Ras called the restaurant (02-529-8248) to find out when it opened and to make a reservation.  Since it was 1pm at the time, the call was forwarded to Chef Kim’s cell phone, who took the reservation himself.  At first, we weren’t sure if a reservation was even needed at 5:30pm, when the restaurant opened its doors.  Upon arriving (late) at 5:40pm, Chef Kim smiled towards Raswan and said, “You must be Ras.  Welcome.”  We were led to the back area of the restaurant and saw that all seven tables there were reserved.  We were then relieved to have made the call after all.  The two larger tables in the front of the restaurant were the only ones not reserved.

When we entered the restaurant, we were only the second party in the restaurant.  Menus were given in both English and Korean.  Ras and I already had an idea of what to order, having read ZenKimchi’s blog post.  As a starter, we opted to skip the BulGalbi and Grilled Mushroom Organic Salad and get some other mushroom appetizer with bread.  Upon hearing of our order, Chef Kim came out of the kitchen, kneeled down to our table, and offered to give us advice on what to order.  He said the mushroom/bread starter was just a regular dish, nothing special.  Instead, he advised us to get the BulGalbi and Mushroom salad.  Hey, who are we to argue with the chef?  We agreed, he smiled, and went back to the kitchen to prepare the salad.

While we waited, this came out: broccoli with garlic oil and sprinkles of deep fried garlic pieces.  Delicious!  Ras and Kevin ended up fighting for the last pieces of the deep fried garlic.

Our salad then came out.

Wow.  We were not disappointed by this.  Utterly delicious.  The meat was tender, the mushrooms were perfectly grilled, and the dressing was robust and flavorful.  Out of the four dishes ordered last night, we all agreed that this was our favorite.

The next dish was Million Won Samgyeopsal Jjim with aged kimchi.  It’s very much like a tender, but thick piece of “bosaam.”  Since I love bosaam, I loved this dish.  The guys did too.

Then came Sweet and Sour Beef (Tangsooyuk).  While this was delicious, the batter crispy and light, and the saucy not gooey, it’s still Sweet and Sour Beef.  There’s a Chinese restaurant near my university that also has a similar tasting “tangsooyuk”, although it’s with pork and not Australian beef.  I wasn’t disappointed, but it wasn’t anything too special.  We all agreed we wouldn’t order this one again.

The last dish was Fried Whole Mullet.

As Ras commented, this is not a fishy fish.  The cilantro, ginger, and onions were a great combination to the fish.  The waitress came out and de-boned the fish and squeezed the lemon on it for us.

Dessert: Apple Snowman

It might not look so good because it was melting fast, but it was delicious.  The first two layers are apples, and then vanilla ice cream on top.

The service at the restuarant was great.  The staff took great care to bring out our dishes right after we finished the previous one.  There were no long waiting periods.  Instead we were constantly eating and drinking, as it should be.

The head waiter was top notch and it was obvious he had good training before working at this restaurant.

Last, but not least, this restaurant is not cheap.  A couple dishes start at 10,000 won, but most are in the 20,000-30,000 price range.  For the three of us, we had four main dishes, a dessert, and three bottles of wine over the course of three hours, for 220,000 won.  While this is 73,000 won per person, we all thought it was absolutely worth the price.  The food was fantastic and we can’t wait to go back with a larger group of friends next time.

Star Chef:   Seoul, Gangnam-gu, Dogok-dong 417-2

Map here.  Line 3 – Maebong Station

02-529-8248  (Opens at 5:30pm, reservations recommeded)

The flavor was nice, but it was a tad too sweet for me.  It was still enjoyable, but not as refreshing as I’d hope for.  The best part was at the center of the popsicle.  It still had a lemony taste, but the texture was like that of Italian ice.  For the price, I’d definitely buy it again.

When we arrived at the Yongsan CGV to take our seats, everyone had to check in their cell phones and cameras to men and women in suit who were trying hard to look important.  The theater was mostly full and I think we were the only foreigners there.  Throughout the movie, there was another secret agent wannabe stationed at the exit, making sure nobody was recording the movie.

Below is the only picture I was able to take tonight – the staff as they were handing back people’s belongings at the exit.

As for the movie?  Eh.  That being said, Will Smith is Will Smith.  The movie will gross millions just because he’s in it.  Jason Bateman and Charlize Theron were also great.  The story itself had a lot of potential (just like “Jumper”), but the storyline was a little lean.  I wasn’t really compelled by the character of Hancock, and felt more could have been done to give the audience something to chew on.

Overall, it was an ok movie.  I wouldn’t pay full price on a Saturday night to see it, but it’s worth a watch.  Honestly… for the entertainment value, Angelina Jolie’s “Wanted” would be a better choice.

El Plato would be a once-in-awhile, treat yourself nice, kind of restaurant.  It’s definitely worth it, though.  The three of us almost spent 100,000 that night.  That included 6 glasses of house wine and 1 sangria.

Afterwards, we visited another bar on the same street.  Peering in, you could easily see people dipping their feet in the cool water.  We went in for at least one drink.

Reardon tried to get ME to chat up these Korean girls so he could then make a movie.  First of all, I can’t speak enough Korean to hit on Korean girls.  And second, I’m not your wing man!  The girl next to Reardon is cute though, isn’t she?

Yup, it’s time to go home.

On Saturday, we woke up to a sunny day and knew the swimming pool was on our itinerary. You see, we don’t live close to a beach anymore, and there aren’t many places to go swimming in Seoul. As I’ve been told by the guys, the Hamilton Hotel (in Itaewon) is crowded and overprice, while the pool near Yongsan is technically outdoors, but walled in. The guys decided the Yeoido pool was the best deal, because it was outdoors and you could sneak beer in. The staff will check coolers, but not backpacks. Once inside, you can also buy beer at the snack stands. They open a can and pour it into a paper cup for you for 3000 won.

Entrance was 5000 won for adults, but 4000 for “youngman.” (See picture. “Young man, there’s no need to feel down. I said, young man, pick yourself off the ground…”) Like I said, coolers will be checked. Bring a swim cap, or buy one there for 8000 won, because it’s mandatory before getting into the pool. Ras got away with not wearing one because he has really short, buzzed hair.

Feast your eyes on the sexiness of the head condoms. I know Barry is going to hate this picture, but hey… at least I cropped our bodies out!

Above is the view from our spot on the sarongs. There are no chairs, but umbrellas are for rent. We never found out how much they were, though. Sitting on the bricks wasn’t too uncomfortable. With a cooler, food and water, you can make a whole day at the pool.

The water was refreshing and surprisingly clean. Every hour, the lifeguards whistled everyone out of the pool for 10 minutes to take a break. The reason, I’ve been told, is so people don’t run the risk of hypothermia! (Yeah… that’s what I thought.) Travel Scrabble was probably the best purchase I made during my first trip home this summer. The tiles click in and you can even save games for later.

The kiddie pool was a SCARY sight. Can you imagine how much pee is in that pool?!? (Best viewed large.)

I also took at least 5 videos while at the pool. I installed iMovie ’08 a couple days ago and need to learn a little more about it. Once that’s done, I’ll be posting a lot more videos. So, if you’re wondering what Korean girls are wearing at the pool nowadays, you’ll see it on the video. Practically every 20-something girl wears bikinis now. The guys even saw one girl wearing a thong bikini the last time they were there! Things have sure changed in the last 5 years. Anyway, the pool was fun, and I’d recommend it. The closest subway stop is Yeoido-naru.

We’re hoping to make at least one more pool stop during the week before classes start next week.

ProVoc is by far the most feature-rich, free language learning tool I’ve seen. With free vocabulary downloads, audio and video integration, several ways to practice and learn your vocabulary, and even iPod integration, this app looks like a must-have for anyone trying to improve their vocabulary or learn another language. To really get an idea of how it works, check out the videos on the ProVoc features page. I’m thoroughly impressed. ProVoc is freeware (donations accepted), Mac OS X only. — Adam Pash

I just downloaded it and opened the Korean vocabulary exercises.  So far, it looks pretty cool.  I like the test features because you have to be able to read Korean (Hangul) to take them.  This isn’t a super beginner program.

This is the vocabulary section for “Time.”  A bigger screen shot of the above can be seen HERE.

1) The Korean is displayed and you have to type in the answer.  2) The English is display and you choose the best answer out of three.

What I really want to do is study Spanish, but I guess I should study Korean first, since I live in the country.

What I really like about Facebook, are the privacy options. Even if you find me on Facebook and add me as your friend, I also have to agree that we’re friends. Until then, you can’t even look at my profile. The 21 people that are currently my “friends” are actually my friends. Whoa, what a concept! Every “friend” is someone I know, have talked to, or interacted with. They know my real name and know something about me. If you search my first name, you’ll only find two people with that name on Facebook, and I’m one of them.  The security features make me feel safe enough to list my phone number and address in my profile.  Why?  Because the only people able to see it are my friends.

So far, there are two big things that annoy me regarding Facebook.

1. People who list themselves with fake names or nicknames. The point of Facebook is for people to FIND you and reconnect. This is especially bad when you only list your first name, and it’s a common name like “Sarah” or “David” or “Mike.” Even if you’re afraid your future boss will find out that you hooked up with a ladyboy during a Full Moon Party in Thailand… remember, you don’t have to add him as your friend. Plus, EVERYTHING you post on the internet will be seen by someone. If you’d be embarrassed that a boss might see it, you shouldn’t post it. Common sense.

2. I hate it when people use a profile picture that includes a group of people. Like I said, people are trying to find you. If I haven’t seen you since high school, how am I supposed to know if it’s really YOU if you’re one of 6 heads the size of my mouse cursor?

Overall, Facebook has been a good experience because I’ve reconnected with people I haven’t been in contact with for YEARS.

Even though some friends warned me Facebook would be as addictive as crack, that’s been hardly the case. I mean, it’s fun and all, but I probably only spend an hour a week on the site. I’d rather watch a tutorial on Microsoft Excel or research ways to fund my retirement account. Really.

Anyway, if you’re on Facebook, look me up! I’ll leave you with a quote from a friend. This was his reply when a 20-something year old friend told him he should get a Facebook account: “I’m a 40 year old gay man. What the hell do I need a Facebook for?”

Some related articles:

Facebook closes in on MySpace [Telegraph.co.kr]

PluggedIn: Facebook lets friends share private view of the Web [Reuters]

Facebook popularity Soars [Washington Post]

Dakalbi is chicken marinated in spicy pepper paste and cooked on a large hot plate (don’t know a better way to describe it) with cabbage, sweet potato pieces, and ddeok (Korean rice cake). That’s the simple recipe, but of course, you can also add more vegetables. We took a taxi downtown to Myeong-dong (same name as in Seoul) and told the taxi driver to take us to “dakalbi street.” He corrected Ras and said, “Oh, dakalbi alley?” If you happen to see the sign below, all the dakalbi restaurants are on a parallel side alley to this street, which happens to be a shopping street.

On the way there, I saw this New Orleans type building (above). It looked really out of place. Below is the restaurant I chose – Myung Mule Dakalbi. It seemed to be one of the three big restaurants located at a “Y” intersection. Their website is: www.dacgalbi.co.kr. (Warning: in Korean with annoying music)

The side dishes were really simple. Upon arrival at our table, we both ask, “This is it?” We received a small bowl of cold kimchi soup, pickled vegetables in a slightly sweet sauce, raw onions, extra chili paste, and a basket of lettuce to wrap the dakalbi in. The side dishes were simple because the star of the show was the secret recipe red pepper sauce, that the chicken was cooked in. The sauce was much better than at any dakalbi restaurant I’ve had in Seoul. Maybe you’re saying, “But it’s just red pepper paste. What’s the big difference?” Well, even though the sauce was crimson red, it wasn’t too spicy at all. It was never overpowering and complemented the sweet cooked cabbage, chewy ddeok, and sweet potatoes so nicely. I dare say, the sauce was PERFECT. Even Ras, who doesn’t like dakalbi that much, noticed the flavor, and said it was very good.

In addition to the boneless chicken in the dish, there was another option of “cheese dakalbi.” Ras and I were both wondering what that would consist of – maybe cheese ddeok? It was our lucky day, because the table next to us ordered that exact dish. Upon seeing what they received, I think it was a rip-off. For 3,500 won extra (per serving), they received a plate of shredded mozzarella cheese to put on top of their cooked dakalbi. Sure, maybe it was good. But 7,000 won more delicious? Hmm… If you look carefully at the picture below, the cheese is on top.

I would have eaten the last little bits, but was WAY too full.

For a dakalbi recipe you can make at home, check out My Korean Kitchen. It’s a great Korean food blog I found a couple days ago that has recipes for Korean food in English. I’m really excited to make many of the dishes she has listed.