Restaurants Archives | Page 19 of 20

Cafe: Lamp (Myeongdong, Seoul)

4 October 2011 Ibyang Sanchez 2 Comments Category: Charmed Life of a Mrs, Deep Thoughts, I Love Seoul, Restaurants, Travel

This would probably be one of the most memorable cafes we’ve ever experienced.

On our third day in Seoul, we found ourselves in the streets of Myeongdong (the shopping mecca of Seoul). Before we explored and shopped the night away, we had late afternoon tea in one of the busiest streets of Myeongdong. We found out that the ground level of buildings are retail businesses while the upper floors are restaurants or cafes.

We looked up and saw a sign that said “LAMP“. Just one word. Simple, short and mysterious.

We walked closer to the establishment and a small door opened up to a flight of stairs. It was dark inside but we heard people and music…and most of all, we smelled the aroma of coffee.

Walking up the stairs was visually delightful as we saw little plants and photographs in every step. And the walls were also adorned with pictures and Polaroids. It reminded me of my idea of a dream house…my dream house.

As we reached the second floor, we were greeted by friendly “Annyeong Haseyo!” of the staff. The room was a bit crowded so we asked if we can sit on the third floor and they agreed.

We had the whole floor to ourselves (how lucky!). We enjoyed the quiet…our alone time. In traveling, our lives can sometimes be noisy with so much excitement, with so many things taking our breath away.

The Husband and I appreciate times during travel where we can sit back and remove ourselves out of the picture for a few moments. It is a way for us to let all the adventure sink in and a way for us to be grateful for our here and now.

The cafe has a vintage and artsy feel. The interiors will transcend you into another time and place. The ambiance was cozy, moody and eccentric.

We found out that in the afternoons they offer a cup of coffee and a slice of cafe for only 6,000won.

The cakes were fluffy and not too sweet. Their coffee was generally light with no bitter aftertaste.

As we sat and enjoyed our cuppa, we looked below us and saw Seoul come to life at night. The following day, we will leave Seoul and yet we still cannot believe then how lucky we were to have explored this charming city.

LAMP
Myeongdong, Seoul
Korea

Restaurant: Seoul-Ria (Sydney, Australia)

29 September 2011 Ibyang Sanchez 1 Comments Category: Food, Restaurants

At first we just enjoy the art of cooking your food while we eat, chat and drink with friends. That’s how we started loving Korean Cuisine. Nowadays, Korean food is part of our lifestyle. I cook it at home (I learned how to cook Bulgogi, Tuna Pancakes, Kimchi Stew and Kimchi) and eating Korean cuisine when we dine out has become a regularity. We are constantly on the lookout for great Korean restaurants and in one of our quests, we found Seoul-Ria.

Restaurant: Seoul-Ria (Sydney NSW, Australia)

Seoul-Ria is considered one of the best Korean restaurants in Sydney. Located at Goulburn Street, you need to get into an elevator that will lead you to Level 2 of the building and as the door opens, voila! Welcome to Seoul-Ria! It can accommodate up to 140 diners but during busy hours, be prepared to queue up and wait.

It was busy when we arrived on a Thursday evening after work. The place wasn’t full but we had to wait a few minutes for the staff to clear a table for us.

From the Korean staff to the KPop videos played on TV, we get transported to a “Seoul-like” atmostphere.

Their attentive staff served us a bottle of water and banchan (side dishes) as soon as we were seated.

Since it was our first time, I can’t wait to try their Kimchi Pancake (Kimchijeon). We were surprised to see how huge it was when it came.

It was tasty, thick and filling. All you can taste in this beautiful dish is the Kimchi. Also, it wasn’t as spicy as I thought it would be. We only finished a quarter of this dish and had it for take away.

I was specifically craving for Black Bean Noodles that night and this dish did not disappoint. Perfectly-cooked noodles with blackbean and pork sauce.

It looked like Champorado (Chocolate Porridge) hehe. This dish was very saucy but I truly enjoyed my noodles.

The Husband had the very colourful and healthy Bibimbap. Steamed rice topped with vegetables, beef strips and egg.

Enjoyed our meal with their beautiful dishes. We are definitely coming back for more.

Seoul-Ria Korean Restaurant
Level 2, 605-609 George Street
Sydney, NSW 2000
Phone: 9269 0222/9269 0272
Monday to Saturday: 11am to 3am
Sunday: 5pm to 3am

Restaurant: Yummy Chinese BBQ (Haymarket, Sydney NSW)

19 September 2011 Ibyang Sanchez 0 Comments Category: Food, Restaurants

Last Friday night was the start of the Husband’s Birthday Staycation in Sydney (more on that in tomorrow’s entry). We met up after work, checked-in at the hotel, dropped our bags and headed straight out to Chinatown.

I’ve been eyeing this BBQ restaurant in Haymarket even before they even opened. On nights when I come home late from the office and I just met up with the Husband at Townhall Station, my bus would pass by this restaurant. Timing was always the culprit that’s why we never get to dine here. Since we just wanted to hang out in Chinatown on Friday (our hotel being near the area), we finally had the chance to try out Yummy Chinese BBQ Restaurant.

It was already busy when we arrived and thankfully a table was immediately ready for us.

Restaurant: Yummy Chinese BBQ (Haymarket, Sydney NSW)

Dinner buffet was at AUD$35.00 per person, drinks not included. The buffet consists of BBQ meats and seafood, soup, sidings, cooked mains and dessert. Guests are required to pay for their meals and drinks before they start eating. Be sure to finish everything you got from the buffet or else they will charge you AUD5.00 per plate of leftover.

The concept is similar to Korean BBQ where you get to cook your meat while eating. The difference with Yummy Chinese BBQ is the grill used for cooking the meats. The marinated meats are skewered on metal sticks and placed on the grill that automatically rotates. How wonderful is that? No more flipping meals on the grill!

I made a video to show the rotating meats on metal sticks. I used our Lumix GF1 to also show the quality of Lumix GF1 when it comes to capturing videos. The GF1 nicely focuses on its own as long as you don’t move the camera.

There was no rice which disappointed me. I’m not sure whether you can order separately but since none of the guests have rice on their table, I disregarded my want for rice and focused on the sidings available on the buffet. The sidings weren’t bad although the fried stuff were on the oily side.

There were two choices for soup: Spicy Soup or Seafood Soup. We opted for the Spicy Soup and it was really hot! Lots of red chilies swimming on the hot pot of soup. There were seafood and vegetables skewered on wooden sticks that can be put in with the soup to make your own Hot Pot. I love this idea too!

We enjoyed this gastronomical indulgence and even if there were only two of us, look at how many skewers we managed to finish…

Don’t forget dessert! There were a selection of fruits, little cakes, pudding and ice cream. We shared two scoops of ice cream (vanilla and strawberry), a little caramel cake and little cup of Mango Pudding.

Yummy Chinese BBQ
761 George Street
Haymarket, Sydney NSW
Phone: 02-9280 2800

Restaurant & Bar: The Little Snail (Pyrmont, Sydney NSW)

19 September 2011 Ibyang Sanchez 1 Comments Category: Food, Restaurants

Discovered The Little Snail in July when we celebrated my aunts birthday. Compliments to my cousins who invited us to have a sumptuous lunch on a beautiful warm, Saturday.

The Little Snail offers a delicious, filling but reasonably-priced three-course lunch for only AUD$36.00. Guests are given the opportunity to choose from a wide-range of entrees, mains and desserts.

The restaurant is known for their Escargots which was what I had for my entree. Twelve juicy escargots marinated in herb-infused court bouillion, oven-baked in garlic and butter. I highly recommend that you give this a try when you dine here.

Restaurant & Bar: The Little Snail (Pyrmont, Sydney NSW)

The Husband tried their Salt and Pepper Squid. Crispy on the outside but tender on the inside. The aioli dip perfectly complimented the dish.

For our mains, the Husband chose Veal Tenderloin in piquant cream of smoked bacon, shallot and sun-ripened tomatoes. It came with potato croquet.

On the other hand, I tried their massive Prime Australian Beef Fillet. Tender and perfectly-cooked, it was served with pommes puree and red wine jus. I loved the beautiful potato bar that came with it.

I was able to try one of my relatives’ Citrus Marinated Tasmanian Salmon. I loved the slightly tangy taste and the crispy skin of the Salmon. It was served with crabmeat risotto and sauce vierge.

My relatives and I ordered different desserts on the menu in order to have a taste of everything.

Chef Churned Hazelnut and Praline Ice Cream

Warm Sticky Date Pudding

Handmade Profiteroles

Classic Creme Caramel

All the desserts we ordered were lovely but my favourite of the lot would have to the be the Classic Creme Caramel.
The Little Snail
(located near Harbourside Mall)
50 Murray Street
Pyrmont, NSW
Phone: 02 9212 7512

Restaurant: Bread is Ready, Coffee is Done (Seoul, Korea)

12 September 2011 Ibyang Sanchez 1 Comments Category: Food, I Love Seoul, Restaurants, Travel

On our third day in Seoul, we woke up early and went back to Hongdae to check the place out in the morning. We spent a good hour and a half in Hongdae exploring and doing street photography. From Hongdae, we took the train going to Anguk Station and made our way out to Exit #3.

As we were walking out to Exit #3, I saw this cafe with an amusing name: Bread is Ready, Coffee is Done (BRCD). Since we haven’t had any proper breakfast yet, we decided to stop by and have late morning tea. The aroma of coffee and freshly-baked bread was also inviting.

Even if lengthy, I fancy the name and their logo. As a foodie, the name of a restaurant/cafe has an impact on me, plus, how they brand themselves with their logo and interiors.

Bread is Ready, Coffee is Done has cozy interiors with good, non-intrusive lighting. Most walls are covered in doodles and artworks.

It is a cafe, bakery and restaurant. They not only serve cakes and pastries, they also offer dishes such as burgers and pasta.

It was nearly 12 noon when we got to BRCD but we craved for just good coffee and bread that time since it was our official sit down meal for the day. I think our tummies seemed to be running on Australian time still because it would’ve been nearly 9:00am in Sydney–so that meant morning tea for us.

I had my usual Cafe Americano and now that I’m on my third day, I’m convinced that they make really good Americanoes here. Their coffee was smooth and rich.

I don’t remember the names of the bread we had but mine, I think, was cheese bread. While the Husband had a roll with fillings inside. I can’t remember what that filling was though. Their bread was light and not too sweet.

We left Bread is Ready, Coffee is Done satisfied and newly-charged with energy as we excitedly went off to our next stop: Changdeok Palace (coming next on our Wanderlust Wednesdays this week).We visited BRCD on 20 April 2011.

Bread is Ready, Coffee is Done
Located in Anguk Station
Seoul, Korea