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Sometimes I forget that not all of my posts have to be of an Earth shattering magnitude. I was frantically weaving in and out a busy crowd while riding the subway when I felt really thirsty. By some clear stroke of luck I saw of the silhouette of a vending machine out of my peripheral. As I was taking out my wallet to purchase a drink I quickly began to realize what I was standing in front of.





It was a instant coffee machine. How awesome is that?! It figures that the nonstop hardworking Korean culture would adopt such an idea. What was even more amazing was the prices of cup of coffee (300 won is like .26 cents USD) A big Two Thumbs Up for SK and this cool little Pick Me Up Station.

Joe - OUT!!

A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity of doing two really neat things. The first was meeting some really cool people that are friends of my coworker. And the second was that I had the chance to experience the Korean rendition of American foods.

Both of these were novel to me because since this was my first month here in South Korea I jumped at the chance to meet new English speaking Foreigners. Plus making new friends is the equivalent of finding a 50 dollar bill in your couch (kinda gives you that warm and fuzzy feeling on the inside). Plus I was curious to see how this American style breakfast tasted and if it would bring back any memories of home.

I first made sure to hike up Bulgosan mountain prior to meeting up with everyone, so that way I would have an healthy appetite. Once I finally arrived in Itaewon it was still relatively early in the day. After we all met up at a local Starbucks (yeah, go figure) we headed to the All American Diner for a midday breakfast.

I know, I know what you're thinking. Joey just shut the hell up and tell us what you ate. Now I had this delightful little dish:



Two words....Simply Amazing!! I'm serious, I've been to Canada so I know what a good pancake tastes like. Even the sausages were up to par. Plump, juicy, and not burnt. My only complaint was that there could have been a wheat toast option then it would have been perfect.

Now the best thing about this place is that it doesn't just serve breakfast. It also prepares sandwiches, burgers and the like. All of which, I am sure, are as delicious as their breakfast menu. On that note I rated this place as EXCELLENT because of it's diverse array of foods that they serve at any meal time. A case and point; this monstrous dessert was only $5 USD. Unfortunately I didn't pick one up. If I weren't making so much headway with this new diet I would have definitely picked up two....what? One for now and one for later Baby! ;)



Now these great folks were cool enough to waste some of their day hanging out with me. It was really good to chat it up with these kats (From left to right: Sarah, Clint, Alec, Leana and yours truly).




Another good weekend for the books. As far as I'm concerned everybody wins. I get to eat great food and meet new people while you get the inside scoop. Before you run off and pick up some food yourself (because I know that you're hungry now) don't forget to leave a comment. Take care of yourselves and until the next blog....

Joe - OUT!!

Here it is, the moment that you all have been waiting for....Korean Food! This particular place is very close to where I stay and teach at. Not only is the location good but food is Great as well!!

The service is really fast and the people here are very friendly. Clint and I went to grab a quick bite to eat before our evening classes started, and we were happy to find place somewhat empty. Due to the fact that this small restaurant is always busy.

We got an order of Kimchi Chigae. It's really good stuff, think of a spicy beef stew broth mixed with sliced kimchi (cabbage), vegetables and dok-bok-ee (rice cake).




With it came plenty of side dishes. Starting from the back (from left to right) we received cooked eggs, kimchi, fried tofu, (middle) seasoned roots of local plants, dried fish, and finally rice.



At the end of our meal we were able to wash up with a complimentary wet napkin. I normally would have just used the tissues behind it but they were nice enough to provide us with the wet napkin.



Now the best part of this whole experience was the cost of this little feast. All of this was only 4,000 won ($3.62 USD). Needless to say that I will be coming here more often when I don't feel like cooking.

Let me know what you think and be sure to leave a comment!

Joe - OUT!!