Eunice's Garden

Genre:  Italian

Location:  Ansan, South Korea

Rating:  8 out of 10

Eunice's Garden is a way out-of-the-way restaurant with a garden area.  However out-of-the-way it may be, it is really worth it.  

Our journey began with a guess at where this place was located.  I searched the web and found a couple of references to it, but not any specific directions.  I punched in the address I found and came to see a dot in the middle of a mountain.  Well, I thought, this will be an adventure.  If you head out there, know you are on the right track if you are driving around a reservoir thinking, "This can't be the way."  Trust me, you are almost there.  When the road dead ends and you can either go right or left, there is a little brown sign that says "Eunice's Garden" in Korean and points to the left.  Go left and pass what looks like a cement factory.  You will come up on it on the right on the other side of a little foot bridge.  Park and walk across the bridge.

Once we found it, we were in awe of the little garden area.  It was really beautiful.  But, we were late for our reservation so we were off to the Italian side to eat.  Note here that there is a Korean BBQ style section you can dine at, but I suggest the Italian.

 

The food was amazing.  We ordered one set and shared it.  There was plenty of food for the both of us.  The bread, loved it!  They served fresh baked cranberry bread with a side of oil and vinegar.  It was delicious.  There was amazing soup, a salad to follow, the beef tenderloin was done perfectly, and the dessert "Wowed" us.  It was a red wine glace.  It was tremendous, full of flavor.  Definitely a surprise.  The decor was sweet, centering around the dining indoors but feeling like you were outdoors.  Very comfortable.

Once we were done with dinner, we headed to the little shop to check out the little fragranced goods.  There is tea, candles, lotions and little nic nacs.

Heading back outside, this was the real treat of the evening.  Hanging from the tree branches above are these really neat stained glass lanterns.  So captivating!  They look like something Tinker Bell would live in only way more posh.  I wanted to become a fairy and move in.  They were everywhere.  It really captured the mood.  Walking down the path, we were covered with an umbrella of ivy and little white lights.  It was very romantic.  Every now and then, we would come upon an inset bench.  We wondered if we would catch a couple in the middle of a romantic kiss.  We never did, but the benches were inviting.  Walking on down to a cafe area, we found a place that had a little stage that could easily accommodate a small jazz ensemble.  There were tables all around with netting in the trees above, housing more little white lights and lanterns.  It was an adult wonderland.  We loved it.  This would be a perfect place to go on a group date.  

Check out the pictures and information below:

The wonderful fresh baked cranberry bread

Our amazing beef tenderloin

 

The red wine glace

 

The ivy and white light covered trail

A hidden ivy covered bench, perfect for a romantic cuddle

 

The outdoor cafe with draping hanging from the trees

Beautiful stained glass lanterns hanging from the tree branches

Information:

Telephone:  031-437-2045

Hours:  11:00 - 22:00

Address:  South Korea Gyeonggi-do Ansan-si Sangnok-gu Palgok 2(i)-dong 163-2

The Roadhouse Cafe, Kathmandu, Nepal

Genre:         Western Food (American, read on and you will understand) / Pizza

Location:     Kathmandu, Nepal

Rating:         10 out of 10

The Roadhouse Café in Kathmandu, Nepal turned out to be one of the biggest surprises in my food explorations.  And I love surprises.  After eating a lot of Dal Bhat (lentils and rice) on this visit, and really enjoying it, it left me wondering if there was much else available in Nepal that was flavorful.  I mean, as far as countries go, this is still a developing country and people are lucky to have food.  That is why The Roadhouse Café was such a surprise.  Because of the rolling electricity allotments in the city, this restaurant is equipped with authentic wood-fired ovens.  They cook the majority of the food this way which really adds a unique experience and taste to the dishes.  I ordered a pizza and un-anticipatingly waited, more enjoying the company of my Nepali friends and having great conversation than thinking about the food I ordered.  And then it arrived, slid off the wood paddle onto the table in front of me.  The smell was divine.  The presentation simple yet stimulating.  I pulled off the first piece and took a bite.  Heaven is all I can say.  Nepal is known for many “heavenly” sites (the Himalayas), but I had no idea “heaven” in Nepal for me would be a pizza.  I can honestly say it is the best pizza in the whole entire world.  Fresh ingredients, made from scratch dough, and a wood fired oven equals bliss on top of the world, literally.         

Address:       27° 40' 34.0896" N, 85° 18' 46.5336" E

                   Located in the touristy Thamel district in Kathmandu

Telephone:   N/A

Cost:           Prices are definitely affordable!

The actual pizza, definitely the best!

The Roadhouse Cafe sign, Thamel

Aix en Provence, Jeongja, South Korea

Genre:         French – Italian

Location:     Jeongjadong, South Korea

Rating:         9 out of 10

Aix en Provence is one of my favorite restaurants in Korea.  It ranks in my top 10 favorites of all time.  It gets this distinction not only for the food it serves, but for the ambiance the restaurant accomplishes.  At the most recent visit, the restaurant was warmed on a cold winter evening with wonderful service, a violinist strumming lovely tunes, and what I deem as great comfort food.  As far as the food goes, there is quite a variety on the menu.  However, I generally go for the large set that includes wine, appetizer and salad, soup of the day, fresh baked bread, the chef’s pasta special, main course of either lamb chops, steak, or beef tenderloin, followed by dessert with coffee or tea.  Even though this set is created as a menu tasting for one, it is easy split between two with more than enough food for both.  The food is beautifully presented, tastefully created and overflowing with flavor.  It is generally what you would expect from the best of the best and incredibly satisfying. 

If you order off the menu, be sure to include the Tiramisu.  It is the real deal. 

Address:       경기도 성남시 분당구 정자동 성원상떼뷰 201동 106호

                   Located on the famous Jeongja café street near Jeongja subway station.

Telephone:   031-716-3317

Cost:           Expensive, reserved for special occasions.

*Reservations accepted only during the week.  No reservations on the weekend. 

*Valet parking available during the week.

Lamb Chops

Beef tenderloin with vegetables

Special dessert

Appetizer

Review Criteria

I love food, there's no doubt about it.  Rarely do I ever say something is truly magnificent.  That is a reserved comment.  Rarely do I ever say something is truly horrible.  That is a reserved comment.  Usually, if I don't like something, I will add what would have made it better.

When looking at the restaurant reviews posted, here is the criteria I use:

1 out of 10:     Not at all good, nothing would make it better
2 out of 10:     Not at all good, not much that would make it better
3 out of 10:     Not good, under-average
4 out of 10:     Good but under-average
5 out of 10:     Average, what you would expect
6 out of 10:     Good and better than average
7 out of 10:     Very good and above average
8 out of 10:     Great, unexpected, surprised at the results
9 out of 10:     Dazzled, great, not much that would make it better
10 out of 10:    Loved it, perfect taste, a favorite

Enjoy!

Burger Blues, Suwon South Korea

Genre:         Burger Joint

Location:     Suwon, South Korea

Rating:         7 out of 10

Burger Blues, located near Samsung headquarters, is a great little burger joint.  Decorated in the Bourbon Street or New Orleans jazz style with hand drawn and painted jazz greats on the wall along with great jazz / blues music playing in the background, this burger joint offers up some great American comfort foods.

Choose any burger in the "family" of Blues Burgers with all the traditional trimmings and maybe a few Korean pinches in there as well.  They also offer a Philly Cheese Steak and a chicken sandwich if you aren't in the mood for the beef.  Keep in mind that they all need to be eaten with a fork and knife as the meat is so juicy it gets messy if you use your hands.  

You can also order a fabulous Chicken Caesar salad, so fresh it looks like it came right out of the garden.  And the fries, oh the fries.  They are hand cut and taste wonderful.  Order them plain or get them doused with chili and cheese.   Also served are hot wings, chicken fingers and the traditional fish and chips.

Beer is available, but highly recommended is the soda as it comes in the old fashioned bottle.  This little touch finishes off a very tasty meal.

Dine in or take-out.

Hours:
Lunch  11:30 - 2:30

Dinner    5:30 - 9:00 

Address:       경기도 수원시 영통구 매탄동 1266-3 로진프라자 1층

                   Located near Samsung.

Telephone:   031-212-9777

Cost:           Prices are reasonable ranging from 6,900 to 9,900 for a burger.  Well worth it!

                                                    

Chili Cheese Fries

Blues Chicken Run

Blues Mama Burger

Set Up Anywhere, Anytime

What is always daunting in the restaurant industry is not the long hours, quality of the food, or happy customers, it's the overhead.  Start adding up payroll, rent, and insurance and one will quickly find themselves quickly in over their heads without serving one single dish.  The fun, interesting sight often seen on streets all over Asia is the long alley way full of food vendors that simply pushed their cart in and started serving up great comfort food.  Just the one little lady and her food.  No payroll, no rent, no insurance.  Just great local bits of heaven.  

Food Blog Kick Off

If anyone knows anything about me, most will know I love food.  I love all kinds of food.  But, I especially love really great food.  My travels around the world have greatly expanded my many food loves and, of course, added a few dislikes.  I have always loved the simple food:  A great hamburger, cheesecake, pumpkin soup.  What I look forward to the most and often crave are the succulent dishes: mussels in a white wine, garlic cream sauce, lobster, raspberry soufflé.  I often say that when I retire, I am going to become a food critic.  My husband often reminds me that I already am.  So, as a salute to him, I begin my food critic journey now, long before retirement.  This blog will consist of my food experiences and tastings, a list of restaurants visited and recommended, and of course, the reviews.  As an avid home-chef, I will also post some great recipes from my own kitchen.  Feel free to comment, suggest and contact me with your thoughts.

Experiencing Food, Bon Appetite!