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Flaming Grilled Tteokgalbi At Dongmun Market On Jeju Island
I noticed this Tteokgalbi and cole slaw stall as I was walking around the market. There was a sizable line so my foodie assumption was that it was a must try! The allure of sizzling meat along with the sweet aroma of a bunch of different spices, certainly caught my attention.
When I peered at what was being grilled it literally just looked like a big grilled ball of meat. That “ball of meat” is known as Tteokgalbi in South Korea. It’s definitely not something I’d heard of before so I had to do some research on it.
Tteokgalbi is a Korean style meat patty with minced beef or pork. The marinade typically includes soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and brown sugar. This creates a flavorful, sweet and savory taste when combined with the meat. The brown sugar carmelizes when the meat is on the grill. The end result is a deliciously crispy and slightly charred outer layer.
Something that typically comes with the Tteokgalbi is a side of coleslaw. The coleslaw can be a mix of mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, and sugar. It contrasts nicely with the sweet and savory flavor of the meat and it’s sauce.
This particular Tteokgalbi had a couple of different types of sauce, the regular sauce and then a spicier version. I’m a big spice fan, so had to go with the spicy sauce.
The meat was a little crisp and charred on the outside. Smothered in sauce, the interior when you dig in is juicy and moist with great flavor.
It really reminds me of a Korean version of meatloaf. Just in a different sauce.
The ground pork mixture included some onion and green onion in it which adds some texture and additional flavor to the meat.
The cabbage was pretty heavy with mayonnaise. It was difficult to tell if there was anything additional in the dressing since all I could taste with each bite was mayonnaise. The dressing seemed simple but it was effective in melding a unique flavor with the meat and the meat sauce.
The combination of the heavy mayonnaise dressing with the crunch of the cabbage was actually quite tasty when eaten with a bite of the juicy meat and meatsauce.
This was a simple yet very comforting dish. It definitely conjured up fond memories of a souped up version of meatloaf.
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Sampling Jeju Island’s Famous Tangerine Juice At Dongmun Market
After enjoying food from the Lobster / Grilled Pork Roll and Abalone Butter Rice with Spicy Pork stall, I thought I could use a little breather from the food. Luckily for me there was an ideal stall selling tasty beverages in the same area.
One of the items that Jeju Island is famous for are their tangerines. Known for their high quality and delicious taste, the tangerines on Jeju Island are referred to as Hallabong. It’s a special hybrid fruit that originates from the island. The fruit is a cross between a kiyomi orange and a ponkan citrus fruit. The end result is a sweeter citrus fruit with a hint of tartness. It’s certainly something that Jeju Island takes pride in as you hear and see a lot about these tangerines.
I figured this was a good opportunity to take a break from the food and see if this well known fruit lived up to the hype.
At the stall I visited they make the juice to order right in front of you. Can’t ask for any fresher juice. The juice was ice cold and the first sip was certainly refreshing! It was a nice balance of sweet and tanginess. Very similar to a freshly squeezed cup of orange juice. At this point in the evening it was perfect to sip on after eating at a couple of the food stalls.
Moreover, it was nice to take a break, people watch, and enjoy the drink after a few salty dishes. Without a doubt it helped to wash the food down and prep me for some more delicious food.
By no means am I an orange juice connoisseur or anything, but I thought this was some refreshing and tasty OJ, er, tangerine juice.
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Dongmun Market On Jeju Island-Abalone Butter Rice With Spicy Pork
After a nice appetizer of lobster and grilled pork rolls, I made my way over to a stall I had mentally circled as a “must try”. This stall specialized in abalone butter rice with spicy pork which was prominently displayed in the front of the cart. It had my mouth watering as I walked by it and I couldn’t wait to give it a try.
By the time I made my way over to the stall there was a long line waiting for me. It was clearly one of the more popular stalls in the market place. Always a good indicator for tasty food!
While waiting in line, watching the cooks prep and work their craft was pretty mesmerizing to me. It’s certainly enjoyable to see the food cooked right in front of you. When there’s a limited menu, the cooks really know how to create everything on it perfectly. It certainly helped to pass the time while waiting in line!
When it was my time to order the choice was obvious: I had to go with the abalone butter rice with spicy pork.
It comes nicely packed in the container. The proportions are perfect.
I didn’t really taste any hint of abalone in the rice. But it was very buttery and seasoned with nori on the top. Simple and delicious.
A chili based sauce coated the pork bits which were cooked to perfection. Tender and juicy with melt in your mouth bits of fat thrown in for good measure. The sauce coats the meat well and is quite tasty. A little sweet, a little spicy, it has a nice kick to it but isn’t overly spicy.
There’s also some crunchy green veggies (similar to a green onion but crunchy) in the dish as well. Getting a spoonful of the pork, cruncy green veggie, and abalone butter rice, provided a mouthful of delicious flavors and textures with the veggies providing a nice crunch. While the dish didn’t appear particularly large, it actually contained a substantial amount of well-packed food.
The abalone rice and pork offers a unique and enjoyable combination of flavors, that I’d defintely recommend!
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Garlic Lobster and BBQ Pork Wrap at Dongmun Market on Jeju Island
Dongmun Market
Dongmun Market is an expansive and vibrant marketplace filled with an abundance of souvenir boutiques and culinary kiosks scattered throughout. Without a doubt it’s definitely a major attraction for tourists in Jeju City. I always have an entertaining time wandering through these lively markets. Exploring the different kiosks and sampling as much food as possible is always a lot of fun while traveling.
One of the entrances to Dongmun Market After about 45 minutes, I made my way to the area where all the food vendors were located. I did a lap of the area, making a mental note of the places I wanted to sample. Having a food plan is ALWAYS important to maximize stomach space, lol. A good rule of thumb to live by is the longer the line the better the food. Is it accurate? Who knows! But it makes deciding on what to get slightly easier for an indecisive foodie.
Garlic Lobster and BBQ Pork Wrap Stall
The first stall I stopped at was basically the first place you see as you enter the food court area. It’s impossible to overlook. Music is blaring, strobe lights flashing, and the chefs put on quite the show with their grilling prowess. Large plums of fire shoot up from the grills as they barbeque items like pork and lobster, among other items. It certainly provides entertainment while waiting in line for your food.
Google Translate failed me here, so the name of the stall remains a mystery. Lobster was clearly the dish they were pushing here though. I opted for the half garlic-infused lobster along with the pork wrap. This combination seemed to be a crowd favorite and certainly looked appetizing.
The lobster did seem like it had been prepared a bit in advance and wasn’t fresh off the grill. But nonetheless the lobster was brimming with sweetness. A generous amount of roasted garlic was ladled over the top which complemented the lobster’s natural sweetness . The lobster seemed like it had been sitting for a while and wasn’t right off the grill and was pretty small, but it was still a tasty dish with all the garlic sauce mixing well with the sweetness of the lobster meat. Although it was on the smaller side, the dish was certainly satisfying. I can only imagine what it tastes like right off the grill!
The pork wrap consisted of bbq pork wrapped around cabbage, rice and nori. A thick,sweet and slightly spicy sauce, was superbly drizzled on top. It’s a thicker sauce and really coats and sticks to the rolls very well. The pork had a delightful crispiness to it, coupled with a fantastic barbecue char and flavor. The cabbage provided a nice crunch with every bite. The sauce paired well with this dish and added to the flavor without overwhelming it. The smoky barbecue flavor of the pork still shines through all the other elements of the roll, which says a lot of about the pork. All in all, this was a very solid barbecue pork roll!
Undeniably, roaming around these areas is always a treat. Energy abounds, with skilled chefs showing off their culinary skills. The variety of distinct smells from the many different stalls always gets me excited to eat! One stall down, many more to come!
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Las Vegas Raiders |Allegiant Stadium Gameday Mandalay Walkway Experience | Stadium Food
First Impressions
Updated on after the 10/15/23 game against the Patriots!
Having been a lifelong Raiders fan visiting their new stadium in Las Vegas was definitely a top priority.
The stadium from the outside is all black with tinted windows. It’s extremely sleek and modern looking. The stadium itself is much more intimidating than the actual team it fields (at least for the most part of the past 20+ years, sadly).
Appropriately nicknamed the Death Star, it’s definitely one of the coolest stadium nicknames out there and certainly fitting.
View from the Mandalay walkway 
Right outside one the entrances Getting To The Stadium
Walking to the stadium is a great experience.
Getting to the stadium on foot is very easy and accessible if you’re visiting from out of town. Especially if you’re staying on the Las Vegas Strip. Even if you’re not staying on the Strip, you can simply get dropped off at Mandalay Bay. From there the walk over to the stadium will only take about 15-20 minutes.
If you choose to drive, parking is quite limited. Due to that, there’s limited tailgate opportunities from what I saw. I believe there’s a designated area for it.
To be honest, I’m not too sure how important tailgating is at the stadium when the Strip is right there. Obviously there’s a TON of places to eat, drink, watch the morning games, gamble, really do whatever. It offers a whole different kind of game day experience compared to other venues.
I got dropped off at New York New York, had a couple of drinks there, and then proceeded to Excalibur to catch the free tram to Mandalay Bay. This was around 11:00ish and there were already a ton of people cramming into the trams.
Once you get to Mandalay Bay there’s a ton of signs that help guide you through the casino to the stadium walkway.
Conveniently, it’s right next to the sports book. You can stop by and bet on the morning games or chill and watch them prior to the Raider game. Because it’s a Sunday and a Raiders home game, the sports book will be packed. You won’t find a seat if you aren’t there early. But it’s still cool to stand around and watch the games.
Once you’re ready to head over to the stadium the exit to the Hacienda Bridge leading to the stadium is literally right next to the sports book. It’ll take about 15-20 minutes to walk to the stadium. It’s definitely a fun game day experience since the bridge shuts down and fans stream across it to get there.
Start of the walk right outside of Mandalay Bay What makes the walk memorable is the palpbable sense of excitement amongst the crowd in anticipation of the game. You can really feel the energy in the air.
Getting into the stadium was quick and easy. The security lines were fast and efficient. It only took a few minutes to get through, which is always nice.
Inside The Stadium
Once inside, the interior of the stadium is really beautiful. Silver and black is everywhere, including the seats themselves. You can really feel the whole Raiders vibe and it’s wonderful if you’re a Raiders fan!
I didn’t get a chance to walk around and truly explore the stadium. That will have to wait until another visit.
Once comfortably in my seat I was able to take in the whole stadium and was truly a happy camper.
I was sitting on the Raiders sideline in the nosebleeds (second row from the very top) at the 30- yard line but really not THAT bad. I like having a bird’s eye view to be able to see plays unfold.
The Food
There’s a ton of food options available throughout the stadium as you might expect. I’ve been able to try a few and will update as I visit the stadium more.
Ferraro’s
I ended up getting a Ferraro’s sausage sandwich with peppers for a quick snack.
Ferraro’s sausage sandwich at Allegiant Stadium I wasn’t expecting much to be honest, but it actually turned out to be pretty decent.
The sausage had good flavor with a hint of spice. Peppers weren’t overly soft and had a little crunch to them. The bun was steamed and wasn’t dried out. This wasn’t the most amazing sausage sandwich ever but it was simple and tasty. Perfect for a sporting event food to go along with a beer.
Speaking of beer, the best part was that they sold the sausage sandwich at the beer cart. Definitely convenient!
Picanha Steak
As one might imagine, this stand in the 343 section sells Picanha items. Picanha is a cut of beef taken from the top of the rump apparently. I had zero idea what it was. I just saw grilled steak sandwiches and nachos. Both of which sounded delicious.
There are only three options here: the sandwich, nachos, and regular chips. I went with the sandwich and nachos which I split. The Picanha Sandwich which is served on a french roll with shaved spinach, chipotle aioli, and chimichurri ($17.99). The Picanha Nachos are served on tortilla chips with black beans, nacho cheese, chimichurri and chipotle aioli ($17.99).
The first thing you notice is that the sandwich isn’t all that big for the $. Not a ton of meat or veggies or chimichurri, which was disppointing. Nonetheless, it’s a pretty tasty sandwich. The steak tastes great. Very good flavor and meat is fairly tender.
The fresh spinach goes well with the meat and the chimichurri is good. The chipotle aioli comes on the side and you drizzle it over the top of the sandwich which adds additional flavor. The french roll wasn’t all that fresh. It seemed a little stale.
Taste wise, this is pretty satisfying. However, they really skimp on stuffing the sandwich full of goodies. I get the lack of meat but there could at least be more spinach and chimichurri to help compensate. This will leave you hungry by itself which shouldn’t be case for the price.
The nachos, much like the sandwich are pretty tiny both in size, toppings and chips. They’re pretty much glorifed stadium nachos with steak and some black beans with chipotle aioli mixed into it. The nachos themselves are pretty tasty. Mainly due to the steak. Otherwise they aren’t very noteworthy.
Pizza Rock
After splitting the sandwich and nachos my friend and I were both pretty hungry still. Luckily, there was a Pizza Rock near Picanha Steak.
They serve three different Sicilian slices here: Cheese, Double Pepperoni, and Veggie. We got the Double Pepperoni ($13.99)
The Sicilian square slices are a good size loaded up with pepperoni. This pizza is really, really good. The chef, Tony Gemignani is a well-known pizza chef. The quality and taste you’d expect from a famous chef has been upheld at the location in Allegiant Stadium. The sauce has fantastic flavor and the cheese is equally high quality. The dough is some of the best I’ve had. I wouldn’t expect that of stadium pizza. It’s light and doughy with some crispiness to it. Everything blends so well together. This is definitely an Allegiant Stadium food I’ll look forward to getting next time.
Exiting From The Game
Getting out of the stadium did take a little while. Being seated in the nosebleeds most likely contributed to this. I navigated an exit route with several flights of stairs that were crammed with people. Getting out of the stairwell back onto Hacienda Bridge took some time. But that was expected given it was a good game and not many people had left the stadium yet.
Even still, once you’re out of the stadium and on Hacienda Bridge you can go anywhere obviously. There’s no figuring out where you parked at or fighting the parking lot traffic to get back onto the freeway. It’s just another little perk to seeing a game in Vegas that’s minutes away from the nearest casino.
The Verdict
This is such a cool stadium. I may be biased as a Raiders fan, but the stadium is truly a sight to behold. The experience is so unique. With the stadium being a walk away from one of the most fun places on Earth with world class resorts and casinos right next door. I highly recommend catching a game here if your favorite NFL team is in town (there’s a TON of visiting fans that go to Vegas for games). You will definitely have a good time, regardless of the outcome of the game, you’re in Las Vegas after all!
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The Best Variety of Pancakes In Las Vegas – BabyStacks Cafe
Table of Contents
Why Come To BabyStacks Cafe?
Tired of the Strip in Vegas and looking for a nice breakfast break? Look no further than BabyStacks Cafe! This gem of a breakfast spot offers many, many, many, (did I mention MANY) different types of pancakes and…Filipino food!
BabyStacks Cafe is a very popular breakfast / brunch location on the weekends and since it’s a fairly small place, it can get quite busy.
The Menu
The first thing you notice here is the massive menu. The sheer number of breakfast items can easily overwhelm you. From the usual breakfast suspects – pancakes, french toast, omlettes – to more unique fusion like items ranging from Filipino (Adobo Fried rice) to Hawaiian (Loco Moco, Kalua Grilled Cheese). I loved the variety and diversity of the menu items.
Like I previously mentioned, there’s a TON of different types of pancakes. From Banana Cream pie, Carrot cake, S’mores, Mocha Chip, to many other unique flap jacks. There’s types of pancakes I’ve never seen on a menu before. If you’re a pancake fan, then this is the area of the menu that will certainly both grab and hold your attention.
Despite all the delicious and in some cases, strange sounding pancakes, I settled on Lolo Rick’s Adobo Fried Rice. I was pleasantly surprised, and excited, to find Filipino food on the menu and immediately focused my attention on the Adobo Fried Rice when I saw it. Chicken adobo, a Filipino staple, typically consists of chicken thighs cooked with soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and various spices. It’s a combination of savoury and sweet and is quite tasty. I’d never tried it in fried rice nor have it wrapped in a giant omlette so I was looking forward to it!
The Food
Lolo Rick’s Adobo Fried Rice – Massive amount of fried rice wrapped in a omlette like egg The fried rice itself had shredded chicken adobo and rice and it was all wrapped in an omlette style egg. This was a LOT of food that also comes with a side of nicely seasoned potatoes.
A massive adobo fried rice egg burrito 
The chicken was very tender, oozing with flavor, and the rice was soaked in adobo juice and really soaks up the flavor. Each bite is very flavorful with that familiar savoury and sweet flavor. The egg is light and fluffy and basically makes this a fried rice burrito wrapped in egg. If you’re a fan of the Japanese dish omurice, it’s comparable to that, or at least is the same concept with a different spin.
In search of more meat It’s a very filling and delicious meal. However, my one small gripe was that the rice to meat ratio wasn’t great. There was a lot of rice in this which becomes noticeable just because there’s nothing else in the fried rice besides the adobo.
My friend got the strawberry pancakes and let me sample. Topped with a generous dollop of whip cream and powder sugar with a side of strawberry syrup the pancake texture was fantastic. It was light and fluffy and the strawberries were sweet. I will definitely try to order a short stack of pancakes in order to try one of those unique types of pancakes that BabyStacks Cafe offers.
Strawberry pancakes! Overall, BabyStacks delivers with it’s massive menu and unique breakfast items. There’s literally something for everyone. The special items and pancakes, you just can’t find those at every ordinary breakfast / brunch kind of restaurant. It’s certainly worth a visit and the drive from the strip if you’re a foodie.
I can’t wait to come back on my next trip to Vegas to try some more delicious food!
Additional Info
BabyStacks Cafe has seven total locations with six in Las Vegas and one in Henderson.
Check out the menu and info about all the locations here! https://babystackscafe.com/
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SPICY PORK DUMPLINGS at Shinsegae Department Store Food Court in Busan
The Shinsegae Department store in Busan is a massive shopping center. I hungrily stumbled upon one of the food courts while cruising through the center near it’s closing time. It’s a shame that I found it when the department store was near closing.
The food court is HUGE. By the time I found it though most of the stalls were closed or cleaning up and closing for the night so it was slim pickings.
Fortunately, I was able to find a stall that had some dumplings. I purchased a few pork dumplings and some spicy pork dumplings.
The pork dumplings weren’t too bad but the meat filling to dough ratio was kind of lacking. It didn’t seem like there was enough filling in these. It didnt help that it was closing time and the dumplings had probably been sitting there for a decent amount of time so the fresheness factor wasn’t there either.
The filling itself had decent flavor but it was tinged with some sweetness. Not entirely sure where that was deriving from but I wasn’t a big fan of that kick. Overall the pork dumplings were decent but didn’t really stand out in any way.
The spicy pork dumpling was the same but was wrapped in a different dumpling wrapper. The spice was a pleasant surprise and had some kimchi in it which added a satisfying crunch to each bite.
Outside of that, the flavor was largely the same as the regular pork dumpling with that same small hint of sweetness. I enjoyed the spicy dumpling more than the regular one due to the spice and the crunch the kimchi added. It had a much better ratio of dumpling to filling as well.
I’d love to go back to the food court on the next visit to Busan just because there are so many options and it would be interesting to see the place bustling with hungry shopppers.
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KOREAN FRIED CHICKEN @ Gorilla Brewing Co in Busan, South Korea
I wanted to check out some local brewed beers in Busan and found Gorilla Brewing which sounded like it had a great of variety of beers on tap, which it did. I sampled a couple of the IPA’s, which were great and also put me in the mood for some fried chicken. Fortunately, fried chicken was on the menu with a couple of seasoning choices.
Gorilla Brewing Co Menu I went with the original since I just wanted plain fried chicken without any kind of sauce.
I have to say the orginal was the perfect choice. It was fried to perfection. Not oily at all. Every bite brought a very satisfying crunch. Lightly salted but very tasty. The meat was unbelievably moist.
I’m so used to fried chicken that is dripping oil and parts of the chicken being overly tough. That definitely wasn’t the case here. Probably the most moist fried chicken I’ve ever had. Served with a dipping sauce that is slightly sweet but not overly so, with a good spicy kick to it. It complemented the chicken well. The portions were amazing as well. This was a lot of chicken to work through.
If visiting Busan and craving some local brewed beers and tasty fried chicken, Gorilla Brewing is certainly worthy of a stop!
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SPICY Braised Mackeral stew in Busan, South Korea!
While walking around the Haeundae area in Busan, I stumbled upon an alley that was filled with various seafood restaurants. Taking a look at the menus, something that caught my eye was a spicy looking braised mackeral stew.
I hadn’t had it before but it looked delicious so I decided to give it a try!
One of the many tiny seafood restaurants in the area 
Braised mackeral stew! The dish comes out in a large bowl which is placed on the burner on the table and kept boiling hot. You then ladle yourself hearty servings of the delicious bubbly stew. The main dish is accompanied by a number of side dishes as well which is par for the course with any Korean meal. It’s a ton of food. There’s a good number of large, meaty chunks of mackeral in the stew.
The sauce is flavorful with a blend of different spices and is slightly spicy with a touch of sweetness, which I loved. The mackeral is tender, flaky, and really soaks up the flavor of the sauce.
Each bite is packed with flavor. The veggies in the stew also really soak up the sauce and add another texture to the dish as well.
Scooping some of the sauce along with a chunk of the mackeral and some veggies over rice was absolutely delicious and quite a comforting, filling meal.
Korean braised mackeral stew is definitely a dish that’s packed with flavor and is worth giving a try if traveling through South Korea!
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DELICIOUS DONUTS at Cafe Knotted, Busan, South Korea
Knotted is a popular donut chain in South Korea with many different types of uniques flavors in a cute cafe setting. This particular branch in Haeundae is quite new.
I definitely had a tough time choosing which ones to try since they all sounded so interesting. I went with the classic vanilla and the lemon sugar donuts. I wanted to get more but was still pretty full from a big lunch so had to settle for “just” two.
The donuts are so light and fluffy with sugar sprinkled over the outside. I could have eaten a couple more of them since they were so light to be honest. Looking back I’m disappointed I didn’t!
The donuts are chalk full of flavored vanilla and lemon cream. I was surprised after taking my first bite. Sweet, rich, and very flavorful, the vanilla and lemon cream filling were very satisfying.
Something else that makes the donuts so delicious is that they aren’t overly sweet, which it being a donut filled with flavored cream you would think it would be VERY sweet but it’s not at all.
I would definitely recommend stopping by and giving Knotted a try if you come across it during your travels through South Korea for some unique flavored donuts!
