떡 떡 Daily Ddeok!

While I was in Korea last week, I had a mental list of all the foods I wanted to make sure to eat during my precious seven days there. Sun Tubu Jiggae, Bibimbap, Kimbap, Pa Jeon.... I did manage to get Bibimbap more than once, Kimbap just once, and even squeeze in Sun Tubu for my very last meal. However, there is one food that I ate in one form or another pretty much every day: Ddeok!

"Ddeok" (떡) actually refers to a pretty wide range of snack and dessert-type foods that are made with rice flour, usually taking the form of a rice cake or nugget. As you can see, they're often very pretty and colorful. Ball-shaped ones like those above, have a bean paste filling, and some kind of powder on the outside. A package usually costs about 1,500 KRW (about US$1.25), or sometimes just 1,000 KRW if you catch an end of the day sale! You can find ddeok stands/shops pretty much all over the place, but definitely around every few corners in any local neighborhood.

All of the rice cakes in this packet of green, black, yellow and red had the same red bean filling, but I think each color had a different flavor. Hard to remember what each one was, but I think the green was green tea and the black/brown tasted a bit like chocolate! Regardless, they went great with this apple cinnamon tea that Mipa had at home. They're chewy enough to stick to your teeth a bit, but still soft enough to melt in your mouth, and sweetened just enough to be pleasantly sweet but not rich.
This form of ddeok, however, is quite bold on flavors: ddeokbokki:

Ddeokbokki (떡볶이) is made with a bunch of sugar, but it also has tons of spice! Yes, red pepper flakes AND red pepper paste (고추장). The solid tubes of white rice cakes are dripping with a sweet and spicy sauce that makes your lips burn and your nose run. I wouldn't want to eat this every day (but many people do - it's definitely a favorite food among many Koreans), but I certainly couldn't pass up eating it once during my short stay.

Although you can buy ddeokbokki at restaurants, its availability is far outnumbered among street stalls. Typically, various tempura are sold alongside it (vegetables like potatoes and yams, rice rolled in sheets of seaweed, and some meats). All of these can be dipped in the fiery red sauce. Also, ddeokbokki stands usually sell odeng (오뎅), which is fish cake. It's kind of hard to describe... Fish paste congealed/cooked into strips and fried or cooked in a broth-like soup. They're sold on a stick, but are also usually chopped up and cooked in with the ddeokbokki. We did check out multiple ddeokbokki stands, hoping one might leave the odeng out, but no such luck. We decided we could live with it, so Mipa just asked the lady to not scoop any odeng into our cup. And it was fine. Fine? I mean divine!

haha, ok, that's an exaggeration. I do like ddeokbokki. But it is those displays of multi-colored ddeok that catch my eye every time!

This one was located at Mipa's subway station, so I passed it all the time!

Some ddeok is more like a floury cake (squares in front of picture), often with raisins, fruit or nuts; others are more dense and moist, sometimes with a liquid filling (the pink, white and green on the top right). This ddeok stand also had other snacks and goodies, like nuts, seeds, dried fruits, and crunchy concoctions. Talk about an accidentally vegan snack stand!

I bought these crunchy seaweed sticks. They were actually more sweet than salty, which is interesting for seaweed... but still perfectly munchable.

I ate them that afternoon with some ddeok.

The white one is one of my favorites. My first Korean boss taught me that it's called "moshi," because of its Japanese origin. She also told me that it's good for your stomach lining. Yes... Why? Because it has such a smooth texture, like you would want your stomach lining to be. It does have a verrrry silky smooth texture, but who knows. And the powder is so fine that I usually end up breathing some into my lungs! Moshi is always a little larger than the colored ones (which means more bean filling!). I don't know if it's a little sweeter than other ddeok or what, but despite (maybe because of) its very subdued flavor, I enjoy it more than any of the colored/flavored ones!

I also bought this interesting "pine bud" drink to accompany my snack. If you've ever climbed a pine tree and got sap on your hands and then ended up licking your hands, you know that sap is bitter and gross - even if it has a hint of "pine scent." This drink tasted like pine, pure pine. It wasn't bitter, or sweet, or salty. Just cool, piney and fresh. Mipa thought it tasted like soap, but I actually liked it! Even while enjoying the familiar, there's always something new to try!

Thank you for the vegan options: Cafe Mano

Ahh, writing this post from back in Chiang Mai....  I had such a great time in Seoul. Time went by so fast, but was full of meaningful times spent with good friends. Looking back, I managed to do a lot of stuff and go to a lot of places! But I'm thankful that I could also make time to slow down and relax, do something simple. Like spend a few hours in a cafe with a good drink and a great friend.

Yessss, certainly grateful for this glass of goodness: Red Bean Green Tea Frappe! Oh man, how can I even describe it? Most Koreans are probably no stranger to the combination of green tea and red bean. But it was a new flavor fusion for me.

Anything served on a doily has got to be pretty special...

And it was! When I first came to Asia about nine years ago, I thought the idea of putting beans in a dessert was a bit bizarre. I was disappointed on more than one occasion to bite into a pastry and find it filled with bean paste... instead of my beloved chocolate. But chocolate comes from a bean. As does coffee. So why not sweeten red beans and use them in desserts and drinks? Answer: why not indeed. Beans help create a great cakey or chewy texture, both of which we all know to be great for sweets. And they work in sweet drinks as well. There's something about the combo of red bean and green tea that I have no idea how to describe. Some foods were just made to be paired together. My very first sip of this frappe convinced me that red beans and green tea fall in that category.

Mipa got her own fancy drink, and of course we had to share, because sharing doubles the fun! Her cream-colored drink was a Brown Rice & Almond Shake. It was really quite delicious. It was smooth and light, gently sweetened, and with a distinct but very tasty nutty/grain flavor. I thought it was really good. But I have to say that the Red Bean Green Tea frappe was goooood... if you know what I mean.

Did I mention that these drinks are both vegan? We got them at Cafe Mano, a spectacular cafe in the Hyewah neighborhood of Seoul. Mipa and I actually came here together about two years ago. (I wonder if they remembered us? :)  It is one of the cheeriest, nicest, cleanest cafes I've ever been to (check out their bathrooms). And it's vegan-owned!

The two ladies that work there are kind, sweet souls. And the ambiance in their cafe is so peaceful and relaxing.

Not all the beverages and sweets are vegan, but everything is clearly labelled, and there are more vegan options than any other cafe I can think of.

Just look for the heart-shaped label to know which drinks are vegan.

In addition to this vegan Chick Pea Salad, there was another vegan "main dish," as well as brownies, cookies, pie, pat bingsu (a dessert made with ice and beans and fruit and other goodies) and more. The food is not cheap. (My frappe was 6,000 KRW, and Mipa's shake was about 5,500 KRW.) But it is high quality and served with love. I think they use mostly organic ingredients as well. I would love to keep going back - there was so much to choose from. Sadly, I was only in Seoul for a week... but now I have some motivation to check out the vegan baked good options I know of in Chiang Mai! Because I certainly appreciate having access to these kinds of cafes. Cafe Mano, perhaps one of my favorite places in Seoul.

It even had some information about vegetarianism and veganism. Not that I could read it... But I hope to be able to some day!

So, if you ever get a chance to go to Seoul. They're open Mon-Sat, 12:00 - 10:00pm, closed on Sundays and the third Monday of every month. ....

Wait for it.... wait... Yes! Check this post on Mipa's blog for directions and other info on Cafe Mano.

Full to the Brim: Friends, Fun and Food

Do you ever feel like your heart could burst? Not from pain, but from the feelings of joy and love? Lately, as I've settled into Chiang Mai, stayed in touch with family back in the U.S., and then come here to Korea to visit friends, I feel like my heart is so full! I'm so thankful for all the loved ones who are part of my life. The last few days here in Soul are a prime example of this, as I got to see some of my favorite girls!

Most stories start with a food story, of course... hehe  I met my good friend HyunJu for lunch in 녹사평 (Noksapyeong) area (just west of Itaewon, the foreigner area). We had intended to go to a restaurant called Bao, where you can get made-to-order stir-fries (think Subway but with noodles), but it was closed.  So we found a place called Le Saigon just down the street. Yes, eating Vietnamese food in South Korea is still a good way to take advantage of my time here! Seoul has soooo much to offer when it comes to food!  I got this dish, 비빔국수 (Bibimguksu), which is fairly similar to my all-time favorite Korean dish, 비빔밥 (bibimbap).

The main difference is that rice noodles are used instead of rice, and instead of 고추장 (gochujang - red pepper paste) it has a sweet and vinegary sauce to pour on top. I got the vegetarian option, for 8,000 KRW, which included those nicely sauteed mushrooms. Just like bibimbap, bibimguksu usually comes with a fried egg on top, and sometime some meat, but I asked them to leave those out. I'm not sure if this dish usually comes with the chopped peanuts on top, I'm assuming so, but it's interesting that they were spooned on to the middle of the dish, right where the fried egg is usually placed. Protein swap perhaps?

So there it is all mixed up. Nice and cool, with six different kids of fresh veggies! It was great for a warm day, and perfectly filling. After gabbing over our food for a good few hours... we headed out to take goofy pics and enjoy the sunshine.

After a teary goodbye, I headed over to Hongdae. Mipa and I walked around a bit, then decided to get a sweet snack from a place called Laksheme: (accidentally) vegan donuts! They're not donuts in the sense you would normally think of; they're steamed, not deep-fried. I'm sure they're a bit healthier than regular donuts, and they just happen to be very tasty!

I got the chocolate one on the right, for just 1,400 KRW. Since it was nearing the shop's closing time, the owner actually offered Mipa a donut for free! Score! She got a cinnamon one, which had the surprise of walnuts inside.

My chocolate doughnut had mini chocolate chips inside. And both doughnuts were a nice balance of soft and chewy. They went great with the iced hazelnut coffees we had. We actually bought the coffee at a 7-Eleven, Mipa's economical little secret. ;) For just 1,500 KRW you get a vacuum-sealed bag of coffee from the refrigerator section, complete with a plastic cup and a bag of ice cubes! (You could even buy some soy milk to add in, but it tasted nice and sweet already, so we just drank them black.)

For directions and info on Laksheme, I will once again direct you to Mipa's blog (see this post).

Hongdae area is a fun area to walk around, especially on the weekend. Even though I lived in Korea for over a year, I see things with new eyes since having been away for awhile. So I couldn't help but take pictures of "normal stuff" that we walked past.

 Modern clubs, traditional sweets, cutesy trinkets...

 Creative sales displays and cafe decor...

 Varied architecture...

Plenty of health and beauty products for sale, and Doritos being endorsed by sexy young ladies...

As interesting as it is to just walk around and explore, we didn't just wander aimlessly. We headed to an art exhibit where the subject inspiration was animals.

Deceivingly simple black and white charcoal drawings of all different animals that evoked such deep emotion of compassion!

If I understood correctly, the artist was inspired by companion animals and shelter animals.  But there were a few drawings of non-typical "pet" animals, like cows and pigs, too. So I think the artist has a heart for all animals, even the ones that are usually recognized for their "meat" than their lives.
It was kinda sad to see all these images of animals looking so lonely and downtrodden. The artist said she often felt sad when she drew them.

But it's good to be reminded that these animals exist. The exhibit gave a voice to these animals: how they can be overlooked, abandoned or even abused by us humans, but also how we can love and appreciate them, because they often bring something positive to our lives. They are worthy of being cared for.

There was even a short video made from charcoal drawings about the friendship between a boy and his dog. It was really cute and touching! The whole exhibit was pretty unique, and I was happy to see animals be given some love and appreciation through art! Spread the love, spread the joy, spread the peace... Another great day in Korea.

Oh Happy Day!

Yes, this picture pretty much captures my joy and excitement at being back in Korea! I'm here in Seoul for just one week to get my Thai work visa processed and to spend time with some dear friends who I've missed so much! Food, friends, and weather 15 degrees cooler than Chiang Mai... what else can I ask for?

As soon as I got off the plane, I hopped on the train to get into Seoul, and instantly started taking pictures of evvvvverything!

I don't speak much Korean, but I love being able to read some signs! Above is a pharmacy, pronounced "yak," which I know must come from Chinese, because it's "yaa" in Thai, so I assume they have the same root. Yeah, yeah, boring side note you may say, but I'm so into languages, and every time I learn more about one, it enhances the way I learn about another one. I'm fascinated!

A typical kimbab restaurant. Open 24 hours a day, usually just about $1.50 per roll (rice and veggies rolled inside a sheet of seaweed, and sliced into little rounds). I felt a little like a tourist, taking pictures of all these everyday sights. But the truth is, it feels so good to be back here, and I just want to capture the things that make me know I'm back in Korea and cause me to smile. Thailand has bits of Korea all over the place (K-Pop playing in the mall, influences from Korean fashion, Thai girls talking about how cute Korean guys are, some Korean restaurants, tourists who are unmistakably Korean, etc.), so this country and all the great memories I have are never far from my mind. I knew I missed Korea, but it wasn't until I was plopped squarely back in that I realized how great it would feel to be back!

This week I'm staying with my friend Mipa, vegan baker/blogger/businesswoman extraordinaire. (Click here to see her blog, or here to see or order from her online vegan bakeshop.) She gave me a warm welcome back to Seoul, taking me on an outing around her neighborhood to see the markets and have lunch at a vegan buffet. Here's just one of the market stalls selling fresh veggies.

The Chinese market had these fun-shaped steamed buns.  Yummm.

Here's the vegan buffet restaurant we went to: Ahn Hyun Pil Healthy Buffet. (Check this page on Mipa's blog for location and info.)

It normally costs 9,000 Korean Won per person, for all you can eat, which is a pretty good price. But we had a special "welcome back to Korea" discount. As we were walking to the restaurant, I happened to notice some colorful pieces of paper ruffling on the sidewalk - 7,000 Won! So we put that money towards our bill and each only had to pay 5,500 Won (about $5) - woot woot!

This was my first plate of food, with our shared plate of greens, cabbage, seaweed and add-ons like fermented natto bean paste and some vinegary soy beans. Everything was so fresh and simple and natural. Nice hardy purple rice, different kinds of kim chi (cold cabbage, baked cabbage, radish), mushrooms, mountain greens, tofu, and jeon (kind of like a thin savory pancake).

I realllly missed kim chi. And the stuff served here was certainly not a let down. I have to say that everything on my plate was super flavorful.

And fun too! I liked wrapping some tofu or wheat-meat along with rice and natto bean paste inside the leaves. And not only did we both go back for second plates...

... but we got a little dessert of warm bread with a sweet and nutty spread, sprinkled with soybean powder.

It was pretty good, but Mipa and I are planning to make our own homemade bread soon. We've already made a few meals together, and man, I am lovin' it! This was our scrumptious dinner that night (which I just watched Mipa make, hehe): curried veggies and tempeh, brown/purple/wild rice and kim (sheets of salted seaweed).

And for breakfast we made these awesome oatmeal banana pancakes (recipe on this blog site):

With fruit and tea on the side, eaten outside on Mipa's sunny patio, it was a great start to my second day in Seoul!