Korea: 설렁탕 Seolleongtang, again, because it's delicious AF

South Korea is something of a wonderland when it comes to delicious food, regardless of your preferences! Are you a total carbohydrate fiend who can't get enough of the starchy stuff? You'll be pleased to learn that there's not only the spicy noodles you've probably heard about or seen on places like Youtube (or even here on my own little blog *blush*), delicious things like steamy jjampong loaded with seafood and vegetables in a warming red broth or chilled mixed noodles like bibimguksu, but there's plenty of non-spicy options to get your fill, too! One of my favorite hot noodle dishes combines a rich and milky beef broth with ultra-tender pieces of beef, chunks of aromatic vegetables and silky mushrooms with thin wheat noodles to slurp it all up with. This delicious, warming, soothing cauldron of goodness is known as 설렁탕 Seolleongtang, which can be found throughout much of Seoul as well as in any community stateside with a large enough Korean population. If you're out somewhere where you're unable to find this delight served in a restaurant, you can always opt to make it yourself! It's a labor of love more than anything else, as the ingredients used aren't especially scarce or rare for the most part, they just require a long cooking time to extract all their goodness into that unctuous, ridiculously-good broth. A point of note is that in many recipes for seolleongtang salt is added at the very end, as in by you at the table, so don't be surprised if you eagerly dip your spoon in and ladle up a big unseasoned slurp of soup! It's okay, my dears, don't fear. Happens to the best of us sometimes when we get over-eager about our tasty treats, right? Once you regain your composure and whereabouts, you should find a small bowl with a salt and pepper mixture to add seasoning to your preference. This is pretty ingenious, really, as it prevents the dish from being overly salty when reduced further and allows salt sensitive patrons to limit their sodium intake, or for those without any sensitivity what-so-ever there's the freedom to go as hog-wild with your salt as your heart desires. You do you, booboo. 

Korea: 짬뽕 Jjampong

짬뽕, or Jjampong is one of those delicious soul-warming foods you never knew you were missing until you try it and realize in shocked horror that you've been sorely lacking something in your life all this time. Typically served with a bright, fiery red broth based on pork or seafood and loaded with a variety of delicious goodies foraged from the waves, it'll cure what ails you whether it's a hangover or homesickness. There are endless varieties and iterations on the dish, some with a white or light colored broth, some with more or less seafoods, some with oysters and some without. As with most foods, the variations tend to be regional as tastes change from region to region, and these differences are highly esteemed and valued in their communities. The dish itself isn't even of Korean origin, it's one of their Korean-Chinese fusion dishes, much like jjajangmyun or tangsuyuk. The Japanese version is Nagasaki-champon, for those familiar with the dish. I was definitely introduced to Champon first, in Japan, by my friend Yuka, but I never associated the two dishes as being one in the same due to the strong differences between the first versions I tried and those I had later on in the US or Korea. Given that's it's one of their Chinese fusion dishes, you can find it at restaurants that cater to that genre of foodstuffs, and it's often exceptionally affordable to boot. For example, I had this meal in Dongdaemun, only a short walk from the train station, and paid less than $5 US for the heaping bowl of sea-filled goodness. Not only did it warm my tired, hungry, homesick soul, but it didn't break the bank, either! Koreans seem to have a pretty good handle on how to make really good food at reasonable prices, and jjampong is a shining example of this ethos. Delicious, full of vegetables, noodles and plenty of healthy protein- but don't mistake this as a health dish, there's tons of fat and sodium to give it all that flavor, too!

 

You don't have to book a trip to Seoul to enjoy jjampong, there's plenty of restaurants that serve it stateside too! You can even find instant noodle versions if you're really craving for it. I definitely recommend trying it fresh, at least once in your life!

I may have been doing some research for my impending return to Vegas... lol!

Korea: 우동불볶이 Udon-bul-bokki

Mm, gods bless the carbohydrate, the staple energy source for most human meals and a highly adaptable, multi-purpose foodstuff. Grains have come a long way since the dawn of the agricultural age, and what better exemplar of this than noodles. Not only does wheat flour allow us to make pancakes, cakes, and bread (both leavened and flat), it can be rolled out and sliced into noodles of any variety of shapes and sizes. Sometimes you want the super-thin and slippery angel hair or somen type of noodles, and some days you want the big, fat, slurpable succulence of udon. Don't worry, love, if noodles are your jam, you'll have more than a reasonable amount of options available to get your fix. Korea is a heaven for noodles and carbohydrates, from the tender yet addictively sweet and spicy tteok-bokki (떡볶이 ), to the endless walls and shelves of ramyun (라면) in all it's assorted spices and seasonings, to this: udonbulbokki- or fire udon noodles in the style of tteok-bokki or ramyun-bokki. This is another of those super simple, super affordable meals that came prepackaged from the supermarket.

 I opted to gussy it up with some cheese, as suggested by the package. You don't have to, in the name of keeping it simple, but the noodles have fire (불 "bul") in the name for a reason: they are HOT! And I'm not just talking about spicy noodle bae on the package here, these noodles were definitely on the fiery end of the flavor spectrum. Did you know that the fats in lactose-heavy foods can actually help cool and soothe the burn? That's why you'll so frequently see people with a bowl of ice cream or big glass of milk nearby when doing spicy food challenges! Hence, throwing a slice of melty processed cheese on top of your spicy a$$ noodles helps calm the burn a bit,which makes it a popular seasoning choice for the nearly incomprehensible selection of noodles ready to bring the fire in Korea. The udon was pretty good, though I think it would have been better as part of an overall meal and not as the singular main course. I'd eat it again if I ran into it, but it's not my favorite thing I ate in Seoul...

Keep chasing the fire!

🔥

XOXO,

NAU

Korea: 짜장면 Jjanjangmyun in Hwajeong

Once I started the downward spiral into my rabbit hole of previously unprocessed photographs from my 6-month-extended-business-trip-slash-sabbatical to Korea, it was only a matter of time until I found myself deep in the thralls of food porn again. The food in South Korea is not only delicious and complex, with everything from starchy noodles drenched in rich, savory sauces to sweet and crunchy bingsu in the summer, amazingly crispy yet juicy fried chicken (the one true KFC supreme; Korean Fried Chicken), to sushi so fresh it'll latch to your throat and try to climb its way back out if given half a chance- but it's often quite affordable, too! Like, absurdly, unreasonably, questionably affordable for the volume of food and variety of side dishes provided. This, naturally, leads to a sense of frustration and/or annoyance when returning stateside and searching out Korean meals- what was a $6 freshly cooked restaurant meal in Seoul is now only available in packaged format in that price range, and if you dare to try to dine in a restaurant it will cost at least twice what you're used to it costing in Korea. Sigh. The ex-pat's dilemma... is this the true definition of a first world problem? I suppose I should really be happy that I can find these dishes in my home country at all, and quit bellyaching at the fact they cost more than I'm used to. 

This bowl of noodles, drenched in a savory black bean sauce of disturbingly high mucilaginous material, is a good example of that unreasonably cheap food. This meal cost less than $3, and was cooked fresh in a restaurant less than 20 feet from the front door to the complex I was living in. This feast was legitimately cheaper than buying an instant cup of ramen from the convenience store equidistant to my front door. They had several other options available at exceptionally low-cost points in this tiny restaurant, too. To be fair, though, the exceedingly slimy consistency of the sauce was a bit of a turn off for me- and this is coming from a girl who happily slurps up the auspiciously named "Dead Body Soup" made with super-slimy fermented soybeans and makes "tororo okra" with boiled okra minced until fluffy and snot-tacular. But for such a low cost, it's hard to complain about a freshly made meal where someone else ends up doing the dishes... While this wasn't my favorite jjangjangmyun of all time, it's a dish I would still recommend anyone try while visiting Korea!

Vegas: Jjolmyeon in Greenland Market

After spending an incredible six months living over in Seoul, South Korea, it shouldn't catch anyone off guard that I absolutely adore the food there. In fact, true hardcore readers (if such a thing exists) might recall one of my earliest ever blog posts (on my much neglected food-oriented sister blog, Culinarily Curious) being about a simple Korean soup with beef and radish- and that was back before I had even ever traveled to Korea! I was enamored with the clean, simple dishes full of complex flavors, and my love of Korean food has only deepened since the days of wandering the many narrow corridors of the city streets and eating anything I could find. Not only is the food itself often exceptionally healthy due to being predominantly vegetable based, but the flavors are often complex and comprised of fermented ingredients that bolster gut health and add incomparable depth. Suffice to say, it's good stuff and I am always happy to find an excuse to dig in on some K-grub.  

Here in the city of Las Vegas, one of your better options for finding a variety of common-place (in Korea) dishes (and ingredients) at a reasonable price point with expedient service is to head over to Greenland market, on the corner of Rainbow and Spring Mountain. Spring Mountain road is pretty much our version of Chinatown, with a huge assortment of different restaurants and businesses catering to all things from the East, whether it be cars, banks, food or fashion. If you're hankering for some dim sum or conveyor belt sushi (or an izakaya, Korean barbeque, hot pot, etc) and don't want to linger in a casino, you'll find the bulk of your pick of restaurants on Spring Mountain. Greenland, however, is especially oriented to the Korean population, which is pretty large here in Vegas. It's my favorite destination for Korean foods and groceries, with the fresh food cafeteria by the front doors offering all sorts of tasty meals to fill your belly before buying your groceries. While out and about on this particular adventure, we popped in and I finally was able to satisfy the fiendish craving I'd been having for jjolmyeon, a cold chewy noodle dish made with wheat noodles and a sweet and spicy sauce that coats the fresh, crispy veggies and makes each bite a savory mix. It's good stuff, and while not as commonly seen as bibim-naengmyun or bul-naengmyun, which also consist of cold noodles in a savory sauce, it holds its own. Ever since summer settled in and started grabbing us by the balls, I've had a need to stuff cold, spicy noodles in my face hole. Am I the only one?  

It ain't a rounded Korean meal without banchan and some soup! This meal came with some kimchi, braised potatoes, macaroni salad and a clean, simple beef broth alongside my big heaping bowl of noodles. Even with Antho's help I wasn't able to finish the whole portion! 

Awesome!

Las Vegas: Lunch at Island Style and exciting new prospects

Believe it or not, there's a pretty good Korean population in the city of Las Vegas and their need for good food ripples throughout the community in an assortment of delicious restaurants. Whether you're choosing to do your shopping at Wholesale Mart off of Karen and Maryland Parkway or Greenland Supermarket off of Rainbow and Spring Mountain, there's plenty of grocery stores to get your fix of bulgogi and kimbap supplies and the list of restaurants feeding the community is endless and ever-changing. On one of our many trips to the Springs Preserve I happened to notice a small restaurant  on Sahara who's sign simply advertised Chinese-Korean food... after living in Seoul for six months and the previous visit to Korea in 2014 that inspired a deep-seated love of all-things Korean that remains to this day, finding such a restaurant was a happy happy thing. Whether it's a big savory bowl of jjajangmyun waiting to mixed up and devoured with crunchy pickled radish and eye-burning raw onion, or a steaming bowl of spicy jjampong bedazzled with shellfish and tasty greens waiting to be slurped up, I love pretty much any food I've encountered in Korea. The South Korean versions of Chinese dishes are no exception, and have proliferated throughout Seoul for years and years. While working in Korea there were a couple of instances where we ordered food to be delivered, as delivery is one of the great blessings of living in the Seoul metropolitan area- damn near every food imaginable can quite literally be delivered anywhere. Want fried chicken by the sea? Done. McDonald's at the park? You got it, oppa! America still has a ways to go when it comes to catching up to the ease and low-cost of the prolific food delivery system through Seoul. Of course, our public transportation and train systems are also several decades behind, too, so what can I really expect? I guess when your country spends all it's money on engaging in endless wars overseas instead you have less money for infrastructure, right? But I digress...food porn! So much food porn! Keep scrolling for all the droolworthy yums! 

Tang su yuk, or Korean style sweet and sour. So good! They double-fry the meat so it's extra crispy and delicious.

Boricha, or barley tea. So refreshing, so light, so crisp. Delicious.

Hong Kong Day 5- breakfast in Mongkok & trip to Stanley

My time in Hong Kong was rapidly coming to an end! Alas. I truly enjoyed my time here, and this being my last full day in the area, I wanted to make the best of it. So, what does a food loving girl do in such a situation? Why, she has Second Breakfast, like a true Hobbit!! Despite my height, I feel a special kinship with the Hobbits...perhaps it's the hairs on my feet (TMI?), or their good-natured love of all things lovely about life (food, companionship, sleep, comfort!), they've always had a special place in my sordid little heart. For my first breakfast, I returned to the small noodle shop tucked away behind several vendors in the Ladies Market that I had visited on my second day. 

After a brief bit of walking to help my noodles digest and take in the sights, I returned to the small steamer shop where I'd been assaulted by a stack of boxes on day 3. Luckily, this time through I escaped unboxed. It was on this visit that I realised a fondness for chicken (or duck) feet that remains with me to this day. While I've yet to convert Antho to the joys of gelatinously crunchy, chewy poultry feet, I still gladly eat them when given the opportunity. I also had the steamed dumplings shown above, with their slick, chewy skins and juicy fillings. Delicious.

After ensuring that my stomach was well and truly full, I began a journey towards Stanley, a town in Hong Kong that resides in the Southern District, east of Repulse Bay. To get there, I found a bus using the Discover Hong Kong app and made my way to the pick up point. I highly recommend using an app like Discover Hong Kong while visiting an unfamiliar city, as it provides insight and wisdom that your average tourist may not have. Taking the bus was extremely affordable and allowed an overland route to my destination with a view, which I greatly enjoyed. 

Hong Kong Day 4- Walk from Downtown to Central

Waking refreshed and recharged, I was eager to explore another of the islands that encompassed Hong Kong after a quick breakfast of spicy beefy noodles at a small shop around the corner from my hotel. There are several, including Lantau island , Hong Kong island proper, Chek Lap Kok, Tsing Yi, Kau Sai Chau, Po Toi Islands and Cheung Chau, along with my destination for the day: Lamma island! This post will focus on the journey to Central, the pier. For much of my trip, I hadn't really spent a lot of time in downtown Hong Kong as it was quite crowded. This trip was little different, with groups of people congregating on the sidewalks and alcoves. 

Despite my general reluctance to willingly put myself into extremely crowded situations, I knew there would be a peaceful retreat at the end of my journey so I soldiered forward and faced my anxieties. I could have taken a bus, but instead I opted to simply walk the entire way and in the end it was well worth it. The views of the city and gradual dissipation of the crowd as I approached Central set my mind and body at ease. 

Hong Kong Day 3: Tsim Sha Tsui

After climbing nearly 270 steps to reach the Tian Tan Buddha and hiking around in high elevation, my single serving friend and I parted ways for the evening. I opted to go to the Tsim Sha Tsui district on my own, despite having been warned by coworkers not to wander certain areas at night...perhaps not the wisest of choices, but since I'm nearly 6 feet tall and have rarely ever been "messed" with, even walking through some of the shadier neighbourhoods in Vegas, I felt confident exploring on my own, even in a country I was only just getting the feel of. Besides, I'd read that this was a good area to do some shopping in and having already wandered nearby the prior evening, I decided to go for it!

No harm no foul, aside from the damage to my wallet after spending some of my hard earned salary on new goods and some dinner. I found a chunky black sweater with lime green threads woven throughout in a texture I love, an item that I still adore and plan to take with me to Seoul soon, for roughly $6 US. SIX DOLLARS! Brand new, no less! The only time I found sweaters that cheap in Japan was when I bought them at thrift stores like my beloved Kinji in Harajuku. Another store that I stumbled upon and loved was House of Chapel on Granville road, a shop with a creepy surreal vibe and affordable yet stylish, minimalist clothing, much of which I still wear frequently. 

For dinner, I stopped in a small noodleshop not far from my hotel. I ordered a bowl with a whole pig foot suspended atop the broth, along with some sautéed veggies for some freshness. It was delicious, though I found the smooth plastic chopsticks to be a bit of a challenge to use- when an elderly gentleman who worked in the shop came to my aid. Though we didn't speak each other's language, he gently tapped my hand and demonstrated how to better hold my chopsticks for maximum grip, reducing my struggles to lift the cruciferous forms to my face. After satisfying himself that he'd helped this poor girl feed herself properly, he gave me a wink and dropped a pair of the restaurant's chopsticks into my shopping bags, a finger pressed to his lip ensuring this was our secret. 

Thanks, kind stranger! Funny how throughout an entire year and a half in Japan not one person ever critiqued my chopstick skills, which weren't abysmal but certainly not as dexterous as someone who'd been using them since childhood. In fact, many of my Japanese friends had at some point positively remarked on my ability to use chopsticks, perhaps artificially inflating my sense of skill. I sincerely doubt it was done with malicious intent; more so a way of making small talk during a meal. Still, I wonder how they'd feel if Americans perpetually pointed out their prowess with a fork during meals. :P Sometimes it's the little things, you know?

After a lovely and informative meal, I made my way back to the hotel to rest and prepare for the next day!

More photos after the cut.

Hong Kong: Goldfish (Tung Choi) Street & Ladies' Market, 1st night

Hong Kong's Tung Choi street fish market is quite a sight to see. 

Beams of fluorescent lights refract off glistening baggies by the hundreds. 

Tucked into impossibly crowded alleyways between two overflowing buildings, or dangling precariously from wire racks are countless varieties of fish enclosed in their own personal bubbles of atmosphere, ready to be snatched off and carried home with a lucky collector of aquatic creatures. From turtles and frogs to fugu, there's something for everyone. Walking along, taking in the sights and sounds, it's otherworldly for certain, like stumbling into a scene from Bladerunner. 

Shoppers and the curious commingle, bumping shoulders to catch a glimpse at each creature.

Japan: Takodanababa & Ramen 2012-06-28

Takodanababa is a neighbourhood of Tokyo with a bit of a more youthful vibe, catering primarily to high school and college aged kids. There are tons of affordable restaurants and an especially competitive ramen market in the area. Personally, I wasn't so much worried about the politics as the tastiness of a steaming hot bowl of noodle-y goodness. I happened upon a tiny ramenya off one of the many small, winding alleyways that fill Tokyo as a whole where ample personality bubbled out from not only the decor but my chef, all to be taken with a gratuitous grain of salt. If you can't get past the golden dong on the ticket machine, you may want to look elsewhere for your consumption. ;)

Japan: Ginza with Yuka 2012-06-28

The view of Ginza from the restaurant we had our dinner in, including the famous "Marui" building.

Ginza's name is derived from the silver coin mints that filled the area in it's earlier years and now-a-days it's a ritzy, classy neighborhood with glittering high-rises and gussied up pedestrians dipping into high-end restaurants or shops. It's not unusual to see women in fancy kimono or exorbitantly priced stilettos strutting the streets of Ginza. Even with it's high-class image, there are still plenty of reasonably priced activities and shops to take in!

There's even pineapples!

Japan: Cafe HOM+ 2012-06-28

Girls, assemble!!

Working at Disney, I made a lot of friends but the Ishizawa Sisters were among the first, the friendliest, and the funniest. Unabashedly silly and fun-loving, I could always count on having an adventure when we'd get together. 

After Kanae moved on from her position with us at Disney, she began working at a lovely little cafe called Cafe HOM+! Yuka and I ventured out to show our support and try their tempting treats!