Vegetarianinkorea

The Hyatt (and JJ Mahoney's)

Saturday night I headed out the Seoul Hyatt to bid farewell to a friend that was moving back to the US.

We first met up in the Club Level Room amidst the upper level hotel rooms to share a bottle of wine  and have deep conversations about what the future holds for our families. 

 

(Or maybe just to joke around and gossip)

Then we headed downstairs to JJ Mahoney's bar to listen to a live band.

 

 

The band was AWESOME.

So awesome in fact, that I didnt mind paying 56,000KRW for two drinks.

(!!!!!!!!!!!)

If you havent yet ventured up to the Grand Hyatt in Itaewon overlooking Seoul, put it on your MUST DO list. There are several fantastically posh restaurants and bars to choose from and the ambiance is UNREAL.

(I think today is type in ALL CAPS day apparently)

Seoul Grand Hyatt

London Tea

Nestled around the corner from the Capitol Hotel, on a street that is filled with mechanic's garages, is a beautiful little jewel called London Tea.

 

The restaurant is tiny. Seats maybe 10 people inside, with a few tables outside. The "kitchen" is maybe 4 5 or 6 feet wide by MAYBE 2 feet deep. Tiny!

 

But what those two women can do in that tiny kitchen? Amazing.

I ordered the apple and cheddar omelet...

 

 

Apple and cheddar in an omelet? Seems obvious, but I'd never considered it before! Brilliant. And that little salad on top with a tangy dressing was the PERFECT match.

My dining companion got the french onion soup omelet...

I don't recall the exact prices of these omelets, I believe they were around 9500KRW.

We washed them down with flavorful refreshing teas served in mason jars.

 

This place really is treasure found in the midst of a corner full of blue-collar businesses. 

London Tea offers Wi-Fi and is open every day from 10am-9pm!

Classically cool.

Suji's

I've been passing by Suji's at least once a week for the past year and a half and have not once dined there. Craziness- I know. So on a rare clear blue sky day, I asked a friend to meet me for a bite to eat.

 

 

The interior is quaint and comfortable. Colorful. Cozy yet not claustrophobic.

The server was unbelieavably sweet and prompt. Seriously- I felt like he was fresh from a proper etiquette server's academy. If there is such a thing.

My meat-eating friend got the Reuben. (Full disclosure- this was a couple weeks ago, and I am not really "in the know" about meat sandwich names, so I could be wrong here. But it sure looks like a Reuben and I KNOW it had sauerkraut)

 

She loved her sandwich and I asked her specifically about the meat and she said it was fantastic (not dry or tough). Sure looked like a generous piling of meat.

There were a few vegetarian options, and I was debating over breakfast or lunch, but opted for the veggie quesadillas.

 

I know veggie  quesadilla seems like the safe choice, but MAN- these things were GOOD. I've eaten a lot of veggie  quesadilla in my time, and never had ones like these. Stuffed with a myriad of veggies, that had marinated in some sort of lime juice concoction. So good.

(my spell check refuses to believe quesadilla is a real word. Silly thing)

No meal is complete without dessert. This is the tiramasu cheesecake.

 

It was not what we expected as the cheesecake part was a surprise, however it was very tasty and rich. Lots of flavor-melding going on.

I chose the apple/berry crumble.

This was out of this world. I'm going to go out on a risky limb here and say that I enjoyed this fruit crumble more that the pricey tart I had at Tartine. I felt like it was home-made- that day- just for me.

Egocentric? Maybe.

Fantastic lunch Suji's!

********************************************8

Suji's is located at the front end of Itaewon. Look at the arches, and it is directly on your right, diagonally above the Skin Food Store.

Dubai Take 2

Last week I made my 2nd trip to Dubai restuarant in Itaewon. I remembered my first trip as pleasant, and this one was even better!

 

Good spacious restaurant. Although pretty warm temperature wise.

Clean decorated bathrooms as well.

 

fabulous yellow lentil soup.

 

various salads.

trio of dips including fantastic baba ganoush and hummus.

Their falafel has really improved. Held up well. Love the sesame seeds.

I don't remember what this was, some sort of meat kebab dish.

(who cares what its called, its meat! haha)

Dubai is a block down from the fire station in Itaewon, above the UN Club.

Curry Town

Down an alley in Itaewon, around the corner from Scrooge Pub and across from Tartine, lies Curry Town.

 

 

Wasnt the best Indian meal I've ever had in Seoul, the paneer in my dish was rather crumbly and I prefer nice big almost tough chunks. BUT- the prices were low. My dish was around 9,000KRW where a lot of competitors charge almost twice that.

Desserts at Flying Pan Blue

(Itaewon, turn left just after the old Hard Rock Cafe. It is on the little alley that leads to the back alley behind the Hamilton)

 

 

(he is single ladies!)

Carrot Cake

french toast with bananas and hazelnut chocolate sauce. YUM.

 

chocolate cake

 

orange crepes (I believe)

 

Tiramasu

mixed berry crepes.

If you are looking for amazing desserts and first class brunch dishes- go to Flying Pan Blue.

The Wolfhound

Great atmosphere...

eligible bachelors....

 

2 for 1 Fish and Chips on Tuesdays...

Art....

Cheap and tasty beverages...

 

I don't happen to eat fish, but maybe you do! You cant beat 2 for 1 Tuesdays.

If you dont eat seafood, no worries, lots of great vegetarian choices on their menu.

I had some family visit recently,and The Wolfhound was top on the list of places to take them to!

Name that bar

Any guesses?

The Bungalow

On the alley behind the Hamilton hotel is a very cool multi-level bar called The Bungalow. They offer food (appetizers and lighter fare) but I've never tried any. The drinks are on the pricier side. But the floor is made of sand- and for that reason, it is a fun hangout. 

 

Perfect for a ladies night out, which is precisely why I was there last Friday evening.

 

 

 

My chocolatini was 8,000KRW, which I suppose isnt bad, but the beer prices were basically the same- and that's not cool at all for beer drinkers. 

It's a fun place though!

Default Dining

I planned to check out H Diner earlier this week for lunch. I had heard good things from Dan over at SeoulEats. H Diner is closeby (to me) and had a promising menu.

Unfortunately, they must be closed on Tuesdays! TUESDAYS! Craziness. I was very sad. As I was short on time, I checked out a next door Korean lunch spot instead.

 

The Korean restaurant offered up the normal fare. I ordered bibimbap...

and was so so sad it didnt come in a hot stone bowl! I love the crunchy rice!

And my dining partner and I shared some buckwheat padjeon (like a Korean pancake).

It was fantastic dipped into a soy and rice vinegar mixture.

 

Not a bad lunch, but not the lunch I wanted!

(both this Korean restaurant and H-Diner are located across from the Capitol Hotel on the outskirts of Itaewon. There is a Starbucks on the corner)