, octopus, peanuts, 짜사이, hot peppers) 10,900
Shrimp Fried Rice 11,500
Beef Fried Rice 10,900
Chicken Fried Rice 10,500
Vegetable Fried Rice 9,900
Steamed Rice 1,000

Lichee in Coconut Milk

Pecan Pie 5,500
Blueberry Cheesecake 5,900
Lichee in Coconut Milk 4,900
New York Style Cheesecake 5,900
Drinks

Refills free on all sodas, coffee, and tea.

The restaurant also has a few set-menu items so you and some friends can all share and enjoy together.

Final verdict…It did the trick! I successfully filled my chinese-american void. Until we meet again Ho Lee Chow, until we meet again.

Directions: Ho Lee Chow is located in various locations around Korea. I have included the address to the Itaewon location because that is the only one I have had a chance to visit.

Itaewon: Exit Itaewon Station through exit 1, go into the Hamilton Hotel and head up to the second floor. FYI: Being located inside of the hotel, this location adds a 10% value-added tax to the bill.
서울시 용산구 이태원동 112-25 Hamilton Hotel 2F
Telephone: 02) 793 0802

Hongdae

2012_05_05 HongdaeMay 4, 2012Photos: 35

I woke up and road the subway for and hour and 30 minutes to a part of Seoul known as Hongdae. Hongdae is where Hongik University is located. Hongik is a private university and is best known for it’s Fine Arts programs. My hair dresser and some other friends suggested that I check the area out sometime because they said it was an area that reminded them a lot of me.

Not sure what an area would be like that was thought of to be like myself, of course I had to check this place out. I asked if a girlfriend of mine would like to join me, eagerly she said yes. We met outside at exit 9 of Line 2’s Hongik University station.

Almost immediately after reaching the top of the stairs from the exit you see that the area has plenty of clubs, restaurants, little shops, cafes, etc. The more you walk the more and more endless options of these places you will see. (Keep your eyes peeled for crazy restaurant and bar names, check out the pictures above…you will see exactly what I mean).

First we checked out the Free Market. No, this isn’t a lost in translation phrase. This free market is an open-air market where independent artist can sell their work. I made sure I did some research before hand so we knew the location and when the market opened.

It didn’t take long for the marketplace to fill up. The vendors stands ranged from jewelry items, hand crafted trinkets, paintings, and just about everything in between. I loved the vibe of this place. The people who recommended this place to me were absolutely correct. The creativity behind some of the items for sale was rather impressive.

There were a zillion things that I could have purchased. However, there was one thing that I couldn’t pass up for my soon to be baby niece. The cutest little cotton knit cap. I snapped a picture of it, I cannot wait to send it to my sister. The women that makes these knit caps allowed me to take a picture of the various types she offered. Get this, even an adult could purchase one of these caps. HEHEHE… What are the odds I could get Mr. B to wear a monkey cap? realistically, zero to none. Funny thought though.

After our Free Market experience we decided to grab a bite to eat. We stumbled upon a placed called Wistera cafe. The address is 405-8, Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul. The outside looked pretty enticing… Sure, why not. The inside was very sleek and decorated with a few bold art pieces. I am assuming maybe a purchase from a local artist? There were three that stuck out that I really liked and would have taken home if I could.

At first I had made my mind up that I wanted a nice fresh salad. However my stomach decided on a brunch dish. There was a little salad and soup included, the food was just divine. The dish consisted of two nice sized fluffy pancakes, a side of strawberry jam, half of a sausage, broccoli cream soup, fruit slices, a small salad drizzled with almonds and balsamic dressing, a slice of pumpkin, sliced potato wedges, and mushrooms. Quite a nice little feast we enjoyed among ourselves.

After brunch we located the Ice Cream shop called Fell + Cole. Well…it wasn’t quite as easy as I stated. We walked around in circles a bit trying to locate the place. I read about Fell + Cole online and was instantly attracted because of all the unique organic flavors that were offered. Im talking flavors like honey lavender, burnt caramel with smoked sea salts, pina colada, orange creamsicle, strawberry red wine with szechuan pepper, jesus juice, and so many others.

After trying a few flavors Katya went for the burnt caramel with smoked sea salts, and I chose to go with some jesus juice. Very refreshing! Oh, and I almost forgot! I went there with a purpose and that was to donate some money to a vegan bake sale with proceeds going towards the International Justice Mission, to abolish human trafficking and sex slavery. I picked up some delicious almond butter cookies made by Mipa an awesome blogger located here in South Korea.

Check out Fell + Cole’s website: http://www.fellncole.com/ Also, do yourself a favor and swing in to try a crazy flavor that fits your fancy. I cannot wait to drag my best friend there when she comes to Korea for a visit!

Okay, back to the rest of the day. Well after we had our full bellies we were ready to tackle some shopping. The wonderful part about Hongdae is that there are tons of teeny boutiques with shoes, clothing, and various accessories. We must have walked into a million of these places. However, I didn’t find anything that I just had to have. I enjoyed checking out the stuff and getting ideas. Katya picked up a few little things for herself.

I really have to say that my girlfriend was such a trooper! Our feet walked for hours around the area. At times I think we crossed over our main paths. What a dear! Thank you again Katya!

After shopping we were both pretty tired, almost five and a half hours had went by while we were wondering all through Hongdae. We headed to the subway hugged and parted our ways for home.

Yikes…looks like we are not the only ones with the idea to head home at this time.

My feet have never been so thankful to be propped up on the ottoman as they are at this very moment.

Good night all!

The Trick Is…

…Eating it without letting it touch your tongue.

Those were the last famous words uttered by some friends at dinner the other night. We decided to give a Korean fried chicken place a try here in Dongducheon. Like cafes, Korea definitely has no shortage of their fried chicken and Hof restaurants. Typically Mr. B and I would have most likely passed up this cuisine and opted for something else Korean. However, we were delightfully surprised and welcomed the change. It’s good to change-up your routine, don’t you agree?

The restaurant we went to was Two Two Fried Chicken. The chicken was incredibly moist. The garlic chicken was very, very garlicky. My cajan chicken salad was excellent. Now, I also must warn that the hot was indeed very, very hot! HAHA! Now I don’t have to explain the title and opening remark to this blog post. All and all, the chicken was mighty tasty.

After dinner we went on the hunt for dessert. We had a few things in our minds of what might work. At last we decided to share the traditional Korean summer treat, pot bing su, or shaved ice with red beans. Folks, don’t knock it until you try it!

Wonderful laughs, good food, great company, and fun new memories! A weeknight doesn’t get much better than that!

Head In The Flowers

2012_04_28 Wondering around SeoulApr 27, 2012Photos: 39

Saturday morning I was out the door before the sun peaked the horizon behind our apartment. I had a train to catch for a hair appointment in Seoul. I could already tell today was going to be a good day. The air was much warmer than most mornings in April.

I couldn’t get over how green everything was from the rain we had over the week. I literally walked around with my head in the flowers. Snapping pictures every few feet. I would have drove Mr. B completely batty. To say I took full advantage of my day alone is an understatement. Days like this are what I live for, why I fell in love with living abroad. I can’t really explain the feeling that comes over me, it’s just a strange comfort. Whatever it is, I hope to always hold on to the feeling within me.

After my appointment I sought out to find the kimchi pot lady and her little shop located near the US Army Yongsan base. I was so proud of myself finding the location on my own, however, the shop was closed! No dice on this plan. You have to know by now that I typically always try to have a plan B in the event of such luck.

Ajoshi, to Insadong! I caught a cab and went to Insadong. Stumbled upon homemade vanilla bean soft serve ice-cream. Found the little somethings that I was looking for and a summer scarf! Mission accomplished.

On my way to locate subway line 1, I found a vegetarian restaurant. I saved the menu you to share with you all. Again, totally taking full advantage of my alone with me time, of course I ate there.

maoz menu

As you can see the restaurant is called Maoz, and I must tell you this was my very first experience with trying a falafel. what’s the verdict? Pretty tasty! For those of you unfamiliar with what a falafel, it’s a deep-fried ball made from ground chickpeas, fava beans, or both. Usually served in a pita bread, which acts as a pocket, or wrapped in a flatbread known as lafa. Maoz served their falafel balls in a nice fresh pita. The best part is after they fry and stuff your pita with the falafel, you head to to the topping bar and create the rest your way. You top with salads, pickled vegetables, hot sauce, and drizzled with tahini-based sauces. MMmmmm!

The only disappointing and confusing part to me is that the menu serves kimchi and bulgogi. I’m not certain but the last time I checked these two foods were not vegetarian friendly? Also, the toppings bar didn’t include a typical eggplant or tahini option. Otherwise, loved it!

After my late lunch I decided it was time to catch the subway back home.

When I got home I decided to check on our patio garden I believe we mentioned it few postings back. It had taken me a little time to find a long window box to grow all our veggies. Finally, after endless searching I gave up, did some improvising, used Mr. b’s handy work, and atlas I had something to work with. I was delighted to see that We now how little sprots poking up. I’ll keep you all posted as our garden continues to grow.

Happy weekending!

Things That Make You Go Hmm…

Sometimes you can’t help but go hmm… when getting out and about in South Korea.

Today, I had the chance to get out of the office for lunch with a darling girlfriend of mine.
We decided to give a place called New Chinese Kitchen a try.

The atmosphere was cozy and fun!

Plus, we made it in after the lunch rush so we had the entire place to ourselves. (Perfect for plenty of our girly giggles, and goofy pictures!)

The views of New City – Jihang’s tucked away streets aren’t too shabby either!

The owner’s sweet wife waited on us and was practicing her English skills. We asked what the best dish was and she was super excited to tell us various things about the menu and her husband the chef.

We perused the menu…

and a few things just made us sit there and go hmm…

After helping the owners review a text message she was composing to her son’s English teacher, we ordered our lunch.

We opted for Set A. Not entirely knowing what Set included…Hmm…however, we knew it included some green people and that in itself is pretty exciting, right?! When you travel around South Korea you will quickly learn that sometimes when things are translated from Korean to English they just don’t quite make sense.

Our lunch came out hot and prompt. We were totally digging this place for a meal switch up.

Hot loose leaf jasmine tea
A sweet cabbage
Shredded kimchi with a bit of a spicy kick
Crab meat soup
Sweet and sour beef
Noodles topped with seafood black bean sauce
Spring rolls
Green people with beef noodles
Desert -sliced up fruit

I know I sparked your interest with the green people dish and now want to know what exactly it is. Well, first we must say that the dish was rather tasty. It was green peppers and beef noodles with a side of two steamed buns.

After lunch we decided to swing by Dunkin Doughnuts for a sweet treat.

Hmm…decisions…decisions…Chewisty or a cheese pizza Special D (that had ham and cheese on it?)…What exactly is a chewisty? It turns out like the green people dish, it’s rather tasty too. A Chewisty is 8 small rice flour donuts bonded together into a ring.

If you ever find yourself strolling around the Dongducheon area with a hankering for some Chinese food, I’ve included the New Chinese Kitchen Menu just for you. The restaurant is located on the second floor above 7 Gram Coffee Cafe. Enjoy!

Happy Weekend!

Happy Easter (and Passover) Weekend!

Here’s to hopping your weekend was filled with sunshine,

beautiful new blooms,

yummy food,

and love. <3xoxo the Bees

Directions to Suji's - Take subway line #6 and get off at NOKSAPYUNG STATION, Stop 629, Exit #3. Located on the right corner as you enter Itaewon - From Exit 3, walk to the pedestrian crossing light, cross the street, turn right. Suji's is just a few feet from the corner. Look for the menu-board on the sidewalk. Suji's is on the 2nd Floor of the building)

Scenes From The Weekend

Whew! Weekend recap…. Sitting here with a nice cup of tea (complements to our friend Katya and her mother for sharing her garden herbs) and enjoying a tasty piece of toast with strawberry jam.

Rainy Friday, snow squall Saturday, and a Sunny but windy Sunday…

2012_03_24_Weekend FunMar 18, 2012Photos: 22

What are the Bees to do with themselves when their original plans fell to the wayside because of mother nature’s indecisiveness?

Well, of course we just don’t let it get us down! Ha, that’s right! (Enter in a judo-chop) Take that mother nature! 😉

We celebrated our good friends birthday this weekend with dinner and drinks at Zelens (Bulgarian cuisine). We walked around Itaewon, where they showed us a hidden little gem called the Hidden Address (no pun intended). The Hidden Address is a vintage shop with a little coffee shop too. It really is a hidden address, located off the beaten path of the main street flowing through Itaewon. We loved it! Everything from the look of the building on the outside to the clean style inside called out to us. Thanks for sharing with us guys!

Our group

Our group

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Throw in a morning waking up and seeing snow on the mountain! Yes! Snow! Comeeee on paaaallleeeaaasseee! Where is Spring?! The grandparents told us it’s been in the 80’s (and don’t forget this is central PA we are talking about).

Back at our place, we met up with some more of our friends this weekend and filled our bellies with some Budae jjigae. We couldn’t not think of anything more perfect to eat with the craziness of the weather. (Double negative-our high school english teacher’s ears are currently burning). The soup was awesome! However be prepared to smell like garlic the rest of the day. It worked out well for us Bees, we both smelled pretty ripe, however we smelled ripe together so it didn’t matter. If you remember from an earlier post Mrs. B ate Budae Jjigae in Uijeongbu, where the soup is pretty famous. This soup is MMmmmmm Mmmmm good!

I hope your weekend was as great as ours!