Hangry, Hangry, Hangry! and how to cure in just 7 minutes

Fueled on caffeine from our little morning stop at Coffee Brown we've ended up ... well, actually, I don't quite know where we were. We found a one of the huge Hyundai department stores that housed an impressive basement level wonderland of all-things food, including a macaron shop with flavors like black truffle, gorgonzola, milk & even foie gras (but they were sold out). Of course we get a few for later...

We try to find some noodle place, that supposed to serve the noodles so spicy, that whole chilies make up a large part of this lunch staple. We wander around for hours, well okay, maybe 20 minutes. I get a bit hangry (that's when I get so hungry, that I turn a little grumpy, or angry - which happens after about an hour or two with no food;)) and I totally give up on the noodle idea. We wander some more, now just looking for some more fuel, in the form of solids. We randomly turn up a little alley, and spot this place bursting at the seams with people casually enjoying lunch amongst all the bustle.



Silver extractor pipes seem to be crawling from the roof, the waiters aptly navigating their way around these pipes and stopping by tables armed with shears. We head in, and they clear a table for us just as someone gets up to leave. Something gets babbled away to us, and we just nod. Then the lady points to a menu on the wall..



Hmm, when she comes back we just point at the table next to us, which have something simmering away that smells delicious. She comes back moments later with a few bowls of kimchi - a white cucumber kimchi, an intense chilli & raw squid version and a bunch of sesame leaves rolled in a spicy mixture.



Then a little pot is placed before us, and they walk away. We guess we wait, so sit patiently. A few minutes pass and I just cannot resist lifting the lid for a peak!



It looks good, I see kimchi and some chunks of meat. We still sit patiently ... then a young guy who has been behind the register comes over and tells us we are about to enjoy the "7 minute kimchi stew". Awesome!! He has a pair of shears in his hand, and lifts the lid and starts chopping.



It's a pretty frantic event, the clanging of the shears against the pan and red juice splashing all over the table. What's left are little bite-sized chunks of pork and cabbage kimchi in a thick, spicy broth.



We each get a bowl of hot rice placed in front of us, and a gesture towards the silver tub on the table. The tub is full of big flakes of crispy green seaweed. We pile it on, and top with great big spoonfuls of the kimchi stew.



Wow, hangry what now? I was so content, full & happy for hours after this lunch, which means only 1 thing - I need a little more kimchi stew in my life;)

Tosokchon Samgyetang, Gwanghwamun, you said what now???

Samgyetang; A whole chicken stuffed with sticky rice and all sorts of other goodies, a traditional Korean classic dish that cleverly blends medicine and things that are good for you and things that taste good. Apparently one of the best in Seoul is in Gwanghwamun, a place called Tosokchon Samgyetang....... we can't pronounce any of this but we're gonna give it a go. After a quick slightly hair raising cab to the vicinity a quick orientation, one wrong turn and directions from a jewellery store owner we were there.



Despite the small nondescript shop front the restaurant sprawls back from the entrance with half a dozen rooms off a large cobbled central courtyard with trees and ponds all under the roof.



We're led to a room at the far end, ditch our shoes at the entrance and find a seat at the long communal table. I'm not much of a fan of floor seating (near instant numb limbs) but it's all there is. Finally wedged in we survey the menu, surrounds, table etiquette, the people.. we're complete gawking tourists but this was to be our first meal in Korea, curiosity was great and the expectations were high.

We were here for the braised chicken so one of those was our first choice, we go one step further and order a black skinned chicken stuffed and cooked, we tried to order something else as well but were brusquely rebuffed by the stern waitresses, we guessed they thought we should try one and see if we wanted another, could have been they were sold out or a myriad of other reasons but we couldn't speak to any one and we were happy to sit back and see what happened anyways.

Despite the massive size of the place within seconds we have half a dozen small plates of kimchi's and raw garlic and other accompaniments and moments after that the chicken arrives bubbling away in a cast iron pot, a few pieces of black skin break the murky surface of the broth other than that nothing else is given away as to what inhabits it's depths.



First off a tentative taste of all the sides, the apple kimchi is awesome; chunks of raw apple coated in a spicy puree lightly curing the apple but still leaving a bit of crunch, and the raw garlic is mild and not at all as scary as the prospect of eating raw garlic sounds.



With the tasting out of the way it was chicken time, after a bit of fishing around with our chopsticks we start to pull out pieces of chicken, the hours braising leaves the flesh falling from the bone, but it's when we get to the stuffing that the real action happens.



The rice is unctuous full of flavour from the stock it was cooked in and full of treasures; red dates, gingseng root, walnuts, pinenuts, chestnuts, ginko nuts, sunflower seeds and all sorts of other goodies giving the soft glutinous rice a lovely texture. The broth surrounding the chicken is the best of chicken broths - I wish all medicine could be this good! We spend a good half an hour draining the bowl and leaving nothing but a stripped carcass sitting in the bottom.
The pondering is long and hard about whether or not we should order another chicken but we decide on a wander of the streets to see if we can't turn up another morsel or two.

The plastic tab that is our menu doubles as our bill, the whole experience costing us 20,000 won, or a mere 20 dollars.



on the way out we find a poster displaying the amazing amount of ingredients in the samgyetan.



It is a grand introduction into Korean cuisine.

Tosokchon Samgyetang
Seoul-si Jongno-gu Chebu-dong 85-1

No pork here, only chicken.

It was washing day, which actually sees us venture up to the main road of Kamala for lunch. (We'll see you tomorrow, Muslim food) We stumbled across a little ma and pa set up on the side of the road that was pumping with locals. We squeeze ourselves onto the last table left. We do the cardinal sin of trying to order pork, not realizing it's actually another muslim place. Oops! With our order now in, 1 kra pow gai and 1 khao pad gai we're set to go.

There's a decent amount of condiments on the table which gives us some idea of the broad range of food they do here.



The kra pow was okay. The meat was quite oily and the egg a bit overdone for my liking, but did the job.



As did the fried rice. A nice simple stir fry of rice, chicken, gai lan and tomato seasoned with fish sauce and a touch of garlic. There's some slices of cucumber, tomato and a spring onion on top.



It did fill our bellies, but I think tomorrow might be lunch at Muslim food again ...


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Hirafu transforming and Thai green curry

It was amazing seeing Hirafu transform. We arrived early October and there was still green all around. The rolling fields were being harvested for sugar beets, potatoes and everything in between. Then in just a few short weeks, my first real Autumn. The leaves were turning from a brilliant yellow, to sunshine orange and fire engine red, before finally falling to the ground.



But then there was the village transforming from a quiet little community into a bustling hub for skiiers the world-over. The beginning of December saw everyone open ready for the season ahead and day-by-day the transformation was evident. On this particular day we arrived at work rather early. It was about mid-morning glancing out from the Café window when I noticed 2 van’s park across the road. But not just any van’s, food van’s! There was one complete with Japanese red lanterns and plenty of flags blowing in the breeze. In the distance I could just make out the sign on the second one, ‘Thai Green Curry’.



So, it was back into our gumboots and over the road we went. The one adorned in red was a Japanese ramen noodle van. But today it was a taste of Thailand we were both after. Japan is an amazingly beautiful and diverse country, but, we really do miss the smack-you-in-the-face flavours and spice of Thai cuisine. The van did just that, Thai green curry. There was regular for 500¥ and the large for 800¥. While waiting for our 2 large, we happily frollick with the 2 dogs tied by the front.



On the long walk back across the street in our gumboots, we can already smell what lies ahead … Once the lid is removed that smell just permeates and excites our nose. There are two compartments, one with white rice which also has some un-polished rice added to the mix which gives a great texture. As for the curry, well, after a few months already in Japan it was a very welcome experience. There were chunks of tender chicken, some vegetables and even basil in a nice spicy soup.



Sure it was packaged curry paste, but hey, for a ski resort in the middle of Japan it was aroy-maak.

Bagus Cafe, Kutchan

Kutchan is a little haven of all things food .... Well, perhaps so when you're living in Hirafu, anyway. There's quite a varied array of food to be had, and it's our mission to try it all!

After a recommendation from Y & A from work we headed in. It's true Japanese style, the way it's in a rather large almost office-like building. The building doesn't look much from the street, it's only thanks to the neon lighted sign out the front that we eventually find it.



When you arrive, open the door, it just leads to a long white sterile corridor ....



Then venture down the corridor and right at the back on the right hand side is a little doorway with the words "Bagus Cafe".



We walk on in, it's surprisingly full... and feels like you could be in a little warung in Bali. It's decked out with batik, bottles of Indonesian and Thai beer and the type of music that could drift you away to Dreamland Beach .... We are led around to a table and stunned to see Y & A eating there. They were there just 2 nights ago, so it must be good! (That, and in Autumn most things in Kutchan close around 8, Bagus is open much later)



The menu is a combination of Indonesian, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese and many other South East Asian offerings. We start with an order of spicy beef fresh spring rolls. The beef is spicy and full of flavour, wrapped in a rice paper casing with crisp lettuce and vermicelli noodles. To the side is a lightly spiced vinegar dipping sauce and a pile of wafer thin fried potatoes. A very nice start to the evening.



Next is a Thai style salad of vermicelli, pork and prawn. It has a nice pungent dressing with a little kick of chilli. There's crisp lettuce, mitzuna, red onion, chilli, peanuts and generous juicy chunks of prawn and pork throughout.



Then comes out a terracotta soup pot, sitting over a burning fire. This is their tom yum. It does smell good! We leave it to simmer for a few minutes ....



It's not got the hot we expect, but maybe we've spent too much time in Thailand. (Japanese are crazy for their wasabi, but they're not big on chilli-hot) but the flavours are still there. The sour is added from a bottle of Thai vinegar that's bought out with the soup.



We finish with a big stone bowl of Korean seasoned rice, braised pork & beansprouts. The pork belly has been braised for hours, and is deliciously tender. The seasoned rice starts to crisp on the bottom of the stone pot, and this stirred through gives each bit a nice texture. The wok-fried beansprouts and little bit of mitzuna balancing it out nicely.



It's all delicious, and we've been able to take a little trip around South East Asia by only travelling about 10km from home.



Bagus Cafe
North 2, West 1
Kutchan-Cho
Tel: 0136 23 1118
Open 6pm-11pm

Pomme-no-ki Omu Rice, Sapporo

Okay we've had omu rice before, it's stir-fried rice wrapped inside an omelet, no biggie, good for some home cooked style when you need it... Kinda. What we found is it's another example of how different the Japan exported to the world is from the Japan in Japan. Standing outside Pomme-no-ki in the JR Tower above Sapporo station we're transfixed by the dozens of variations of omu rice. There's so many we still haven't decided as we drift along in the small queue and pop out at the head. Seated and faced with an expectant waitress we make our choices, Kat - Kim chi and onsen egg with butter and bacon rice (you even have a choice on the type of fried rice....amazing), M1 - butter bacon rice with Japanese curry sauce, and I go for tomato rice gratinated in a cream sauce. You even get to choose SS - 2 eggs, S - 3 eggs, M - 4 eggs or the mammoth L - 6 eggs. We all settle for the M.

When the omelette's arrive I once again give props to the plastic food people whose models could have been sitting in front of us or maybe it should be to the kitchen for presenting exactly what they have promised not minus one detail.

My rice sitting in a small bowl is swimming in a lava hot cheese/cream sauce, once the molten bubbling has subsided it's actually really Moorish and a good breakfast in my book.



M1's is with the Japanese curry sauce. The rice and omelet are good but the Japanese curry is perhaps an acquired taste.

Kat's come out with the winner on the day, the plate is picture (in fact several) pretty, laced with kewpie piled with kim chi and topped with the onsen egg. We marveled at the soft white and hard yolk (done by cooking at low temperature), the kim chee had just the right bite and went well with the bacon rice.



We seem to be a source of constant amusement to M1 as we walk through japan with our I guess, child like wonder and amazement at every thing, dragging him in to look and eat things that must seem so normal. But isn't that one of the joys of travel?



Pomme-no-ki
Top floor
JR Tower
Sapporo

Iwanai, Hokkaido

Went for a bit of a tiki tour today in search of Hokkiado cheese. We found our selves on the western coast of the island in a fishing town called Iwanai. As usual we had no idea about anything so were more than happy to be shown this small eatery. Tacked onto the side of a seafood market the kitchen is no more than a grill a rice cooker and a single burner for a soup pot.



We ordered three of the fishes available to day on a hand written menu on the wall.



All the sets came with the same accompaniments, a bowl of miso, some bright yellow pickled diakon, a bowl of blanched bean sprouts which were then tossed with sesame oil and topped with aonori, a small plate of braised octopus, rice and on each of the fish plates was a seaweed relish and grated diakon.

Salmon belly; lightly glazed and grilled to perfection



Saba; a japanese mackerel, needed a little soy to bring out the flavor



Hoke; firm white fleshed fish lightly glazed



Through to the market



I liked that as the fish was used the woman working just walked through to the market and picked up a couple more pieces. Not much fresher than that.

On the way home we came across this spring near the Konbu spa. The local council has put some plumbing into the ground so people can take advantage of the constant running water.



Filling up our soft drink bottles I could understand why there were people there with dozens of large water vessels filling up, it is delicious, clean and crisp possibly the best water I have ever tried, and the bonus is it's free. How cool is that??