Restaurant: Butterfingers

One thing I miss the most about America is a true American breakfast. I miss grits, omelets, breakfast sausages, hash browns, and pancakes. I can make myself scrambled eggs anytime, but it doesn't taste the same without the other breakfast essentials as mentioned above. Now I don't eat like a king for breakfast everyday, but I do miss going to Waffle House.

Butterfingers is one place where I can rely on good breakfast food. Their double-sided menu is as big as a poster board that is filled with all kinds of delicious dishes, and it's not limited to just breakfast food. Just think of a fancier version of Waffle House or even IHOP. This restaurant is actually a chain and has few locations dispersed throughout Seoul.

Although I think the ultimate winning dish at Butterfingers is their buttermilk pancakes with different compotes, I have tried a few other dishes that come very close. Above is a picture of the eggs benedict. It comes with a side of huge chunks of tomato and leafy greens. Not only is it savory, but super healthy too (ha ha)!

You can't see very well, but my friend ordered the Split Decision platter, which consists of scrambled eggs, ham, sausage, and home fries. In other words, the perfect American breakfast for those who cannot choose.

Another side dish that I am particularly fond of here is the mac and cheese. I'm from the south and I know what good mac and cheese is and Butterfingers actually does a great job. It's cheesy, it's mac-y, and delicious!

The menu seems to change a lot based on their specials. This past time, they were serving chicken friend steak. Yes, Chicken Fried Steak. It's pretty much a thin cut of steak cooked with fried chicken batter. It is smothered with some gravy and blueberry compote. I was actually pretty skeptical about the blueberry compote being served with gravy, but it ended up being really unique and delicious. Something you may not eat together, but somehow works.

Butterfingers can get a bit pricy, but it's also worth it when treating yourself to something you cannot get everyday. The price range is anywhere between 15000 to 20000WON, but I promise you will leave feeling extra full or even with a to-go box.

The Gangnam location seems to be the most popular and convenient one. Take Gangnam station exit #10 and take the first legit left. Stay on the left side and it will be right next to Burger King. There is another location in Apgujeong near the Gangnam NANTA theater. I'm also aware that there is another in Bundang.

Permanent cosmetics

One thing that has been the same in my daily routine since high school has been putting on eyeliner. Back at home, I never really felt the pressure to look my best daily. Often times I wore sweat pants or running shorts to meet up with friends-- with eyeliner on, of course. In Korea, however, there is a constant pressure to look pampered and your best all the time. Image is everything in Korea and it can really affect how people judge you. Being overweight is one thing, but looking sloppy is a direct way for Koreans, in my opinion, to automatically place you in the "ugly and lazy" list.

So seeing that I'm in the aesthetic capital of the world, why not try out some beauty secrets of Korean females? Looking done up all the time is hard work and Korean women do it everyday. So what's their secret? Permanent cosmetics.

There is a range of permanent cosmetics you can choose from: lipstick, eyebrow, eyeliner, and even eyelashes.

With that said, I have small eyes. If anyone asked me the question, "if you were stuck on a deserted island with one make up product, what would it be?" Without hesitation, I would answer, "eyeliner." This may not be of interest to some people, but putting on eyeliner can be tough and time consuming.

I have waited to do a blog post on this because I wanted to test it out first. Whether or not the results were bad, I wanted to try it out before I made any judgements about it. So the verdict? AWESOME.

I don't consider eyeliner tattoo as a real tattoo. A real tattoo, I have to put a lot of thought into it- what I want on my body and if I want it on there forever. Eyeliner tattoo, on the other hand, is pretty much there to make me look like I always do, but without the effort. In no way am I trying to look perfect the morning after my honeymoon for my future husband. If anything, it's to save me some time in the morning with all the other extra stuff I have to do to get ready.

I went to a place in Gangnam (lower east side of Seoul) where it is full of high end shopping, plastic surgery clinics, and aesthetic businesses. Sounds like a perfect place to get permanent cosmetics, right?

This place was recommended by a friend who was also recommended by a bunch of pretty receptionists at a plastic surgery clinic (how ironic). For the price of 70,000WON, you get two sessions of eyeliner tattoo. This place is also known for eyelash extensions.

Before you actually begin the tattoo process, they make you lie down and put on some numbing cream on your eyelids. If older, muscular men cry during their sessions of tattoos on their backs, you can only imagine what the pain would be like on your eyelids. Once the numbing cream has set in, the "artist" (I don't really know what to call them) will begin her work on you.

This is such an unflattering picture of me, but I hope it gives the readers some assurance of what permanent cosmetics is. As you can tell by the picture, the "pen" she is holding is actually the needle. It's very different from the needles used in tattoo parlors. Shaped like a pen, it has a tiny needle and ink. So the actual tattooing process is pretty much the "artist" drawing on the eyeliner as you would on yourself.

So does it hurt? Yes. The actual process did not hurt as much, more like scratching your eyelids. It's when the numbing cream wears off that you actually feel like someone has REALLY scratched your eye to the point it feels raw. This feeling wears off about half an hour later, but you'll tear up a lot during that time. You know what they say: beauty is pain.

Your eyes will swell like you've been crying for a few days. However, healing time is one week and after the second day, you forget that you even went through all of that.

In no way am I promoting permanent cosmetics or selling it as a must for women in Korea. Since I have been wearing eyeliner for years, I signed on to do this on my own, with the possible consequences in mind. Will I go on to do other forms of permanent cosmetics? Probably not. However, I will take advantage of many things Korea has to offer to make "beauty" seem easier.

Hiking and kayaking in HongCheon river

For my dear friend Caroline's birthday, I decided to join her on a hiking and kayaking expedition around the HongCheon river in Gangwon province. 

She actually knew about this trip because she's a good friend of the coordinator of a traveling group called Indigo Hill. Like many other travel groups for foreigners in Korea, Indigo Hill sets up different adventures for foreigners to enjoy. The difference between this group and others is that it is much smaller, affordable, and they focus on culture, art, and philosophy.
Through Indigo Hill, we were able to ride out about an hour east of Seoul for our expedition. The weather started off very gloomy and rainy, but it didn't stop us from venturing out to a part of Korea that we have never visited.

Although half of the group went on an extreme hike up one of the mountains, my friends and I decided to do our own version of hiking nearby.

Our hike path was along the river, so the trek was full of beautiful scenery.

I'd say the most special memory of this trip was when we were invited by a Korean family to join them for lunch. They had prepared different Korean dishes and shared some with us! We were just loitering around the parking lot waiting for the rest of the group to finish their hike, when this Korean family waved us over to come and join them. They were very hospitable and even took many pictures with us.

The trip ended with some kayaking down the HongCheon river. Because of the weather, the 5km route got cut short by half, but it was still a super fun experience. After a quick lesson from the kayak group leaders, we were sent off to paddle on the river.

Around what was supposed to be halfway of our kayak trip, we got to jump out of our kayaks and swim around in this gorgeous area. People got to jump off of the big rock in the background as well as race each other from one end to the other.

Overall, this trip was super relaxed and I would do it again when the weather gets nicer. Since it was a smaller group, I got to meet and talk to some really cool people that are also stationed in Korea as teachers, company workers, and military. It's a great way to expand your horizons and see some of Korea you probably wouldn't on your own.

Rest area delicacies!

Every weekend, roads in Korea are packed with cars full of people traveling to camp, see family or just get away from the city. Because there are so many places you can travel to by car, rest areas are well-equipped, like America, with more than just bathrooms and vending machines.

First of all, rest areas in Korea are clean. Even with hundreds of people using them throughout the day, all the ones I have stopped by have never made me feel like I should wait to use the bathroom until I reach my destination. Also, because there are so many stalls, I've never had to wait in line.

The BEST thing about rest areas is the food. Aside from the typical Korean food they serve, rest areas are especially known for their potatoes, manjoo, and walnut cakes.

Potatoes: 

I believe these potatoes are first boiled until soft, then grilled with some butter and simple seasoning. I have tasted ones with sugar on top (as gross as it sounds, it was actually delicious), as well as salty ones.

They are served in a disposable bowl with some toothpicks to eat them with. These potatoes are not only super filling, but it's just one of those delicacies that you can really enjoy on a trip. I don't think these would taste the same if I ate them at home.

Manjoo:

I like to think of manjoos as a Korean version of a twinkie. It has a cakey outside with a custard filling. These are very cheap, as a bag of 15 manjoos will only cost you 3000WON.

These are best when eaten warm. Be careful though, the filling might burn your mouth if it's too hot. It happens to me all the time.

Walnut cake:

There's a specific time of the year when giving walnut cake (more like cookies) are appropriate. However, these seemed to be enjoyed by Koreans all year round, especially on road trips.

These pastry specialties are shaped and even look like real walnuts. The difference is that it's softer and filled with walnut paste.

So if you ever go on road trips in Korea, make sure you stop by a rest area and try these delicacies!

Fun way to host dinner in your tiny apartment

If I had a big house with a big kitchen, I would be hosting breakfasts, lunches, brunches, dinners, snacks, and midnight snacks for my friends. Unfortunately, that is not the case in Korea. Some apartments have kitchens that are smaller than a bathroom, while having no built-in oven is also common in most Korean homes.

With that said, I still make an effort to cook up something easy to feed my friends. As long as you have a big enough table to fit all your friends, this easy dish is sure to please everyone!

While being one of the healthiest, cheapest, and easiest dish to prepare, there's barely any cooking involved! ...I KNOW!

Spring rolls (this recipe feeds 4 people)

What you'll need:

-Rice paper

-Rice noodles (1/2 box)

-1 cucumber

-3 bell peppers (any color)

-1 carrot

-bean sprouts (1/2 bag)

-green onions

-lettuce

-cilantro**

-pork (going to a butcher is cheaper. ask for the donkatsu meat, cut japchae style, 5,000Won)

-shrimp (optional)

for the sauce:

-hoisin sauce

-peanut butter

-Sriracha sauce**

(Most of these items can be bought at any grocery store in Korea)
**(these items may be a bit difficult to find in Korea)**

How to prepare:
-Cut all the vegetables (except lettuce and cilantro) thinly to the length of your index finger and lay it out on a plate so it's easy for the guests to grab.
-Boil the pork until just light pink and drain. The meat will keep cooking and since it's cut so thin, it should really only take one minute. The longer you cook it, the tougher and drier the meat will be.
-Boil the noodles, drain, and rinse under cold water. Follow the instructions on the box. Some may tell you to soak the noodles beforehand.
-If you want to add shrimp, I suggest buying the already cut/peeled/cooked kind. Just dunk it in some boiling water for 30 seconds and drain.
Sauce:
-Mix one part peanut butter and one part hoisin sauce. That's it.

How to make:
-Have some empty plates filled with warm water big enough for the rice papers to fit. It really doesn't take long for the rice papers to get soft.
-The easiest way to make this is by laying out a piece of lettuce on top of the rice paper, spread some peanut sauce on it, lay all the veggies, noodles, and meat in the middle. I like to also put some Sriracha sauce on top. Grab one end of the rice paper and carefully and slowly roll the ingredients in as if making sushi.

A friend actually taught me how to make this and I have been making it literally WEEKLY for the past few months. And because it's so healthy, I really think it played a big part in my weight loss lately!

Some of my favorite Korean foods!

Korea has some of the healthiest and most delicious food I have ever tried in all of my travels. Whether you come to live here or just to visit, I have compiled a list of HIGHLY recommended foods to try!

Grilled/BBQ

1. Pajeon- Korean pancakes, not the breakfast kind. This 'pancake' can consist of different vegetables, green onions being the star character, and can also consist of different kinds of sea food. Enjoy this dish with some mak-goli (rice wine)!

2. Mackerel- Grilled mackerel is one of my all time favorites. I don't really enjoy eating grilled fish with the bones still in it, but the taste of this fish makes me forget about my pickiness.

3. Dak-galbi- Its literal translation is chicken ribs. There are no bones, but this dish is spicy and is grilled with different vegetables on a huge round grill in the middle of the table. You can add noodles, rice, and even cheese to jazz it up!

4. Dweji-galbi- This marinated piece of pork ribs is so good, you'll keep ordering more. It's actually cheaper than a lot of other bbq meat and has so much flavor! Wrap it in lettuce with some rice and sesame leaves and enjoy it with some good ol' soju.

Steamed

1. Jjimdak- I hear Andong is the place to go for some authentic jjimdak (steamed chicken), but all the ones I have tasted around Korea are delicious to me. The chicken is marinated and steamed in a soy sauce based broth and cooked with some cellophane noodles. This dish can come spicy or mild, depending on how you like it.

2. Bossam- Bossam is steamed pork belly that you can eat with various wraps like lettuce, thin rice cakes, and kimchi. It's not greasy and can be enjoyed with a variety of side dishes.

3. Soondae- People freak out when they hear that soondae is blood sausage. Like all legit sausages, soondae is made with pig intestine lining stuffed with rice, cellophane noodles, bits of pork (not sure if I want to know) and maybe some blood (hence, the dark color). Soondae is a staple food at pojangmachas (street carts) and can be enjoyed with pork liver or lungs. Try not to think about the body parts.

Noodles

1. Japchae- This dish is made of cellophane noodles mixed with different vegetables and soy sauce. It's really filling and healthy too. Aside from the bits of meat, it's also very vegan friendly!

 2. Naengmyun- Although it's served cold, these buckwheat noodles are good all year round. Those who are not into spicy foods can get mool-naengmyun, which comes with cold pork based broth, or bibimnaengmyun for those whole don't mind a kick to their palates.

Soup

 1. Dwenjang jjigae- Jjigae is soup with concentrated flavor. Dwenjang is fermented soybean paste and tastes awesome in soup with some tofu, zucchini, onion, potatoes, and even clams! It might smell a little funky at first, but it has been a hit amongst the foreigners.

 2. Haejang gook- Also known as the hangover soup. This soup is made with pig spine and its spicy taste feels good the day after some heavy drinking. Koreans claim that it washes down the alcohol and helps cure the hangover faster. Does it really work? Don't know, don't care. It's delicious.

3. Galbitang- Sometimes this soup is served with a giant beef rib sticking out of the earthenware pot. It almost seems savage, but the combination of the hot soup and tender meat tastes awesome with some kimchi.

4. Kimchi jjigae- Another way to enjoy kimchi is through jjigae. Some places make it extra spicy and other with extra pork belly. Either way, it's delicious and even easy to make at home!

 5. Soondooboo- Like kimchi jjigae, soondooboo is spicy, but with no kimchi. It's main ingredient is curdled tofu and they'll crack an egg in it right before serving it to you. There's even seafood soondooboo, if you don't mind clams, shrimps, and octopus.

Rice

 1. Bibimbap- This classic dish is a meal on its own. Bibim means mix and bap means rice. Can you guess how it's supposed to be eaten? It's one of the healthiest and most favored dishes of foreigners. You can get all your nutrients in just one bowl.

 2. Kimbap- Foreigners call it sushi, but it does not contain any raw fish in it. The only similarities are rice, seaweed, and the fact that it's rolled up. There are different kinds of kimbap, like tuna, beef, and vegetable to name some.

3. Chamchi/ jaeyook dupbap- Chamchi is tuna and dupbap means covered rice. The tuna is cooked with a spicy concoction and is poured over a bed of rice. Like the chamchi dupbap, jaeyook is served the same way, except it's cooked with pork.

 5. Ddukbokee- Like soondae (steamed blood sausages), ddukbokee is a staple in the street carts and often enjoyed together. It's spicy and appreciated when a little bit inebriated. It's made with hot pepper paste and some fish cakes.

Dessert 

1. Patbingsoo- These have already gained a lot of popularity back in the states, but it's hard to get tired of it. This dessert is super popular during the summer time, since it's base ingredient is shaved ice or condensed milk. It comes with a variety of toppings including, but not limited to, mochi, ice cream, fruits, and sweet red beans. Koreans have become more creative with their bingsoos and now there are different flavors available aside from the traditional sweet red beans. Now they have flavors like green tea and red wine!

 2. Honey Bread- Served almost at all coffee shops around Korea, honey bread is a great alternative to donuts. It is a super thick cut slice of bread topped with different syrups, whip cream, and even ice cream. Like most desserts, it's not figure friendly, but it's definitely something I would cheat on my diet with.

I often find myself ordering all of the dishes mentioned above when I go out to eat. I hope you enjoy these dishes as much as I do!