Kakigori on a Hot Summer Day | Kyoto, Japan

While Markus and I were in Japan, it was ridiculously hot. We went in the beginning of August, so it was the height of the summer. The minute I stepped outside it was like stepping into a bright sauna. Everyday I would be covered in sweat. It was great. So as you can imagine, I would constantly search for shade or refreshment. In Korea, they have this amazing shaved ice dessert called patbingsu. We also have an equivalent in the Philippines called halo-halo. These shaved iced desserts are the perfect remedy for hot days.

Markus and I were exploring the Gion district. We were sort of aimlessly walking in direction of a temple, but would stop at anything that peaked our interest. We passed this really cool place and thought the outside looked interesting, but we didn't know what it was. When we saw a sign for kakigori, the Japanese version of shaved ice, I asked Markus if we could try it. He didn't really want to stop, so we kept going. We walked about 500 feet and he stopped.  He turned to me and said, "You really want to eat that patbingsu don't you?" I eagerly nodded my head and he smiled.

We ordered the green tea kakigori and it was freaking amazing. I ate a lot of green tea patbingsu in Korea in the two years I was there. This was probably, if not, the best green tea shaved ice I've ever had. I'm so glad that we didn't pass up on the opportunity and we were able to try real authentic kakigori.

Japan Cheap Eats #2 | Nagasaki

This is part of a series about eating on a budget and I've titled the series, "Japan Cheap Eats". Many people think Japan is expensive, but I'm here to prove them wrong! We found many budget options and I wanted to share them with you!

Previously, I posted about eating cheap in Japan. As most people know, Japan is one of the most expensive countries in the world. Everyone always talks about how expensive it is, but Markus and I were determined to enjoy Japan despite being on a budget. One of the best ways to control your budget is eating frugally. For most of our time in Japan, we ate really cheap, but there were times that we splurged. I mean, I couldn't travel all the way to Japan and eat at 7-11 the whole time!

Another really cheap place to eat is the grocery store. Japan, like Korea, has really great supermarkets. They are filled with ready to made meals at reasonable prices. There is so much variety and it always took us a long time to decide what to eat. The food is made fresh daily and really affordable. They have everything you could want, sushi, bento boxes, salads etc. It's a really great alternative to eating fast food, which is always the last resort for us. When Markus and I got sick of going to marts, we always trekked to the nearest grocery store. 

For our second cheap eats, we decided to go a bit healthier. We didn't want to overload on ramen and fried foods. Markus and I always split everything, so that we can have a nice variety of tastes and meals. For this meal, we chose a salad, grilled eel with rice and sashimi with udon. Everything was really good. I couldn't believe that our meal was only $10. It was also nice to eat something that felt fresher and a bit healthier. If we spent all our time eating instant ramen and fried chicken, I'm sure our bodies would've hated us!

Cost Breakdown:
Salad: 105 yen
Salad Dressing: 20 yen
Grilled Eel with Rice: 498 yen
Sashimi with Udon: 398 yen
TOTAL: 1021 yen or $10.06

Eats with Jeff #11: Grand Finale

It's been a long time coming, but I finally edited the photos from our final "Eats with Jeff". I can't believe that this was six months ago and that we've been in America for six months. Anyway, on this last eats we finally met Jeff's beautiful girlfriend Allison. I was bummed that we didn't get to hang out sooner. It would've been nice to have her along for all our eating adventures. She's really sweet and a perfect match for Jeff.

For our final meal, we decided to go to a crab restaurant. In the two years that we lived in Korea, we never ate crab and it's one of my favorite foods. We spied this fancy crab restaurant in Seomyeon during one of our other outings. Jeff researched the place a bit to make sure it was good and fitting for our final eats. I have to admit that I don't remember much about the food, but I do remember that I liked it. I mean we ate everything on the table, so it had to be good right?! Unfortunately, Jeff told me recently that the restaurant closed. It's the sad fact that in Korea the restaurant business is a competitive business. Restaurants are always opening and closing regardless if they're good or not.

After dinner, we went to our favorite coffee shop, Tokyoloose. It was great seeing Jeff and Allison interact. She's really funny and full of aegyo or cuteness, which I love. In the short time that we were spent together, I could tell she was bringing the best out in Jeff.

I really miss these outings with Jeff. It's been a bit hard being back home. We're starting over in a new city and it's easy to reminisce about the good times in Korea. I wish that we could've spent more time together. Jeff is a great friend and I'm thankful for the short time we had together. I'm looking forward to the next time we meet and we can have another "Eats with Jeff"!

PAO Truck | Tampa, Florida

When Markus and I were in Korea, my cousin Jonjie started running the PAO truck, a Filipino fusion food truck in the Tampa Bay area. Every time I saw pictures of his food, my mouth would water. Jonjie has always been a great chef and has been in the business since he was 14. He's put his experience to good use and is always coming up with his own recipes and different ways to play on different flavors and staple dishes. It's been his lifelong dream to cook his own food and I'm overjoyed that he's been able to start his own business.

Even though he's been able to get things started on his dream, there is still a lot that he has to overcome. In order for him to compete with the other food trucks in the area, he needs a new generator and a body wrap for the truck. He recently started a Kickstarter in order to try and fund these needs. Please check out his Kickstarter and help fund the lifelong dream of someone who truly deserves it. If you're in the Tampa Bay area, get your butt out to the PAO truck. It's seriously delicious and worth it.

Back in August, we were way too busy with packing up our lives and moving to Chicago and weren't able to go to the PAO truck. When we visited again for the Christmas holidays, nothing was going to keep from getting my hands on some delicious Filipino food. We even invited our dear friend Ryan to join us. He also generously contributed all photos of the PAO truck for this blog post. Ryan is a huge fan of Asian food and he never had Filipino food before, so what better way than the PAO truck?

Tosilog, Sisig Nachos, Lumpia, Boom Boom PAO burger and Filipino Nachos

I may have gone a bit overboard for three people, but I couldn't help myself. I saw that menu and I wanted to try everything. We ordered the Tosilog, Sisig Nachos, Lumpia, Boom Boom PAO Burger and the Filipino Nachos. If you aren't familiar with Filipino cuisine, it's like a mix of Asian and Spanish food. We like to cook a lot of pork and we're pretty great at it.

I really liked everything I ate, but my favorites were the Tosilog and Boom Boom PAO burger. Tosilog is a traditional Filipino breakfast dish that is comprised of tocino, sweet cured pork, fried rice and egg. It's one of my favorite meals and this was amazing. The garlic fried rice is addicting. For the burgers, he uses a PAO bun instead of a traditional bun. It's very similar to the bread that is used for steamed buns and we know how much I love steamed buns. The Boom Boom PAO is unlike any burger I've ever had. It begins with a 6 oz hamburger patty, topped with cheese, tocino, a fried egg and lettuce and tomato and sandwiched between the PAO bun. You would think it would be too much, but it's not. Everything goes together perfectly and it's something that everyone should at least try once. 

I'm not lying when I say that it was all freaking amazing. Jonjie really has a gift and it would be sad to see it go to waste. He makes everything from scratch, no pre-packaged stuff. He really pours his heart and soul into his food. If you want to support someone's lifelong dream and help spread Filipino cuisine, please support the PAO Truck!

Steamed Buns, Okonomiyaki & Green Tea Slushies | Itsukushima, Japan

One of my favorite parts of traveling through Japan was eating so many delicious things. I'm such a huge fan of food. Not sure if you could tell, but I would spend good money on an unforgettable meal.
While in Itsukushima, we were able to sample a variety of foods that you can't find in the States or in Korea. Who knew a tiny little island would have so many yummy things? Who am I kidding? This is Japan. Everything is yummy.

I'm a huge fan of buns. That totally sounds weird, but it's true. I love any kind of steamed bun. When I was a kid, I used to make my parents buy these pre-made roasted pork buns at the Asian supermarket. They came in a package of four. I would always open the package and heat up one, but would end up eating the rest. No wonder I was a chubby kid.

Anyway, so with all of that in mind, when Markus and I were exploring the little alleyways of Itsukushima. My heart squealed in glee when I saw steamed buns. I was even more excited when I realized they were filled with conger eel. I've had so many steamed buns in my life. I've eaten roasted pork, shredded chicken, ground beef and even red bean, but never eel. It didn't disappoint and it was amazing. The flavors were really mild and were accented by the slight sweetness of the bun.

Something I had been dying to try for ages was okonomiyaki. It's a widely popular and well known dish in Japan. It's basically a savory pancake with layers of deliciousness. They have okonomiyaki joints all over Japan, but I was dying to try the ones with oysters in Itsukushima. We sat right at the grill and watched the chef create our meal right before our eyes. It's comprised of shredded cabbage, green onions, noodles, a thin pancake and then it's topped off with more green onions, brown sauce and oysters. I really loved okonimiyaki, but I knew I would. It was quite filling and Markus and I were able to share this whole plate and only spent about $15. It may seem like a lot but $7 per person for lunch in Japan is a steal.

 

We concluded our food tour of Itsukushima with a green tea slush. If green tea is ever an option for a dessert, I always choose it. I didn't think I would like this slush, but it was really nice. It was also a great way to cool down. We visited Japan in August and it was swelteringly hot and border line unbearable. Thankfully, this green tea slush refreshed me on such a hot day.

Later, I'll be posting more about eating cheap in Japan. People always so it's expensive, but Markus and I did it! So dear readers, be on the lookout for that!

Bizarre Food: Tarantula | Cambodia

While Markus and I are traveling, we always try to find what the locals eat. I never want to say, "I wish I ate that when I was in..." I definitley try to live my life without regrets. That's why I find things that are strange and weird and off the beaten path. I know that for most, they find these things unusual, but for Markus and I, it's an opportunity for an adventure.

With that on the forefront of our minds, we decided to try tarantula in Cambodia. I remember watching the Cambodian episode of Bizarre Foods. Of course he ate tarantula and I vowed that I would eat it if I ever went to Cambodia. I never thought I would ever travel to Cambodia, but sometimes life takes you to unexpected places!

On a ten hour bus ride to Koh Rong, we stopped at a rest area. It was only a five minute stop, so we didn't get out. As we drove out of the bus stop, we saw a huge tarantula statue and heaps of women selling them on the side of the road. We were so disappointed and vowed that we would find it in one of the cities or on the way back to Siem Reap. On the way back, we took a different route and stopped at another rest stop. It was actually much nicer than the first one and we made a bee-line for the food area.

At first, we didn't see them. We looked and looked and were quite disappointed. Then, as we were about to walk out, we saw them. They took them out and even let Markus hold them. Then they fried them up for us to eat. I have to admit, it was a bit strange being able to see them alive one minute and then cooked the next.

Even though, I was super excited to try the tarantula, I was really worried it wouldn't taste good. I was totally wrong. It was really yummy and quite delicious. They cooked the little guys in oil, green onions, garlic and lots of spices. They were fried until crispy and the smell was so fragrant. When we got on the bus, everyone came over and started taking photos. We were the only ones who had them, so they all swarmed us. When all the people finally dispersed, we were able to try them. I remember Andrew Zimmern saying that they tasted like soft shell crab and he was right. They were really tasty and I really liked it. To be honest, I would probably eat them again. Experiences like this are the reason why I love traveling. You never know what you really like until you try it!

Celebrating Ten Years at Vitos | Busan, South Korea

I can't believe that our ten year anniversary was only two months ago. It feels like our time in Korea was another lifetime. I'm so glad that Markus and I were able to spend our ten year celebration somewhere amazing like Busan. It's not every day that you can celebrate a decade with the same person and in a great place like Korea. I never would've thought that my life would end up like this! 

 

For dinner Markus found this great Italian place, Vito. It was in the heart of Seomyeon and had great reviews online. Vito, the chef, trained in Italy and makes all of the pasta fresh everyday. Koreans love Italian food, but they tend to add a Korean touch to all international food. I was really eager to eat authentic Italian pasta. The ambiance of the place was nice and cozy. It was a lot smaller than I thought. There were only a few tables and the restaurant probably only sat 15 people. People were always waiting to be sat, so I knew we made a good decision.

When we ordered, we both decided on pasta dishes. Ever order came with a complementary appetizer of cream soup and mushroom crostini. Both were really delicious and I wish they gave us more. I can't really remember the names of the dishes, but I do remember how they tasted. I had an olive oil based pasta cooked with garlic, basil and tomato. It was so good. Markus had a creamy shrimp pasta. His was also really yummy. When the plates came out, I was worried that it wouldn't be enough food, but it was the perfect amount. After dinner, they gave us complimentary tea to finish off the meal. I remember we chose Vito because we missed the taste of home. Now that I'm home, I miss the taste of Korea. It's really funny how that works.

When we left Vito, we walked around a bit and looked for a cafe. We decided that since it was a special occasion we should be a bit more adventurous and find a new spot. We finally found a great cafe called, Cafe Verre. It's a bit hidden, which is perfect because less people know about it. It was super cute and had lots of nice brick-a-brac. We sat at a table next to the window and people watched for a bit. We both ordered an Americano, our favorite drink, and a raspberry tiramisu. We really enjoyed the cafe and we went back at least a dozen times before we left Korea. It was a great find and one that I was glad to experience before we left. I'm so glad that we were able to have a nice memorable anniversary and I wonder where we'll end up next year!