Cute Eats - Noodle Box

One of the famous Korean chain restaurants in Seoul is Noodle Box, a fast food joint that whips up Thai food. It is probably one of the cutest eats in the world because your meal is actually serve in a replica of a Noodle Box. The concept is fun and makes it that much more appealing to enjoy your food, minus the metal bar that always gets in the way. For anyone who actually follows tips from buzzfeed, you'll know the real way to eat out of a noodle box is not from the opening at the top. The concept of Noodle Box is that the box can be opened into a flat plate so you're not digging into an extremely hot base of food. 

On average, a dish at noodle box costs $7. The dishes range in spicy levels, but they do have a wider selection that is not offered in a lot of Thai restaurants. One of the popular choices of course is the traditional Pad Thai, but the Mongolian is also great for those who are able to tolerate a bit of spice. Because this is a Korean chain restaurant, you have to keep in mind that the taste will differ from location to location. Nonetheless, it is a great place to go to grab a quick bite in a cute box. It probably wouldn't be the best place to take a date, but there are a lot of couples who visit Noodle Box anyway!

Kongdae location:

Traditional Korean Eat - Cold Noodles 육쌈냉면

Nangmyeon is a popular traditional Korean eat, especially in the summer time because it is served in a bowl of ice. Although it sounds to be peculiar, it is probably the most refreshing meal that you can have. The best part about nangmyeon is many restaurants serve it in addition to their signature dishes. 

육쌈냉면 is one Korean chain restaurants that is favored among locals for this traditional Korean eat. Because the store focuses on the traditional eat of cold noodles, there is a very basic menu to order from. Most order either the regular or spicy nangmyeon. Each order is served with a marinated BBQ pork without the need to order (unless of course you want a bigger portion). This extremely cheap eat will only set you back $5. SAY WHAAAAT? Five bucks for noodles with BBQ meat? Yes. Because it such a cheap eat, there is almost always a line. Service is usually rather quick since there is a basic menu and customers expect a certain quality of food. 

Korean Traditional Eat - Kalguksu Noodle Soup 갈국수

Kalguksu is a traditional Korean eat that is usually enjoyed as a seasonal dish. There are many different takes on this traditional eat. It basically consists of wheat floor noodles that are made in a chicken broth usually. Additional ingredients of cucumbers and a handful of other vegetables are added in and the soup is topped with a meat of your choice. The popular consists of seafood, beef, and chicken. 

Depending on how are you consuming this dish, it can be served as a single serving per person or it can also be served with a bowl of soup over an open fire shared between a table. Ingredients are then added as you consume, to your liking. This is rather important for those who are eating beef because leaving the beef in for too long can result in an overcooked and extra chewy slice of meat. Many people strain away from this by cooking their beef slices as they eat. If consuming beef, it is recommended to go with the beef base broth which provides a better enhancement to your taste buds than the common chicken broth. 

Korean Traditional Eat - Jjim Dalk 찜닭

찜닭 is a spicy dish that originated in Andong. It is composed of chicken chopped into pieces, boiled in a simmering sauce made of whole garlic, onions, ginger and a green chili pepper (not the original red in Korea) called Cheongyang gochu 청양고추.  It is then served with glass noodles and vegetables like potato, carrots, and cucumbers. The spicy level of this Korean traditional eat can be altered to the taste buds of guests. If tolerable, going for the spicy kick leaves you with a more traditional taste of this dish. This family style dish is commonly served in a big plate with scissors allowing for you to cut the long glass noodles and bigger chunks of vegetables. 

Traditional Korean Eat - Jjajangmyeon 짜장면 (Blackbean Noodles)

This traditional eat, Jjajangmyeon 짜장면, takes it's roots from the Chinese noodle. Usually cooked up with a blackbean sauce, the dish is an all time favorite for many Koreans. Consumed alone as a noodle topped with pork, onions, and a variety of other vegetables (depending on the restaurant), it can also be decked out to be a fancy meal. One of my ultimate favorite concept is with sweet and sour deep fried pork, 탕수육. This meal is usually a cheap eat, my combination lunch which I could not finish was less than $5! Depending on the location and restaurant you buy from, you are definitely getting a bargain for your meal

Story of My Life - Hong Kong Travels

Hong Kong, one of the few places that speak Cantonese is an extremely popular tourist spot for many. Life in Hong Kong is very much like Korea with everything that is available everywhere, advanced technologies and extremely good food.

Because the city is small, you can knock out all of the tourist attractions within three days if you really wanted to, but it is nearly impossible to eat all the good eats Hong Kong has to offer. My album consists mostly of landscapes and food in Hong Kong which is all you really need to know!

To keep this blog as short as possible, the must visit place in Hong Kong: Victoria's Peak, Big Buddha via a crystal 360 cable car, Lan Kwai Fong, and of course all the shopping districts and streets.

Number one rule in Hong Kong is to haggle and bargain everywhere you go, including department stores because "discounts" will be offered. Be wise about it because certain items are already on sale for a low price so haggling is just asking for someone to give you a mean face.

One thing to be aware of is that you will get rude comments and yelled at by the locals. For one, they speak a little louder than others and two, there is little patience because of the stress of making money to buy a home which is practically impossible because of sparse amount of land. For many foreigners, this is something that is unacceptable, especially in restaurants but expect it to come unless you are dining at a five star hotel for every meal.

Now for the more entertaining and better part of the blog: