Let me paint a picture for you:It's Tuesday night.  The time is Korea Happy Hour time.  You're young; your stomach is gnawing at your throat; your wallet is so thin you can see through it; you're beautiful.   (Ok, 3 out of 4).     I know the feeling.  So let's cut to the chase:  the best way to satiate that roaring appettite without having to dig through your Teachers' Lounge couch cushions for cash is wait until Tuesday night and head to Itaewon in Hannam dong.  Don't pretend you don't know where it is--you do.  Its the Best of Korea, and the Worse of Korea, all in one neighborhood, or 동네 (dongnae).    Here's a few starting spots for Tuesday night; click on the link to get to the website for description and directions.Let me know if I've missed any and I'll buy you a drink if you can find me on a Tuesday night at one of them!3 Alley Pub:   Buffalo Wings, 300 won each (traditional spicy, teriyaki and honey/garlic available); also get a draft OB beer and dinner for 5,500 won, whatever "dinner" means.   Older crowd and right under Sam Ryan's. Dillinger's.  Burger Bomb Set!  Burger and Fries for only 5,000 won.   Hollywood Grill:  A pretty decent steak for 13,500 won.   Sorry but no link yet...Its on the main strip, about a 5 minute walk out of Exit 2 of Itaewon station, on the second floor on the right.

That's right, man, today Brown Passports is taking a chill out break in Gangnam at the hipp(i)est joint in town: Rainbow.

Welcome back to Garosu-gil, the finest Kaffee Strasse you'll find this side of Germany:For those hungry souls unfamiliar with the charms of Garosu-gil and pondering a nice, juicy burger right now (did I read your mind?) go to the previous post in this series to read all about the many restaurants on offer here. After that fantastic burger, its time for dessert!

You've seen the Korean-language, poster-sized ads on the swinging glass doors of Mr. Pizza, Pizza Hut & even Domino's Pizza in Seoul:   Thick slices of sweet potato, drizzled with honey mustard sauce, surrounded by heaping amounts of corn, grilled chicken doused with a white-garlic ranch sauce, jalapenos and cherry tomatoes, all criss-crossed with a version of balsamic vinaigrette and all piled high on a thick crust stuffed with mozzarella or surrounded by a heavenly golden-ring of cream cheese. 

Garosu-gil, which literally means "tree-lined street" is the perfect setting for an romantic Sunday walk on a temperate day in search of brunch, lunch, coffee -- or the affections of whoever you might wish to share those with.Crammed with excellent eateries and cafes, it also serves up cuisine, coffee and confectioneries at prices far more reasonable than the nearby area of Apgujeong, which you can check out here here and here

Yeah, if you haven't figured me out by now, you should know I can't stand food writers that "Play for Pay."  My philosophy has always been, you get a bite, if the place sucks then you either don't write about it or you warn others about your experience.  More often than not, you can find a decent thing or two about any place (tablecloth was clean, hot dude/chick working behind the counter, good beer selection, whatever).  

Apgujeong's posh charms can only be half experienced in a lunch or dinner outing -- to really get a sense of the extravagance that this neighborhood is capable of, you have to hit the nightlife spots.First, you'll want to fuel up a bit before heading out. Fifty (50) is a great way to get your class on before hitting the fancier (or raunchier) joints in town.

Most people contemplating moving to Korea from any non-Korean country have two major misconceptions:  (1) that they'll need to speak Korean to survive and enjoy their time in country and (2) that there is a dearth of local cuisine suitable for the finicky Western palate and the expandable Western stomach.   Response:  undeniably and irrefutably FALSE!   I'm not much of an expert on the first point, but I do urge everyone to learn a few clutch expressions in the local language, regardless of which country you currently reside (e.g.: "donde esta el baño," "beeru ni hong oni gai she masu," and at least a "yobosaeyo, bro.").   As to food, however, I can say without hesitation that Korea can and will satisfy every tastebud and every stomach size regardless of race, color, creed, religion, education level or class/lack thereof.

  While Apgujeong's lighter, and cheaper, lunchtime options are well worth exploring -- check out my last post for a whirlwind lunch tour -- it wouldn't be a complete trip to this haute land without a trip to at least one of the shi shi restaurants that make Apgujeong so lovably elitist, like Antonio's, an Italian restaurant with truffle oil martinis and a mythical caviar pizza which, rumor has it, rings in at almost 100,000 W.

Look for the best street in town for great food? Come on down to...