One of the dishes I most looked forward to when I traveled to Korea was Budae Jigae. I know it’s not considered special by any means, but I am a fan of sausages and luncheon meat so this dish really appealed to me. If you don’t know the history of this dish, check out this page. Luckily there was a restaurant in the IFC Mall that specialized in it and I was able to try this dish out!
Before the stove was fired up…
Just wanted to share a quick update with one my favorite things from my trip to Korea. I saw many pictures of the original hotteok which I wasn’t interested in, I’m a fan of savory over sweet. When we visited Namdaemun, our wonderful guide led us to a very popular hotteok stand which sold AMAZING japchae hotteok. I am drooling just thinking about it. They fry it up fresh, stick it in a cup and pour some special sauce over it. The sauce was like a sweet marinade, looked like the type of marinade you would use for kalbi. You must try this if you go to Korea!
Wow, trying to blog everyday is challenging. I will try my best though! Not sure who is reading this out there…but I hope you will say hi sometime! 🙂
As promised, I wanted to share my snow pictures from Chicago. It is definitely my favorite trip to the mainland of all time! Not only did the snowy winter trip make me ecstatic but I just felt so stress free during this trip. It was nice to have a nice and leisurely trip. Well, on to the pictures!
Snow dusted pine tree – one of my first pictures of the trip!
The famous Crown Fountain in Millennium Park.
Snowman – Hawaiian Style!
I love trees in the winter…
Ice Skating at the Park!
Snow falling from the sky! I was elated!
Another picture of the falling snow. Boy do I miss it.
I have been to Chicago twice in the past 2 years and may be going again near the end of the summer. The first trip? Strictly vacation. I had a great time, the weather was brisk and I really got a feel for Chicago. The second time was this past February to accompany my cousin to her Pharmacy School interview. While this trip was unplanned, it could not have been more perfect! One thing I have wanted to see in all my life was snow and this trip provided that. Not only did I get to see and touch snow, on one of my last days, I actually got to see snow fall from the sky. It really was a dream come true. I’m sure I’ll post the snow pictures soon after this post. It was pretty funny because when we checked into the hotel, I was told that it was a weird winter for Chicago and that this was the first snow they had all year! Absolutely magical for this Hawaii girl.
Anyhow, I wanted to share some pictures from this restaurant with you. I went to this restaurant on both trips and plan to go back if I go again! When I look up the reviews for Hot Woks Cool Sushi, they are pretty mediocre. This restaurant is also located right across the street from Cloud Gate so it is probably considered a tourist trap. I don’t mind though – I’ve enjoyed both meals I had.
Tuna Avocado Salad – amazing dressing!
Harajuku – Signature Sushi Roll
These rolls include yellow tail, seared albacore, jalapeño, avocado, cilantro with orange and black tobikko outer covering.
HOT WOKS Noodles
House specialty. Stir-fry with chicken, shrimp, spinach noodles & mixed vegetables in sweet/tangy sauce. Includes jalapeno peppers.
I also appreciate this restaurant for their clean bathrooms! After exploring Cloud Gate and the park, it’s nice to settle into a warm and cozy restaurant for some good food and a restroom break. I think I’ve had good food for both visits, nothing to complain about. Check them out if you are out in Chicago!
Before I made the trip out to Japan, I had to do a lot of research on Japanese eateries! The research definitely yielded some great rewards but in the end, I was unable to find a few due to the fact that I don’t know a lot of Japanese and being unfamiliar with the area. One of my first meals in Japan was located right in my neighborhood, Shinjuku. I found Bichiumaya thanks to the Tokyo Cuisine Guide. His blog is so useful for us tourists – he shows a lot of pictures and tells you what you should order. If I hadn’t read his entry, I would never have been able to eat what I ate there!
SURUMEIKA NO BUTTER SHOYU YAKI (Grilled squid with butter and soy sauce)
NEGI KAKE TSUKIMI NIKUTAM (Okonomiyaki with green onions & fried egg)
MOCHI CHEESE NIKUTAMA (Okonomiyaki with cheese & sticky rice cake)
This was one of the best meals we had in Japan. We didn’t realize how big the portions would be and had to get a take-out bag. I felt so bad especially since I read that you aren’t supposed to do take-out in Japan. The squid was the best squid I have ever tasted. Perfect seasoning and oh so tender. The egg in the second picture was really one egg that had two yolks! I was amazed by that. Wonderful food and start to my trip in Japan.
Shinjuku, Japan – April 2012
The video I am going to share today took place in Japan – it was my first full day there and we were in Asakusa. The day was sunny and hot but we got to see the Meiji Shrine and the Sensoji Temple. When we arrived at the Sensoji Temple, out of nowhere, there was a huge downpour of rain. The locals seemed to know what to expect since they all had umbrellas while us tourists were all banished underneath a gate to wait out the rain.
As I was waiting – I received a golden opportunity to shoot this little scene. It was too cute and precious not to share. Doesn’t this make you want to be a kid again?
I’ve decided to pursue a new domain and blog. I hope that this new domain will provide a much needed rejuvenation into my blogging. If you are reading this, thank you for joining me.
Namsam Tower Locks of Love, April 2013