Promising

No regrets whatsoever for Korea following its most predictable defeat to uber favorite Brazil in the round of 16: the team held their ground with a very decent possession time and spectacular opportunities, even during that merciless jogo bonito / realism lesson of the first half, and made almost the best of their World Cup.

After an uninspiring draw against a very weak Uruguay, the Taeguk Warriors lost what was supposed to be their easiest game (allowing far too many goals from Ghana) before slaying Portugal's B team at the buzzer. If they came back twice from behind to survive their first round, they didn't collapse following Neymar Jr and friends' festival, which no team could have recovered from anyway.

Except for the first game, Paolo Bento's side built its opportunities and goals in a much more diverse and entertaining (not to mention less controversial) way than Guus Hiddink's commando*. For the first time in the ten World Cups I've been following Korea, I saw more style and confidence than resilience, the promises of an ambitious, sustainable playing identity. And I loved the way Bento, even as he knew he wouldn't stay, provided priceless experience to young talents in the second half. PAIK Seung-ho's awesome goal crowned perfectly Korea's 2022 World Cup, and if SON Heung-min may not join the party in 2026, KIM Kang-in,  HWANG Hee-chan, CHO Gyu-sung, and others already proved they could be leaders on the pitch.

Yes, this World Cup remains a total nonsense, an insult to sports, environment, human rights, you name it. And like every World Cup, this one remains opium for the people. But Korea badly needed this chase of the 2002 dragon right now. And it felt good to see its struggling youth party joyfully outdoor just weeks after the abominable tragedy in Itaewon.

"A SuperSonnyc #SonHeungmin (a #BBC meme)" (@theSeoulVillage - https://twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/1598992987618684928)

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* which I absolutely adored, don't get me wrong!

East Village (Seoul)

If you want Korean cuisine with a modern twist, you can try Itaewon's "East Village".


East Village means the Hannam side of Itaewon, and a lower-to-mid-east Manhattan touch. And indeed, I was at the same time the only non-Korean customer this Saturday evening, and feeling more in NYC than in Seoul.


In this part of main street Itaewon, you're neither in the Western "traditionnally international" end, nor in the Eastern "newly Gangnamized" end (which definitely feels "Californian" to me). The restaurant is located a little before Cheil building when you come from the West, and in this more urban and less pretentious buffer zone, you'd almost expect to see front stoops along the sidewalk. Typically, there's a fun-looking place named "Hulk" where they serve simple Korean food in a basement, a perfect spot for non-chaebol local youth to get their invigorating fix.


I guess East Village is targeting more demanding palates - and thicker wallets - who are tired of alternating between fine Western restaurants and prestigious hanjeongsik tables. There is a need for modern high end Korean cuisine, and different ways to achieve this ambition. Where "The Gaon" pushed traditional Korean cuisine to perfection, "East Village" tries to instil new flavors or seasonings in the classics without denaturating them.


Of course, the chef (a different Kwon than the Ed operating further eastwards at "The Spice"), doesn't always succeed in surprising us, and the main bemol would be the end of the meal: by no means a "dragon head, snake tail" experience, but the last dish and the dessert were not up to what came before. The mandu soup and green tea ice cream were good, but not to die for, and save for one caramelized walnut, not very very original.


But by the time you reach that part you've already been satisfied, starting with a Hanwoo tartare in an endive leaf, fresh takes at Noryangjin's fishes of the day, or a Damyang style ddeok galbi.


I'm happy to see this kind of ambition in a Korean restaurant, and even happier to see Korean patrons embrace it.


East Village (restaurant)
736-9 Hannam-dong (214-1 Itaewon-ro), Yongsan-gu, Seoul, ROK
Tel +82.2.790.7782


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---
UPDATE 20120806 (card)

Cross Road Blues: a street of rain, fire, flying words, and flying rats

This 500 m long stretch of asphalt is by no means Itaewon's most glamorous place: before merging into Bogwang-ro*, it connects main street (Itaewon-ro) with mean streets (red light district).

As part of the complete overhaul of Korea's address system**, it has recently been renamed Usadan-ro (우사단로) to honor Usadan, a shrine to the rain spirits in Bogwang-dong. That's certainly more upscale than the previous name, Sobangseo-gil (소방서 길), which refered to the local Fire Station... and definitely classier than "Hooker Hill", as the area is often referred to (no, not because of the Hookah bars).

20 years ago, the place swarmed with G.I.s at night, either on watch to make sure Higgs Bosons didn't fly between more or less passably inebriated individuals, or off duty but nonetheless testing this Sarge Hadron Collider from the inside. On the hottest summer nights, at the top of the hill, you would often see dozens of young Westerners holding quarts of (officially) orange juice, and chatting in the middle of the street, except for the early birds who claimed the few seats at Kettle House. Back then, even after the courtesy call paid by (to?) the local cops, the only place that served drinks during the curfew must have been one hell of a cash cow (a cow that would replace milk with soju, that is).

Still nowadays, there's something bourbonstreetish, even on a Sunday afternoon:



I also uploaded a short video of those "Flying Rats Taxiing" on Seoul Village's YouTube playlist. The video's so shaky you may think I'd down a couple of kettles before shooting it, but the truth is that first I'm not a pro, and second a car almost took a slice from my behind while I was filming with my phone.

Actually, I arrived in advance for this month's Wordsmiths gathering (FLOW opening only at five), so I walked a bit uphill. I also passed by where What The Book used to be, wondering how neighborhoods could change if you just let different words fly around.

Given time, the new name Usadan-ro shall be adopted, and help change the image of the whole neighborhood. Even if, just to be on the safe side, local authorities made sure the Northern half of the street couldn't be contaminated: for the moment, the curvy road to the Grand Hyatt, with all its luxury residences, is simply called "Itaewon-ro-27-gil".

Anyway, this place can't be totally evil: a crossroads leading to a church, a former shrine, and the Mosque?

Seoul Village 2012
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* the leg of the "T" in the Hamilton Hotel intersection, Bogwang-ro goes South almost all the way down to the river - it then meets Seobinggo-ro
** see "The Great Korean Revolution : addresses with house numbers and street names" followed by "New address system in Korea : 2 more years"

Petra, high on Seoul's World Heritage list

Yesterday, I suddenly craved for kebab. Badly. But not a vulgar sandwich at the corner, no. At Petra's.

Seoul's Petra is located in Itaewon Governorate: Yaser Ghanayem carved his monument at the Northeastern corner of Itaewon and Noksapyeong streets, at the top of one of those blind concrete walls that tend to cut whole neighborhoods from the streets.

But here, you're not in the middle of the desert: over the past decades, the alley has been carpeted with restaurants and pubs, prolonging Itaewon's United Nation Food Festival. Here, Petra is just one block away from Berlin, with Australia in the middle.

And here, you're not alone: as usual, the place is full, and the patrons obviously enjoying themselves. Yesterday's cocktail? 40% Korean, 30% Middle Eastern, 30% Rest Of The World. Only one table smoking shisha, to complete the atmosphere without fogging it. I'm not even paying much attention to the panoramic view on Yongsan by night: too busy preparing tasty bites of pure bliss.

Our strategy is simple: step one, clean the table, step two, roll back home on our full bellies. The ingredients: kebab mix, pita, and tabouleh. To taste something we hadn't tried before, we also ordered sultan chicken. Not to die for, but an interesting curry flavor, and like all Jordanian food, clearly distinct from the neighbors'.

We spent the evening tearing pieces of bread, spreading layers of (first) soft yoghurt sauce, (second) fresh, hot pepper sauce, and (third) onions, building nests of delicious tabouleh for innocent lambs and chickens, and wolfing down this wrapped material for the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Mission: accomplished. No crumb left behind. Both sauces totally evaporated.

And needless to say, I keep rollin'.

Petra (restaurant)
Itaewon-dong 552, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, ROK
Tel +82.2.790.4433

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Seoul Village 2012
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Res2go (Seoul)

Hungry for tasty meat, tired of high end restaurants and ready for good junk, but not in your usual fast food joint? (hang on a sec, I'm drooling right now, just thinking about Burger King's garlic burger - there) How about fusion Japan-Korean-Californian at Res2go?

As the name hints, you can pick up your dose at Res2go, but the place is also very comfortable, particularly at their Itaewon branch, a perfect spot for a power brunch, with its large windows facing West (Noksapyeongdae-ro and Yongsan Army Base). The decor? Hypey / happy design, just retro enough: half sixties for the colors, half nineties for the typo (you know, the cute web sites which made you feel like clicking on every icon?). Pure marketing, of course, but much more comfortable and less aggressive than - say - Golden Arches & Co.

Teriyaki, yakisoba, great LA Galbi, all kinds of meats (beef, pork, chicken, combos, salads), in Californian portions. Taste-and-price-wise, a smarter choice than your usual chain of family restaurant.

Res2go Itaewon / 레스투고 (fusion Japan-Korean-Californian)
Itaewon branch: 559 Itaewon-2-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, ROK
Tel: +82.2.749.9297
Apgujeong branch: 636-9 Shinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, ROK
Tel: +82.2.6080.7543

Seoul Village 2012 - more tables here
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Photo: Res2go

"Out of Place" - 2012 Anthology - Seoul Writers Workshop

Mobs of wordsmiths gathered over the week-end for a literary triple play at The Orange Tree and Berlin Cafe & Lounge: Lyrically Minded + 'Out of Place' sneak peak (Saturday in Haebangchon),'Out of Place' launch party + AXIS (Sunday in Itaewon).

=> for the 3rd installment of Lyrically Minded, the mike never stopped flying from hand to hand, releasing words in all spoken forms from poetry to rap slam to storytelling to songs.

=> AXIS focuses on true stories told live without notes, and this second edition provided really great ones... featuring more than a few spectacular punchlines.

=> "Out of Place" is the title and theme of Seoul Writers Workshop's 4th annual anthology of original fiction, poetry, and creative non-fiction*. Yesterday, in tune with this writing-as-a-performing-art week-end, a few contributors read their piece to a large audience, and I'm afraid I barely managed to mumble mine under a light as dim as my voice (that's okay: as always I've got the excuse of being French). But you want to buy this book to make other voices, voices that really deserve attention and care, heard : this year, proceeds from the sales go to The House of Sharing, the charity that supports the cause of comfort women, the victims of sex slavery during Japanese occupation. Contributed to this year's anthology edited by Christopher R. F. Sanders with Kathryn Whitney, Jorge Miramontes Sandoval, Ang McLaughlin, and Becky Bosshart:
- Death Metal: A Revenge Story (Sean Bienert)
- Je t’attends (Brooke Carlson)
- A Hamster Wheel (Kelly Carroll)
- Catching Butterflies (Alex Clermont)
- The Marble and I (Parag Dandgey)
- Stretch (Hamish Dee)
- Astigmatism (Dianne Despi)
- You Can Always Come Home (Ben Dowling)
- short convo (Jürgen Dünhofen)
- For Daniel Who Is 4 (Vanessa Falco)
- Speakeasy (Meriwether Falk)
- Cheap Thrills – What Price? (Pamila J. Florea)
- Dust to Dust (Grace Gallagher)
- Kodachrome (Jeff Glenn)
- I Drank from Your Hair (John Grimmett)
- Yonsei Lake (Gwee Li Sui)
- The Thirteenth Student (Aireanne Hjelle)
- Turkeys Can’t Fly (Matthew David Jenkins)
- The First Wind of the Death (Joel Killin)
- Silk on Belly (Bruce Kim)
- Cracks (Eric Lynn)
- The Beautiful People (J.C. Maxwell)
- Dawn / Daughter / Stars (Craig McGeady)
- Evening Clouds (Shaun Morris)
- Black Snow (Stephane Mot)
- The Road to Sanbuk (Valerie A. Nelson)
- Out of Place (M. Lee Nielsen)
- Date Night (Karin Roest)
- The Halmoni (Michael Solis)
- Hiking on the East Coast in October (Emily Sorrells)
- color / cockpit / the taxi driver (Ayshia Stephenson)
- Bed Solo (Jennifer Waescher)

Join Seoul Writers Workshop on Facebook, wordpress and ning.
Join AXIS on Facebook.
Join Lyrically Minded via the event page on Facebook (Lyrically Minded doesn't seem to be Webally Linked otherwise).
Support The House of Sharing and visit their museum: houseofsharing.org

Seoul Village 2011
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* Check for distribution updates on SWW websites (ISBN 978-1-105-16072-1). For the 3rd edition, see "Every Second Sunday").

SWW @ Hapjeong Chapter 1 Page A

Seoul Writers have been looking for a new lair to hold their week-end* workshops ever since Hello Beans closed on Itaewon street (a shoe shop replaced our proto literary landmark).

After hopping across Haebangchon area, we've made a quantum leap to Hapjeong and landed on Page A's** welcoming thick wood tables. On this picture, fellow Authors Anonymous working on the prompt of the day, "monsoon story" :



A timely theme : rainy season has just started in Korea, and typhoon Meari is rocking the ROK all over this week-end. Crazily enough, I decided to ride my bike and the tempest to join the party. I made it right before the maximum downpour, only half soaked but as always, happy to meet and share with more gifted colleagues.

Seoul Writers : seoulwriters.com

Seoul Village 2011
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* the 'every second sunday' dogma doesn't quite fit anymore : specific poetry workshops have been successfully initiated, and fiction workshops are now often organized on Saturdays
** Page A (413-19 Hapjeong-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul)

International Restaurant Street, Itaewon-ro 27-ga-gil, or Hong Seok-cheon-dae-ro?

It started over one year ago with a small 'villa', in backstage Itaewon. Then a second one got bulldozed, and finally the master plan emerged : an Westwards extension of Itaewon International Restaurant Street, one block away back then.

Now the junction has been completed, the pavement and sidewalk polished, and all houses gutted to make room for more eateries.

The extension radically transforms the perspective : the food alley behind Hamilton Hotel used to stop abruptly at the 'Joinau corner', but Le SaintEx and La Plancha are now almost at the center of a much wider and open street, and the small path leading to Itaewon main street (where Ecume restaurant completes the French cluster) has already evolved, with clothes shops somewhere between the Itaewon of yore and the trendier boutiques you can find at the Eastern end of Itaewon-ro, the Northern Garosugil.

Technically and following Korea's address system reform*, International Restaurant Street should be now known as Itaewon-ro 27-ga-gil. I highlighted this "IRS" line on Seoul Village map, but I'm adding this snapshot from Daum Map : a satellite view taken before the destruction indicating the Saint Ex (or rather "르생덱스") and My China (마이차이나) restaurant at the former end of the street :



Note that "My China", "My Thai", and "My Chelsea", all located in this short stretch, belong to the same person : blacklisted as an actor following his coming out in 2002, Hong Seok-cheon proved he was bound to succeed anyway, prolonging his first statement in Itaewon ("Our Place", now "My Ex") with series of successes as a restaurateur. And it takes more than being a celeb' to succeed here : Jackie Chan's place in this food alley folded simply because the food wasn't up to it.

Twenty years ago, and even until quite recently, the dominant local flavor was Indo-Pakistanese, but all continents are now represented and IRS symbolizes culinar diversity in Seoul.

At the top of the Montmartrian path overlooking the new crossroads, Zelen perfectly illustrates this diversity : here's a Bulgarian restaurant filled with a 'bibim' of Korean and foreign patrons... some achievement for a community boasting fewer than 50 expats.

Seoul Village 2011
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* see "The Great Korean Revolution : addresses with house numbers and street names", followed by "New address system in Korea : 2 more years".

Hongdae snacks - THE Guksu, Kongbul, Maroon 51, Gilmotongi Chili Cha Cha Fingerfood Bar...

Riding a bike in Hongik University area is always fun and a perfect opportunity to taste various bits of cheap but original food along the way.

Hongdae is a little bit like Itaewon : a neighborhood progressively evolving into a series of very distinct areas, each one with its own character. Very much like Haebangchon grew an identity of its own, Seogyo-dong developped distinct villages and tribes.

The center remains a typical university area full of youngsters : that's the intersection between Seogyo-ro (the W/E street leading to Hongdae's main gate) and the winding street called Geotgosipeun geori to the North (걷고싶은 거리, the tree dotted "Pedestrian Street" or "I like to walk street" in the local lingo / on the konglish signs) and Juchajang geori to the South (주차장길, the grungier "Parking Street", which actually begins as 어울마당길 or "global gathering road").

Both sides deserving their names, I opted for the North and sat by a window at Kongbul's. The name of the restaurant mixes kongnamul with bulgogi : I had the hot and spicy samgyeopsal variety - nothing revolutionary but you get the expected bang for just a few bucks.

The Southwestern part of Hongdae (near Hapjeong Station, the rectangle square drawn by Picasso Street, Parking Street, Donkmak-gil, and Yanghwaro) is definitely quieter and more residential, even if private residences progressively turn into smart offices, shops and cafes. As spring temperatures rise to the level of a decent European summer, you don't really feel in Seoul.

Even the Korean classics are revisited. For instance, "THE Guksu" ("the noodles") proposes for only KRW 4,000 a very refreshing bibim guksu with a lemony flavor and fried bits that crack under your palate. And at Gilmotongi Chili Cha Cha, a self proclamed "Fingerfood Bar" that could pass for any tteokbokki place, you can have for the same price the trio of croquettes of your choice (KRW 1,700 apiece), and I strongly recommend their basil cream croquette - like a melting risotto in a fried shell.

Gilmotongi Chili Chacha has one mini terrasse seating two, from which you can observe the local fauna. The corner of Seollae-1-gil and Noeul-gil feels like a mix of bobo Bastille and vintage Camden.

Streets are much narrower on the other side of Parking Street, a denser cluster of eateries. We parked our bikes against the fences of Maroon 51's fake lawn, a small green triangle at a fork in the road. They are still in trial period and preparing for the official opening in June 2011 : their bulgogi-rice-egg combo probably needs to develop more character, but I really liked their beef and onion sandwich.

Kongbul
Seogyo-dong 345-2, Mapo-gu, Seoul, ROK
Tel +82.2.322.3545

THE Guksu / 더 국수 (noodle bar)
Seogyo-dong 395-7, Mapo-gu, Seoul, ROK 121-840
(New format : Yanghwa-ro 12-gil 26 (Seogyo-dong))
Tel +82.2.323.4776

Gilmotongi Chili Chacha / 길모통이 칠리차차
Seogyo-dong 400-11, Mapo-gu, Seoul, ROK
(New format : Yanghwa-ro 6-gil 79 (Seogyo-dong))
Tel +82.2.322.8405

Maroon 51
Seogyo-dong 409-14, Mapo-gu, Seoul, ROK
(New format : Wausan-ro 15-gil 34 (Seogyo-dong))
Tel +82.70.8682.5151


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The Spice (Seoul)

This is Itaewon street, but on the "Northern Garosugil" / "Hannam-dong" / "Hangangjin" half. Twenty years ago, Yukong would be the last stop before Hannam Bridge but now and under the SK brand, the gas station lies in the middle of a tree lined street filled with the kind of restaurants and boutiques you would rather find in Cheongdam-dong (no coincidence there: same money).

Here, all remaining nondescript buildings are progressively replaced with four storey shops and more original facades. Mercifully, newcomers don't seem to grow any higher, which allows some urban consistency in the area (for the mother of all large scale design failures, look further Westwards : the IP Boutique Hotel, a.k.a. Mondrian meets Joe The Plumber).

Anyway. Today, four slots were under (re)construction, including one right opposite The Spice (the blue dot on the map, Itaewon street the vertical in the middle), and next to a garden itself under renovation, at the feet of the Yongsan International School of Seoul. The funny clover-shaped landmark building North of the restaurant hosts Passion5, a very pleasant place to get a gelato, a French Kouign-amann, a festive cake, or some macaron (there's also a restaurant upstairs, but Passion5 l'Atelier's menu doesn't look as stimulating as l'Atelier de Joel Robuchon's). On the other side of The Spice (South on the map) : Kyotofu, fresh from NYC... I've got stuck into worse neighborhoods around lunchtime.

You may be wondering when I'll start writing about The Spice itself - I guess that would be now. I could start with the food, but the menu changes tomorrow (along with the chef, an Australian). So I'll talk quality-price ratio : Haute cuisine from KRW 35-42,000, anyone ? Not in the three-Michelin-star league, but a very nice moment nonetheless, some research about taste, and genuine respect for the ingredients even in the details (I don't think I ever tasted as fresh a tapenade - as if a Southeastern France wind gently slapped me in the face).

I felt very much like after a stop at Jean-Georges Vongerichten's Market in Paris : simply and happily satisfied. Owner Edward Kwon (Kwon Young-min) is said to have worked with the Alsatian chef, and maybe his restaurant's name echoes Spice Market, also by Vongerichten. But whatever has been said about Kwon's distorted bio and taste for hype, I enjoyed what he proposed today, and this quiet moment.

The Spice (restaurant)
729-45 Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, SEOUL, Korea
Tel +82.2.749.2596

Passion5 (ice creams, bakery, patisserie)
729-74 Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, SEOUL, Korea
Tel +82.2.2071.9505

Kyotofu (dessert bar)
682-1 Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, SEOUL, Korea
Tel +82.2.749.1488

Seoul Village 2011

Gangnam rule bended

A couple of years ago in Seoul, two thirds of rich dwellings (over 10 eok or KRW 1 bn) were located in Gangnam-gu. This proportion has now fallen below one fourth.

The main reason is the multiplication of new high end apartment complexes in other districts, and the relative deflation of the Gangnam property bubble. So long for the sometimes insane Gangnam exception.

But many rich Gangnamians (Gangnamites ?) have also migrated to other places, with a revival of Gangbuk and historically wealthy neighborhoods like Yongsan. The town house dream is drawing legions back to traditional residential areas, sometimes through expensive redevelopments (ie Seongbuk Gate Hills in Seongbuk-dong, Hannam The Hill in Hannam-dong...), more often through progressive gentrification.

More hype restaurants and selective retailers are opening or planned North of the river, and it's striking to see the young Korean elite roam East Itaewon-dong on week ends - more schizophrenic than ever, the neighborhood remains an international hub in its Western half -, with a Northern Garosu-gil under way. The cultural revolution started a few years ago with the Leeum, but as far as actual culture is concerned, Jongno-gu remains the bourgeois boheme mecca (ie Samcheong-dong, Seochon).

Seoul Village 2011

Jongno Elegy

Browsing the small "Jongno Elegy" exhibition at the Seoul Museum of History was a rather upsetting experience. I felt like a time traveler visiting in year 2509 an exhibition about 2009 Jongno, watching pictures of buildings I used to pass by every day, artifacts from shops I used to roam, and even sitting in a reconstituted Pimatgol restaurant where I dined last year, complete with the graffitis on the walls.

At this stage of redevelopment, not all the places depicted here have even been destroyed yet, but it's as if they were already. The older generations are already used to seeing echoes of such earlier ghosts as the Hanshin Department Store, but they had more time to adjust : It really feels like I pressed the fast forward button and was frustrated of the last gasps of old Jongno.

But as the Museum honors Jongro, the street, it reaches much further back in time, across the capital's 600 years. A cut exposing layers of soil near Jongmyo adds some perspective : paving being a very recent phenomenon, even one century can be translated into a meter high layer of various debris.

You are invited to try the gear of a delivery man, lifting the heavy wood-and-metal structure on your shoulders in the "commoner" version of the more traditional Jongno photo op (you as a Joseon yangban / king / queen).

Elegies are about mourning the dead. This is also about contemplating the process of dying.

Next stop ? Itaewon. Judging by "semu", the museum's magazine, I wouldn't be surprised to see an exhibition about it in the coming years.

Jongno Elegy (exhibition)
20100813 ~ 20101003
Special Exhibition Hall, Seoul Museum of History
Tel : Dasan 120

Seoul Village 2010

Taco Chili Chili (Seoul)

In L.A., Taco + Korean cooks = Kogi. But since Kogi truck isn't roaming Seoul yet, we'll have to wait before enjoying their fusion marvels this side of the Han river. Heck - here, even classic tacos are not a commodity.

But today, as the thermometer read 31 celsius, I felt like having fajitas. Or lamb doner kebab.

And in Seoul, fajitas + kebab = Itaewon. A few minutes later, here I am. Still undecided, but even more ravenous after a mouthwateringly thorough SWOT analysis.

So I quickly settled for both treats, with a digestive walk in between. Featuring a stop at Itaewon Book Store to fetch an old picture book on North Korea cultural heritage.

Just meters away from this Shakespeare & co upon Han sans auteur books ni poetry (fellow Parisians will get the general idea), Taco Chili Chili had set up a few tables outside. Obviously as a pedagogical tool to explain to every driver caught in the traffic jam on his or her way to Namsan tunnel that, whether you're a Korean or a foreigner, eating a taco is by essence jawbreakingly complex.

I took a seat inside with the opposite view on the performance... and the full, tragic understanding of becoming part of it.

Tacos, quesadillas, burritos, enchiladas, nachos... if the food tastes more Korean-Cal-Mex than Tex-Mex, it nonetheless does the job. They kindly added a coriander twist to their fajitas, which made me feel less guilty for eating a double whammy junk food combo.

And my digestive walk turned out to last over ten kilometers under an unforgiving sun.


Taco Chili Chili (Mexican snack)
527, Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, ROK
Tel : +82.2.797.7219

---
IFB / Itaewon Book Store
533, Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, ROK
Tel : +82.793.8249
A very small place and a second hand books place like many others (ie on Cheonggyecheon or near Dongmyo), only featuring more English literature... well... there again, more the "& co" than the "Shakespeare" kind of literature.

Le Saint Ex (Seoul)

This is like teleportation : as soon as you push the door open, you're leaving Seoul for Paris. It's not the narrow world food street behind Itaewon's Hamilton Hotel you're feeling in your back, but some large, platanus dotted boulevard.

Just like in any Parisian bistro, you can enjoy a meal in a lively atmosphere (during rush hours, chances are several tables will speak French), or enjoy a coffee or tea while reading your paper on a quiet afternoon.

But unlike most Parisian bistros, Benjamin Joinau's Saint-Ex welcomes you with a collection of appetizing desserts right in front of the door. So even I, more the French cheese than the sweet tooth kind of guy, often end up inviting a cake or an ile flottante to have a chat with my café. After a full French meal.

Since Le Saint-Ex is also both un bar a vins and an exhibition space, epicureans can usually indulge with a perfect cultural alibi.

Merci Ben pour ce joli portail entre mes deux villes preferees.

SM2009

Le Saint-Ex (restaurant)
119-28 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, ROK
Tel : +82 2 795 2565.

Beefing up Korea

Red carpet to Middle Eastern and other Arab nations : one month ahead of the KAS (The Korea-Arab Society), 22 Arab countries are attending a conference in Seoul today.

Cultural issues will be mentioned, and Seoulites are already invited to enjoy local delicacies at the Arab Cultural Festival*, but the menu clearly highlights energy and oil supplies as the main dish. I guess we'll also get a slice of real estate and finance : LEE Myung-bak never made a mystery of his intentions to see more petrodollars reaching the Korean shores.

Korea will definitely need some help in the months to come (inflation, weaker won, commodity and food prices, slower growth...). The real estate sector faces gloomy times : more constructors are going bankrupt, some banks may fall, and more than a few individuals as well (non-fixed rates are favored here as well / bad).

And the MBtious President needs to deliver some good news for his own good : he had to apologize last week for not warning the public about the resumption of US beef imports**.

In spite of LEE's affection, US is not exactly the most popular flavor around Gwanghwamun these days***, and building partnerships with new players should pay in the long term as well : France secured many important deals in times of trouble thanks to similar ties with Arab countries.


* this should go beyond the usual spots near Itaewon's Mosque. See Arab Cultural Festival website : arabculturalfest.com. (June 6 to 8, 2008)
** mad cow disease is a relevant issue, but Korea should also cope with other food related health hazards, not to mention asbestos in the subway, cancerous materials used in interiors... a specific agency seems long overdue.
*** unless Obama wins - Barack asked the Government to give up Korean - US FTA

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update 20080527 - Al Ahli Group and Busan city teaming up to make a Marvel Entertainment theme park by H1 2013... this is not exactly the kind of cultural outcome one could have expected from this conference... nevermind. The best sashimis on Haeundae courtesy Wolverine ?