Tag Archives: New City

H2s Handmade Burgers

We have lived in Dongducheon, South Korea for almost 5 years. Believe me when I say it is really hard to find a good burger here. Don’t get me wrong, we’ve had some excellent burgers…..but in Seoul. Unfortunately, we’re surrounded by the ever growing monster fast-food chains such as McDonald’s, Lotteria, and soon to be Burger King. Sigh. These just aren’t real burgers, or even food for that matter.

On our regular evening walk last week we strolled by what looked to be a quirky little joint with a small outdoor patio situated conveniently right outside one exit of Jeihang subway. To say we were surprised is an understatement. This place not only met the burger challenge; they superseded it! The restaurant takes a step further and features a foreigner friendly menu, or as I refer to it, the meat-lovers masterpiece! It’s creative specialty combos are generously portioned are incredibly tasty, the staff were quick, attentive and friendly, plus the prices that won’t break the bank! To the owner the hygiene factor of this place was paramount, as you could easily see right into the open style kitchen. Also in case your curious about the origin of the meats, the beef is from Australia and the chicken is from Korea. Well done H2s Hand Made Burgers, well done!

Our group ordered 4 different burgers, the Hawaiian, spicy chicken burger, onion Eiffel burger, and the H2s special burger. The Hawaiian was a beef patty, pineapple, bacon and pineapple sauce. The spicy chicken burger was grilled chicken, tomato, lettuce, and 3 kinds of sauce. The opinion was to hold the mayo next time (non mayo lover in the group), or ask for a tad less. The onion Eiffel burger was a beef patty, fried onion, tomato, American cheese goodness. The H2s special burger was a beef patty, hash brown, grilled onion, bacon, and tomato. We ordered combos so each meal came with French fries and a drink. We also ordered a basket of onion rings to split at the table. Let’s talk about the french fries and onion rings….these were golden, crisp and cooked to absolute perfection! Mmmmm!

From the four of us, we give 8 thumbs ups for this burger joint! We’re eagerly planning a return and deciding what burger we will try next! Better yet….we’ve been inspired to create some of our own homemade patties. Stay tuned…

Now it’s your turn…describe your ideal burger. Medium-rare, medium, well-done, as our dear friend Mandy prefers…charbroiled? Also are fries or onion rings a must? Do you always order them?

Backpackbees

Direction: H2s Hand Made Burgers is located directly across from exit 3 of Jihaeng Station. Look for the big burger as pictured above.
Phone: 070-4151-0778
Website

Around The Table

“It’s about what happens when we come together, slow down, open our homes, look into one another’s faces, listen to one another’s faces, listen to one another’s stories. It happens when we leave the office and get a sitter and skip our workouts every so often to celebrate a birthday or an accomplishment or a wedding or a birth, when we break out of the normal clockwork of daily life and pop the champagne on a cold, gray Wednesday for no other reason than the fact that the faces we love are gathered around our table. It happens when we enter the joy and the sorrow of the people we love, and we join together at the table to feed one another and be fed, and while it’s not strictly about food, it doesn’t happen without it. Food is the starting point, the common ground, the thing to hold and handle, the currency we offer to one another.” ~ Bread & Wine, by Shauna Niequist

F o o d. F o o d is four little letters that make up a word, that is sometimes overrated but often underrated. Think about it, no matter what language you speak, where you come from, or how far you go, food is made as an offering, an extension. Its used when words cannot be expressed due to sadness, or in times of celebration and happiness, or even as simple as when there is a language barrier. Ah food.

I turned my friends down earlier in the week when invited out for dinner because I was just to sad, upset, and feeling guilty to even fathom enjoying fun or enjoy food. I cashed in my rain check this evening and tonight I met around the table with a few good friends. We of course dined and enjoyed Saengsun jun (Korean pan-fried fish). After a really hard week, it was nice to just sit back relax, share memories, chat, and dine together in one anthers company at this dinner table. The older I get (I can say that now with another birthday under my belt as of August 14th) the more I realize how much I love to gather around the table with my family and good friends.

I even took along my camera to capture the moment and share with you all. Enjoy!

Backpackbees

Winter Kimchi

As  you can tell, we are huge fans of Korean cuisine, we like to think of ourselves as foodies. So much so that my  grandfather joking said when we come home for the holidays they can prepare Sauerkraut or sour cabbage in our honor if we’d like. Isn’t he just a little comedian? HA-HA!

As we continue to travel around Asia we try various kimchi’s. Each with its own distinctive taste. Region to region will differ in taste with what ingredients they use, even family to family differs with their own little touches or traditions. I’ve often thought how fun it would be to make our own kimchi while we lived here with all the ingredients so easily at our fingertips. In the end I’d convince myself that there was no way, the kimchi business has got to be a complicated one! Plus the thought of the word fermentation scared me!

Earlier this month I saw an advertisement for expats to learn how to prepare winter kimchi, or Gimjang. I couldn’t let the opportunity pass me by. I immediately signed myself up and told a few friends too.

At work the ladies were discussing weekend plans. I quietly added in that I’d be making kimchi. They all stopped and said, KIMCHI? Us too! Mind you these were my Korean co-workers. Yes, they too would be making kimchi with their families to have enough to make it through the winter months. Of course they insisted that I bring in my kimchi for them to all taste. Okay, I agreed. EEK! Pressure! Nothing like feeding the staple food of the Korean culture to older Korean woman who have been preparing the stuff all of their lives.

I asked why the kimchi was such a big deal in the fall/winter months? I mean, why couldn’t you just make it in the summer and spring too? I found out that years ago the vegetables that are needed to make winter kimchi were only available in the fall/winter months. Basically if you didn’t get yourself together and prepare your kimchi during the gimjang months you and your family were not going to have any kimchi until the following spring.

Today the vegetables are readily available throughout the year, however Korean’s are big on tradition and their heritage. It’s one thing that I really admire about their culture, quite refreshing to know somethings are not lost as their family continues to grow into the future.

In class we had the basic ingredients needed to make our winter kimchi. Baechu (napa cabbages), moo (radish), pa (green onion), garlic, sesame seeds, Korean red pepper, sea salt, and brined shrimp.

.

While we didn’t get to prepare the beginning steps of the kimchi process due to time constraints, we did get to pick up at the fun part! Stuffing the kimchi!

Yes, we filled, smeared and stuffing our cabbage leaves. We were instructed to stuff as much as one leaf can hold between each leaf. Once we stuffed our entire cabbage we had to tuck it under and wrap it up with one long outer leaves. The wrap completed our process of making one whole head of napa kimchi.

We learned that the most important part of winter kimchi was the storing of the final product. To allow for proper fermentation, gimjang kimchi is best kept near 0℃ with little temperature fluctuation. Years ago, Korean men would dig large holes in the ground so that the kimchi jars could be covered and buried. Today, almost all Korean households have two refrigerators. One refrigerator is just your average everyday one and the other is used exclusively for kimchi storage, or in our case used to store wine and other adult beverages.

I love that I’ll get to look back at these pictures and remember all of the fun I had learning how to make kimchi in South Korea. I giggle looking at the photos of my two girlfriends too. No matter what the environment is we always have a great time, love surrounding myself with people like that!

Now, If you’ll all excuse me, I’ve got to go invest in lock & lock container, seal all the kimchi smell into the container and not our refrigerator.

Right Before the Trees Got Naked

Sharing a bit of Korea Autumn magic with you!

Hope you enjoy the colors and enjoy your weekend too!

Donuga Grill

20120720-182155.jpg

20120720-182216.jpg

20120720-182247.jpg

20120720-182317.jpg

 Typically I am not one for meats..

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a nice grilled cheeseburger in the summer like anyone else.

However, I don’t absolutely need to eat meat to feel full, or satisfied at a meal.

Well… that was until I had….

SAM-GYUP-SAL
Grilled Pork Strips
삼겹살

(Enter) Newest obsession = Dongua Grill.

Gosh, how did we not know this place  exsisted before?

I’m absolutely dumbfounded!

20120720-182337.jpg

Dear Donuga Grill,
My hips and I thoroughly love your delicious meats, try not to do to much damage down there. I  just know this is a beginning of a very beautiful relationship <3
Love, One hungry Little Bee
Grab the map coordinates here

Day 6 R&S Invade South Korea

Farmers markets around the world vary so much, they each have their own personality and aesthetics. Rebecca said that whenever she travels to a new country she really makes an effort to check out the local offerings. See what the locals sell, buy, make, how they live. You really get a better understanding of the culture that way, I couldn’t agree more with her.

Its true, I am a sucker for farmers markets. I have fond memories of my Grandparents taking me to market-houses in central Pennsylvania when I was a little girl. The fondness has Since continued to grow and today I love just taking a stroll through tents of vendors selling fresh produce.

Okay, so I know by now you must have guessed…we visited the marketplace near my house. The market is held every five days. The streets are lined with trucks, tents, tables, and loud speakers all trying to win your attention and bate you in.

We strolled along the streets ogling the produce, meats, beans, and well…the unknowns. Uh-huh…unknowns….

We decided before we picked up anything from the market we would go for lunch first. However, even before heading to lunch we made sure to drop off postcards at the Korean post office.

We stopped by the steamed dumpling stand for mandu. We picked up two bulgogi and one kimchi filled mandu. Rebecca picked up a red bean filled doughnut too. We sat in the shade and enjoyed our treat. AFTER munching them down we decided to get a seafood pancake.

The Seafood pancake reminds me of potato cakes from Pennsylvania. Rebecca enjoyed this tasty treat too. Whew! Two for two today! Ha Ha! The great thing about Rebecca is she is so eager to immerse herself and try all the cultural things, like myself.

After lunch we strolled more, stopped in a few stores, and looked at fun stationary. I loved sharing this with Rebecca too! I knew it was just her style and so inexpensive too.

After our shopping excursion we went back to the marketplace where we picked up some delightful looking cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and a watermelon. Everything just looked so yummy! It was hard to resist not picking up more, if only we had more hands…

2012_06_20 Rebecca's Day Six

2012_06_20 Rebecca's Day SixJun 19, 2012Photos: 14
 

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.

20120615-214942.jpg

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

20120615-214954.jpg

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

20120615-215017.jpg

20120615-215055.jpg

20120615-215120.jpg

20120615-215105.jpg

20120615-215037.jpg

20120615-215027.jpg

20120615-215131.jpg

20120615-215046.jpg

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!

20120615-215003.jpg

20120615-215154.jpg

20120615-215146.jpg

20120615-215212.jpg

20120615-230545.jpg

20120615-215139.jpg

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

20120615-215256.jpg

Grab the map coordinates here!

Isn’t Summer time so sweet?

A Rainy Spring Night

Is there anything better than…
enjoying a delectable chicken breast topped with mushrooms and onions cooked in sherry
sipping on a new white wine

on a rainy spring Saturday night

while watching Julie and Julia with the love of your life?
I think not.
Bon Appétit!

Things That Make You Go Hmm…

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

20120412-200751.jpg

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.

20120412-200314.jpg

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!)

20120412-200633.jpg

20120412-200716.jpg

20120412-200731.jpg

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…

20120412-200556.jpg

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

20120412-200606.jpg

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.

20120412-200814.jpg

20120412-200821.jpg

20120412-200651.jpg

20120412-200659.jpg

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.

20120412-211112.jpg

20120412-200744.jpg

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

20120412-200759.jpg

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!

20120412-200340.jpg

20120412-200406.jpg

20120412-200419.jpg

20120412-200432.jpg

20120412-200443.jpg

20120412-200455.jpg

20120412-200507.jpg

Newly Found

Yes! A new restaurant to add to our will go positively go back to list!

We enjoyed dinner with some great friends and their cute little baby boy. Well, he’s not as little any more. We can’t believe how much he’s grown just in the short amount of time we have known them. Children really put life into perspective, don’t they? Yes, a constant reminder just how fast life goes by.

Okay, enough of the mushy stuff. Back to the real focus here! We Bees have walked past this place numerous times on our weekly walks and 7 Gram Cafe drop in. Each time we pass we look in and both say, “We should try this place”. Tonight we did just that!

We totally went into this meal blind. No recommendations, no idea what the menu consisted of. Little did we know we were in for such a treat. This place grills chicken! Yes!!

We asked the waitress what the most popular items were. The three suggestions consisted of the spicy chicken, the bbq chicken, and beef. We opted for the spicy chicken and the beef.

Oh GOODNESS! We cannot express how tasty this chicken was! Like we said… we WILL be going back again very soon! We think next time we will try the BBQ chicken along with the spicy of course. Stay tuned for feedback.

After dinner we went right next door to 7 Gram. Big surprise! ha ha.. No, really, The P’s suggested! We swear!!

We all sipped on drinks chatting. Then…we were introduced to the Humongous honey bread. Folks, this bread just melts in your mouth. Talk about dangerous! It was truly a wonderful way to end the meal. THANKS MR. P! Our bellies thank you, but our waistline hates you!

So, how brave are you when it comes to trying a new place out? Would you have went in and braved it? Or, are you more of a wait and see what everyone else has to say type?

Well, whatever the case, we hope you enjoyed dinner!

Until next time….

Grab the map coordinates here.