Sweet Food Satisfaction - Caramelized Fruit

For just a dollar a stick, three pieces of fruits is caramelized on a stick with a hard sugar coat. This extremely sweet strawberry and grape on a stick is just too much to resist. It is overly sweet, maybe too sweet for some, but it is perfect for me. Equivalent to the American dollar, it definitely helps to make my day sweeter!

It may be a little hard to find these goodies in Korea, but they are usually along the popular areas of attraction that young adults hang around which include Myeongdong, Konuk University (Kongdae), and other main attractions. Be sure to look around the train stations where there are the most traffic. 

Bottoms Up - Makgeolli

Makgeolli, a popular Korean rice wine beverage, is consumed in a gold bowl. It may look to be a bit peculiar at first,  but you will get in the hang of things and understand that it just tastes better in a gold bowl. Made from wheat and rice, it has a milky texture that is off-white with a kick of sweetness. It simply consists of boiled rice, wheat and water which is about 6-8% of alcohol.

It is an extremely popular light drink to have in Korea, but do keep in mind that the number of empty Makgeolli bottles at the end of night will probably blow your mind. For those who are not a Makgeolli drinker, try mixing in a bit of the Korean cider with the drink or use it as a chaser. It complements one another very well and you will not feel the alcohol. Drink responsibly though because it will hit you sooner or later! Although Koreans are known to drink at all hours of the day, it is important to do it the smart way. 

Todays Lunch - Burger King

It was another one of those days with the Burger King craving so I just had to get it. This time, I got the Chicken bulgolgi burger along with the "Poutine" fries. A little different from regular fries, yes? These special fries are topped with onion rings, a bulgogi-bbq sauce as well as mayo. For someone who is not in love with the sauce, I would much prefer the Burger King fries alone than with the sauce, but it was definitely an experience and worth a try. 

For those who are attending Burger King for the first time, or any other fast food place in Korea, be sure to check the blog on tips when eating in a fast food location!

Beauty Splurge - Korean Beauty Products

First off, HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEARS! For those of you who celebrate this special day, I wish you and your family the best of health and a prosperous new year. Because it is the week of the new year, I have been busy prepping and planning for the year. Best of all, there's been a lot of shopping included.

I haven't be sharing my beauty splurges in Korea which is a constant thing. Therefore, I decided to share this week's shopping splurge! For starters, I had to pick up a lemon scented bar soap from Lush along with their bar conditioner for the hair. I thought it would be great to finally experiment with the bar conditioner that I have been dying to try. 

For the more Korean brands, The Face Shop is one of my favorite stores back at home with my constant splurges. Finally visiting the Korean Face Shop, I picked off where I left in America with the blemish treatment. Four items to help my random break out here in Korea: the Blemish Zero Bubble Foam Cleanser, Anti Trouble Healing Spot, Anti Trouble Blemish Patch, and the Pomegranate face mask.

Next, I made a stop at Skin Food, an extremely popular organic store that uses a bunch of food goods to develop beauty products from head to toe, literally. Just to experiment, I picked up the Green Tea Boots Fresh Spray, Lychee Essence Mist and Cherry Tomato Wax.

Last stop for this weekend is Holika Holika where I picked up a few of their top sellers which includes the Honey Canola Overnight Mask, the White Wine Therapy Sleeping Pack, the Baby Silky Foot Treatment packs, and a face mask with one of the cutest boys ever. Talk about a great marketing tactic!

Stay tuned for the many beauty reviews on these products! I am definitely excited to try them all out and share my hones opinion. Be sure to subscribe to the blog to win the New Year Giveaway which will include a few of these products as well!

Street Food Yum - Honey BBQ Chicken

For those of you who know me, you all know that I am not the type of person to give up snacking. I absolutely love street food, and so I had to continue it here. Korea doesn't have much food trucks like we do in New York, but there are a bunch of street food carts. Most of them consist of fried foods which is delicious, but there are a bunch of other good eats as well!

One of the first street carts that I tried in the area that I live in is the Honey BBQ chicken with fried fishcake stick and a corn dog. For just two dollars a bucket of Honey BBQ chicken, it is absolutely filling to the point where I couldn't finish it. Picture is a bigger portion for seven, that in love with it!

I love being able to find these food carts along popular streets, train stations and late night outs. Nothing beats cheap eats and filling up my stomach. The only problem is I'll probably gain a lot more weight this trip than expected because I'm eating so much!

Beauty Pick Me Up - Tony Moly

Tony Moly is a beauty store in Korea known for its creative packaging for beauty and makeup goods. Attracted to the display items, I purchased a few of the top sellers that helps to achieve maximize beauty. It is a guarantee that I will return to pick up a few more items from the store. 

Of the two items, I picked up the top seller of the Tony Moly's egg line. The Egg Pore Silky Smooth Balm is to help clear our blackheads and impurities with their key egg and camellia ingredients. You can wear this product alone on the skin to help clean the skin or it can be used with your makeup. I suggest using after your moisturizer and primer to smooth out the surface of the skin for easy foundation application. It helps to conceal the holes on your face by providing a smooth base for makeup to be applied. A little goes a long way with this product. It is a whipped texture which does automatically conceal the holes in the face. It probably won't help those bigger marks on your face, but I am in love with the product. It helps to smooth out my face completely and makes my makeup look natural.

Next, there is the Latte Art Cappuccino Cream-In Scrub which is a scrub that smells like your morning drink. Made of coffee and milk extracts, the self heating scrub is suggested to be used two to three times a week to help remove dry, flaky, dead skin cells, impurities and keratin in the face. I love the twist off design that holds the scrub inside the cup and a "spoon" that acts as a tool to scoop the scrub onto your hand. Simply rub onto the face in a circular motion and wash away with lukewarm water. I absolutely love this scrub, it is great to wake you up early in the morning and I do feel an immediate layer of smoothness. 

Life In Korea - Demilitarized Zone

One of the must visit places in Korea is the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) for any visiting foreigner. It is an experience that introduces you to the only country that is still divided in the world today. The best part about this tour is the opportunity to visit one of the four discovered underground tunnels that were dug by North Korea to target Seoul in a secret attack.

Of the four underground tunnels that were discovered, the last one was turned into a popular tourist location. A foreign passport is required for entry and depending on the tour company that you travel with, you will visit a variety of different locations within the DMZ. All tours cover the basic grounds which include the underground tunnel that you can visit. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes because you will walk down a steep tunnel to reach the underground tunnel. In addition, the hike up can be quite a challenge.

It has been claimed that the USO tour is the best, being able to visit more locations and getting closer to the North Korean base. That and the fact that the USO is so excited for their job makes the experience the touch greater, so does the price. Regardless of which tour company you go with, be sure to make this visit, you will not regret it. Not only will you learn about the two countries, but you will be able to actually experience a underground tunnel which is not likely in many areas.

It still amazes me that there are already four discovered underground tunnels, yet there can be many more that have not been discovered yet. I definitely recommend making a visit to the DMZ, especially if you are not from China. Only those from China are able to physically visit North Korea. As for everyone else, we are only able to get as close as the DMZ.

Be sure to also pick up ginseng products because Korea is known for their ginseng, especially in North Korea. North Korea has the best ginseng in the world. At the DMZ, they sell ginseng tea, candy and even a beauty product which I picked up. For just the price of $20, I had to get two ginseng BB creams for souvenirs. BB cream is extremely popular in Asian countries and ginseng is one of the best products for beauty and it is on the higher end of the market. Another recommended souvenir product, aside from the North Korean currency, is their blueberry wine. Step outside of the box and try something new, you never know what you'll find!

Restaurant Review - Cornerstone Restaurant at the Park Hyatt Seoul

The Cornerstone Restaurant in Park Hyatt in COEX area, Seoul is a high class restaurant that welcomes those of all ages, even a family for weekend brunch. The elegant restaurant is a place that is a mix of a buffet style as well as a sit down restaurant.

Once seated, you are provided with a menu that includes drinks and a choice of three main course platters that is served as family style to the table. There is the choice of Assorted Grilled Meats, Assorted Grilled Seafoods, and the Home Made Pasta. In addition to the main course, there are a number of side dishes that are served alongside which include a broccoli pasta, tomato soup, egg soufflé, seafood mix and many others.

The buffet style serves a variety of dishes which includes salad, bread, meats, seafood, pastas, and a wide selection of desserts. The one thing I do not recommend is to bring a cake when celebrating because the restaurant does not allow for outside foods (in case of food poisoning). The regulation is understanding, but they are not considerate to the fact that customers will take responsibility for what they consume, not served by the restaurant.

Overall, I recommend the restaurant for those who are looking for something on the high end, $80 per person. The food is absolutely delicious and it is worth the price for the food you get, especially if you are a seafood consumer. 

Restaurant Review - Pho Mein

Pho Mein is a Vietnamese pho noodle chain in Korea that helps to temporarily satisfy my pho cravings in Korea. Pho Mein is a chain, the service is extremely quick and the restaurant is on the higher end of the market. Although there is such good service and the dishes are relatively close to traditional pho noodles, there is still a Korean touch to their foods.

Like any other Korean restaurant, they serve pickled radish along with their dishes. In addition to this, their "summer rolls" consists of the Korean rice noodle, imitation crab meat, pickled radish, cucumber, carrot, lettuce, and the traditional Vietnamese beef. Dipped in a peanut sauce, the summer roll stands on its own for a Korean-Vietnamese restaurant.

Most importantly, Pho Mein carries all of the must haves for the pho noodle which includes the Sriracha and hoisin sauce which I had to drown my noodles in. It felt great to finally have a bowl of pho noodles and although it is noting like those back at home, it'll have to do for someone who does not have all the materials to make her own pho noodle in Korea. 

Street Food Yum - Red Bean Fish Pancakes

One of the popular eats in Korea is the fish shaped cakes that can be found in many street vendors along the train stations. For just two dollars, three pieces of yum that is not as sweet as other pastries in America. I absolutely love the crunchy burnt part that opens to a soft bread layer stuffed with red bean paste. 

Children love eating these little goodies, but there's no harm in having big kids consume as well. On a personal note, I just wish these goodies were a little sweeter because I have such a sweet tooth.

Prevent Wrinkles

We are all at that stage where aging is a problem. We were all naive at one point when our parents told us certain things to pay attention to because it will affect us in the future. Did we listen? No, of course not. What we now know is that we regret and we are spending tons of money on beauty products in order to maintain our beauty. A few ways to naturally and gradually decrease the appearance of wrinkles:

• Swap coffee for hot chocolate. There may be a higher intake on calories, but coffee makes you all jittery inside which does not help your system when it comes to wrinkles. 
• Sleep on your back. Sleeping on your back will have your face directly forward which reduces the stress and wrinkles that grow over time because you are putting against your face with the pressure of the pillow. Because you are sleeping, you are not aware of the pullings that you are making on your skin. 
• Avoid squinting. This is the one tip that we received from our parents the very first day we watched TV. Those who are 40 and above have a harder time with reading and therefore squinting is a common practice. If needed, as unclassy and not cute as glasses look, please do yourself a favor and get a pair. You can even skip the glasses and go for contacts, but yes reduce the squinting to help protect your eyes.
• Eat more fish and soy. Omega 3 fatty acids found in cold water fish such as salmon and tuna help to keep your skin young. It also helps to prevent other hear diseases and is absolutely great for women. Start early and eat healthy, you'll thank yourself later.
• Wear sunscreen at all times. I stress the fact that you should wear sunscreen at all times because the sun is damaging. It can even penetrate through your glass windows and have an effect on your skin. It is important that the minute you go outside, you put on sunscreen. It is easier to protect than to reduce the size of a wrinkle so do yourself a little favor that can take less than a minute.

Stay young, stay beautiful. 

Sweet Tooth Satisfaction - Tous les Jours

Tous les Jours, is one of the popular bakery chains in Korea. Its pastries and breads are comparable to the famous Paris Baguette here in Korea. One of my favorites of the Tous les Jours bakery is the beautifully designed cakes that they have. It is a small size, that ranges from $12-20. It is perfect for those who have a random craving and would just like to stuff their face full of goodies. Koreans aren't big on sweets and therefore, their pastries tend to be less sweet. They are a big fan of filling they breads with some type of creme or jam so plain bread is a little uncommon here. 

Pastries and coffee are delicious. They range in price depending on what type you get, comparable to the Paris Baguette prices. It is good to switch around between the two, but I admit that I am more in love with the cakes at Tous les Jours than Paris Baguette. 

On another note, I wanted to point out this cute single serving cheesecake. Koreans use a blend of cake powder and cream cheese. Its hard to find a traditional cheesecake in Korea, but luckily I did find one at Vecchia & Nuovo. One thing that I did want to point out is the skinny candle and match that comes with the cake. A big thing in Korea: fit as much candles as you can on one cake!

Beauty Pick Me Up - Circle Lenses

Being in Korea for so long, I have finally gone crazy and went on my first circle lenses splurge. Being unable to decide between a few colors, I decided to pick them all up: gray, hazel, and green. I feel like I'm in high school again with the color contacts, but I am in love with it and finally have started to blend in with all the Asians. In Korea, even those women in their 40s wear circle lenses daily. 

It helps to dilate your eyes and make them appear bigger than they are. The circle lenses increase the black of the pupil area which helps to achieve the cute look. On the bad side, because they cover a big portion of your eyes, it is best to not wear the contacts for long hours. Compared to regular contacts that you can wear for eight hours, circle lenses are only recommended for six hours. Although many people do not stick to the eight hour rule, it is important to try and do so. Beauty is important, but health is a lot more important!

New Years - New Giveaway

It is the time of the year where we all have a new start. My new start is with my blog and my life in Korea. I will continue to provide updates of food, beauty, health, and tips over in Korea. However, I would like to do it right for the year 2012. Let's start the year with a giveaway.

Being that I have been living in Korea for the past month and a half, I have been exploring Seoul for its many gadgets and beauty products. This giveaway will include a few of the goodies that I have stumbled upon in Korea which includes the Slim Face Massager, the Missha Pure Source face mask, a few goodies from the Daiso store, as well as a handful of bonuses I have yet to blog about :]

To be qualified for the giveaway, please:

• Reply answering "One thing I love about Korea(ns) is..."
• Follow @cunggie on twitter and 
• Subscribe to this blog publicly by clicking the "Join this site" on the homepage (there may be a malfunction, so please be sure to refresh and ensure that your photo is under the Members section)

Once again, shipping is free and I will ship internationally, good luck! Spread the word to family and friends. Thank you all for the support.

Update: Will be announcing the giveaway winner on February 14th. Good luck!