Jonny Dumpling - the best Chinese food in Seoul!

I've now travelled to Seoul enough that I have some favorite spots - places I always return to during my visits.

One is an optical shop.  I get great prescription glasses there (the Rx is taken from my US-made glasses) at an incredible price - and same day, delivered to my hotel the evening I place the order. My optical shop of choice is called Italy Optical in Itaewon, if you are heading to Seoul and want to check it out...

Another must do (or must eat?) is Jonny Dumplings, in Itaewon.  Oh, Jonny's.  It was profiled in Time Out Seoul! (Time Out Seoul Review).  It is tiny, always packed (prepare to wait for a table), no-frills, cheap, and delicious.  Here is a picture of what we ordered (you'll note that we polished off half the meal before we remembered to take a picture - it was just that good.  Ooops!)

And, of course, a fine look of satisfaction for both myself, and my friend Jon, who happily delighted in sharing this treasure of ours...

I did make one other incredible discovery during this visit to Seoul, but that will be saved for another post...  

Stay tuned for "The Naked Spa!"

Korean Kakagori

They don't call it kakagori in Korea (though they do in Japan, where I was first introduced to this treat), but they sure do know how to prepare and serve it.

Kakagori.  Or finely shaved ice, with a flavor shot poured over it, and as an extra treat a bit of sweet and condensed milk.  In Korea, I stopped a little local spot called Beans and Berries at the train station on my way from Seoul to Pohang with a colleague.  For a light snack, we thought.

Oh no.  It was far more than that.  And far better.  She had a mango kakagori, and I had a berry kakagori.  They were enormous.  Shaved ice, with sweet and condensed milk, but also with fresh fruit, and a small scoop of incredibly rich vanilla ice cream on top.  Truly a treat :)

I will have to keep an eye out for this place while in Seoul.  Its great (all I have to do is find one near my favorite hotel, and beyond the train station so I can have regular visits...)

Doesn't that look amazing?  It WAS amazing.  And of course, because that is good, but perhaps not so adventurous, I leave you with this advertisement from the Korean Baskin Robbins.  For Cafe Bris.  Um, thanks, but no thanks.

Back from the dead...

It is well past time to revive this blog.  I don't have any sense of if anyone will ever read this or not - but I so enjoy exploring the world through my stomach, and I'm lucky enough to have international travel as a component of my job (still, though this is nearly 5 years after I began this blog), that this seems like a great way to capture my memories for posterity.  And hey, if someone else finds enjoyment or amusement here, then all the better...

So, with that... I'M BACK!

Texas BBQ!

It had to happen.  I'm in Texas, and I needed to get some barbecue.  Today, at lunch, I accomplished that.

Sliced beef, with macaroni salad, spicy rice, white bread, and sweet tea.  Delicious!

Tex-Mex!

In Houston, Texas for a conference and wandered into a wonderful Tex-Mex place!  I got bacon wrapped shrimp stuffed with Mexican cheese and jalapeños, with a blackberry-pomegranate mojito.  Wow!

Saudia Arabia

The land of no alcohol, but beautiful artfully made "dry drinks" and mocktails.

Thailand!