Eats with Jeff #6: Chicken Feet and Raw Beef

Chicken Feet Restaurant

For this Eats with Jeff, somehow we ended up eating two bizarre foods, chicken feet and raw beef. Coincidentally, the restaurants happened to be in the same neighborhood. I will say that I'm no stranger to unique foods. Even though I was raised in America, my parents were really adamant about introducing me to other cultures and their foods.  I think that's one of the best parts of life and traveling is experiencing new things.

I apologize for the shameless photo of me, but I was really excited about my outfit. As Jeff told me, it was very Korean. I find that the longer I live in Korea, the more Korean I look. All my Korean friends already tell me they think of me as one of them. Before I know it, I'll be an honorary Korean and will be so confused when I'm back in America.

Chicken Feet

Chicken Feet

Chicken Feet Wrap

I've eaten chicken feet at dimsum restaurants before and I've enjoyed it. It's not necessarily my favorite dish and I wouldn't immediatley think to eat it, but it's quite tasty. Although, I hate holding up a mangled chicken foot and knawing away at it. I always feel a bit awkward. Thankfully, these chicken feet were deboned, so I didn't have to spend heaps of time taking off the meat. Korean style chicken feet is very different from the Chinese style. It's mixed with red sauce and sesame seeds. It's also grilled so it's not full of sauce. When you find a really nice blackened piece and eat it with a sesame leaf, it's really yummy.

Jeff is seriously the little brother I never had. It's really creepy how similar he is to my older brother Chris. They make the same expressions. They even speak like one another. Even though they have similarities, Jeff is also completely different. I'm so thankful we were able to meet and become friends. Just think, if we never met, I never would have tried so many delicious foods. 

Hanu Beef Pajeon

Raw Beef or Yukhoe

Beef Sashimi

I've always been a bit iffy about raw meat. I think it's one of the things that they drill in your head back home. Raw meat can lead to an upset stomach, food poisoning or worse, death. It isn't something that I was keen on, but after being in Korea, I really wanted to try it. Jeff was able to find a really good restaurant that only served raw beef and at a reasonable price. I couldn't believe some of the prices he quoted me. Since we stuffed our faces full of chicken feet earlier, we decided to order a small sampler. There was ground marinated beef with a raw egg and beef sashimi. The beef sashimi wasn't that great. It was cold and a little tasteless. The marinated beef was amazing. It was so flavorful. I would actually eat that again if I get the chance.

Ugh, why is his face so cute?

Seriously, sometimes I can't deal with it.

Carrot Cake

Strawberry Cake and Cappuccino

Afterward, we wandered around Seomyeon for a bit looking for a nice cafe. We finally found the Coffee and Cake Studio and ended the evening with yummy cake and coffee. I feel like Eats with Jeff wouldn't be complete unless we eat some kind of cake or sweet treat. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed chicken feet and raw beef. It's definitely something I would recommend to anyone in visiting or living in Korea.

Sleeping Buddha | Angkor Wat, Cambodia

After we were finished at Bayan Temple, our tuk-tuk driver MJ, told us to meet him at the Elephant Terrace. He explained how to get there and I thought I understood. He told us to walk down a street and follow it. It would've worked out if Markus and I exited where he told us, but we didn't. When we left Bayan Temple, we were both confused. We chose the one with the most people and headed, hopefully, in the right direction.

Everyone was walking toward another temple and we assumed it was where we needed to be. We saw a set of stairs that led to the top. I was already a bit tired after Bayan Temple, so I told Markus I didn't want to go. He was really keen, so he went to climb the top while I waited at the bottom. While he was gone, I tried figure out where MJ would be waiting.

As I looked for MJ, I started to realize that this wasn't the Elephant Terrace at all. I looked for someone to ask and finally came across a Khmer guide. I asked him if he spoke English, but he didn't, he spoke French. An elderly gentleman heard us speaking and said that he could help me. He was French and he translated from French to English.

We walked to the front so that he could wait for his family too. He told me that the temple wasn't the Elephant Terrace and it was the Sleeping Buddha. He told me a few other things, but I really can't remember all the facts. Later,  I found out that he was from Paris. He said that he's traveled the world, but there is no place like Paris. Finally, his family found him and we said goodbye. As he walked away, I remember smiling and feeling very thankful. Even though it was just for a short time, it was still an unforgettable experience. I will never forget the kind Frenchman that told me about his beautiful city and the history of the Sleeping Buddha.

Perks of Teaching in South Korea: Adorable Students

One of the perks of teaching in South Korea is definitely the kids. Markus and I often talk about the extreme cuteness of Korean kids. They are by far the cutest kids in the world. I don't know if I'm bias but I think Asian kids are freaking adorable and nothing can top Korean kids. Most days, I just run around the library gushing over them. Markus and I usually argue about who has the cuter students, but I always think that my kids are the best. Not only are they smaller and talkative, but they also speak English really well. So yea, I win.

My favorite <3

Look at that face, so cute.

My favorite student is in the pre-school class and he's really tiny. I think he's younger than all the other students. When I saw him, I was really worried. We had another young student and he would run around the class, yell at everyone and sit under the desk. He was basically a nightmare. I was worried that this new boy was going to be just like him. 

When I started reading the book, I started pointing to pictures and the only kid that knew the answers was that little boy. He was the only one answering any of my questions. Later, there was an activity that needed scissors. He shouted in Korean, "Teacher, I don't have scissors!" I told him to come to the front and grab some. When he went to get the scissors, he yelled out to his classmates, "Who needs scissors?" It was in that moment that I fell in love with that little boy. Every time I see him, his face lights up with a big smile and I can't help but feel happy. It's definitely students like him that make me love what I do.

Angkor Wat, Cambodia | 3 of 3

Once you get inside the main temple and pass all the tourists, it's really beautiful and peaceful. We ventured deep into the center and there were barely any people. It was a bit surprising, but it was a much needed break. I was amazed at how much they allowed tourists to see. There weren't many barricades and it was easy to climb on ledges and walk into any room. I really felt like I was a real explorer discovering a lost and hidden temple. Even though, I wasn't exactly impressed with the main temple, Angkor Wat, I enjoyed my time there. It definitely is a must see and something that can't be skipped if you visit Siem Reap.

Cooking with Kasim

My chingus

Back in February, Markus and I spent a lot of time with our friends Kasim and Jeff. Unfortunately, Kasim left Busan so that he could continue his education. We tried to see him as much as possible before he left. Most of the time, we would eat at restaurants, but Kasim wanted to cook for us. I am never one to turn down home-cooked meals, so we planned a pot luck dinner.

Lamb curry

Homemade roti

Kasim is an amazing chef. He cooks Indian style food so everything was absolutely delicious. He learned from his mom and made everything from scratch. He even taught us how to make roti. Although, if you asked me to make it again right now, I wouldn't be able to do it.

I also wanted to make authentic Filipino food, so I made chicken adobo. I didn't want Kasim to be the only one making something good. Kasim made roti and lamb curry and Jeff brought yummy donuts. In the end, we stuffed our faces with everything in sight and it was worth it. Honestly, I still have dreams about that lamb curry. It was that good. I miss Kasim's cooking almost as much as I miss him. Although, maybe I miss his cooking a little bit more.

I love these silly boys.