La Bella Citta Busan

Have you ever had a meal so fantastic from start to finish that you felt like a changed person?  After the most wonderful weekend checking out new corners of Busan, we were exhausted and disappointed upon discovery that the "Spanish Bistro" about which we had been wondering didn't actually serve food (El Secreto - but it does serve Sam Adams?).  I was covered in sand, blissed out from the sun, and ready for some international cuisine - decidedly not Korean.

When we turned the corner and happened upon what looked to be an enormous French Cafe and a secret garden, we knew we were in for something special.

Photos c/o La Bella Citta - Facebook

We meandered up the stairs and were hit with an absolutely stunning private event space.  Tired Kate took a horrible photo, and will most definitely be back for a special occasion to snap a better shot:

The sunset was approaching and we had been out in the sun with some wonderful new friends all day.  We were beat and just wanted a tasty meal before heading home.  No part of us expected to be treated to lemon/ carrot/ cucumber water and whole grain bread at the table.  Our table had a stunning view of Gwangalli Bridge and a quaint frame being on a side street.

  

The decor itself reminded me quite a bit of Soho House Toronto which I miss desperately.  

It appears they run what's called a "Midnight Party" every Friday and Saturday from 9 PM - 2 AM.  They offer sets of classic cocktails 3 for KRW 21,000 (and I'm not quite certain what you get for KRW 35,000 but there is something else on offer) designed by their delightful mixologist who worked up in Seoul with another bartender from the award-winning "Milk & Honey" (New York - Flatiron District).  

We decided to err on the safe side of what realistically is quite an expensive menu and order the Gorgonzola Gnocchi and the Pork and Stir-fried Vegetable Risotto.  The risotto is deconstructed would have been a wonderful dish of beautifully-cooked and seasoned pork, soy leaves, peppers, and fresh and crispy zucchini.  I wondered why there was cheese on the plate, and why white rice was used rather than an actual risotto.  I think if they changed the name on the dish I would have liked it more because it truly was well-composed.

The gnocchi, on the other hand, was absolutely life-changing.  Both my dining companion and I agreed that we could have indulged in several dishes of this decadent, smooth, rich cream sauce with just enough gorgonzola to have a bold taste, but not so much that it over-powered the delicate, melt in your mouth puffs of potato gnocchi.  It was quite salty, but again - just enough to require more wine, not enough to regret the seasoning.  The cheddar chip on top was incredible as well.  We wanted to order some bread and more sauce with which to enjoy the light and airy view after such a perfect day.

The owner popped over to ask us how we enjoyed our meals.  Talking for a bit we mentioned that we would certainly be back to try more of the Italian fare (there was a 1KG Steak on the menu for KRW 99,000, as well as some delicious-sounding pizzas for under KRW 20,000 so they really did have a variety of offerings).  We hadn't planned on drinking, but when offered a "service" beverage we could hardly say no.  We accepted gratefully and it was decided that we would get a surprise: the bartender's choice - a Caipirinha.

If you've ever had a Caipirinha you'll know that it's a Mojito kicked up and made for the cocktail connoisseur.  Made from Cachaça, a distilled spirit made from sugar cane juice, it's one of the most (if not the most) popular liquor in Brazil.  Billions of Liters of the spirit are made each year but only about 1% is actually distributed outside of the country, so I definitely did a double take when our bartender stated that it was made with the real stuff.  I had enjoyed Caipirinhas last in Trinity-Bellwoods park on a beautiful summer day while eating Nadege macarons and enjoying the fresh air and view of the CN tower.  The taste threw me back to that wonderful day, and while I chatted about the rest of the meticulous cocktail menu with the bartender my dining companion ended up knocking back quite a bit of the drink.  It was pretty clear that he loved it, and I wasn't altogether surprised when I got a text message about it on Monday asking about the ingredients (Cachaça, sugar, lime, ice).

I urge you to join me some Friday or Saturday night for a prix-fixe menu (5 dishes I believe for set prices of KRW 58,000 or KRW 68.000) with a late night garden party pop-up to follow.  I am certain it will be an evening you won't regret or forget.

Makgeolli, Monster Craft, and many good times!

 

Sunday night is Curry night in Hwamyeong-Dong!  Monster Craft Brewing makes a cheep, cheerful, and incredibly delicious Japanese-style curry with your choice of mushrooms, chicken, or pork cutlet with the option to add more meat for KRW 2,500.  I had the mushroom curry and added chicken (their chicken is fantastic on its own or in the curry).

The dinner came with a really tasty soup (broth and green onions), a cabbage salad (which I promtly mixed into the curry for a crunchy texture), and a form of kimchi I was too stuffed to try.  Monster Craft is a great spot to hang out, have a beer, some food, and watch cats go by in the alley (when we went there was a family of calico cats that reminded me of the cat I had growing up - shout out to Angel).  The house beer is KRW 3,500 (about $3.50 - $4 Canadian), and the curry came to maybe KRW 9,000 for a meal I certainly couldn't finish!

After dinner we met up with the boys and went to a Makgeolli bar across the street from where we live.  There's the option to head upstairs (take your shoes off!) or sit at a table with chairs Western-style (we opted for that so we could play some card games).

Our hostess with the most(ess?) showed off the menu, and we ordered Pajeon with Kimchi, Mussels, and what I believed to be Scallops but that may have just been more onion or cabbage.  The Makgeolli (the Korean rice wine pictured above) was blended with some sort of powdered fruit mix.  Since this evening, some coworkers have taken me out for some proper Korean food and different kinds of Makgeolli.  The phrase "do you drink well, Kate?" came out on a few occasions, but I like to think I kept it in check!  

Have you tried Makgeolli?  What kind is your favourite?

It just keeps getting better!

What a jam-packed, fun-filled week it has been!  No complaints whatsoever.  Good times with new friends and tasty food in Hwamyeong all week followed by a Friday adventure to Gwangali Beach and Kyungsung University (an area of Busan full of Expats).  I've seen live music, have tried new foods (who knew I liked grilled radish so much?), and went glow bowling with house music.

On Monday I found my namesake makeup line at a store full of interesting cosmetics (some local, many international).  I haven't tried "Kate" makeup, but once my stock of Canadian makeup depletes I'll definitely consider it! 

After a walk around the area (Hwamyeong-Dong - "Dong" means neighbourhood), we stopped into a spot for some soup!  Most places will serve you several complimentary side dishes of pickled radish, kimchi, garlic, and other bits and bobs to either grill up, toss into your soup, or just eat on their own. The dish above is a Bulgogi soup which I believe is called Ddukbaegi Bulgogi (or Ddukbul for short?).

Tuesday night we found Mandu for KRW 1,500 (about $1.75 Canadian).  It's so delicious and is full of beef and kimchi.  If you're looking for a cheap, filling lunch then look no further than Mandu!

The craft beer game in Hwamyeong is strong (well - for Korea!) and we're lucky enough to have Monster Craft Brewing.  This cute little spot has the best chicken I have tasted in Korea with some fabulous spicy garlic sauces.  I didn't manage to save the picture I took, but you can see the massive pile of saucy fries we got as well as the beers we tasted.  Mine was an IPA, and my friend's was a very hoppy Amber.  Beer is super cheap in Korea (KRW 3,000-5,000) but these ones were KRW 7,000 because they were from a microbrewery.  Worth it!  I think we're going there for Japanese curry tonight.  I'm pretty excited!

For lunch I've managed to find a super cheap and cheerful spot called Hansot!  It's a lunch box place that serves inexpensive meals with rice, meat, and often kimchi or mixed greens.  Meat and vegetables are extremely expensive at grocery stores (they're cheaper if you buy them on the street but they're still pretty pricy by North American standards).  It's actually cheaper for me to buy my meals at Hansot than it is to cook for myself at home.  I'm able to read the Korean phonetically (the language itself - Hangul - makes a lot of sense but I'm having trouble associating the sounds with the meanings still) so sometimes they'll understand my order and sometimes I'll just have to point.  There are so many items on the menu ranging from KRW 2,000 to around KRW 10,000 so I have lots of options when I'm really hungry as well as "at the end of the month" ;)

Friday night we were going to spend a quiet night in Hwamyeong, but after a nap and some tunes we headed out to Gwangali Beach and KSU!  The lights on the bridge look magnificent.  It was raining and I didn't bring my proper camera with me, so apologies for the low-quality images.  We had some local "American" pub fare at Sharky's Gwangali and then cabbed it over to KSU where we had no wifi and meandered the side-streets until we found Ol'55.  The drinks were cheap, plentiful, and served by a cute Oklahoma boy.  We met some other Canadian, American, and British teachers and ran into some expats we had met Thursday night at Trivia.  The owner of another local bar was there and she had some great stories to tell us while the band jammed in the background.  There was free popcorn, and it was quite possibly the best I've ever tasted.

 

After Ol'55 we headed out to Blue Monkey - a club we had frequented on the expat pub crawl last weekend.  I swore I would never go back, but it was completely empty so the 6 of us had the entire dancefloor to ourselves!  Ps. That's what bottle service looks like at Blue Monkey - an unexpected delivery of vodka and juices.

The next day I woke up early and watched a couple old episodes of 30 Rock while enjoying the sunshine flooding my apartment.  I had plans to meet a gal pal around 10:30 AM who was getting her hair done at a Busan salon.  I thought we were heading out on the subway a ways away (most of the exciting spots are about an hour away on the subway) so I was so surprised when the salon was just upstairs from our Hwamyeong meeting spot!  The prices were really, really reasonable, and since they had a ton of chairs open I thought I'd get some highlights put in.

Ultimately the deal was, in fact, too good to be true and it was only after they sat me down that they told me it would cost about KRW 389,000 (yep - $400) because I have long hair.  I didn't end up going through with the dye, but I'd go back for a haircut for sure!  It's a beautiful salon and if you take a clear photo of what you want then they'll do a super job.  My friend got her hair dyed in an ombre style and it turned out beautifully (and SO shiny!).  It changes her whole look and I would be really happy if my hair turned out half as well.  Hers was only KRW 88,000 and considering tipping isn't customary here it's a pretty rad deal.

From the salon I headed to the park near our apartment complex.  My friend's boyfriend and one of his friends were playing basketball and teaching some of the local boys some shooting techniques.  The sun was shining and it was quite warm out so it was a lovely afternoon spent in the sun.  We realised that none of us had eaten by that point, so off to the Korean BBQ place we went!

Earlier in the week someone had made a crack about bowling not being cool when I had suggested we go, so I was pretty stoked when my 3 late lunch companions suggested going to Hwamyung Rock Bowling.

This glow bowling spot was unlike anything I've ever experience.  Sure, we have "The Ballroom" in Toronto, but the number of LED lights and the raucous house music being played was amazing.  We played two games switching up the teams halfway through.  Turns out I'm not too bad at 10-pin bowling!

All in all a great week!  Saturday was the best day I've had in a LONG time (and resulted in a very early bedtime!).  Today I'm heading to Nampo with the gals during the day and for Japanese curry tonight at Monster Craft, so another blog post is most certainly on the way soon.

What else should I try in Korea?  Any discoveries from your travels (or from Google)?  Leave your thoughts in the comments!