Markets & Grocers – Page 15

Midweek Meanderings – Baker and Olive, Farmers Outlet, and how does our garden grow?

August 17, 2016 mmm-yoso Markets & Grocers

Sadly, our stash of olive oil we brought back from Granada and Seville ran out a couple of months ago.

We've tried various Spanish brands here in San Diego; the Missus loves the grassy-peppery nuances of Spanish Olive Oil, and most have fallen short. So we headed back to…..

Baker and Olive:

This little shop in the Del Mar Highlands Town Center, stocks various olive oils and vinegars.

We're really not interested in the flavored one's, but just get whatever version of Arbequina Olive Oil they have. At the time of our visit, they were starting to switch from Northern Hemishere product (i.e. Spain), to Southern Hemisphere (Chile). Here are some of the bottles we have.

Nice folks working here. One of the women is from Kailua, Hawaii, though she doesn't look it. It's always great fun chatting with her. I will also get Dea Harissa Paste here once in a while; though I usually order it from Amazon.

Baker & Olive
12925 El Camino Real
San Diego, CA 92130

Back during the middle of spring; the Missus was also grumbling about how hard it was finding unshelled walnuts. She was really enjoying using the nut cracker she bought in Sarlat. So one morning I was in the Mission Gorge area and decided to stop at…..

Farmers Outlet:

We used to come here all the time when we lived in Mission Valley. Its been over a decade since I've last visited.

Still looks the same, with a nice variety of produce and other products for sale.

And yes, there were unshelled walnuts for sale.

Which got the Missus crackin' again……though that loud cracking sound scares the daylights out of Sammy!

Now, if She'd only clean up Her mess…..

Farmers Outlet
10407 Friars Rd
San Diego, CA 92120

How does our garden grow:

Because of our travels and other things, we got a late start on the garden this year. Still, we've done pretty well so far. As janfrederick commented on in a recent post, we had quite the bumper crop of cucumbers for a while. Sometimes 3-4 a day! The funny thing was; the Missus didn't want to waste, She was determined to consume every single cucumber. Which is how it was for about 3-4 weeks!

I think it's time to plant the next batch.

It looks like squirrels have eaten all our Roma Tomatoes and kale, so that's a lost cause.

Though the leeks are doing quite well this year.

As for our peppers. Again, I was kind of late, though it looks like the Trinidad 7 Pot Douglah is doing fine.

These are very hot, but not as fragrant as Ghost Peppers in my opinion.

Speaking of Ghost Peppers; they are just starting to ripen.

Though the Scorpion Peppers are a little late.

We have Serrano Pepper plants that are getting up there in age; they are starting to produce smaller and less fruit. There's a golden lining on this however. A few months back, I was weeding the plants, when I noticed a couple of little sprouts; which, after nurturing a bit, became some fairly robust plants.

Not sure what the deal is; but these are some of the biggest Serrano I've ever seen.

Sadly, our White Ghost Pepper didn't make it. But while pulling out the dead plant, I saw a couple of little shoots. So now I'm hoping these will do ok and will bear fruit this year.

Our Chili de Arbol is doing well too.

I was surprised to see a certain chili plant when I went to the nursery to pick up some fertilizer. I just had to get it.

I realize it might be a little late in the season….but I'm hoping we get some nice Carolina Reaper chili peppers from this one!

That's it for now.

How is your garden growing this year?

What’s Our Craving? Selecta International Taco Shop

July 31, 2016 mmm-yoso Markets & Grocers, Taco Shops

Selecta International? Actually, if you've been reading long enough, you'll recognize this as Internacional 2000 – the window in the market's parking lot. Different name; but that Al Pastor sure looks the same.

For some reason, both the Missus and I were craving some Al Pastor……so we drove all the way down to Chula Vista…….

It's now $1.29, but still a bargain in my book. Order at the window……you pay, they tell the guy, he asks you "con todo"? And we answer "si"! He slices of bits, makes sure they get a nice mix in the fat….adds some crunchy bits, onions, etc…..slathered with guacamole….. Same guy doing the Al Pastor as well.

Nicely caramelized, not quite as sweet as it used to be, in the past the version here reminded us of char siu. Still, quite satisfying.

Love the charred bits.

Good to know the Al Pastor here is still pretty good in spite of the market's apparent change in ownership. So I guess we'll keep dropping every so often when we need our Al Pastor fix.

Selecta International Grocers
1415 3rd Ave
Chula Vista, CA 91911

Seville: Mercado de Triana and the Joy of Tostadas

July 30, 2016 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Caffeine Fix, Markets & Grocers, Seville, Spain, Travel

From our arrival to exploring the maze of alleyways of Barrio Santa Cruz, ending with a nice dinner at La Azotea, we'd really enjoyed our time in Seville so far. Still, the streets had us pretty confused. So the next morning, we'd start finding our way around further afield. Our little flat was located in a"casa de palacio", a palace house, down the small street of Calle San Isidoro. You really get the feeling you're immersed in the history of Seville as just a few meters away, you run into the Iglesia de San Isidoro. There are over 115 neighborhood churches in Seville.

At this time of the day; Plaza del Salvador was quiet and sedate, a far cry from the loads of young folks packing the square the previous evening.

Then on over to Plaza Nueva. The statue in the middle of the square is of King Ferdinand III who defeated and drove the Moors from Seville.

From here it was a walk down the side streets, then across the Canal de Alfonso XIII also known as the Guadalquivir River on the Puente de Isabel II……I know, so many names.

The place I wanted to visit was Mercado de Triana. The Triana District, though it is part of Seville has its own distinct vibe and personality and the Mercado is a nice place to get acquainted.

Built on the ruins of St. George´s Castle this market was a fun stop for us. Triana is historically famous for its "azulejos", tile work, which reminded us of places we visited in Portugal. You see them used as signage for each booth.

There's definite semi-touristy vibe to part of the place as there's a lot of restaurants, even a sushi place. But still, it seems that locals come here for the wonderful looking produce…..

And other stuffs……

We actually returned to this stand and got the Jamon Bellota Summum – "summum" is a designation from the province of Huelva of the highest quality Jamon.

Not cheap at 31,5Euroes for 100 grams, but it was cut perfectly.

There's a lot to see in Mercado de Triana and the museum next door….there's even a craft beer bar; which was sadly closed on both our visits. Well, I guess that just gives me reason to return, right?

We left the market and walked around the area a bit. The Missus and I really needed A caffeine boost….most of the little shop were quite full, so we just stopped into a little chain restaurant.

The Missus got some espresso and I got an Americano….we needed something small to tide us over….all the tourists were getting really bad looking tapas….the locals were getting simple slices of bread…..which is how we ended up ordering tostadas de tomate. Toast with tomato and olive oil.

Being that we love the grassy-peppery Spanish olive oil, this was such a nice fit! As in "why didn't we get this before"…..who cares about the tomato…..tostada de aciete….that was the way to go. Toast with good olive oil…..breakfast of champions.

Sunday Stuffs – Do Re Mi House Closes, Dede’s is Becoming “Facing East”, and What’s Going on with 99 Ranch Opening on Balboa

July 17, 2016 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Korean Restaurants, Markets & Grocers

So last week, I noted all the changes in the Kearny Mesa/Clairemont Mesa area. Well this past week, there was more………..

Do Re Mi Houses Closes:

This was kind of a spooky one. I drove by around noon this past Wednesday and noticed the place wasn't open. I went in and took a look. There was a hand written "thank you for the support" note. Kind of sad considering I first visited here back in 2001 and first posted on the place in 2005. Over the years they seemed to have changed hands not less than three times.

What really made it spooky was that an hour or so later, I had "FOY" Sage tweeting me, letting me know Do Re Mi House had closed down.

While I thought the quality of the food at Do Re Mi House had fluctuated over the years, they had always provided a reasonable lunch option. I'm sad to see them go.

Do Re Mi House
8199 Clairemont Mesa Blvd Ste M
San Diego, CA 92111

Dede's Becoming "Facing East"……

Or Something like that. I went into this strip mall because I saw the Notice of Ownership Change posted for the former Convoy Noodle House. I was shocked to see that Dede's had closed.

While over the years; I thought the food at Dede's had really gone downhill….I'm more of a quality over quantity kind of guy; it was sad to see the windows papered over. then I also read Faye's post as well. It looks like this place will become a Chinese Restaurant named "Facing East"?

4647 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Meanwhile Convoy Noodle House is Becoming "Submarine Crab":

Or at least that's what the sign says…..

Which is yet another, I think….crawfish chain from the OC?

4647 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

So 99 Ranch is really going into the old Haggen Site on Balboa:

In spite of what Eater San Diego said, I always had my doubts since it seems they would be competing with themselves. But on a recent (I really don't shop there enough these days) visit to 99 Ranch Market I saw this sign:

So I decided to actually drive by that location which had nothing posted the last time and found these signs.

So there you go…..

5950 Balboa Ave
San Diego, CA 92117

Clearing Out the Memory Card – Taisho (yet again), Kale Pache from Harvest Market, and a Couple of Brews From Poseidon Project

July 13, 2016 mmm-yoso Beer, Japanese Restaurants, Markets & Grocers

Just a couple of odds and ends for a beautiful Wednesday.

Taisho (yet again):

They've had Nankotsu (chicken cartilage) on the menu recently; which they do nicely.

Otherwise, it's pretty much the same 'ol thing during our weekly visits. Any day except Sunday (closed) and Thursday (Taka-san is off).

It's great that Taisho is doing so well. I found out that Taisho was an experiment in more refined, upscale yakitori for the owner (who also owns Yakyudori and Hinotez). They've done so well, that from what I heard Yakitori Hino is going to be fairly similar when they open.

Yakitori Taisho
5185 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92117

Some Kale Pache and Garlic Paste from Harvest Market:

**** This location of Harvest Market has closed

Cathy's already written about a lot of the prepared food at Harvest Market, the former North Park Produce on the corner of Balboa and Clairemont Drive. It's been a quick stop for the huge flat breads, baked fresh during the day and garlic paste of course.

Recently, they expanded their offerings a bit and put in a dessert counter, have samples during the weekend, and lo' and behold, they had Kale Pache! Which I had to try.

This very rich version is lamb feet, head, and a whole lot of lamb tongues. The Missus was kinda grossed out at the lamb tongues, but I peeled back the membrane and She loved the rich and flavorful meat. The broth is super fatty though, and it needed a good bit of salt. I'll probably have it again….

The okra stew was not very good though; overcooked, very mushy, and lacking in flavor.

Beef Flap is back on the menu in the household. I grilled up a bunch along with other veggies and meat to last the Missus most of the week. This time I did the Cumin and Sichuan Peppercorn thing. The next day, I picked up some garlic paste and flat bread on the way home. We had cucumbers from the garden, some Roma tomatoes, and Vidalia onion. And I mixed some Labneh with mint and a touch of lemon juice. I also had some thinly sliced Berkshire Pork basted with garlic olive oil. Talk about a quick and satisfying dinner.

Harvest International Market
4220 Balboa Ave
San Diego, CA 92117

I've found that the bottle prices at the Poseidon Project are even cheaper than most markets and liquor stores. Here's a few items I've had over the last couple of weeks.

Not too impressed with the NG Native Ale; pretty boring, not quite a brown.

This was an odd one:

Really just tasted like a standard San Diego IPA….really foamy. Don't know what the "Shojo" part is about.

The Missus just loved the Tusk & Grain Coconut Stout.

Though at 13.4% ABV, a couple of sips was all she wrote for Her on this one. In case you didn't know. T&G is Saint Archer's "artisan" line of beers brewed in Bourbon Barrels. They don't mess around; everything I've from T&G is at least 12% ABV…. yikes!

Poseidon Project
4126 Napier St
San Diego, CA 92110

Midweek Meanderings – It is Great Wow Restaurant, FuAn Garden Changes Course, Prime Grill Soft Opening, and Marukai is no Longer a Membership Market

July 6, 2016 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Korean Restaurants, Markets & Grocers

Quite a bit of stuff happening on "Da Mesa's".

It is Great Wow Restaurant:

Remember the somewhat cryptic hand written sign on cardboard I posted on several months back?

I had thought that it might have been a typo. But apparently it's not. Meet the soon to open Great Wow. My sources told me there's a Beijing connection on this one. Wow…..

In the former location of Goldfish World.

3860 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Fu An Garden Changes Course:

Well, I think it was inevitable. The folks that used to work at Ba Ren bugged out a while back and my last meal there was terrible. So meet Fuan Garden Seafood Restaurant.

Same source told me that there's a Jasmine connection with this one….so perhaps I'll temper any excitement I may have.

Fuan Garden Seafood Restaurant
4768 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Ready for Prime Grill's Soft Opening?:

Back in January I noticed that the old (Blue) Korea House was becoming something named Prime Grill.

Then in April, Eater mentioned that this will be a "High End" Korean Barbecue. That might be something to get excited about! Passing by this past weekend I noticed a sign for a soft opening from July 11th. So there you go!

4620 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Marukai is No Longer a Membership Store:

At least the SoCal stores. As of July first. They replaced my card with one that acts like the typical supermarket discount card, but also allows you to accumulate points. Not sure for what, but I guess I'll find out.

Also of note, I was told that Marukai in Hawaii will be using a different system….so we'll see what happens when I travel back "home".

Marukai Market
8151 Balboa Ave
San Diego, CA 92111

Dordogne – Market Day in Sarlat-la-Caneda and Beer From Bière de Sarlat

July 2, 2016 mmm-yoso Beer, Cheese, Dordogne, France, France, Markets & Grocers, Travel

Hope you're having a great Saturday. I thought I'd share what our Saturday morning was like in Sarlat. It started with a huge breakfast at our B&B.

Man, there's no way we'd be able to have lunch after this!

We left the B&B and headed up Avenue Thiers, which, after crossing a pedestrian only stretch, became the main street of the town; Rue de la République. It was still a bit early at 8am; the vendors usually open at about 830. Still, it was a nice and relaxing stroll up the street.

Where you could glimpse of all of those food products that the Dordogne is famous for.

Though there's not just food for sale here……

The Missus actually bought a little wooden nut cracker in the shape of a mushroom. She loved the walnuts in Dordogne and would crack them one-by-one savoring each bite!

The market actually takes up the entire length of the street and then stretches into Place de la Liberte and up side streets.

I can see why this market is also popular with the local residents; you can get it all here.

By 9am, things had picked up significantly.

And the crowds kept on growing.

I took time to stop and smell the fromage!

Behind the huge doors of the former Church of Saint Marie resides another covered market and a panoramic elevator which wasn't in service yet when we arrived. Plus, there were too large a crowd here anyway.

We took our time, exploring the side streets and alleyways; which looked totally different from the previous day.

You could make out a literal buzz in the air! It was only 10am and we needed a break. So, using a technique we learned in Rome, we sought out the Cathedral of St Sacerdos also known as Sarlat Cathedral, to escape the crowds and noise.

The TI is steps away from the Cathedral, so we decided to take a look and grab a map.

This is where I really started getting an understanding of folks in, at least this area of France. We stood in line and the very pleasant young man got us a map. As we were turning to leave, I happened to ask the young man for a dinner recommendation; a place he enjoys. He smiled and opened another map and started going over his favorite spots in town, cheerfully pointing them out. I looked at the line forming behind me with some concern. He smiled at us and said; "do not worry, I take my time with you, and all our customers." I got it! We'd have this experience a couple of times more during our trip. Ask a question, and many times, the folks in France will want to give you the most perfect, complete answer. The young man actually called one of the places to make dinner reservations for us, but there was no answer. He then marked the way to the place so we could walk over at our leisure and make reservations. Coming back to the states, it seemed that we're in too much of a rush and when someone has a question we'll often give, not the best answer, but the easiest and the shortest.

By now, things were going full tilt.

Remember the bronze statue of a boy sitting named "Le Badaud", the Onlooker, that I mentioned in my previous post? I was wondering what he was looking at. Well, I'm pretty sure it's the crowds on market day (see above photo).

It was just past 11 now and we were feeling a bit peckish. We decided to grab some cheese, a baguette, and find the quiet place to eat.

There was one fromage stand that was doing great business, so I decided to get into the queue and pick up some cheese for us.

After getting our cheese and bread, we decided to walk on over to the restaurant the fellow in the TI recommended to us and make dinner reservations which was located in the tiny side streets west of Rue de la République. Things were a lot quieter here. As we left, I mentioned that there was a brewery nearby; located one street above République.

The place was quite easy to find; just follow the signs.

And you'll literally walk into; well; for lack of a better phrase, a medieval nano-brewery.

I was told that they make all of their beer on premises! No bright stainless steel kettles here.

What the heck; we bought a bottle of the Blonde. She got us a bottle without a label and charged us less…..

Bière Artisanale de Sarlat
2 rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Sarlat-la-Caneda, France

We skirted the crowds by heading south, around the market areas, finding the Jardin Public, above the busy parking lots, this was a nice, quiet little oasis.

We had our baguette and cheese; one a typical, light Cabécou, the other two, aged, one of them with a fine coat of ash and mold. Both were nice a creamy; though not too pungent. Quite easy to eat.

We wrapped what we had left and saved it for later.

We took a 'roundabout way back to the room. Taking time to enjoy the architecture.

And to meet some of "the locals".

We stopped by our room, freshened up and headed back out. It was time to pick up our car rental. Now things were going to get interesting…….

Thanks for reading!

Otaru: Sankaku Fish Market and Lunch at Ajidokoro Takeda

June 19, 2016 mmm-yoso Hokkaido, Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Markets & Grocers, Seafood, Travel

After sampling a few brews at Otaru Brewery we walked back to the JR Station. Just to the right of that station stands a rather nondescript street and a very discreet doorway. Behind that door is Sankaku Market. It really doesn't look like much from the outside, but walk thru that door and you'll enter a bustling little market.

Full of some of the most wonderful seafood I've ever had a chance to see.

Opposite the stands are restaurants….more like stalls with tables. One of them had a crazy line of people waiting to eat. I looked at the menu and saw that it was the cheapest place in the market.

Right before that stood another shop, this one was also busy, but we decided to just take a chance. The woman in charge gave us a paper with a number and we stood off to the side to wait.

I went for a walk to the loo….which is how I noticed that the crowds here gather around the area where the restaurants were.

After about 15 minutes, the woman in charge found us and we were seated and a little bowl of ika; which looked like it was colored with squid ink was placed before us.

We were given menus and here's where I'm glad I took a photo of the menu since folks here don't believe the prices we paid for lunch.

Not realizing how much rice was in these bowls we ordered three! Later on during the trip, Kat mentioned that we could order half portions of rice. Which we'll do when we return.

We shared the three bowls. The first to arrive was the most expensive one (2000¥) a bit less than $20. Geez Louise, look at all of that sweet crab!

Which I thought was the weakest item in the bowl. The salmon was nice and mild in flavor, fatty, with a wonderful texture. I've had Hokkaido Uni before and thought it to be very briney and intense in flavor, but this was so creamy, slightly sweet, with the wonderful flavor of the ocean. Like you took a bite of the cleanest, sweetest, water of the Pacific. The ikura were perfect, briney, not overly salty, with a wonderful snap to them. For around twenty bucks!

We also ordered this which cost 1300¥. More of that wonderful ikura and those scallops were super sweet.

The ebi were tender, but very mild in flavor and not particularly interesting….but that ikura.

I was curious what a 980¥ (about $9.50) bowl of salmon would look like. Sheeesh……

10 pieces of fresh and delicious salmon. I'm very cautious about getting salmon in restaurants; but the stuff in the market looked so fresh and of good quality. We really didn't need the wasabi as everything tasted clean and fresh, just a bit of soy sauce for the salmon. We did feel bad having so much rice left over, but we'll know what to do in the future.

This was one heck of a meal for under forty bucks….remember, there's no tipping in Japan. I came back and mentioned how good the Hokkaido Uni was to Tommy at Catalina…..which he wasn't too happy about, but what the heck.

Ajidokoro Takeda (In Sankaku Fish Market)
3-10-6 Inaho
Otaru, Hokkaido

Man, we left fat and happy. We managed to get back to Sapporo and squeeze in a nap and a nice walk before dinner, which was to be at the oldest crab specialty restaurant in Sapporo. We sure were eating well!

Sapporo: Sapporo Noodle Zero and Nijo Market

May 13, 2016 mmm-yoso Hokkaido, Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Markets & Grocers, Ramen

Our flight from Seoul to New Chitose Airport was perfectly uneventful. The airport is about 30 miles from Sapporo. It might easily be one of my favorite airports….there are a number of shops selling; well, everything! It's not a large airport and easy to maneuver….and good lord, the samples! We ended up buying a load of snacks for my MIL…..so much, that we ended up mailing it Sapporo! As regular readers will know, I'm not much of a snack person, but I was totally taken by this Hokkaido corn snack, which was light, refreshing, and not too sweet. More on that in a later post. After sampling a load of stuff and buying some snacks, we activated our JR Pass and got to Sapporo Station in no time. Our good friend Akiko had made our hotel reservations at the Hotel Monterey Sapporo, telling me that I'm "going to love the breakfast buffet". It was a nice choice, just a five minute walk from the station.

After checking in, freshening up, and relaxing for a bit, we headed out. First stop; the ATM at 7-11, the easiest, most convenient ATMs in Japan. Be it 7-11, Lawson, or whatever; the snack selection and prepared food at these shops are something to be reckoned with.

In spite of it being close to Thanksgiving, it wasn't too cold….yet! So of course the Missus wanted to walk to our lunch destination. Which wasn't so bad after putting in all those miles walking in Seoul. That's the Sapporo TV Tower located in Odori Park.

Strangely, we didn't come across too many people during our walk….perhaps it was a bit cold? Or perhaps folks were just a lot smarter than us and used the subway, which ran just a block from our hotel.

I'd read about Nijo Market before our trip and it was along the way to our destination so we decided to take a look around.

Seeing all that seafood and knowing we'd be around here for a couple of days really got the Missus excited.

The prices were no joke!

But it did get my heart beating a little faster since I knew we'd be looking for some crab for the Missus…….

The Missus had declared this to be a "discovery of ramen and yakitori" trip. Our last stop before leaving Narita for Seoul was for some Seabura (pork backfat) Ramen at Miyamoto. So it only made sense that we'd try some ramen here in Sapporo. It only made sense that we visit a place famous for what I heard called their "flame torched chashu", Ramen Zero, which, being in the Tanukikoji Shopping Arcade was really easy to find.

We entered……and of course came across the ramen ticket machine!

As with most places in Japan, the folks here were really nice……most of the labels didn't have kanji characters, but a young lady came out and we made it through punching the right buttons with a combination of really bad Japanese…at least I know what we wanted and could order it in Japanese……it was a matter of finding the right buttons.

We were in Sapporo; so it was only right that we get a Sapporo Classic "Only in Hokkaido". A light Pilsner, easy to drink, great head, with a sweet finish.

So, like I said, Ramen Zero is known for this……

Will you look at that piece of pork belly. This obviously wasn't one of those one thin slice of chashu places. I really liked the pork, which was tender, but not falling to pieces, smoky, with a nice pork flavor. The Missus thought they put too much black pepper on the beast. She also got a nicely soft boiled egg and some rice, which was just perfect.

Since this was Sapporo, I got the Miso Ramen….with the pork of course!

Man, that pork…plus the bowl was about $11 US and totally worth it. The noodles were nice, of the thicker variety,, curly, and firm. The broth was the most un-miso, miso broth I've ever had. It was very mild, slightly thick, with a touch of sweetness, and we made out what seemed like a rather strong ginger flavor. In other words, everything took a back seat to that pork.

As you can tell, we didn't leave hungry. It seems we lucked out as I heard the place often sells out of items early in the evening.

Sapporo Noodle Zero
Minami 2 Jōnishi
Chūō-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan

Due to the season, night was falling like a curtain as we left. Still, we had a bit of exploring to do before heading back for the evening.

Stay Tuned!

Seoul: Mirak Chicken, Tongin Market, and the Seoul Lantern Festival

May 11, 2016 mmm-yoso Gastropub, Korea, Korean Restaurants, Markets & Grocers, Seoul, Travel

Our time in Seoul, and Korea, for that matter was coming to an end. The Missus and I discussed the possibilities for a last meal and we decided to give KFC (Korean Fried Chicken) another shot. This time at a place that was more highly recommended. I had a place on my list….which one of my coworkers called a "Hof"??? A Hof? Like "Hofbrau"? Well, she wasn't sure…..the term "hof" is used for various places that serve beer/drinks with food and to my relief had nothing to do with "The Hoff". So it was off to the "hof".

The shop was located in the Gyeongbokgung area, west of the Palace. The Gwanghwamun Gate of Gyeongbokgung looked especially striking on this clear evening.

Finding Mirak Chicken wasn't too difficult; especially with pocket wifi, called an "egg" in Korea, and a photo of the exterior.

Mirak Chicken's popularity is in part due to being shown on a very popular Korean Food Show named Tasty Road, which is how we found out about the place after having two people mention Mirak and the show to me.

The interior has a dark and kind of pub-like feel.

As is typical with these places, there's the all-you-can eat popcorn….which I found a bit odd. You obviously need a beverage of choice; we went with some Hite, which seemed a bit sweeter, but very light, and not as bitter as the versions here in the states. Perhaps it was being on holiday……. After ordering, some shredded cabbage dressed with a somewhat fruity mayo and the standard condiment of KFC, the water kimchi arrived.

Mirak is known for their Garlic Chicken, which of course had to order.

The chicken came with a ton of glazed whole garlic cloves, which of course I loved, but made me socially unpresentable for most of the evening. As with other glazed/sweet/spicy chicken of this type, the glaze was very sticky and way too sweet for me. They really had the batter and the cooking process down as the crust was thin and light, and the chicken very moist. It was just hard to get over the sweetness, for which I was thankful for the radish.

Hedging our bets, we also ordered the regular fried chicken which was quite good.

Crisp, light, and moist. But again, for some reason we both found the seasoning to be on the very mild side. They sure had the cooking process down though.

We were glad to have been able to try a couple of Korean Fried Chicken places.

Mirak Chicken (미락치킨)
17-1 Jahamun-ro
Seoul, South Korea

After dinner, we decided to take a walk around the area. We hadn't been around this part of Seoul so this made for an interesting walk. We came across a shopping arcade and decided to do some exploring.

There were quite a few food stalls……

One stall was especially popular.

It made tteokbokki, not my favorite food item in the world, but this looked different. Bright red, stir fried in oil, so I had to try some…..

The was quite good….nice chew, a slight crunch, a good amount of spice, not very greasy…..I really liked it. It changed my opinion of tteokbokki.

After returning home, I tried to find out the name of this place and learned that it is Tongin Market, which was originally set-up by the Japanese in 1941 during the occupation. I also learned that one of the most popular stalls in the market makes Gireum tteokbokki, basically a fried in oil version…….lines rarely lie, right?

Walking back was a pleasure…..we really enjoy Seoul at night.

Before heading back to the apartment, we decided to head on over to the Cheonggyecheon Stream area. A few nights earlier we'd come across the Seoul Lantern Festival. I'm guessing this night must be something special, because folks were really enjoying the sights.

The theme this year was an "Illuminated Tour of Seoul", which was very cool. We saw lanterns of many of the sights we'd seen during the previous days.

Under the bridge folks were gathered, putting together lanterns to be released in the stream.

People were having a great time. It was a nice way to end our stay in Seoul.

As we walked back to the apartment along the alleyway parallel to the main street. Apparently, the huge building we were staying at was built over the Pimatgol, parallel to the main street of Jongno. Because the lower class residents were required to bow down to the nobles everytime they came across them, this parallel alley; the "alley to avoid horses", was created. There's a couple of very nice stories to be found here.

And while there are quite a few anecdotes I haven't told about Seoul; like the Missus complaining about not seeing a branch of Cocohodo, when there was one on the other side of the building. Just like Japan, it seems like there was a story around every corner.

We dozed of easily on this evening. We'd be rising early, then heading off to the airport, via Seoul Station. Next stop; Sapporo!

Thanks for reading!