Sotteok Sotteok

On my first visit to Seoul, one of my favourite street foods was the rice cake and sausage skewer. The exterior is fried to a crisp, while alternating chewy rice cake and juicy sausage glazed with a sweet and spicy pepper sauce was just about perfection.

Simplifying Thai Iced Tea

Almost five years ago, I started writing down notes on how to make my own Thai iced tea… only to get completely and utterly stuck. The exact mix of ingredients for making your own Thai tea mix varies widely, and many of them are not easily tracked down in my part of the world. The pre-made leaves mix was also difficult to locate, so I relegated myself to ordering the drink at Thai restaurants.

Ttukbaegi Bulgogi

I first came across ttukbaegi bulgogi while dining at a soondubu place. I have a love for the sweeter side of life, so I instantly took to what is essentially bulgogi soup, though the imagery those words conjure do not do justice to this soul-warming dish.

Matcha Chocolate Chip Cookies

Matcha chocolate chip cookies. I have been hunting for a good recipe, and have been playing with tweaking the recipe. I’m terrible with recipe testing, but I’m trying to slowly improve.

My Favourite Bulgogi

When I was young, we used to go to a sushi restaurant as a treat. I didn’t eat raw fish (or many other things), so my default order was the yakiniku beef lunch set.

The majority of the Japanese restaurants were owned by Koreans in our area, so after time, when the owners changed hands, the menu changed the yakiniku to bulgogi.

I loved the thin, tender beef, so soft that it was almost fluffy, but filled with so much flavour. Back then, onions and carrots fell under vegetables that I ate without fuss, but I might have picked out the peppers if I saw them.

Rose Pink Latte

There is a certain charm about a rose latte. I don’t usually gravitate towards floral flavoured items, but the rarity of a rose latte always convinces me to order them.

When my rose drink comes out, sometimes looking decidedly not rosy, I do feel a tinge of disappointment. This disappointment was only magnified when I too, failed to create a pink latte made of roses. As most rose-coloured and flavoured drinks were done through unnatural means, I decided to take it upon myself to create a latte appeal to the tastebuds in my eyes and mouth.

Braised Short Ribs

I had heard galbi jjim (갈비찜 – braised short ribs) being mentioned a few times online, but seeing as it was traditionally a homemade item, there wasn’t an opportunity for me to try it. Unless, of course, I made it myself.

Whipped Cottage Cheese & Jam on Toast

Cottage cheese always looked very unappetizing to me when I was younger. Lumpy, watery, sour cheese… I was shocked when I found out people ate this with fruit for breakfast.

Carbonara for one

One of my favourite pasta dishes has to be spaghetti carbonara. I found that carbonara was not a readily available dish at most restaurants, and so the first carbonara dish I ever ate was made by yours truly. To date, I’ve had it only a handful of times at restaurants, while I’ve made it several times at home.

Some people are very protective over carbonara; many denounce the use of any meat other than pancetta, no peas, no milk or cream, etc. I actually love variations, but I tried to keep it simple with items found at most grocery stores.

Carbonara is a dish best eaten right away as it turns dry when left over. With that in mind, this is a recipe that feeds one. Adjust accordingly.

Perfecting the Matcha Latte

I first started writing this post over two years ago, but sadly, was not able to perfect the matcha latte until now. There is definitely room for improvement, especially with my latte art skills, but I am finally satisfied with the end product.

The main issues I faced were clumpy matcha, lackluster foam, and an absence of the vibrant green colour that adorns so many matcha lattes I’ve bought.