Category Archives: Sit-Down Dining

Picnicking in Paris

I remember the moment we were driving into the city from the airport and I was getting glimpses of the Iron lady standing proudly as we zipped off to our hotel. I started to get teary eyed because I couldn’t believe that moment was real, I was seeing the Eiffel tower in person!! Lol then I noticed the big ball hanging from the center of the tower for the French open. (Mr. B the comedian refers to this ball as the “truck nuts”.) Regardless those glimpses were so enchanting!

The morning of our anniversary we woke up and enjoyed drinks at a local sidewalk cafe. It was lovely just taking our time, enjoying the perfect springy weather with no real rush in our schedule.

From there we leisurely strolled to the Eiffel Tower to purchase our tickets and climb up the steps. Luckily we went early enough there was essentially no line, nor wait. Tip: If you can, take the steps! It’s an awesome workout to all the French food you know you’ve been pounding during your stay, the views are just incredible, plus you can save a few euros too!

We ascended up until we couldn’t anymore. From that point we took an elevator, got out looked around on the first observation deck, than took another elevator to the very top. When the elevator doors opened, I think I recall having to pick up my mouth up from the floor. Again…. These views! Magical!!

After our crazy hike up the tower, we strolled to a near by market and grabbed some goodies (Baguette, wine and macaroons)for a picnic to continue with the celebration of our wedding anniversary. I come from a long family history of picnickers. In fact, my grandmother would put together what I remember as a little girl, some rather lavished picnics and tea parties. So you can say there is something about a picnic that just makes my heart happy. I knew as cheesy as it might sound, when we were going to Paris, we had to picnic under the Eiffel!

Looking at these pictures again takes me away and makes me feel like it was only yesterday that I was lying under the tower on a beautiful spring day enjoying a delicious picnic at the Parc du Champs de Mars (Park of the Field of Mars) with the Man of my dreams. Someone please pinch me, I need to snap back to reality….

Later that evening after dinner we made it a point to stroll back to the park near the tower, watch the sunset and catch the evening show of the tower sparkling. We snagged a park bench to ourselves, people watched, avoided eye contact with the wine and selfie-stick peddlers, and enjoyed just being in that very moment together. Cheers Mr. B!

Website: Eiffel Tower
Cost: Here
Schedule:
from 9 a.m. to midnight from mid-June to early September,
from 9:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. during the rest of the year,
At Easter weekend and during the Spring holidays extended opening hours to midnight.

Cooking Class in Paris, France

June 3, 2015
French Market Cooking Class – Marché Monge Paris
Location: la cuisine, 80 Quai de l’Hôtel de ville, 75004 Paris, France
(for best HD viewing click gear icon and select 4k resolution)

[youtube=https://youtu.be/RwBbpD5ex_I&w=600&rel=0&vq=hd1080&search=1]

To me France is thee epicenter of learning and applying gourmet and classic culinary technique. Like past adventures to new destinations, we researched and enrolled ourselves in a French cooking course through La Cuisine Paris. I cannot explain to you how excited I was to have the opportunity to take this class in Paris, France!

Once we found the school online, an even harder decision had to be made… What exactly did we want to learn? There was macarons, traditional breakfast pastries, classic French pastries and desserts, French gourmet dinner, a marketplace tour and cooking course, French tartes, French Baguettes and ‘Boulangerie’, Le Soufflé Déjeuner, classic French sauce, and so much more! See what I mean? Decisions, decisions. Staying true to form and our awesome experiences from past classes, we decided on the marketplace tour and cooking course.

We left our hotel and ventured to met up with our group at 9:30 AM just outside of Metro Station ‘Place Monge’ on metro line 7. We slowly started to introduce ourselves to one another; little by little new faces joined us. It was really interesting because we were such a diverse group from all over the world, very different occupations and stages in our lives, but with the same passion and desire to learn and create something new in the kitchen. About that time Chef Diane casually strolled up to our group and we could sense this was going to be an outstanding time. She had such a positive energy, a big smile, and personality that made you feel like you had been friends for years and years. This type of job was her glove and she wore it the best way possible. I think in that very moment I realized I desperately wanted her job too. It’s funny how long it can take a person to realize just how lost they might have become, how much of their creativity and life had become so gray until they get awarded these little opportunity to experience these life changing moments.

Chef Diane’s instructions were clear and she was very accommodating. She asked the group for any allergy or food aversions such as a lactose or gluten intolerance before we jumped into shopping at the Marché Monge Market. She gave plenty of individualized and group attention the entire time we were with her. She was incredibly knowledgeable about her ingredients, the marketplace, and the explaining French cuisine. She provided us with helpful little tips and advice on what to buy, what foods will pair well, as well as things you should avoid when cooking. It was awesome and we were absolutely drinking the culinary Kool-aid.

Together we shopped in the market at the produce, fromage (cheese), and butcher stands. We learned more about Frances organic food movement. In the U.S. the government labels “organic” as USDA Certified Organic, however in Europe the government labels organic products as “AB,” standing for Agricultural Biologique. France also uses labels for local agricultural shown as BioCert. She went on to explain that any thing marked organic will have at least one of these labels and MUST have at a minimum 95% organic ingredients, also no genetic modifications. Seriously?! What and why are we going around and around with food labeling in the U.S.?!

Once we left the market, we visited a nearby bakery, le Boulanger de Monge, where Chef Diane explained how France doesn’t really have a gluten problem. Again seriously?! In fact she explained that Most U.S. wheat flour contains potassium bromate to aid in the rising process. European wheat does not contain this additive. Perhaps this is a link to our gluten problems? She went on explaining that the sign out front of this bakery indicates that bakers are baking the breads daily on site and using only organic flour. This bakery was a heavenly place and of course was well-known through Chef David Lebovitz pastry app.

We departed the bakery and headed for the subway. La Cuisine Paris pre-purchased our group’s metro tickets to get back to the cooking school from the market area. A few short stops away we arrived at the school. We were immediately greeted and welcomed inside by other staff. (One of the staff was Korean and very kind reminiscing about Korean food with us. Hello again!) We were invited to sit, relax, and chat while enjoying tea and French press coffee as they prepped the workspace upstairs.

After we all finished our tea and coffee Chef Diane was ready for us to get to work. She provided us all with some of the recipes we’d be making, as well as some direction as to what each person in the class could start on. Everyone did a different task to prep for one of the three courses we were going to enjoy after we were done.

During the cooking class, our group learned some simple, yet amazingly helpful kitchen techniques, such as the best and easiest way to cut onions, safety with your knife and cutting board (how obvious it is to put a wet paper-towel under it… yet so many of us don’t think to actually do it?) We were all mesmerizing by her ability to maintain such an acute attention to detail, yet multi-task and guide us all on various cooking parts to our shared meal.

Our favorite dish to prepare and eat was the duck breast. It was just spectacular so mouth-watering and now has us searching how to get duck breast in Korea to recreate. We topped the breast with a nice sweet and tangy soy sauce. Also the toothsome salad was so simple and fresh with the incredibly flavorful French nectarine and two types of goat cheese. And for the desserts, three tiny treats of beguiling and seductiveness. Quite the luscious indulgence to complete our fantastic meal. Oh, yes you did notice that there is an “s” at the end of that (desserts)… Moelleux au chocolat, Creme Caramel, and Tuile aux Amandes done two ways, pistachio and poppy-seed. I suppose you can say we had a nice little sampler going on. You know me by now, a tad obsessive with sweets, I certainly wasn’t complaining, nor opposing.

We learned the importance of presentation and staging the plate before serving. How do you think we did?

Everything was almost ready, we patiently awaited the last dish to come out of the oven. We then individually plated our masterpieces and sat down at a big table with our group, poured wine and toasted one another, and ate every single tasty morsel! The group was almost silent relishing that meal and that very moment. I yearn to rewind time and taste the food and that moment again.

We cannot recommend the class highly enough! We had the very best time and wished we had more time to take a few more classes. We hope that this post enlightened and informed you and now when you find yourself in France, you will sign up for a class too. (If you do please let us know because we’d love to hear what you thought.)

La Cuisine Paris

ADDRESS: 80 Quai de l’Hôtel de ville, 75004 Paris, France

WEBSITE: Here

YELP REVIEWS: Here

Gastronomic Journey in Paris

As I stated earlier we were on a gastronomic journey while we vacationed in Paris. We couldn’t wait to get our hands on fresh bread, real cheese, and a new selection of wine. I’d be kidding you if I said that I didn’t spend a large amount of time researching where we should go and eat. You saw the books, I am hardcore and thorough when it comes to my meals. I started to become a teeny bit overwhelmed by all of the choices we had. Finally after I had made out a crazy long list of where we’d go, I asked Mr. B if he’d mind just winging it when we reached Paris. Mr. B of course was up for anything and reminded me that this was again a vacation, no need to get so wrapped up in the details. (LOVE THIS MAN!)

The best advice we can give is when you go to Paris is just explore! Let your eyes and nose lead you to your next meal.

One major difference we noticed was that the entrée is a starter in France, something we call appetizers. The main course is called the plat principal, or just the plat. Dessert is of course, dessert (THEE most important thing one to know wherever you travel).

If you are curious, we will share just a few of the restaurants we frequented/ I had my camera along during our trip below. These restaurants are in no particular order. Each place was lovely, incredibly delicious, with wonderfully attentive staff making our dining experiences in France an absolute delight.

Swoonnnn… reminiscing about these places still is making my heart flutter and my stomach roar!

1. Le 7ème Vin
ADDRESS: 68 avenue Bosquet 75007 Paris, France
YELP REVIEWS: HERE

We checked into our hotel and after getting settled in we asked the front desk if they had a recommendation within walking distance. This was the place they sent us to. When we think of a cozy French restaurant this is the place that will always come to our minds. There are only about 10-13 tables inside. The place always seems busy with not only travelers like ourselves, but locals too. Upon entering we were immediately greeted and welcomed to a table. The menu is presented on handwritten chalkboards. It was fun to watch the staff move them around to anyone new that came in. The food was excellent! We ordered the rack of lamb with thyme. The dish was evenly cooked from edge to center, absolutely beautiful, tender, Ooooh so melt-in-your-mouth perfection. Thank you for setting the bar with our first meal in France.

2. Le Progrès
ADDRESS: 7 rue des Trois Frères 75018 Paris, France
YELP REVIEWS: HERE

After our five mile hike up and to the Sacre Coeur we popped in for a bite to eat. We sat outside enjoying the perfect views of Montmartre. The waitress was helpful with recommendations from the lunch board. The gazpacho and goat cheese Apéritifs are outstanding here, steaks were a bit overdone even after ordering them rare, and the french-fries were perfectly crisp and non-oily. All and all not a bad choice when in the area.

3. Ladurée
ADDRESS: 16 rue Royale 75008 Paris, France
YELP REVIEWS: HERE

I’m obsessed with macarons and now unfortunately for my husband… he is too. (SORRY) These macarons were worth every single penny when you want quality that’s outstanding with each and every bite. They had the perfect combination of texture and taste. Crispy, chewy and creamy! The staff were so helpful and kind making the entire experience that much more special for us. Go big and splurge with trying a box of all the flavors assorted. (YEP, WE DID).

4. Kozy Salon Urbain
ADDRESS: 79 ave Bosquet 75007 Paris, France
YELP REVIEWS: HERE

We ~~enjoy~~ ADORE our coffee in the mornings so we were delighted to find a great little cafe to serve as our home away from home. The owner was incredibly helpful and explained that we could help ourselves with a plate and pick out anything that we liked while he made our coffee and cappuccino order. We felt really comfortable while we sipped on our coffee and nibbled our pastries. This cafe has free wi-fi too!

5. Crêperie du Cloître
ADDRESS: 14 rue Cloître Notre Dame 75004 Paris, France
YELP REVIEWS: HERE

As the old saying goes, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do…. Sooo because we’re in Paris and not Rome…A nutella crepe is a must do! We stopped in for a quick bite to eat after we did the Notre-Dame Cathedral. Everything was fast, service was friendly, and before we knew it our piping hot onion coup, croque Monsieur were just want we needed to keep going with our walk all over the city.

6. Gusto Italia
ADDRESS: 199 rue de Grenelle 75007 Paris, France
YELP REVIEWS: HERE

We couldn’t help ourselves! We know we should have been taking full advantage of the fact we were in France, but our nose and belly told us we NEEDED to go here. Everyday when walking by this place had the most incredible aromas wafting out onto the streets. AH! The appetizer plate with a tasting of pickled/ sauteed veggies and breads, outstanding. We ordered a pizza and also the ravioli’s based on others recommendations. The food and service were of this world! Make sure to grab dessert too! We ordered tiramisu and were blown away! Yelp recommendations were spot on!

7. La Boulangerie des Invalides-Jocteur
ADDRESS: 14 ave Villars 75007 Paris, France
YELP REVIEWS: HERE

We grabbed our breakfast sipped our cappuccino and Americano and sat outside watching the world go by. Excellent pastries and breads! Truly not a place to miss while you are in the area. I instantly fell in love with the quaintness this bakery boasted…I mean they have pink walls! The staff were friendly, patient, and very helpful with pronunciation of each item we ordered. (HEY! we certainly tried) We ordered a praline brioche, bichon framboise, and took a baguette to go. (ORDER THE BICHON FRAMBOISE!)

8. La Terrasse du 7eme
ADDRESS: 2 place Ecole Militaire 75007 Paris, France
YELP REVIEWS: HERE

Convenient location just outside the Ecole Militaire Metro exit. Perfect sidewalk cafe for a late night meal or snack. We sat outside enjoying our escargot and sipped on a nice bottle of wine. Did we happen to mention we REALLY enjoyed the escargot??

9.Café de Mars
ADDRESS: 11 rue Augereau 75007 Paris, France
YELP REVIEWS: HERE

WOW! It’s hard to even begin to put into words how excellent this meal was. We were incredibly pleased with everything from the service, to the wine, to the meal. A must go if you’re in the area! If you get the chance order Terrine de lapin confit, salade de carottes roses pistachio, saumon, asperges, sucrines, verveine, Filet de bœuf en croûte, Goat cheese cake with blueberries gateau au chocolat du pasteur ! WOWWWWW!!

10. Terres de Café
ADDRESS: 33 rue des Batignolles 75017 Paris, France
YELP REVIEWS: HERE

A teeny tiny little coffee cafe that serves excellent cappuccinos and flat whites. When we travel we are always on the hunt for the perfect beans and most enjoyable cups of jo. This place met the criteria. Make sure to carry cash with you if stopping by, as the barista will only let you use your card if you’ve got an order over a certain total. Sit outside the cafe sipping your drinks, savoring your slice of carrot/ banana bread, and people watch before getting along to start your day.

11. Au Petit Sud Ouest
ADDRESS: 46 ave de la Bourdonnais 75007 Paris, France
YELP REVIEWS: HERE

It was so nice we had to go twice! We really wanted to find a decent restaurant that foie gras while in France and out of pure luck we struck gold! We have no idea how anyone could rate Au Petit Sud Ouest anything less than 5 stars. You will meet and see both the husband and wife owners as they passionately serve food and speak with their customers. We were very luck to get a table the first time without a reservation. Do yourself a favor and make a reservation because they are always very busy. Each table has it’s own toaster so that you can toast your outstanding hearty slices of bread. From the two nights that we visited we ordered, Seared duck fois gras over apples, duck in orange sauce, Foie gras 3 ways, We also had the duck breast with mushrooms and potatoes served rare, duck cooked with green pepper corn, Trio of creme brûlée, pear sorbet. When the owner tells you that the potions are rather large…. believe her… because they are! If you order anything, order the foie gras 3 ways, or the seared fois gras over apples, they two dishes will just melt in your mouth. Now to find a place in Korea…

UN DEUX TROIS Brasserie (Itaewon)

Cherry blossoms, or fleurs de cerisiers as they would say in French, have been making their perfect pink appearance the past few days in South Korea. Since living here it has been one of the many beautiful things I eagerly look forward to each spring.

Speaking of all things French…I recently took one of those silly Facebook quizzes (you know the ones that secretly gather all of your personal information) and it indicated Paris was the perfect city for us! HA-HA… ttttthhhhanks Facebook, I could have told you that years and years ago. Ever since I was a little girl I have been enchanted by French culture and cuisine.

If you recall from my prior post, we ended our meatless month of March and wanted to celebrate with a feast, something extra special… French cuisine! I spent the entire month of March lusting after the thought of this dinner and it was finally here! So Saturday evening we joined our good friends at UN DEUX TROIS Brasserie for dinner. It was absolutely delightful! We said cheers to some recent job related news for the two of them, but little did we know that we’d be saying an even bigger cheers by the end of the meal. (More on that later)

The reservations were made for 6PM and due to the heavy Seoul weekend/ holiday traffic, we all were running a tad bit late. Luckily the staff were kind and very understanding and there was no issue made. On that note, we do highly recommend making a reservation because as the sun began to set the crowd grew. When we did eventually arrive, we were instantly greeted by the friendly staff and immediately taken to our table. As we walked through the restaurant, I felt like I was in a daydream being whisked through a genuine French brasserie with the decor of small hexagonal white floor tiles and the glow of the tiny white candles arranged on the sleek black furniture. EEK! I swoon for this black and white Parisian style!

We ordered the following and enjoyed tasting one another’s meals as if we were food critiques. I think we made the chef somewhat nervous as he peered out from the open kitchen, watching us savoring each bite, discussing the flavors, insisting that one another try another bite from this section, now this section of the plate. Our many compliments to the chef and kitchen staff as well.

(MAGRET DE CANARD- roasted organic local duck breast from Yeong-Am, orange brine, potato dauphinois 장시간 조리한 영암산 유기농 오리 가슴살 요리 (한국) )

(POTATO DAUPHINOIS)

( ESCARGOTS DE BOURGOGNE AU BEURRE D’AIL escargot in garlic butter – 갈릭버터가 곁들여진 부르고뉴 스타일 달팽이 요리 (프랑스)

(TRUFFÉ BURGER -foie gras, gruyere cheese, truffle mayonnaise and caramelized onions with french fries 거위간 푸아그라 (프랑스) 그뤼에르 치즈, 송로버섯 마요네즈, 카라멜라이즈드 양파가 어우러진 버거와 프렌치 프라이 (미국)

(LAMB ROASTED WITH VARIOUS HERBS)

(“L’OMELETTE NORVEGIENNE” FLAMBÉE AU GRAND MARNIER -baked alaska with vanilla and chocolate ice cream, genoise sponge cake, covered with meringue, finished with grand marnier liqueur flambé 그랑 마니에르로 플랑베한 “베이크 알라스카” )

(VERRINE DE MASCARPONE ET POMME CARAMEL, FEUILLETINE -apple and mascarpone cream trifle, butterscotch and feuilletine flakes 바삭한 크레페 조각과 버터스카치를 곁들인 사과와 마스카르포네)

(HOUSE SPECIAL ALMOND PIE A LA MODE )

Final verdict on the food is…Everything we ate for the most part was fresh, tasty, rich, sophisticated and complex. When are we going back again?! My vote is sometime in late spring, early summer (got that Mr. B?). I keep picturing us dining on the terrace in the evening, with our glass of wine in hand as we watch the world go by. My expectation for this place far exceeded what I even imagined. Overall a wonderful experience and well worth a dining splurged!

I left you guys sort of on a cliffhanger above, I apologize. I think this will make up for it…

YEP! He liked it so much he put a ring on it! (couldn’t help myself)

Seriously….Just by looking at these two, it’s easy to see they’re nuts over each other, since he can’t seem to a keep that gigantic smile off his face when his eyes are on her. Her eyes always have this twinkle when he pulls her in close; honestly, it’s that romantic movie look you that you rarely see in person. The two of them are perfect together and we are so pleased that they found one another. CHEERS (see I told you more to cheers)! I’m not going to spoil the thunder of the engagement details, you will need to ask the happy couple to be. Congratulations guys!

Directions:

Address: 123 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/123Brasserie
Website: http://brasserie123.com

Wednesday Weekday Update

Well hello again and welcome back! I hate to ask, but how’s the weather been where you live? Here? Oh, here it’s been rather mild, we’ve been pretty lucky. Some of the local expats married to Koreans tell me that the last snow we had recently is like the same representation of punxsutawney Phil (the groundhog) in the states. I’m not sure if it’s really true, or even makes sense…but…who am I to question it? Eh, I’ll go with it.

Enough weather chatter let’s get down to the important stuff. You know like what have you been eating these days? Salads? Soups? Meat stuffed with more meat? Inquiring minds want to know!

I’d love to say that lately we’ve been eating less sugar and sweets, walking more, traveling more, but then I’d be lying, LOL. You know we love a good dessert, the yellow dust has been creeping in lately from China and messing with our walks, travel, nope there hasn’t been any traveling to update you on. Wamp-wamp.

We have however been reading lots of books recently, which isn’t the most typical for both of us, but Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly been a favorite! Also, I’ve recently discovered podcast on ITunes. Seriously?! How did I miss the boat on this one? Stuff you Missed in History Class, Freakonomics, The Sporkful. If you didn’t know, you’re welcome too.

We have however decided to go meatless for the entire month of March. Yep, you read it here first folks…Bees have went vegetarian! Be prepared if you cross our paths and we go caveman on you. How’s the saying go? I’m sorry for what I said when I was hungry? Ha-Ha! Something like that, right? Just kidding, it’s not that extreme for us. We honestly don’t consume a ton of meat To begin with.

We’ve got two exceptions to our month of meatless March. One is that we sorta kinda scheduled a supper club already and can’t force all of our guest to only consume vegetarian…wait…or could we? Kidding! Don’t worry Mandy, there will be bacon! The other is that we will still consume fish. I think that technically makes us Pescetarian, but who’s labeling here?

We kicked off our very last day in February with our final meat filled meal in Itaewon at Linus BBQ. This place has a MASH tent and vibe going on, what’s not to love about that? I forgot my camera, but Mr. B had me covered with iPhone photos of the meal. Someone recently said that if you don’t take a photo of your meals, it didn’t really happen. So here we go…because….this.really.happened. (And we already crave more) make sure to show up early to get a table and due to popular demand they might run out of whatever you and your belly craves.

After we finished our meal, I made sure to shoot Linus a message. “Just wanted to send a quick thank you. We had an outstanding dinner tonight at your restaurant. Your staff was super quick and very attentive. The food….wow…I’m not even sure how to even begin to describe the deliciousness. We were instantly swept on a daydream back to our hometown in Pennsylvania with the sides of baked mac and cheese, coleslaw and baked beans. The meat brought back so many memories of our travels in the deep South. epic. It had the perfect balance of juiciness, smoke flavor and season. Well done! We will absolutely tell our friends and continue to come back for more when we get down to Seoul. Thanks again Linus.”

There wasn’t any korean fusion in the food, just flat-out good Southern BBQ. It’s sure to cure any homesickness you may be feeling, or in our case celebrate and kickoff a months worth of being meat free. Ps: wait until you see what we’ve decided on when we end our month!

Next, let’s talk live culture, probiotic to be exact. I’ve got a mini science lab brewing between my fridge and countertops. I’ve been lucky enough to come across milk kefir grains gifted from a sweet friend that is just as passionate about cooking, eating, nutrition and just plain food! Have you ever heard of Kefir, or maybe you make them as well? Tips are always welcomed. These guys are a powerhouse of goodness and I’ve been throwing it into our morning breakfast smoothies. YUM!

Off to bed, goodnight all!

Click, Ship & treat yourself!

Linus BBQ: on Itaewon Street locate McDonald’s and take the staircase to the left downs keeping straight in the underground shopping area until you come to a glass door. On the other side of the door you will find The restaurant.

Address: 서울시 용산구 이태원동 56-20 지하상가
Yongsan-gu, Itaewon-dong 56-20 B1
Seoul, South Korea
PHone: 02-790-2920
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LinusBbq

Celebration Calls For Afternoon Tea

This morning, Christmas eve, I attended a graduation and certificate ceremony for my dear friend at Le Cordon Bleu (French for “The Blue Ribbon”) culinary school located in Seoul. What an honor to be invited and partake in such a monumental moment in someone’s life. Not to mention a dream of my own…swoon…

As you may know already, there are some rather distinct differences when it comes to comparisons between S.Korea and the US. I now can also safely say that a graduation ceremony is another difference in my life experience book as well. The ceremony while very nice, had some distractions occurring.

…Eh, heck why not, I’ll share some of the humor with you all…while I carefully tried to concentrate and make out some of the words being said in both French and Korean, I was sitting beside a Korean man who was obviously very proud of his family member, so much so that right after his family member walked off the stage he decided he immediately needed to put together a video montage with songs right on the spot (I’m talking no ear buds, full on sound for all to hear around him). Then after said Korean man was happy with his masterpiece, I thought I was in the clear, silly me….two elderly Korean woman to my left decided to sit down and have a very loud conversation and pay no mind to the ceremony, or anyone sitting around them. I really don’t believe that they looked up at the stage once. I pondered if they even knew anyone there and perhaps maybe had come for the free food afterwards? Hey, no judgement ladies… no judgement. For future events try to keep it down a bit please? Thanks.

Anyways, the ceremony was beautiful in book, even with said distractions. I was beaming from ear to ear with a huge permi-smile for my friend and her incredible accomplishment! I think I told her about 50 times that afternoon how proud I was of her and how much of an inspiration she was to me. She really is, more than I think she will ever know!

Onward to the celebration afterwards. Let’s talk food shall we?

No, wait.. even better shall we look at amazing photos of the food that the Le Cordon Bleu Chefs prepared for the graduation ceremony? Yes, I think we shall…

After the ceremony and the light tasting event, we headed onto our own celebration at Shilla Hotel, also located in Seoul, for afternoon tea.

There is no need to make reservations and the afternoon tea is held in the Library Bar and Lounge of the hotel. The Afternoon Tea Set starts at 46,000 KRW and there is an option to upgrade and add a glass of champagne for the set price of 68,000 KRW.

First we were seated and asked to select our tea choices. Because our group was rather large, we ordered various teas. The tea selection is plentiful and I immediately fell in love with TWG’s White House tea. I know, I know…Perfect pick for the American! But really, the tea was a delightful white tea. It was described as, “delicately fruity with overtones of ripe, red berries and a scattering of rare and fragrant rose petals.”

I was blown away by the tea set that came out! It was impressive and perfectly plated for presentation. A wonderful section of various pastries, hot scones, sweets and beautifully sliced tea sandwiches. The afternoon Tea set also includes a selection from the cake cart. Our group chose a gorgeous slice of chocolate cake (and that says a lot coming from a non-chocolate lover)!

I cannot wait to go take a few friends back and share the experience.

I Highly recommend the afternoon tea and by the way, don’t forget pinkies up!

Directions:

Le Cordon Bleu
Website: Here

The Shilla Seoul Hotel – The Library Bar and Lounge
249 Dongho-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Summer Saunter

Keeping with the same mantra, determined to squeeze every ounce of summer out of the season, I met up with Kelsey in Seoul early Saturday morning. Of course it was drizzling on again, off again. You know the rain that makes you feeling like someone is constantly misting you? Yep, that was the type. We had umbrellas so we didn’t let it spoil our plans or fun.

We started out by treating ourselves with a pedicure. We both struggled not to fall asleep in the chairs and thought maybe, just maybe, this should have been the final stop of our adventure? LOL! (I know what you are thinking right about now…life is hard,right?)

With our freshly painted tootsies, we headed to an area near Insadong that I wanted to share with Kelsey. I adore the Bukchon Village area, it has lots of sparkle and tons of areas for her to snap photos of the city.

The first stop was at Brick and Wood. This is a ridiculously charming brunch, lunch or dinner spot! I stumbled upon the place the last time that I took a quiet saunter with Mary while in the area. I had only went into the bakery last time and knew just from that I needed to get back to enjoy the restaurant too.

The space is rustic yet has a fun modern flair with its old wooden floors and it’s open, airy, exposed brick and concrete walls. The kitchen is out in the open and made us feel like they were preparing private dishes just for us. I love nothing more than to take a peek on how chefs are preparing dishes and the techniques they are using.

We hit the Bukchon Hanok Village area at a perfect time! The rain kept the large crowds tamed. We strolled casually all over, checking out tiny little boutiques, stopping to smell flowers, making friends with two handsome pups and their British owner, admiring the views, people watching, and of course enjoying green tea potbingsu at the Café Terrace.

(See the couple below?) They were the sweetest couple attempting to take a selfie under the we are young graffiti, so we offered to take the photo for them. They were so pleased with the offer they insisted on taking our photo too! Kelsey and I were swooning over the couples cuteness because we could tell they were just newly dating.

Saved some of the best for last. Yum! Green tea and watermelon who would have thought?

Addresses:

Brick & Wood Restaurant & Bakery
Locations and website here.

Bukchon Hanok Village (북촌한옥마을)
Check out more here.

Kuala Lumpur Day 5

Gosh dangit already on Day 5 of the Memorial Day getaway. Well, we trucked around center city Kuala Lumpur on our last day with Luis. We checked out Brickfields also known as Little India, China Town or known as peddlers ally, and the Central Market.

We ate the local eats, such as durian fruit (AKA hot trash) and ais kacang or known as ABC (acronym for Air Batu Campur, literally meaning “mixed ice”). The ABC reminded me of S.Korea’s potbingsoo but cracked out. There was so much on this thing my mouth was totally confused by all of the textures and flavors that were going on inside of it. I am talking about crazy flavors like palm seed, red beans, sweet corn, grass jelly and cubes of agar agar, aloe vera, cendol, ice cream. A final topping of evaporated milk, condensed milk, or coconut milk drizzled over the mountain of ice along with red rose syrup and sarsi syrup.

Perhaps I am bias, but I will always hold such a dear spot for our beloved original potbingsoo. It’s good to be back in the graces of Potbingsoo’s again. Cheers!

Many thanks to you Luis and showing us your Malaysia. It was a dream!

Curious, would you dare to try the local eats such as local eats, such as durian fruit or ABC?

Early Signs of Spring

This past weekend, we met up with Mr. B’s cousin Kelsey to celebrate her birthday and a group of our friends that are shortly departing South Korea, for a day of all play in the magical city of Seoul. What is it about that city? You know, it’s really hard to put into thoughts and words and I feel that the photos just never do it justice so I always yearn to go back every chance I get. Despite the typical haze, the weather was gorgeous and it was as if Spring unexpectedly surfaced just for us for the day.

Ah! the history, the food, the massive building structures, and the seemingly endless panoramic views from Namsan mountain’s Seoul Tower. Don’t just take my word for it, enjoy some of my favorite moments captured below why don’t you…

We started the day early with our daily dose of protein, fresh milkshakes, and perfectly crisp french-fries at Brooklyn Burger. Our friends found this restaurant and immediately decided this needed to be included on our next adventure. The arteries might be clogged, but the rave reviews truly didn’t disappoint! Even baby Jilly bean approved as she tasted my peanut butter banana milkshake. Then again who doesn’t trust a place that features a photo of Ice Cube on ice machine?

PS: Get to Brooklyn Burger early and get your name on the waiting list. The restaurant only has about 5 tables and it doesn’t take long until the place gets a crowd.

We then walked around the French district, Seorae Village. We checked out a few little gift stores in the area and of course made a stop by Paris Croissant and picked up some handmade chocolat and macarons. I was absolutely in my element. I learned that although Paris Croissant is a chain bakery, this location was the only in South Korea that uses true French flour. Oh! the aroma…As soon as we crossed the entryway the amazing aroma of freshly baked breads and pastries filled the air. The space was beautiful with a grand staircase that lead down to the basement where you could shop for incredible cakes, French cheeses, wine, macarons and chocolat. If you went up the staircase from the main floor, you could eat the goodies purchased from the main floor or basement, or continue up the staircase to the Café. I found myself stopping on the staircase watching the bakers as they prepped the counter space for another batch of bread. I was in a trance as they kneaded and rolled. I then realized that everyone had already left and was waiting for me outside. I snapped a few more photos and jetted out the door. à bientôt as ah bee-ahn-too!

(I’m loving the photo bomb of Kelsey’s kimchi fingers)

After our shortly lived trip to “Paris” we hailed a cab and headed over to Namsan mountain to take the cable car up to Seoul Tower. Unfortunately a lot of other people had the same thoughts as us and the lines were a bit out of control. Nonetheless, we eventually made it as the sun was starting to set. We walked around a bit, checked out the views both from the observatory and from the restrooms. LOL yes… the restrooms.

After we took the cable car back down the mountain we hailed another cab and headed for our predetermined sushi house dinner. You know when we come to Seoul sushi is almost mandatory, few exceptions.

Sunday morning we all slept in, truly it was needed after the long fun-filled Saturday we had. It was another beautiful spring like day so we took a walk to show Kelsey around our little neighborhood. To continue on with celebrating Kelsey’s birthday we went to Dino meats, previously featured on the blog, introduced Kelsey to various cuts of meat, followed up by a birthday potbingsu. A perfect ending to an absolutely perfect weekend!

Happy birthday dear Kelsey! We are over the moon your here and we got to celebrate your special day with you!

Brooklyn Burgers:
551-32 Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu.
02-533-7180

Paris Croissant:
Address: 95-9 Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu
Telephone: 02-3478-9139
Hours: 7am – 11pm

Namsan Cable Car:
Fare: Round-trip: 6,300 won, One-way: 4,800 won
Hours: 10:00~22:30
83, Sopa-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul
서울특별시 중구 소파로 83 (회현동1가)

Assimilating

I’ve written some time ago just how difficult it can be to assimilate into a new culture while living abroad. Regardless of if you are a adult or not, everyone has some level of trouble adjusting. While everything is very exciting, it’s also bit overwhelming in a sense too.

This past weekend we met up with a family member that has very recently relocated from the East coast of the US to a smaller town on the outskirts of Seoul here in Korea. Yes! You read that I said KOREA, right? We finally managed to get some family here with us! On a semi permanent basis too! Eeek! We are shrieking with delight!

Kelsey has been getting acquainted with the Korean culture but was already in desperate need of some normalcy. (Insert two eager Bee’s to the rescue!)

The thing we are most excited to introduce to friends and family is definitely Korean cuisine. We typically like the shock and wow factor. However we knew that we needed to give Kelsey a nice healthy balance of what we introduced. After all we didn’t want her on the first flight out of here, especially when we just got her here. So we decided to stick to the foreigner friendly areas around Seoul for the day.

All three of our fitbits were buzzing because we traipsed all over Itaewon and Myeongdong. I am sure from past post you recall trips to both places. But if you are fairly new to the blog, Itaewon is a multi-cultural place full of bars, restaurants, shops, clubs, and Myeongdong is a large shopping area that features stores like H&M, Zara, and Forever 21.

The Bakers Table

244-1 Noksapyeong daero Itaewon dong Yongsan Gu
Seoul, Korea 244-1

Mon – Sun: 8:00 am – 9:00 pm

Phone	070-7717-3501
Email	mirabakery@naver.com
Website	http://blog.naver.com./mirabakery