Rainy Day Pizza Blues

With the Monsoon season really starting in earnest today, I braved the torrential rain in search of sustenance. Fortunately I didn't have to walk too far, just down behind the Hamilton Hotel. I had passed the Cucina Acca Trattoria many times, but never felt charmed by its menu, which just seemed to be the same old pastas, pizzas and risottos that you can find all over Seoul. Today I decided to give it a go...

The decor is all reds and browns, giving a cozy yet rather dim feel to the place. The staff were very helpful and attentive, but that may have been because there were only two other customers. I decided to go for the "salami pizza with chili powder" (15,000 won plus tax) and a bottle of Fuller's London Pride Outstanding Pale Ale (8,000 won plus tax). I haven't had British beer for a year and I fancied a little taste of home as the rain poured down outside.



Served with a beautiful Fuller's glass, this pale ale may not be the best of British, but to my Cass stained palate it tasted heavenly. My only complaint would be the size of the serving in relation to the cup. 330 ml does not a pint make, so why serve it in a pint pot? A small matter, but the pedant in me refused to be satisfied with a three quarters full glass.



Cucina Acca's yeasty offerings came first with a slice of "brioche" and some garlic bread. The latter was rather tasty, whilst the former seemed a little stale and more like buttery foccacia than brioche.



The pizza arrived and I was disappointed. The base was thin, but lacked character; the salami was placed in a circle, rather than dotted about, so only one bite in every four contained meaty goodness and the cheesy top was rather bland. There was an ample amount of chili powder on the pizza, but all it did was cause my mouth to feel slightly irritated.



Cucina Acca says it is a "Premium Italian Restaurant" on its business card, but I'd advise you to head to La Tavola, CasAntonio, Sortino's, Macaroni Market, Ola Mario, Bombomb or La Volpaia for a taste of Italy. Their beer is not too bad though....

If you really want to go to Cucina Acca then head out of exit one of Itaewon station, take the alley next to KFC and turn left. Cucina Acca is on the left hand side under Syd & Mels and opposite My Chelsea. You can call them on 02 790 5486 or visit their Korean blog here.

Pork in Busan

After a few days in Busan and a few visits to some delicious fish restaurants, yesterday I was ready for something a little bit more land based. So I found myself on the doorstep of a small restaurant just up the hill from Gwangalli beach.



This ordinary looking place has a very small menu offering you the choice of 돼지국밥 (Pork soup), 수육 (Steamed pork) and 순대 (Blood sausage), as well as other variations based on those three dishes. I went for the pork soup for 5,000 won and a plate of blood sausage for 7,000 won.



Side dishes are fairly minimal, but you get a good selection of sauces to mix into the soup or dunk your sausage into.



The sausage itself wasn't beautifully presented, but it may well be the best I've had in Korea. I'm often disappointed with blood sausage as it leaves me with a dry mouth and a longing for black pudding, but these tasty black tubes were full blooded meaty delights. In texture and taste they felt more like a traditional banger and were perfectly seasoned.



The pork soup may not be to everyone's tastes. I know that a fair few of my friends would turn their noses up at this concoction, however, if you worship the pig as much as I do then you'll be more than satisfied. This dish is basically a porcine version of 설렁탕 (Beef soup), a very simple mix of boiled pork, pork stock and garlic chives. You are then free to add wheat flour noodles, salt. pepper, chili paste, fermented shrimp or black pepper to the bowl, depending on your desires. For me it's a filling, warming taste of home, but for others it may be pork overload...



Busan maybe famous for its fish, but if you find yourself in the area then it's worth your while checking out the meatier side of Gyungsan-do cuisine.



돈가촌 (Dongachon) is open 24 hours a day and can be found just a few doors down from the entrance to the MBC broadcasting complex up the hill from Gwangalli beach. You can call them on 051 754 1524.

Tour Ajosshi Needs Your Help

As the rainy season starts so does our theatre company's tour of Korea. Over the next seven weeks we'll be visiting Busan, Gwangju, Daegu, Cheonan, Goyang and Gwacheon and traveling makes me very, very hungry. If you know of any interesting restaurants or specialities in these areas I'd love to hear from you...

So if any of you, my dear readers, can help me in my quest for good food, then I will be forever in your debt and if any of you fancy meeting up for a bite to eat then please let me know. Paul Ajosshi is off on tour and looking for some tasty treats!

La Tavola - Back in Business

Nine years ago when I was a slim young lad finding my way around the streets and alleys of Seoul, there was one sure fire place I knew of to get my hands on some traditional wood-fired pizza goodness... La Tavola. Back then, there was no Sortino or Ola Mario and Macaroni Market was but a twinkle in its owner's eye. Decent Italian was very hard to find and La Tavola was the best place I knew of.

When the sign came down and Antonio's Ristorante opened in its place a couple of years ago, I was disappointed. Part of my time in Seoul had gone and when I went to eat at the newly refurbished restaurant I felt like I was betraying an old lover.

However, just two short weeks ago La Tavola sprang from the ashes of Antonio's and I plucked up the courage to go and see my old stalking ground once again.



The decor is pretty much the same as Antonio's, inoffensive and unremarkable, but the bread basket is a work of art. The little nuggets of yeasty goodness on the right were piping hot and beautifully fluffy. The squid ink bread was moist and the cereal slices delectable.

Prices at La Tavola are pretty much the same as they used to be and I decided to try an old standard - the Margherita pizza for 15,000 won plus tax.



Presented well, the pizza looked delicious, though had rather too few basil leaves for my liking and was a tad soggy in the middle. However, the tomato sauce was fresh, the cheese tasty and the crust was just crisp enough. Perhaps not the best pizza in the world, but a tasty nostalgic lunch that satisfied my memories.



La Tavola is not the greatest Italian restaurant in Itaewon, but it's a friendly place that serves decent food and will always have special place in my heart. To get there come out of Itaewon station and head past the Hard Rock Cafe, La Tavola is on the left hand side above Kraze Burger. You can call them on 02 793 6144.

When is a Steak not a Steak?

For the past week or two I have been walking past Isabelle's Porterhouse in Itaewon and the Country Fried Steak has been calling to me like a crispy, juicy, beefy siren song. Today I succumbed and decided to fork out 22,000 won (plus tax) of my hard earned cash for a little Southern style treat.

12 years ago I had the good fortune to visit Texas and one of my most memorable moments was sitting down to a country fried steak dinner, where the steak turned out to be bigger than the plate it was served on. It was crispy on the outside, tender on the inside and absolutely delicious, yet so large I couldn't finish it. A very happy Texan memory and one which I fancied reliving today...



So with glad heart and good cheer I stepped inside this quaint little restaurant. Seating just over twenty, it has a faux British pub ambience and British prices to match. A New York Strip steak goes for 45,000 won, a filet mignon for 49,000 won and a whopping 850 gram Porterhouse steak for 90,000 won (for two). The Country Fried steak at 22,000 won seemed like a bargain in this pricey joint, there couldn't be a catch could there?



First came some complimentary garlic bread, not bad as standards go, but I wasn't satisfied, I wanted the steak!



After a rather lengthy wait (half an hour or more), my Country Fried Steak arrived. It looked nice enough, certainly not as large as its Texan counterpart, but then everything is bigger in Texas... The mash was flavourful, though a little dry. The peas were depressing dessicated little bullets, that I wouldn't serve to my dog, if I had one, which I don't...

The steak itself was tender and relatively tasty, except for one small fault - it tasted awfully piggy. Forgive me for my presumptions, but I had assumed that Country Fried Steak unless otherwise stated would be beef. Every other main course on the menu was beef, and the only pig product mentioned on their meat disclaimer was French bacon... Was it unfair of me to think this way? Checking the internet you can see that wikipedia, texascooking.com and foodtimeline.org all describe Country Fried Steak as being beef and Isabelle's Porterhouse does seem to specialize in slices of moo-cow.

The waitress was surprised at my surprise and assured me that Country Fried steak should be pork, so I ask you dear readers: What should Country Fried steak be, what would you expect to be served and if you happen to hail from the part of the world where Country Fried steak was made famous, would you be delighted by this piggy offering or dismayed? Answers on a postcard or in the comments section please...



Isabelle's Porterhouse is behind the Hamilton Hotel, diagonally opposite from the 3 Alleys Pub. You can call them on 02 749 9827, but be sure to ask which animal is the star of your dish...

Jonny and his "Dong Dong"

Ever since Jonny Dumpling opened up, I've been popping in every once in a while for a crispy mandu fix and have never been disappointed, so I was quite excited to hear that Jonny was opening up a new restaurant where his computer shop used to be. Today was the grand opening, so I trotted on down to see if he could do for Japanese food what he does for dumplings...

This tiny place seats just over twenty and has a cosier feel than its sister restaurant. The menu is still not quite complete, so I decided to go for some simple dishes: 야끼소바 (Yaki Soba) and 모듬 덴뿌라 (Mixed Tempura), coming in at a very reasonable 6,000 won each.



Perhaps it was first day nerves, or the strains of a new kitchen, but my two dishes came a while apart instead of together, so my Yaki Soba served as an ersatz appetizer. This messy mix of crispy veg and chewy noodles was cooked and seasoned to perfection. I don't know if it was authentic, but it was delicious.



And then the main course... The mixed tempura was presented well, but looked and tasted a lot more like Korean twigim. It didn't have the same airy crispness that good Japanese tempura has, but it was still tasty and offered an interesting mix of prawns, mushroom, aubergine and chili.



This was Dong Dong's first day, so I'm sure the staff will settle and sort things out, but it's a very promising start and a great place to go if you're in Itaewon and looking for some quick, cheap Japanese food.

To get to Dong Dong, come out of Itaewon station and turn left at the Hard Rock Cafe, then right after My Thai. Dong Dong is next door to the Smokey Saloon on the right hand side. It doesn't have a sign or a phone number yet, but it will soon.

Macaroni 2.0

Macaroni Market have upgraded their signature dish. Gone is the lemon zest, instead a nest of orange peel threads on top of a crispy bed of deep fried onions. Bacon, bread crumbs, cheeses and macaroni remain as deliciously cheesy as they were before. 12,000 won plus tax, you can see more on Macaroni Market here, here and here...

Silly Cows, The Seoul Players And Money For Matt

Tonight the Seoul Players held a special benefit performance of Ben Elton's Silly Cow in aid of Matt Robinson and his ongoing hospital saga. A few friends and I managed to squeeze ourselves into the sold out showing in the basement of Phillies in Haebangchon and were treated to a romping rendition of Elton's 90's farce.

I've seen the Seoul Players a few times over the past seven years and this was certainly the best one yet. The audience seemed to really enjoy themselves and I laughed out loud quite a bit, though I think I was the only one who got the reference to Rusty Lee and Channel Four's early aspirations... My age and nationality betray me...

Desiree Munro as Doris Wallace the "Queen of Catty" stole the show with her vindictive, pink champagne guzzling, sleazy journalist who seemed to be channeling a combination of Rik Mayall and Fran from Black Books. Originally the role was written for Dawn French, but Desiree managed to bring her own style to the part and was very entertaining. Gef Somervell deserves mention for his performance as a whiskey sozzled newspaper editor and Lance Noe held his own as Douglas, a seemingly mild mannered accountant with a strange affection for postmen. Angel Campey did well as the dowdy Peggy and Keith Power showed off his sleazy skills as Eduardo the 21 year old toy boy.

Farce is always tricky to perform and the Seoul Players must be commended for their hard work and efforts. The strangest thing for me was that some of the script had been updated, yet other references remained firmly in the nineties; so that comments about Hannah Montana, came amongst jokes about Sarah Ferguson and mentions of Alan Bleasdale.

It's great to see the expat community come together to support theatre and also help out a comrade in need and I look forward to the Seoul Player's future exploits. Silly Cow runs until Saturday 13th June and you can also help Matt by attending the "Dance For Matt" fundraiser this weekend.

I Hate Nana

Round behind the fire station in Itaewon is an interesting response to the rather boring "nana loves you"/"nana is real" graffiti that plagues some parts of Seoul.

Cats and Drums

Coming out of the cinema yesterday afternoon we stumbled upon an outdoor performance by Drumcat, a Korean all girl drumming group, who won a Herald Angel award at last year's Edinburgh festival.

While technically proficient, I didn't find anything particularly original or exciting about their performance. I guess once you've seen 공명 (Gongmyoung), then other Korean percussion groups just aren't that impressive.

Here's a taste of Drumcat: 

And now a taste of Gongmyoung:

More Gongmyoung videos can be found here and here... Well worth seeing live if you get a chance.