In an unconventional marketing move, Pizza Hut Korea announced in a press conference Monday it will temporarily re-brand three of its Seoul branches as “Pasta Hut” for a month to promote pasta dishes newly added to its menu.

You can check it out for yourself at the “Pasta Hut” website.

Just so long as they don’t decide to re-brand themselves as this kind of Hutt . . .
Bonus: Yoda’s very own recipe for stew. Yummy.

image from wikipedia commons

Speaking of the fortress, near the north gate is one of the most famous examples of Suwon’s premier product.  Suwon was home to a large cattle market which in turn meant Suwon had some of the best beef eatin’ in Korea.  한우, 한우 . . . as far as the eye could see!  And thus Suwon became the place for wang galbi.  Wang galbi is a slightly different cut than standard galbi - a large, single segment of rib is sliced, and the rib meat itself flows off like a streamer.  Grilled plain or with just a little bit of salt, this meat is usually tender and delicious enough to just eat plain.

But what fun would that be?  Suwon wang galbi has a slightly sweet marinade with a suprisingly subtle garlic kick.  Ginger, soy, and myriad spices play around with the normally assertive vampire repellant, but instead of becoming forward and assertive, the whole mix becomes a mellow companion to richly marbled shortribs.  There’s plenty of Suwon galbi restaurants all over town, but the most famous of these is Yeonpo Galbi/ 연포갈비.

This venerable institution starts things off right with high quality charcoal. Koreans have a bit of an obsession with charcoal for grilling, but what a glorious obsession to have. The kind of flame used to cook has a great influence on the flavor of food, and there’s many a fellow who will turn up their noses at the mediocre char of gas grilled galbi. True connoisseurs will always go for the burning black coals, but even then there’s a hierarchy. Big briquettes are common, but here they use only high quality sticks of oak.


In addition to the marinated Suwon wang galbi, Yeonpo also serves unmarinated cuts, like this marbled beauty.

Although not of uniformly high standard, the banchan here show more variety and attention to detail than many places in Seoul. Standouts included a bright, vinegary jellyfish salad and marinated seaweed. The wait staff here are unusually dedicated, and will take over the entire process of grilling the meat for you if only you’ll yield the scissors.

If you still have energy gorging on both meat and the view of the fortress right outside the window, Suwon has other delights. Soccer fans should head to the Suwon World Cup Stadium where you can catch a Samseong Bluewings game. Right next to Ajou University, the stadium itself is a pleasant place to while away the time, with prettily groomed park-like grounds.
Remember poor Prince Sado? King Yeongjo spiffed up Yongju Temple (용주사) for just that purpose. Right next door are the tombs of Sado and his long-suffering wife, Lady Hong, whose memoirs still form one of the most complete pictures we have not just of the Eulmi Incident, but also of Korean court life of the time. (get your own copy in English or in Korean) The temple also houses some outstanding paintings and a massive bronze bell decorated with dragons.

image courtesy buddhapia

Finally, we should also mention the immense pride that Suwon takes in its beautiful restrooms.

Suwon can be easily reached from Seoul by express bus(Gangnam, Sadang, Nambu Terminal, or Guro Industrial Complex Stations), train, or by subway (line 1 to Suwon Station).  Fatman suggests starting your tour of the fortress at Paldalmun, but if you’re lazy or like really cute trams, try taking a ride on the Hwaseong trolley. Prices for Suwon galbi run about 20-30,000 won per person.

And of course, Roboseyo has something to say (via Korean-speaking Mr. Ed . . . don’t ask.)
Check it out - the Korean blogsphere is boiling over with food news!

Samcheongdong has become a major neighborhood for dining delights, and Dal 1887 shows exactly whats right - and wrong - about the restaurant scene here.
Packed into a renovated hanok, Dal dishes up Italian fare with an emphasis on spaghetti dishes. Tomato, olive oil, and cream sauces share space on the menu, along with a short salad/antipasto listing, a few risotto, and a few steak dishes. There’s not a whole lot on their menu that will surprise the diner or push the boundaries of eating. A single squid ink pasta is the only nod to anything outside the holy trinity of sauces seen at Italian restaurants everywhere here, and except for a sole penne dish, spaghetti was the only pasta on offer. There were only two kinds of risotto. Let’s not forget the eternal favorite of garlic bread . . .

The good news is that what Dal does, it does well. The seafood pomodoro was bright and lively, the noodles were cooked perfectly, and the seafood was plentiful, various, and wonderfully fresh. Good ingredients made for a very good meal.

Likewise the cream sauce spaghetti with two kinds of roe was obviously made with high quality ingredients. The roe was an excellent addition, lending a bright, briny note that popped with flavor.

So main dishes were good. Good quality food, good service, lovely surroundings . . .
Fatman wants more. Dal’s kitchen is churning out some wonderful pastas, but nothing you can’t find at any pasta joint that aspires to be more than Pizza Mall. It is time for more creativity, more challenge, more authenticity - something, anything! A bit more oomph would push Dal and many of the places north of the river from a good night out to an amazing night out. There’s lots yet that could be done. Everybody and their brother is serving the same heavy cream sauce “carbonara”, so why doesn’t somebody break the mold and make a real carbonara? Koreans can deal with much more authentic, much less “Koreanized” foreign food than is being served. Or take the opportunity to integrate real Korean ingredients into fusion food, instead of just adding a little chopped up kimchi to the tomato sauce?
Dal’s got the atmosphere, they’ve got the quality, all they need is a little innovation to bring themselves to the next level. Instead, like so many restaurants in the area, they’ve settled for competence instead of brilliance. Samcheongdong is full of that - let’s start to see what chefs here can really do!
Fatman is calling you out, Dal 1887!

Dinner at Dal 1887 runs about 10-20,000 won per starter, and 12-20,000 won for pastas and risottos. Steaks and mains clock in 30-40,000 won, putting Dal on the reasonable end of the food chain for its neighborhood. Wine, beer, and soft drinks are all available.
To get to Dal 1887, take the road running north from the east side of Gyeongbuk Palace (towards the Blue House) and veer right at the Y-intersection (by the Book Cafe). Keep heading north for about ten minutes, and it will be on your right, housed in a converted hanok.

Um . . . yeah, so we had some problems with the site, but we’re back up and running now!