Making Smoothies in Korea - MediHeim Multifunction Blender

Last year I decided that I wanted to try and be a bit more healthy. It's still a work in progress but who knows one day I might get there. Anyway I decide to try and make some smoothies. I have a large blender but I thought that one of the smaller bullet type ones that I could make and drink in the same container would be a good option.

I did some research and had a look at what was available in Korea. Then I just decided to go with a cheaper option because I was not sure how much I would actually use it. I am a great one for buying things with the best of intentions and then using it once or twice and never touching it again.

I went on Gmarket and found one that looked pretty good, it has a good motor speed so can chop ice, and was quite cheap. It's called the MediHeim Electric Mini Blender on Gmarket but the name is the MediHeim Multifunction Blender. It comes with different cups and blades so is a nice starter set. It cost about 26,000 won. I figured if it was not that good then it would not matter too much as I was not spending a huge amount of money.

It comes with 9 pieces which includes the base, two blades, three cups of different sizes, one mug and two lids (one with a drinking spout and one just flat).

So far this has been really good. I have not used it consistently but I'm just getting back into it now so thought I would post about it as I'm really enjoying using this blender.

It is super easy to use - it just has the one button so you just plug it in and go. It chops everything up pretty easily - it's not as smooth as a bigger blender would be of course but I don't mind a bit of texture. For the price I think this was a really good investment for me.

I've been neglecting this blog for a while so what I might try to do is post a few of my smoothies that I make. I will let you know where I get my ingredients and such and hopefully it might inspire me to post a bit more. If you have any questions about this blender just let me know in the comments. This is the link for where I bought it on Gmarket.

Ponsonby Pies at Emart

Good news Kiwis (and Australians), Emart has a nice new addition to their shelves. You can now buy Ponsonby Meat Pies here in South Korea. Reports have that they are in most Emarts across the country and I know that you can get them at two of the large Emarts in the Ilsan area - the Madu one and the one over in Daewha.

These are frozen pies so you will find them in the freezer section, usually around the frozen meat patties. There are three different flavors - Beef Mince and Cheese Meat Pie, Steak and Cheese Meat Pie and Chilli Beef Mince and Cheese Pie.

They come in packs of two for just under 5000 won. I only tried the Beef Mince and Cheese because it is the only flavor that I like. They were quite tasty for a frozen pie, definitely better than the Jesters ones at any rate.

Food and Drink Korea #3 - Sweet Snacks

These are a few of my favorite sweet snacks that can be found in most local convenience stores and supermarkets in Korea.

Home-Run Ball (홈런볼)
The original version of this snack is a cream filling surrounded by a ball of fluffy pastry. The version here is the one I like as it has chocolate in it instead, I also believe you can get caramel too. They are creamy and light and very addictive, they cost about 1500 won or so at the supermarket, a bit more expensive if bought from the convenience store but not much more. You get a little plastic tray filled with about 25 of them.

Dweji-Ba (돼지바)
Dweji-Ba translates into Pig Bar - not sure what that is all about except that there is a cartoon pig (who looks suspiciously like Piglet) on the wrapper. It's a classic Korean ice-block and has been around for a while and is considered a classic. I have to say it is tasty so that is probably why it's so popular. It is made up of vanilla ice cream coated in crunchy nutty chocolate with a sweet strawberry syrup filling in the center.

Choco Boy (초코송이)

These are a delicious little chocolate and biscuit snack made by Orion (오리은). They are shaped like mushrooms where the top is the chocolate and the stem is a plain biscuit stick. These are one of my most favorite sweet snacks. You can get them from the supermarket for around 1000 won and again like most things they are a little bit more expensive if you buy them from the convenience store. They come in a yellow box, often at the supermarket they come in packs of two. Inside the box the candy is sealed in a little bag and you get about 20 or so in one packet.

Sweet Cake (소프트 메론홀릭)
This one is probably my favorite non-chocolate sweet snack and is a sweet melon cake. At first glance it is one of those things you think will not be good but I am glad I gave it a chance and whenever I can find it I always buy one or two of them. It is one that I have only seen in convenience stores not in the supermarkets and also it's not in every store, it seems to come and go randomly. The snack itself is like a sponge cake flavored slightly with melon (think the green melon flavor like Midori). It comes in slim rectangle slices and there are four in each packet. The slices are joined in two pairs with a cream holding the slices together like a sandwich. The cream is light and sweet and also has that melon flavoring.

Choco Fudge (초코퍼지)
Another chocolate ice block for the summer. This one is delicious with a creamy fudge goodness. Not really much more to say about it as it's pretty self explanatory but definitely one of my favorites.

Pizza Hut - Getting Pizza Delivered in Korea

I did a post a while back about getting McDonalds delivered in Korea, they have an English site so it is super easy even if you are not so good at reading Korean (like me). I was recently speaking with a friend who told me that he was getting Pizza Hut delivered, I did not realize that they had an English site so was happy to learn about this. I am actually not really a fan of Pizza - well not western pizza, I do like the original ones with the really flat bread and just basic tomato, basil and cheese but every now and then it's nice to have something easy delivered like this.

It is super easy to do, much easier than the McDonalds site I think (at least for registering) however I did think it was interesting that the choices are limited on the English site, if you look on the Korean version then there are more options available for sides and things (perhaps it is a work in progress as I did find out it is pretty new). You can find the English order website here.

I know that you can get other pizza's delivered of course, pizza delivery is a thriving business all over the world however this is the only one I have tried so far. I ordered for the first time on Monday night just gone and it all worked out fine, you have to register by putting in your name and phone number - they will then message you a code which you enter back at the site. You then enter your address which is mostly from drop-down menus so very easy, you can either choose your building name from a list or you can write it in yourself - mine was already listed so I just used that and then there is one more free-form address line so I put my apartment number here. 

My pizza came in about 20 minutes so everything worked out well, the website is very basic and it is pretty easy to follow. I did also find this youTube video about ordering with this new English site so if you want to check it out from the blog 'Kyle Living in Korea' the link to the video is here.

McDelivery - Getting McDonalds delivered in Korea

One of the many great things about Korea is its commitment to making life easier for the average citizen and one way that this is evident is in the range of takeout and delivery services from restaurants. Even McDonalds in Korea has a delivery service.

I've been in Korea a couple of years but to be honest my Korean is not that great, I can say the basics but I'm still pretty shy about using it in most cases as my pronunciation is not very good.  I've know since I got here that you can get McDonalds delivered and I was immediately interested, I'm pretty lazy at the best of times so this sounded like a great idea. There are videos and blog posts about how to go about ordering through the phone order system but it still required some Korean, you had to be able to decipher what they were asking and tell them your address.  The one time I tried to call the person who answered did not speak English and basically just hung up on me so I did not really bother again, I also had a look at the website but it was all in Korean too - there is an app too but also in Korean. So while it was possible and some people had more successful tries than me I had not really looked into it further.

Recently however a friend told me that he had ordered online, I was surprised and asked how  - it seems that the site now has an English delivery form.  Great news if you have been wanting to get some McDonalds delivered right to you door. It's really easy, I tried it tonight and it worked fine - my food showed up in less than half and hour.

Here's how:

Go to the McDelivery Website, https://www.mcdelivery.co.kr
This is different from the McDonalds Korea website.

It should look like the image below and it had the options for Korean or English at the top, you can change it to English and then in the top right had corner is a registration link and your login place if you have already registered.

To register you enter your details, make a log in and password - you have to activate the account when they send a number to your email address. After that you can enter your address, you will need to know it in Korean but most people have it written down somewhere - it's all drop down menus so you just select the ones that match for your city, dong, gu and there is a place to write any additional details if you need to clarify.

Once you have done all that you can order what you want, the prices are all there and it adds it up as you go - you can select different drinks or sauces, if you want one item or the set - it's all very easy.  Once you order it gives you an estimated time of arrival and you can track your order.

I also had a quick look at the app - I have it on my android phone and it has been updated now too - it just goes to the same website and you can select English or Korean.

If you need a quick junk food fix it now couldn't be easier. Thanks McDonalds Korea!

More Whittaker's Chocolate in Korea

I did a post earlier this month about finding some blocks of Whittaker's Chocolate in the Galleria Department Store in Ingye-Dong Suwon.

Just a quick update to say that they have two more new flavours available  - Berry & Biscuit and Dark Almond.

It's still expensive at 11,000 won for a block, but sometimes you are willing to pay that extra for a bit of home.  I took some into work and it went down really well.

Whittaker's Chocolate in Korea

I have heard that Whittaker's chocolate sometimes appears in random shops here in Korea, someone I was talking to said they found some in Paris Baguette once for example.  I have been here about 19 months now and have never seen it - until now.
 
I just happened to be wandering around the small grocery shop in the bottom of the Galleria in Ingye-dong today.  I don't really shop there as its a bit more expensive and the selection is smaller than the nearby Homeplus so I don't usually bother.  I was down there to get some fast food - the American chain 'Popeyes' has a branch in the food court there.  I thought I would have a look around while I was there and see what they had, sometimes they have things that you can't get at the bigger supermarket chains.

So this is where I found some Whittaker's chocolate - they have three of the 250g slabs available - Fruit & Nut, Creamy Milk and Almond Gold.  The kicker is that unless you are really craving it or are a die hard fan you probably won't want to pay the price.  One slab cost 11,000 won, they didn't have a price on them so I didn't find this out until I got to the counter.  I thought it would be a nice gift to take in to work after the holiday - I hope they appreciate it.

Chuseok (추석)

This weekend in Korea is Chuseok, it includes the Monday also so we have a three day holiday at this time.  The actual day of Chuseok this year is Sunday the 30th September.

Also this year Wednesday is another Korean holiday so most schools have given the Tuesday as a holiday too.  This means that we get a five day holiday including the Saturday and Sunday which is very nice.

What is Chuseok?

Chuseok is one of the most important holidays in the Korean year and is often referred to as the Korean Thanksgiving.

It is traditionally a harvest festival which is celebrated on the brightest full moon of the year (it is the 15th day of the 8th month on the lunar calendar - the date changes every year).  In modern Korea families return their ancestral hometowns, there are traditional activities such as ancestor worship rituals and visiting tombs to tidy and clean them. Many of these kind of pastimes are still a big part of Chuseok. Some people still participate in traditional folk games whereas others may simply spend time with family, talking, playing card games or watching TV.

Food is a big part of the celebrations and families will prepare a big feast with meats, fish, vegetables, sweet rice, dumplings and fruit.  The traditional beverage for Chuseok is rice wine.

One of the most well know food dishes for Chuseok is Songpyeong (송편), and is a rice cake. It is made with rice powder dough and filled with things like beans, chestnuts or sesame. It is then steamed with pine needles. Songpyeong is usually shaped in a crescent - tradition says that you make a wish as you fill the Songpyeong and then fold it into the crescent so the wish does not fall out. There is also a Korean saying that a person that makes beautiful Songpyeong will have a good spouse and children.

Kiwis and Aussies - Breaking News

There is currently Vegemite available at the Foreign Market in Itaewon.  It's something that you don't see on the shelves very often as its so hard for them to get into Korea.  If you need to stock up and can't wait for the next care package from home then this is your chance. 

Be warned you will pay a hefty price for your treasure - 10,000won for a tube.  That's around $10 dollars give or take in either of our currencies.  Many of you more sensible people will agree that its way too much to pay for Vegemite - I bought three tubes.....

This is the first time I have ever seen it on the shelves but my friend who has been here a good many years says it does come in every so often.

Address: Seoul, Yongsan-gu, Itaewon-dong, 137-67. (서울특별시 용산구 이태원동 137-67).
Directions: Itaewon station on line 6, and exit 3. Turn right at the Dunkin Donuts and walk up the hill about 100 meters – it’s on your left.

Finding Foreign Food in Seoul

I just found a great article about the Foreign Food places in Seoul so thought that I would share it here for you.

It's written by Chris Backe for travelwire Asia - Life in Korea: Finding some tastes from home

It lists some of the different places you can find some foreign foods in Seoul and also where and how to find these places. I've been to a couple of them in Itaewon.

Confessions of a Picky Eater

I am probably one of the most picky eaters you will ever come across (although I have actually met worse).  So you can imagine the surprise of my family and friends when I announced that I was going to Korea.  The most common first question out of every one's mouth was 'What will you eat?'.  That's because most of my close family and friends who have had the joy of dining with me on repeated occasions and the added joy of finding a restaurant where I will be able to eat, know only to well that I don't really eat much 'non-western' food and of that it's also pretty limited.

I had however already addressed this issue, its one of the first things that I have to think of when I am going somewhere.  I did my research and found that Seoul and much of the more metropolitan areas of Korea cater to many western tastes and that there were an abundance of 'western chains' available. I have found that it is true there are a lot of western foods so I am able to find enough to live on.

On the other hand I have found recently that I am getting bored with eating the same foods, there is a limit to what is available and to be honest a lot of it is stuff that's not really that healthy.  What I really miss are the snack foods like chips (I know also not healthy) that are readily available in New Zealand - Burger Rings anyone?  Lucky for me I have a great Mum who sends me over care packages with things like Vegemite to keep me going.

I do find myself constantly wishing that I liked more foods (and yes I do try new things - I like to try something before I say I don't like it). At this stage in my life I'm pretty good at judging if it's something that I'm going to like, if I know I don't like a certain flavour and that is in the dish then there is a very good chance that I'm not going to like it. It does annoy me when people are like 'go on try it', 'you don't know until you try it'.  While that is sometimes true, its not always the case.  I really can't eat spicy foods, I'm a baby when it comes to spice so 'no' I'm not going to like it if its super hot - I know that I don't need to test the theory.

I always feel a bit embarrassed when eating out and I don't like anything, I don't really care if there is nothing I like - that's my issue and not anyone else's problem.  What I don't like is when other people make a fuss, I'd rather just get something to drink be social and then I'll make myself a sandwich when I get home. Sometimes they are just trying to be nice and that's fine but you get the people who are like - 'You should have said you didn't like Chinese food!', however when you are in a group and everyone else agrees on Chinese food then what are you going to do - make everyone change just because you don't like it? Well I don't, I just go and try and find something that I might be able to eat, if all else fails I like rice so I'll just eat that :)