Old School Graffitti

Down in the back alleys of Itaewon the Hip Hop Nation carries on in a rather wild style...

Ragu Bianco

A rather tasty bowl of "spaghetti al ragu bianco": minced pork and chicken in a cream sauce. 18,000 won at CasAntonio in Itaewon. Visit their website here or head down to Itaewon and take the road opposite the fire station. CasAntontio is on the right hand side next to Helios.

Notalial. Act

If you're going to offer translation then you should probably check the spelling on your signs. Nobody wants to hire a Notaly.

Cruel and Unusual Punishment

Found by some steps in the back alleys of Itaewon near McDonalds the sign reads "햄버거 버리면" which roughly translates as "if you throw your hamburger away..."

The citizens of Itaewon deal with litter bugs in the harshest of ways.

Neighbourhood Development

Down near our apartment they're making way for a new road and are in the process of tearing down a number of buildings.



I thought the destruction made for some interesting shots.



Staircases starting in mid-air and leading to nowhere hold a certain tragic romance for me.



To see structures ripped bare, their guts on diplay seems almost pornographic in an architectural sort of a way.



The familiar becomes strange and the memory of what once was is somehow tainted.

Itaewon is changing rapidly and I worry that some of its crumbly rugged old charms will be lost.

Traditional Alcoholic Delights

I was contacted by Susubori Academy (along with a number of other bloggers I suspect) to see if I would help them get the word out about their new English language booze making program.

They're sponsored by Kyunggi University and FACT (농업기술실용화재단) and are offering a two week mini course in English for those who want to learn how to make a traditional Korean liquor called Samyangju.

You can find info on dates, location and what to expect here, and you can email them at info@susubori.ac.kr. 4 classes cost 50,00o won and you'll get to take your own booze home.

I'd take the classes if I had the time, but instead I'm off to the UK where I shall be sampling the traditional alcohols of my home country...

Care to Shop Here?

This rather scary looking ajosshi is advertising second hand clothes in Itaewon. It seems like an innocent case of transvestism at first glance, but then you notice where his left hand is going...

Alleyway Pizzas

I have been hearing about The Pizza Peel for a while now. They opened back in May and the idea of reasonably priced well made pizza is always appealing. I knew that they were somewhere around McDonalds in Itaewon, but had never stumbled upon them until today.



The restaurant is small and simple. No frills, no whistles, no bells, just a beautiful looking pizza oven and a Canadian chef waiting to take your order. The menu is straightforward: a variety of pizzas with the option to choose your own toppings if you wish. I decided to go for the Supreme at 15,000 won.



The small open kitchen allows you to watch chef David Laukner at work and the gas fired pizza oven cooks your meal very quickly. Exactly two minutes in the extreme heat and your dough based dish is ready to be served.

The food, like the decor, is not fancy, but it does taste good. A crispy thin crust with plenty of flavourful toppings, this is good pizza and unlike most franchises in Korea you won't find rivers of grease left on your plate.

The Pizza Peel offers a great alternative to expensive Italian joints and greasy franchises like Pizza School. To get there head towards Noksapyeong from Itaewon station and turn left just past Rotiboy. The restaurant is on the right hand side of the alley. You can visit their facebook page here or call them on 02 795 3283.

A Rare Sight

Something you don't see too often these days. Taco Bell without a queue.

Pretty Banner... Shame About The Words

A little piece of me dies inside each time I see this slogan. If Visit Korea can get it right on their website, then why can't Itaewon print some grammatically correct signs?