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Seoul needs more attention I took a trip there in early June and wanted to share some pictures with everyone. The food was great and filling, but unfortunately I could not takes as many pictures of the food as I wanted after an altercation between my camera and a large body of water This was a really great city and there is a lot of eating to do, and fun to be had. I was only there for 4 days so I only got a small sample of what there is to be tasted. I'd definitely return to Seoul and for an opportunity to see the rest of the country. I will post details of my food adventures later, but here is a quick summary: First Night: Boiled pigs feet, and and an egg-mayo-ketchup sandwich. (no picture) Day 1: Spicy noodles and sausage. Day 2: Oxtail soup and bulgogi. Day 3: Baked goods and grilled beef. Day 4: Seafood feast and deep-fried chicken. Last day: Pancakes, yams, and kim-chi soup. Anyways click here to see some pictures.

MOS burger is great for fast food, but for something a little different I'd reccommend Pepper Lunch (a hi-tech-sizzling-hot-plate of beef cooked right in front of you). The quality of the beef is great for the price, and the hands-on factor makes it interesting. Although, I think this place is quickly becoming popular outside of Japan. I found that Izakayas are a great place to try Japanese food that you can't find anywhere else, and the smaller portion sizes mean you can try a lot.

Pho 24 is an exception, but for nearly every restaurant in Vietnam the number in the name is the address... can't say they are creative when it comes to naming restaurants :) I say pho 24 is the exception since it is a franchise and it's name may have been based on the original locations address, and they came up with some bs explanation for the name once they expanded.

Pan roasted halibut fillets on top of roasted carrots drizzled with a sherry vinaigrette. Also plain chicken noodle soup with a broth made using wings and feet.

Beef hamburger topped with smoked provolone and red onion/balsamic relish, and sauteed white mushrooms seasoned with spanish paprika. Grilled asparagus drizzled with lemon juice and olive oil, and roasted carrots.

Lamb in Fenugreek curry. Recipe courtesy of Vikram Vij from Vancouver Cooks.

Hopefully one day I can find Takoyaki in a deparment stores basement in Canada :)

Cioffi's (East Hastings and Gilmore) has buffalo mozzarella and fresh mozarella readily available but I'm not sure if it's as reasonably priced as you are looking for. I like what they have, stringy and delicious. I believe the buffalo mozz is $7.99 for a ball (maybe a 1/4 lb), but the cows milk mozz is mush easier on the wallet. They move lots of it so it's very fresh, but I've never tried the GI cheese to compare it to.

Driving down 3Rd in Richmond at god knows what time in the morning, but you do know you're stinking hungry. Pass by the usual fast food suspects then driving by Lansdowne you see a large concentration of cars in front of the #9 (cars in the Lansdowne parking lot when there is no snow to play in? odd.) You stroll in to the boisterous room and find out there is a ten minute wait for a table.

Rabbit braised in white wine, tomatoe sauce, chicken stock, leeks and and purple potatoes. Simple saffron risotto. A quality Nova Scotian beer :)

Eating out three times a day is going to cost more than cooking at home no matter how many numbers you try to add on to the cost of home cooking. If my kitchen budget every month is $400 that means each meal I eat costs me $4.50 (that includes drinks, equipment, and other miscellaneous supplies). The cost of floor space, time, etc. are pretty moot points, because eating out takes just as much time, and would cost me more in travel expenses. Floor space is a non-issue also because even the newest apartments built for singles ages 25-30 have decently equipped kitchens. I can not even touch the $4.50 a meal mark eating out unless I settled for the most horrendous food on the planet (Wendy's $1.39 menu, hot dogs from 7-11, etc..). In fact I figure if I ate every meal out my eating costs would skyrocket to $600 a month and my health would quickly decline. Your analysis also completely ignores the aging population, whcih means more retirees, more bored people, and I bet more time spent in the kitchen.

Cioffi's. $4.99 + $0.30 deposit + $0.06 environmental tax... so $0.89 a can. It took me a couple of cans to get used to the taste.... but now I'm hooked on the Chinotto. The other flavours are great too.

Chili... for the next 3 nights. I posted the recipe for it over on the chili topic.

This is my base chili recipe that I'm always tinkering around with. I usually make it atleast 3 times a month. Pretty standard recipe. 2 lb beef chuck - 1/4 inch dice 2 Hot Italian sausages - Casings removed 1 Onion diced 3 Cloves Garlic chopped 1 Heaping TBSP Cumin 1 Heaping TBSP Mexican Oregano 3 Chipotles 3 Guajillos 2 Habaneros Olive oil or lard for frying 2 28 Oz. Cans Peeled Plum Tomatoes Salt Toast the chilis and spices in a cast iron skillet and finely grind. Heat Le Creuset over medium heat and add small amout of fat for frying. Cut beef into cubes and season with salt. Brown beef and Italian sausages in small batches and set aside. Sweat the onion and garlic for 8 to 10 minutes. Crush tomatoes and add along with half a tomatoe can of water. Bring tomatoes to a boil and add spices, chilis, and oregano. Add the meat and return to a boil. Reduce to a very low heat and cook for a minimum of 3 hours. Stir occassionally. Garnishes: Sour cream, strong cheddar cheese, chives, cast iron fried eggs (break yolk into chili), hot sauce, cilantro, nachos. Serve with side of beans or on top of rice. Can substitue finely chopped frech chilis for dried chilis or use a combination of both. I also substitute a bottle of beer for a can of tomatoes sometimes.

I wish coffee was addictive and kept me awake. It's not uncommon that I nail back a couple of strong shots of espresso at night to help me stay awake to get work done, but within an hour I'm sleeping soundly. Anybody know where I can score the strong shit?