Week of Fish Day Five

This sneaky Blemy camouflages itself well amongst the rocks and weeds.

Mutton Beer Hope

If I had a mantra, I feel that this might be it. Found in the Russian quarter near Shanghai Street in Busan.

Week of Fish Day Four

Rays at play. These cheeky little youngsters were having a whale of a time in their small tank.

Haeundae Beach Blues

I remember the first time I went to Haeundae beach in Busan. I was stunned by the number of umbrellas. Hundreds, thousands of them. A sea of parasols.

Week of Fish Day Three

This ferocious looking King Crab may look scary now, but if you head to one of the fantastic crab restaurants on the east coast you'll discover him to be as tasty a crustacean as you could wish for.

Moon Scrapers

The Arpina Youth Hostel has surprisingly good views of the many unfinished skyscrapers of Busan from its rooms...

Week of Fish Day Two

Not to be confused with the Sea Horse, this is actually a Sea Dragon, though its fire breathing capabilities are limited.

The Best Damn Fried Dumplings in Korea

Down by Busan station at the entrance to Shanghai Street lies 홍성방. This rather ordinary looking Chinese restaurant is a secret dumpling paradise that is well worth a visit.

The menu has the usual Korean Chinese standards, but it's the 군만두 (fried dumplings) for 5,000 won that should be the highest priority.

Wait. There's something I have to confess: I have a passion for Chinese dumplings.

When I was a boy, heading to the Paddyfield's restaurant in Oxford for dimsum lunches on a Saturday was the ultimate foodie treat. The promise of crispy, chewy ginger filled meat parcels was almost too much for my young heart to bear.

My dumpling obsession continued with visits to Chinatown in Yokohama when I was a teenager and then Chinese restaurants in London when I was a student; but when I came to Korea things changed.

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Korean Chinese dumplings. I love 찐만두 (steamed dumplings) and 물만두 (boiled dumplings) as much as the next man, but 군만두 are almost always disappointing. They look great, but the first bite belies their appearance. Over the years I've come to accept fried dumpling disappointment as par for the course, but things have changed thanks to 홍성방.

So, back to these delicious dumplings. They look exquisite, they're perfectly crispy on the outside, but when you bite into them something special happens. After the initial crunch there is the most satisfying of chews. Thanks to a very special recipe the dumpling skins provides an incredible sensation in your mouth: A brittle stickiness that is enhanced from the fragrant ginger coming from the meaty filling. 5,000 won buys you a little plate of Busan dumpling heaven and you'd be a fool to miss out.

The 찐만두 (5,000 won) are also very good, but they lack the satisfying crunch of the fried dumplings.

The 짜장면 (black bean noodles for 4,000 won) is better than most places, the black bean sauce tastes of home rather than a factory, with hints of honey lying in the dark noodle depths.

However, it is the fried dumplings that are the ultimate draw to this restaurant and thanks to the skills of their Taiwanese chef, they provide (in my opinion) the best damned fried dumplings in the whole of the peninsula.

Plus as an added bonus for Park Chan-wook fans, the restaurant was used as one of the locations for Oldboy. I'm sure Oh Dae-su would recognize these dumplings straight away.

To get to this delicious little place head down to Busan subway station exit 1 and make your way to the entrance of Shanghai street. The restaurant is on the left hand side of the gate. You can call them on 051 467 3682.

Week of Fish Day One

Hello and welcome to my rather inaccurately named "Week of Fish" (warning - some posts may contain crustaceans or other strange inverterbrates).

Whenever I go to Busan, I usually end up spending a couple of hours at the Haeundae aquarium. So over the next seven days I'd like to bring you my favourite photos of my fishy friends from this latest visit.

First up the beautiful Zebra Moray Eel. Fairly cute compared to some of its cousins...

Anna Bini

The basement of "THE WORLD'S LARGEST DEPARTMENT STORE" may hold some cheap tasty treats, but it's the ninth floor where more serious eaters lurk. Alongside the Macaroni Market Grill and some pricey Korean restaurants is the Anna Bini Trattoria.

It's a small square shaped restaurant with the Kitchen placed at the centre, so it feels as if you're eating in a delicate glass sided alleyway. It's not unpleasant, but the place does have a slightly odd feel.

The food is not cheap (you're looking at almost 20,000 won for a plate of pasta), but if you have a hankering for Italian nosh and your money is burning a hole in your wallet then you may as well head here.

I opted for the spaghetti alla gorgonzola con filetto di manzo grigliata (sauteed beef and cream spaghetti with gorgonzola cheese) for 19.500 won as well as a plate of fritti misto (deep fried seafood) for 15,800 won.

While waiting for the dishes to arrive, we were served a rather odd bread hot plate. A selection of different breads with the addition of a small potato and a slice of purple corn. It's certainly not something I've seen before in an Italian restaurant, but the odd combination worked well and the parsley dipping oil provided was delicious.

The crispy insects and inverterbrates of the sea came out first and were perfectly cooked and delightfully crispy on the outside. A modest portion for the price, but tasty enough.

Next, the main event. Overcooked beef can often be a let down with this dish, but the bite sized morsels of steak were still beautifully bloody and the rich gorgonzola cream sauce was far better than most Korean Italian offerings. Plenty of mushrooms, plenty of steak, a well made plate of pasta that's bound to satisfy.

Not everything about the restaurant is perfect, some of their english translations could lead to great confusion...

To get the Anna Bini Trattoria head to the Shinsaegae Department Store at Centum City Station in Busan and go up to the ninth floor. You can call them on 051 745 1953 or visit their website here.