I feel "More Than Blue"

I went off to the Lotte cinema in Myeong-dong this morning with a sense of trepidation. They are showing 슬픔보다 더슬픈 이야기 (More Than Blue) with English subtitles and I felt like I should go down and check it out, even though romantic melodramas are not usually my thing. The poster does nothing for me , it says "Look at us. We're beautiful and we're sad. Love us, cry with us!" The literal translation of the Korean title is "A sadder story than sadness". That doesn't make me want to see the film, but then, I think I'm probably not the target audience.

Getting to the theatre I was surprised to see no reference to English subtitles on the listings sheet and the ticket seller who served me had no idea that the film was subtitled. After realizing that it was, she went on to explain that it was because they didn't have enough room for the information, but I have a feeling they could have done it if they had put their minds to it.

A distinct lack of subtitles...

The screening was packed full with fifteen people (the 11:30 showing is perhaps not the most popular choice) and I along with the fourteen other ajummas began our 105 minute journey into Korea's latest melodrama.

Within the first ten minutes we find out the main character, Kay the orphan (played by 권상우 - Kwon Sang-woo), has terminal cancer and in a voice-over he references Romeo's doomed love for Juliet. Things are obviously not going to go well. He lives with fellow orphan Cream (played by 이보영 - Lee Bo-young) and the two of them treat each other like family. They end up in the music industry: Kay is a radio producer and Cream is a song writer. He harbours a secret love for her, but knows it can never be fulfilled, so he decides to help her find a man to look after her. Cream falls for a dentist, Ju-hwan (played by 이범수 - Lee Beom-soo), who she meets at a radio studio and their romance begins to blossom....

So there you have it, the basic premise. To tell you anymore than that would be to ruin the story. It's a romantic melodrama, there will be suffering, there will be death, there will be lots and lots of crying. However, More Than Blue does it a lot more subtly than most Korean television dramas. This may be director/writer 원태연's (Won Tae-yeon) first film, but it feels like he has been making movies for years. The camera work is simple and effective, though sometimes (especially through the use of reflective surfaces) Won Tae-yeon creates some very poetic images. The acting is naturalistic for the most part and the most melodramatic scenes were far subtler than those I have seen in other examples of the genre. The music, while very much in the same style as other melodramas, is not used too often and some of the films most touching moments are played out in silence.

The first two acts of the film are a little slow as the story is set up and you learn about the three main characters, but when the third act hits you're pushed along on a tidal wave of emotion to the very end, where (depending on your personality) you may well emerge as a sobbing wreck.

Despite myself and my British stiff upper lip, I cried..... I cried more than once..... Ok, I cried about four or five times..... In all honesty at one point I wept like a school girl. I let myself be taken over by the film and thanks to the director there were no cheap tricks or obvious plot twists to knock me out of my emotional state. If you enjoy being manipulated by melodramatic movies, then this will be right up your street, but if you don't care for tragic romance then steer well clear.

You can find screening information over at The Hub of Sparkle. More than Blue is being shown with English subtitles in Myeong-dong, Ansan and Busan.

By the way, if you plan on seeing the movie avoid the trailer and 이승철's music videos as they are spoiler-filled....

A Small Confession And An Organic Porcini Pizza

I have a small confession to make. Despite spending over eight years in Seoul I have never really gotten to know Hongdae. I've been once or twice, sort of popping in and out to see friends or very, very occasionally go drinking. It's a little bit alien to me and for the first time, I found I had the opportunity to do a little exploring. After a wander round the area I feel guilty not to have spent more time here before and I'm determined to go back and explore all the nooks and crannies that Hongdae has to offer.

So after looking round I discovered this quaint little Italian restaurant called "Agio", the promise of "slow food" pulled me in and I was charmed by its romantic shoddiness.

If restaurants were plants, this one would be an overgrown old hedge, messy and scratched, but still beautiful in its own way.

The menu turned out to be completely 100% organic (the manager assured me that it was) and yet, while not a budget restaurant, the prices were still quite reasonable (9,000 to 15,000 won for a pasta). After much deliberation I decided to go for the "porcini & various mushroom pizza" (18,000 won plus tax) which promised wild porcini from Italy and fresh mozzarella cheese.

First impressions were good, a thin base, lots of mushrooms and shreds of basil, could it be a perfect pizza?

Not quite, but they're very close. The base was crisp, but tasted a little bland and the cheese was nothing special. However, the mushrooms were delightful. Pine, oak and porcini mushrooms working together in harmony to create the most wonderful flavours and textures. 

A very respectable attempt at a traditional Italian pizza, that's worth a go if you are in the area. Looking at their business card, it seems that they have branches in Hongdae, Jung-dong and Insadong. 

To get to the Hongdae branch take exit 5 out of Hongik University station. Walk straight till you get to VIPS then take a left and turn right opposite the small tourist information office. Walk down the street filled with small fashion shops and tarot cafes, past the Lush soap store until you reach a clothes shop called: Togut University. Turn left here and Agio is on the left hand side about a minutes walk up the road. You can call them on 02 334 7311. 

On a slightly different note, while I've been enjoying organic porcini pizza, Zenkimchi has been brave enough to try the latest creation from Pizza School. You can read all about his pasta topped pizza adventures here.

Korea's Oldest Animal Dies

Sad news, according to this JoongAng Daily article, "Giant", the oldest animal in Korea died yesterday at the age of 58.

This beautiful Asian elephant was one of the stars of Seoul Grand Park Zoo and came to Korea, from Thailand in 1955.

May he rest in peace.

Sparkling Ajosshi and the ESL Daily Korea Movie Listings

Well the fates have been kind to me and I have wound up with a new column on The Hub of Sparkle (Thanks guys!). I'll be trying to bring you complete weekly listings for all Korean films with English subtitles being shown around the peninsula. If you have any hot tips on screenings I may have missed then please contact me here or on The Hub of Sparkle and I'll get them out to the world.

After my first column this week I got a great link from Jim who runs the ESL Daily Korea Movie Times and Listings site. You can use their program to search for cinemas by region and it will come up with daily listings for the cinemas around that area. Clicking on the cinema will then take you through to a very handy map showing the location of the venue.

It's not quite perfect yet, but hopefully over the next two months Jim will be bringing us the first and as far as I know only english language cinema listing search engine for Korea!

Sometimes you really get what you ask for...

Sometimes what you see really is what you get. It doesn't happen so often, but this weekend I found myself receiving pretty much exactly what I asked for. I was visting the Arabian Restaurant in Itaewon, looking for something with a middle eastern flavour to satisfy my desire for sheep.

According to its Iraqi owner, the restaurant has been open about seven months and has both a Syrian and a Lebanese chef. The menu has three main features: lamb, chicken and rice. There are other little side dishes and menu items, but these three comrades make up the majority of the food served here.

The restaurant itself is quite dark and feels as if it used to be a night club, a flat screen tv played music videos from the arab world and there were framed photos of Iraq on the walls as well as the obligatory hookahs which seem to make their way into every even vaguely middle-eastern restaurant in Seoul.

I decided to go for the lamb biryani (13,000 won). I had seen its picture on the advertising outside the restaurant and it looked pleasing enough. The owner was kind enough to recommend some flat bread (1,000 won) to go with my meal. He was very friendly and the service was speedy.

First to come was a complimentary lentil and rice soup. It had a strong black pepper flavour with a hint of middle eastern spice. It reminded me a little of weak Korean rice porridge and was a pleasant enough way to start my lunch.

Next, the lamb biryani. Which looked almost identical to the picture outside the restaurant. I had been given exactly what I ordered, which is an improbable occurence in some of the restaurants I have frequented in the past. I have to commend the Arabian Restaurant for giving me exactly what was pictured, but there was a slight flaw to the dish. The lamb was quite tender and well seasoned and the rice, despite being a little too oily, was delicious, but that was it. 

Apart from the occasional sliver of green pepper skin, I could find neither hide nor hair of any other vegetable matter in the dish. So I was left with a very large mound of protein, oil and carbohydrate with nothing to combat the inevitable artery clogging and central obesity that this kind of meal brings with it. I don't find myself asking this question too often but: Where were the vegetables? No side salad? No wilting lettuce leaf or slice of watery tomato? Not even some juicy little raisins hiding among the grains of rice?

And then came the bread... It looked fairly ordinary, but was not very warm and quite hard to tear into. I was expecting a flat bread that was a little hotter and fluffier, but was disappointed in the end. Overall not the greatest middle eastern food in Itaewon (Ali Baba is a much better bet), but I did get exactly what I asked for...

The Arabian Restaurant it tucked in beside Kraze burger just past the Hard Rock Cafe near Itaewon station. You can call them on 02 798 1385.

Itaewon Juxtaposition

Wandering the streets of Itaewon yesterday I heard the clang of gong and beat of drum coming from somewhere up on high.

At the top of Hooker Hill, the Itaewonland Sauna was celebrating their reopening with a traditional parade.

As they trotted down Hooker Hill, I was struck by how in Itaewon, you can sometimes see the strangest things...

HDR photos processed with Photomatix.

Gwangju Ddeok-Galbi Battle

Just a few minutes walk from 송정리 (Songjeong-ri) station in 광주 (Gwangju) is a street filled with some of the most delicious food in Korea. 떡갈비 (Ddeok-Galbi) is the traditional Korean alternative to the burger. There may be no buns in sight, but the charcoal grilled minced meat patties are incredibly tasty and very moreish.

Every time we visit Gwangju I make a point of heading down to the 떡갈비 street if I have time and I fill up on this fantastic food. Last month through bad planning and coincidence I ended up going two days in a row to two different restaurants and I wanted to offer you an insight into the competitive world of minced meat.

The first night I went to 이조정통떡갈비. I've been here three or four times and have never been disappointed. The place looks a little shabby, but don't let the rundown feel deceive you. They produce top-notch food at a very reasonable price. 9,000 won gets you the 떡갈비 set, which starts off with a bowl of pork bone soup.

It's up to you to dig in with fingers or chopsticks and prise out the precious meaty jewels that are tucked into the ragged bones. It takes a little effort, but it is worth the struggle. Usually the bones at 이조 are very meaty, but the night I went they seemed a little lacklustre, with only a few globs of meat to feast on. Perhaps it was because I came alone, or perhaps it was bad luck, but certainly a disappointing start compared to other visits.

Though the meal got off to a rocky start, it soon got back on track with the arrival of the star of the show. The 떡갈비 here is a mixture of pork and beef and is beautifully grilled. The sweet sauce works well with the seasoned meat and leaves you wishing for another portion.

How you eat it is up to you, leaves are provided for the making of little green parcels and I recommend taking advantage of the raw garlic to give your 쌈 a real kick!

A bowl of rice will set you back 1,000 won or you can try out various 비빔밥 (Bibimbap) for 3,000 - 6,000 won.

You can call 이조정통떡갈비 on 062 944 9592. It's about the fourth restaurant down the street and is on the left hand side.

Onto the next night and the whole of our team from "Shadow Thief" made their way to 빛고을 떡갈비 명가.

It's right next to 이조정통떡갈비 and is much flashier. With two floors they've got space for much larger parties and we were able to have our own private room.

Once again we went for the 9,000 won 떡갈비 set and once again we were presented with bowls of pork bone soup.

These bowls were far superior to the previous night, large chunks of tender meat hung off the bones and the portion was much more generous. So far so good.

The 떡갈비 came out and looked delicious. A lot more saucy, these patties looked more manufactured than handmade.

They weren't quite as rough around the edges as the other restaurant and looked a little processed. Not to worry though they still tasted good... But not as good as 이조. There's a big difference between the two. For 9,000 won at 이조 you get a pork and beef patty, but for the same price at this place it's all pork. You have to fork out 17,000 won if you want the beef 떡갈비 experience. Such a shame. The combination of pork and beef is one of the things that gives this food its depth of flavour. When you just have a mouthful of pork, it's not the same, a shallower experience. I feel the same way with spaghetti bolognese, when you mix pork and beef together it lifts the dish to a whole different level.

As our theatre company was graciously footing the bill we all partook in a second course and got our pick of noodles and rice dishes.

I went for the 육회 비빔밥 (raw beef bibimbap - 6,000 won). It looked incredible and the beef seemed very fresh. 

Unfortunately the large amount of red pepper paste overwhelmed everything. I'm fine with spice and usually the bibimbaps I have are well seasoned with just the right amount of red gloop, but this one was spoilt by excess chili. 

You can call 빛고을 떡갈비 명가 on 062 944 6670.

So where to go? It has to be 이조정통떡갈비. Their 떡갈비 win on texture and flavour and their pork bone soup is usually spot on. They are also a lot friendlier and the intimate atmosphere of the restaurant adds to the enjoyment of your meal. While 빛고을 떡갈비 명가's presentation is superb, some of their preparation seems sloppy and their staff are to busy to give you much attention.

If you find yourself in the Gwangsan area of Gwangju then I hope you get a chance to try out one of Korea's tastiest dishes.