Oh Mandu we love you

Chinese

Yesterday we arrived home from work to a special delivery of mandu from Oh Mandu in Cheonan. They are a small home business that just started up a few weeks ago. They specialize in small batch, hand-made, traditional and unique mandu flavors. They currently offer Chinese, vegetarian, and Mexican flavors but have others they are working to perfect. They are very new so it's an exciting time to try them. I love ordering from new ventures like this because it's like going on a taste adventure.

Since we were way to busy to coordinate a pickup and drop-off, Oh Mandu was wonderful enough to accommodate us by shipping ours to us. Since we are fine with paying a bit of shipping fee to have quality food like this arrive like magic at our home, this system worked great for us. The order came packaged in a Styrofoam box with ice pouch. So easy. So worth it. (Shipping prices vary base on order size.)

Honestly, we had no idea what to expect. Random person starts making mandu in their kitchen and selling them, anything could happen. We never let that bother us though and we jumped in with booth feet. We cooked up 5 Chinese and 5 vegetarian mandu straight away.

Although Oh Mandu recommend using a microwave to warm the mandu, we don't own one and instead prefer traditional ways of reheating so we created a makeshift steamer. We steamed for around 3 minutes each (rough guess) and figured we had probably ruined them completely, but we hadn't! They came out like little dreamy clouds of deliciousness. They just melted in our mouths. So friggen good. We ate them until we could barely move. So much having them for snacks later.

Vegetarian

We our favorite was by far the Chinese Mandu, although the vegetarian was still very good. It just didn't pop like in quite the same way. Still, if I was vegetarian I would be ordering these Mandu constantly. Honestly, so friggen good. We were just seduced by the meaty goodness in the Chinese version.

We still need to try the Mexican mandu. It's at home calling our name in the freezer. After we eat it up we will definitely be putting in an order for more. Goodbye e-mart mandu and hello Oh Mandu.

If you would like to give Oh Mandu a try just you can find them on FB at Oh Mandu where you can place an order, like their page, and leave a review.  Please keep in mind this is a small, family owned mico business just starting out. If they make mistakes be kind. Give them healthy feedback for improving their systems and offer solutions when you can. We had a great experience, but we always like to remind people that small businesses have growing pains and responsive consumers can help them move through them and grow into something wonderful.

And - of course - Happy eating.

5 Best Bars in Bijeon2dong

Bijeon2dong is on the rise and is now easily the hippest place in the city to go out on a Friday night.  New bars are opening here each month and right now these are the top 5 sexiest choices for grabbing beverage in Bijeon2dong.

All of these locations have been entered into the app and await your reviews. We don't include the addresses in the blog because addresses in this area don't work correctly yet, especial in Google. Instead we have WAZE Navigation that will open directly from the app and take you straight there. Parking can be a hassle so either park in a garage or double check to make sure there are no CCTV cameras to give you tickets. Also, if you do drive, don't drive drunk. Taxis in Korea are plenty affordable.

Buses to this area include the: 1-1, 10, 5, 7-1, 15, 999, 6, 91

Where Craft Beer Market makes the magic happen.

Craft Beer Market
This is the place with the most heart for beer. They have setup their own micro-brewery while also selling craft brew favorites from around the country and abroad. These guys have a real passion for beer. Since home brewing is still relatively new to the country I'm sure they will have hits and misses, but it's so fun to be part of the adventure.

So many taps at 4 Frost, so little time.

4Frost
A hip couple runs this super-hip little bar with a great view and a smooth vibe. Excellent place for a date night. A classy option for a night out on the town. With a wide variety of craft taps, great views, and a lovely menu it's the perfect place to talk all night.

They manage to make outdoors romantic in summer and winter.

1987 Rooftop Lounge
If you are looking for the sexiest place in town to grab a cocktail, you have found it. This is a must place to take your next date or girls night out. All kinds of snacks and sexy cocktails to sip while taking in the views of Pyeongtaek.

No stairs or elevators required for Daily Beer.

Daily Beer
One of the few street level options, their beer selection is limited but consists of safe comfortable classics. An excellent place to grab a drink while you wait for your movie to start. It might not be where you hangout all night, but it is the easiest place to duck in and wet the whistle.

Who doesn't want to drink all the drinks with this view?

Iron Beer
When you and the crew are looking for a big space with plenty of room and a fantastic balcony, go here. They have shots, pub games, and space. It's not really great for a date, but THE best place for large groups out to have a great time.

IMPORTANT: For those new to Pyeongtaek. ALWAYS use WAZE Navigation when visiting Bijeon2dong. Since this is a new neighborhood no addresses work in maps. Our WAZE links work off of latitude and longitude so they will get you there.)

For address and WAZE directions to anything on this blog download the South of Seoul App from either Google Play or Apple App Store. 

Why we do this:

We made the app to accompany the blog because it's easier to keep update with current information. In the past we've tried keeping the information on the blog but it's too hard for us to maintain the information in two places at once over time. Since we compile and write blogs around a full time jobs without compensation, we need to do it the most efficient way possible with as few steps as possible.