Kiss My Kimchi: Surviving and Thriving in SOKO

[Phoenixstorm]

http://kissmykimchi.com/2011/11/kmk-kpop-profile-kim-tae-woo.html/

He may not be as big a name in Kpop as She Dragon and Top but Kim Tae Woo brings the swexy like no other Kpop boy probably because he’s most definitely all man. If you couldn’t tell just check out the facial hair. I haven’t seen this much hair on the usual baby faced K pop sensations, ever!

[Phoenixstorm]

http://kissmykimchi.com/2011/11/kmk-kamakura-kawaguchiko.html/

If you’re visiting Tokyo and you’ve got the time then getting out of the city on a day trip is a must. The city is fabulous but there’s nothing like a great escape into the outlaying countryside to clear the lungs and get in touch with your more natural side.

[Phoenixstorm]

http://kissmykimchi.com/2011/11/kmk-coco-bruni.html/

The new chain Coco Bruni takes the coffee cafe scene into the stratosphere. These folks have a definite angle. This isn’t your fuzzy slippers and rollers kind of place where you can stroll inside in your jammies, plop down, and drink yourself awake with a mug of coffee. Instead Coco Bruni offers up a stylish black and white austerity with just a smidgen of whimsy.

[Phoenixstorm]

http://kissmykimchi.com/2011/12/kmk-chan-bros-coffee.html/

To those that know Seoul know that coffee is king. To that end hundreds upon hundreds of coffee shops literally dot the streets sometimes even right next door to each other. You’l have a Starbucks, Cafe Bene, Tom and Toms and even an Ediya coffee all within several yards of each other.

[Phoenixstorm]

http://kissmykimchi.com/2011/12/kmk-yoyogi-park-gyoen-garden.html/


When I think of Tokyo images of sky scraping towers, intricate knot twisting railways, and futuristic robots come to mind. So imagine my surprise when I discovered the twin emerald green oases of Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden and Yoyogi park.  The two floral sanctuaries provide a welcome respite from the sometimes overbearing  steel and glass cage of the city.

[Phoenixstorm]

http://kissmykimchi.com/2011/12/kmk-hungry-dog.html/

Hungry Dog is one of the latest arrivals to the HBC area. It’s the new incarnation of the former HBC bar which was a reincarnation of the HBC diner. This time around the spot has morphed into just what the neighborhood needed: another place to chow down.

[omega]

nice blog! thinking of starting my own. keep it up

[Phoenixstorm]

Thanks for the kind words Omega!

http://kissmykimchi.com/2011/12/kmk-halloween-2011.html/
As the year closes out I decided to post a few long overdue accounts of the past couple of holidays. First up is Halloween. This year, like last year, I squandered my time dithering over what costume to put together only to race out at the last minute to the store to rummage through the left overs.


http://kissmykimchi.com/2011/12/kmk-thanksgiving-2011.html/
Hot on the heels of my 2011 Halloween post, I thought I’d post about this year’s Thanksgiving. All in all it was a great event. It’s tough being away from family during holidays and once you add in the fact that you’re out of your home country it becomes doubly hard. So it’s important to gather what comfort you can by finding a little taste of home and surrounding yourself with friends.


http://kissmykimchi.com/2011/12/kmk-est-1894.html/
Contrary to popular belief a burger is not just a burger. In the right hands a simple hamburger can be transformed into a thing of mouth watering beauty. I remember summer family reunions back home when my uncles and brothers would start up the grill and char some burgers that would be better than any fast food chain’s best. It’s that hand made quality and deft personal touch that separate a simple quick and easy McDonalds hamburger from a savory and juicy burger form the heart. I’m happy to say that I’ve found a place in Itaewon that does just that. It’s called Est. 1894.

http://kissmykimchi.com/2012/01/kmk-euro-christmas-market-2011.html/
In early December the folks at the Global Village sponsored a European Christmas Market. Since it was an out of the ordinary event that probably wouldn’t happen again any time too soon I joined my friends on Saturday morning to take in the event. I didn’t really know what to expect. I jumped in a taxi and headed over to the Hyewa area.


http://kissmykimchi.com/2012/01/kmk-tourist-transit-pass.html/
New for 2012 is a transit pass for foreign tourists visiting Korea.

[Phoenixstorm]

http://kissmykimchi.com/2012/01/kmk-el-bliss.html/

Hip. Modern. Stylish. Those are the three words that sum up Hongdae’s El Bliss perfectly. It’s a lounge restaurant that brings a much needed grown up sensibilty to the wild child party scene vibe of Hongdae. The interior of El Bliss is sleek and sexy. Blacks and oranges combined with an edgy Asiatic influence makes one want to step inside looking one’s best.

[Phoenixstorm]

http://kissmykimchi.com/2012/01/kmk-al-matto.html/

Al Matto is one of the lastest new spots to arrive in HBC. It’s been a few months since it opened and I’ve been several times. It’s just up the road from Jacoby’s next to DeExpresso Coffee. It’s a small intimate restaurant that does it best to maximize the space between the dining area, bar, and kitchen.

[Phoenixstorm]

http://kissmykimchi.com/2012/02/kmk-noodle-box.html/

Noodle box is as simple as it is straight forward: Noodles in a box. Forget take away and carry out, at noodle box you get your order in a little white carton no matter if you’re dining in or carrying away. It’s a clever conceit to get those much wanted bodies into seats, but no matter the gimmick a restaurant has got to deliver on the taste front if it expects to get repeat business and not just a novel one time visit.

[Phoenixstorm]

http://kissmykimchi.com/2012/03/tips-for-computeraided-english-learning.html/

Language is the medium we use to share our thoughts with other people, more and more people are learning a foreign language in order to communicate with people from different countries who speak another language. To master a language, we need to focus on reading, writing, listening and speaking, and to be completely immersed in the language. Now there are many people around the world who are learning English as a Second Language, what should they do to learn English effectively?

[Phoenixstorm]

http://kissmykimchi.com/2012/04/kmk-bakers-table.html/

After the disappointment of Wing Bakery I didn’t have much hope fora new bakery in the Itaewon area. I’m happy to say my sorrows have been wiped away with the arrival of The Bakers Table. Located right at the foot of the overhead walkway between HBC and Gyeongridan this European bakery fills a much needed niche: hearty home baked breads!

[Phoenixstorm]

http://kissmykimchi.com/2012/04/kmk-lunar-years-birthday.html/

Lunar New Years’ come and go but this time, this year, things were special for me because the big day coincided with my own birthday! So, I’d always wanted to see the sunrise on Lunar New Year’s and somehow something always intervened to stop me. This year I wasn’t having it. I was determined to make it happen.

[Phoenixstorm]

http://kissmykimchi.com/2012/04/kmk-karl-lagerfeld-exhibit.html/

Karl Lagerfeld has been a fashion Icon for decades. His significance to the industry cannot be underestimated. He’s been the lead designer or creative director behind some of the world’s leading brands such as Chanel, Fendi, Chloe and H&M. Even if you don’t know his work his signature black suit, black tie, black shades, and shocking white hair can’t be missed.

[Phoenixstorm]

http://kissmykimchi.com/2012/04/kmk-kimchi-warrior.html/

“Kimchi Warrior” our highly successful animated web-series was premiered at Korean Cultural Center Los Angeles on March 15.

[Phoenixstorm]

http://kissmykimchi.com/2012/04/kmk-hackney.html/

While some cafes possess the heart and warmth of your grandmother’s living room Hackney exudes the sleek coolness of your gay uncle’s den. Owner and proprietor Yum Yeong-il has imbued the place with a definite modern stark white, black, and gray palette. It’s a place to grab a bite to eat, and gossip with friends over coffee. It’s  not really a snuggle in a plush chair lost in your kindle kind of place.

[Phoenixstorm]

http://kissmykimchi.com/2012/04/kmk-lmfao-live-seoul.html/

The Dynamic Duo of electro  pop breezed into Seoul earlier this month on a world wide tour to party rock the earth. Tied together through their musical colloboration as well as close family ties DJs Redfoo and Skyblu have been sending out good feeling party vibes since their album party rock rocketed them to stardom

[Phoenixstorm]

http://kissmykimchi.com/2012/05/kmk-phillies.html/

Phillies has been one of the mainstays of HBC since I can remember first coming to the area. Though I’ve only been a handfull of times it’s a spot where both Koreans and Expats meet, greet, eat and drink excessively and often. For me it’s a spot to catch up with friends and grab a quick bite. Though I must admit that the only thing I order off the menu are the burgers and the wings.

[Phoenixstorm]

http://kissmykimchi.com/2012/05/kmk-lady-gaga.html/

On March 28th Lady Gaga descended upon the citizens of Seoul like some intergalactic Madonna searching for her brood of little monsters. Of course the arrival of anything unfamiliar or foreign stirred up the hornets nest of angry ajummas on the lookout for a scapegoat. Lady Gaga took on the sins of every imagined ill afflicting Korean society by bringing her Born This Way concert to the land of the morning calm.