Hungry like a wolf

Conversation with coworkers at dinner tonight:

Man: “… I’d really like to just go to Japan for a long weekend just to get away.  Maybe Kyoto, go to the hot springs… you know, just to relax.”

Woman:  ”Oh, I know what you mean… about Japan that is.  But I don’t care about the hot springs, I would just go there for the sushi.  I’d wake up, eat sushi and then wait around till I was hungry again so I could eat more sushi.  And then drink some green tea.”

Me:  ”We could so travel together anytime.”

Food is near the top of my list for priorities, which I only recently realized from living in Taiwan.  I found that having a good meal could make or break my day and let’s just say that at first there were a lot of broken days.  Part of it was that I realized I didn’t really know how to cook, especially without an oven, the other, that I had never really tried a variety of food and had no idea what I was missing.

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Hubby got home about 10 days ago and we actually got to spend the weekend together (minus 2.5 hours on Sunday that he had to go to work and so I went shopping).  

The problem with my last job was that I worked Wednesday to Sunday and so we never got to see one another.

Now, I have loads of time on my hands and he is never here.

I had hoped that he would be able to make the transition into ‘normal’ working hours sooner but alas that hasn’t not happened.  I didn’t notice that I was waiting around for him until, when out for dinner with a friend, she commented “Well, at least you know that he won’t be home at night and can plan around it.  My husband’s plans seem to change every hour.”  So true (for me that is).

So, when he was gone for almost 2 weeks (didn’t bode well for our hero.  As I told my mom “I realized that I really do talk a lot, but I assume that most people don’t want to hear my banal chatter and so he gets it all… and well, since he’s not here, I’m like a geyser of conversation, ready to spew forth inane aspects of my everyday life… haha and so now you get it instead of him!!! – my ever patient mom just smiled (we were on Skype) and said “I know honey.”)

The plan of attack for the ‘mission’ (newly observed- overly -used -stop -saying -that -word) was to plan a lot of things so to make myself busy and well, it didn’t work, not for the time that he was gone at least.  Rather it spilled forward to the next couple of weeks and time has been flying even faster but with more giggles.  

What have I been doing you ask?  EATING.  Yup, out for lunch, dinner or coffee with all sorts of people.  At first, I was feeling a bit guilty about going out so much without my husband (as in not having fun together) but I was getting bored and antsy and so needed to do something.  Now the jealousy is beginning to emerge.  haha (but not really cause that’s mean and I would love for him to be with me having fun).

Anyhow, back to the food.

Husband bought me fantastic Godiva truffles (OMG so good and so freaking expensive even at duty free).

Then I went to Thai Orchid with a friend for dinner and some wine.  We went to the one near city hall, in the Lotte department store on the 12th floor (?) at the Euljiro 1-ga stop on the green line.  We had the tom yum soup and the chicken pad thai noodles.  I’m drooling right now.  Yum yum!

Next I went to this restaurant and had a fantastic lamb dish – just the right combination of spices and the meat was so tender it just fell off the bone.  Sorry, I can’t remember the name.  If you click on this link, and then the map associated with it, it’s number 19, the one on the corner.  As of last week there was construction right beside it and I hope that it’s still there.  (just got it ‘Marrakesh Night’, but have now been told that a place called Petra is better…)

On the weekend, sometimes we go to Novotel in Gangnam because they have a happy hour from about 6 to 9 where for 23 000 won it’s all you can drink wine or beer, along with a small buffet.  There is also a live band that comes on around 8:30.  The current one is from the Philippines and does an amazing number of cover songs, both English and Korean.

Also, only recently have I discovered the joy of Ho Lee Chow!  And again, OMG it’s soooo good.

Speaking of Chinese food.  I would also recommend The China Factory and another one in Gangnam, again, I can’t remember it’s name (perhaps there wasn’t an English name….).  Anyhoo, go out exit 6 at Gangnam and head towards TGIF.  At the intersection just before TGIF turn right.  There will be, again, construction, but you will see Nolita (another great place to eat) and Pasha (yummy Turkish food) and you will see this Chinese place on the second floor.  It has it’s own set of stairs to get in it – very busy though so go early.  The dumplings were amazing.  The are cooked to order (is that the correct idiom?  damn English teaching is stealing all my idioms) and the price of them matches their taste.  And, I can’t find any decent links for those two places.

Attibassi in Gangnam has a wonderful mushroom salad where they grill maybe 3 or 4 kinds of mushrooms with garlic and then add them to fresh greens – but bring a breath mint ’cause yikes it’s strong.  Their lasagna is okay, but I generally find they put way way too much cheese on things here.

Sta Sera is always a favourite.  They have those super thin pizzas (I was told by a former Swiss student (Italian speaking and looking) that that is how a real pizza is supposed to be…) and their pastas are superb!  And of course, they have lovely wines too.  But again, not easy on the pay cheque.

Ugh, it’s 11 at night and now I’m craving everything.  Have you seen that ad with “Rain” where he is trying to convince himself not to eat late at night and then drags himself to the kitchen?  If you find it, can you toss me the link… I’m going to go rummage in the fridge!