Paraguayan empanadas in Seoul

One of the things I love about Itaewon is the sheer variety of food available at lunch time. The Paraguayan restaurant is next door to a Chinese dumpling restaurant, down the street from an Austrian restaurant and deli, and across the street from an Irish pub and an Italian restaurant. Up and across the street is a Turkish kebab place. Not too mention all the standard Korean restaurants.

They had a set menu where you picked 3 empanadas which were accompanied with two additional things. I loved the tomato and cheese. The beef was ok. And the chicken was a bit dry. In the middle of the plate is a corn bread type thing. And to the upper left is something that was similar to a quiche/omelet. I want to go back and try some other flavors.

Lunch at Gecko's

I had lunch at Gecko's a while ago with one of my co-workers. It was a Monday, and I was really hoping for a kebab. But Sultan's is closed on Mondays. Silly people think they actually need a day off!

Anyway, it was a hot and humid day and I wasn't in the mood for hiking around and finding a kebab, so we went to Gecko's because neither one of us had been there. It's a second floor, dark bar-like place, full of smoke.

This is the chicken caesar salad. It was ok.

This is the Jack Daniels marinated chicken salad. It was also ok.

I've been to Gecko's Terrace once before, which I think is related to this Gecko's. So I need to go back and try that one and see how it is. I was somewhat disappointed with this Gecko's because others have said it's pretty good.

Sunrise, Seoul, 12 August 2009

Japanese noodles in Seoul

Last weekend we went wandering around in search of dinner. We were hoping the restaurant at the corner that always smells so good and has a standing room only crowd would be open, but it wasn't. Most likely due to the holiday. So we continued further on our search and came across Sapporo Udon. The menu is pretty simple, udon, soba, and a couple of basic sushi. I had cold soba and he had hot soba. The cold soba came with a dipping sauce that had green onion and most likely finely grated radish in it. The hot soba was in a dark brown broth that seemed more like beef broth than fish based broth. But it was good.

Mexican food! Yummy

I no longer need to search for Mexican food in Seoul, because every now and again it magically appears right in my own home! We have the Mexican Everyday cookbook by Rick Bayless, and this appeared yesterday afternoon. These chicken enchiladas remind me of this Mexican restaurant in Riverside that I used to eat lunch at every now and again a good 20 years ago.

And the leftovers are just as good for lunch the next day!

Random blog posts I found interesting lately...

Bassets...

• I want their life. Or at least a short vacation from my current life.
• Ernest.
  

Food...

• These double vanilla cupcakes look so good. Now, either I need to try and persuade my husband to try making these or I have to figure out how to bake with my picky Korean oven that doesn't like to stay on.
• I think we've got all the ingredients for this salad. Yummy. Have to forward this to the husband and see what he can do with it.
  

Random stuff...

• Map folding guide. And here I thought that was one of my special talents. Now everyone will know how to do that.
  

The "more things to make my Mom even more paranoid" category...

• GPS and sex offenders

16 Great Great Grands

As I think I mentioned, I've been spending some of the time lately when it's been pouring rain outside sorting through some of the genealogical stuff I've accumulated over the past decade. I was inspired to begin again after sorting through a lot of the photos and papers found at Dad's. Anyway, a genealogical meme floating around right now is to list your 16 great great grandparents and their ethnicity/nationality. So here goes:

1. John C. Kline, b. 4 Feb 1863, Fort Wayne, IN, d. 28 Jun 1934, Brookfield, IL - German

2. Gertrude Rogers, b. 3 Mar 1870, Nunda, IL, d. 20 Aug 1932, Brookfield, IL - English

3. Wilhelm Hahn, b. 11 Nov 1859, Germany, d. 3 Dec 1897, Grossdale, IL - German

4. Auguste Wilk, b. 25 Dec 1861, Germany, d. 25 Jan 1941, Brookfield, IL - German

5. Ronald MacDonald, b. 10 Aug 1838, Prince Edward Island, d. unknown - Scottish

6. Margaret McDonald, b. 24 May 1846, Prince Edward Island, d. unknown - Scottish

7. John W. Bird, b. 9 Sep 1850, IL, d. 16 Sep 1911, Galena, KS - English (?)

8. Mary Jane McFall, b. 17 Oct 1867, Missouri, d. 8 Jun 1904, Galena, KS - unknown

9. Jacob Switzer, b. 23 Jan 1844, Ohio, d. 6 Nov 1914, Grand River, IA - German

10. Sarah Ann Quiett, b. 14 Oct 1847, Athens, TN, d. 24 Jan 1912, Grand River, IA - unknown

11. Christian S. Overholtzer, b. 16 Mar 1831, PA, d. 7 Jul 1906, IA - German

12. Harriet Jane Eiker, b. f25 Feb 1835, PA, d. 4 Mar 1923, Nodaway, IA - German

13. Benjamin F. Walton, b. 6 Feb 1839, Salem, MA, d. 9 May 1916, Manson, IA - English

14. Amie Minerva Richmond, b. 11 Oct 1844, Syracuse, NY, d. 19 Jul 1901, Manson, IA - English

15. Edgar S. Lent, b. 13 Jul 1840, Rome, PA, d. 23 Sep 1913, Buffalo, NY - unknown

16. Elsie Jane Terbush, b. 4 Apr 1843, Oneida, NY, d. 23 Oct 1909, Manson, IA - unknown

So, I'm 100% European. And mostly German (37.5%), followed by English (25%), Scottish (12.5%), with unknowns at 25%.

An American Lunch in Seoul

Yes, yes, I know, it's been a while. I've been tired, and working, and it's hot and humid and rainy, so I haven't done a whole heck of a lot except sort through genealogical stuff I've been accumulating digitally for the past ten years. But the other weekend, the husband was in search of a traditional American breakfast (i.e., French toast), so we headed back to the American Diner in Itaewon. I tried the omelet last time. So this time I opted for a burger. It was decent. But it still doesn't beat a Bubba Burger cooked at home.


From the restaurant, this was the view:


And lately I've been noticing churches. I'm from suburban Southern California, where the churches are large buildings with vast lawns and even larger parking lots. I've been meaning to get a photo of the church in Namdaemun that has the camera ads all over the front, but this one will have to do until I get around to it and it isn't so rainy and humid the photo is all gray.

Wednesday Wine Night

Last Wednesday, I dragged the husband out after work. Actually I insisted that he come out to Itaewon and meet me, and we went to Kabinett so I could have a glass or two of wine. Each month they feature different wines from a wine region in the world (and no, they haven't had Temecula yet), so I get to try different wines. This month is Italy, so I had a lovely pinot grigio. Anyway, from the restaurant, we could see the local street restaurant.


And at one point while we were talking, we heard this clanking noise. We finally realized it was this monk standing outside below the restaurant.


Look, another church.


My salad. I ordered a caesar salad. I ended up with the seasonal salad. It was still delicious -- fresh greens, tomato, some mozzarella, with a balsamic vinaigrette.


I'm hoping to go back some time in the near future -- they have a nice 50% off house wines by the glass happy hour deal.