I am leaving Korea today (Sunday), but having been here since Thursday, it took me until Saturday to finally get pizza. After arriving on Thursday, I spent the evening with Chris Deviney, Don Liuzzi and two local Korean musicians, Ed Choi and Brian ?. Ed is the principal percussionist for the Seoul Philharmonic and Brian is a percussionist in the Civic orchestra here in Seoul. We had a wonderful Korean BBQ that they treated us to. I told them about my pizza blog and Ed informed me that the best place he knew of was a place called Sortino's that was owned by an Italian Canadian.
So on Friday afternoon (that being pizza day), I took the subway to Itaewon to Sortino's. Fortunately I remembered the number for the pizza place because I would have never found it on my own. I finally arrived there at 3:45 after a certain amount of confusion. Unfortunately they were closed until 5:30, and I had a concert later that evening so no pizza. HUGE disappointment!!!!So I went hungry to the concert. To my surprise, the presenters brought some food to the hall that we could munch on. They didn't bring pizza, but they did bring some baked ziti and meatballs. A Korean woman made it for us. I was shocked! It was better than most restaurants back in Philly. I'm tough, so coming from me that's a huge complement. Most people would never even think to ever attempt making Korean food, so my hats off to her for making my day.
Well I did make it to Sortino's for lunch on Saturday with Ed and Chris. And here are the results:
Cheese 6/8
Crust 7/8
Excellent, best so far
Sauce 5/8 A little on the pasty side
Presentation 7/8
Overall 6/8
Ed was right, this was truly a good pizza. (Not to mention, the antipasta was also very good.) This was pizza I could eat regularly. It really had the potential to be amazing had the sauce just been a little lighter and sweeter. The size was generous. Those guys only ate half their pizza. I, of course, ate the entire thing, plus the rest of their pizzas later that night.
There was another place across the street that I would have liked to try, but I ran out of time. On to Beijing, Iam really curious to see what I find there.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
5/31 - Such a short stay in Seoul
i can't believe it's already our last day in korea. it feels like we just got here but we also did so much. pauline, julie and i had lots of plans today, especially since the weather was so nice, but ended up not doing very much before dinner. thankfully, julie was able to do my laundry at her place (which should get me through the rest of the tour). but other than that, we just took it easy. pauline briefly met up w/ a high school friend in the morning so i caught up on this blog while watching the celtics beat the pistons to get into the nba finals.
for dinner, my uncle, (dad's younger brother) who is a piano professor in korea, held a dinner for our family at bellagio (restaurant attached to sejong hall). we had such a great time talking and laughing and the food was excellent. i realize how rare this kind of meeting is and i'm not sure when we will be able to get together like this again.
tonight's concert was another great program. we started off w/ bernstein's candide overture followed by mozart's sinfonia concertante w/ juliette kang (first associate concertmaster) and cj chang (principal violist). julie and cj sounded so good together and as always, the candide was a lot of fun. we played shostakovich symphony #5 in the 2nd half and tonight's audience seemed even louder and more excited despite the smaller size (probably due to the demonstrations which i will talk about later). it was so surreal to be playing here in seoul w/ my entire family watching (as well as about 100 friends).
this is after about 20 people had already left since they had to catch the last train to taegu (about 150 miles away)
such a rare and memorable occasion for our family
my family meets maestro eschenbach
after the concert, we went to my uncle's apartment for dessert. there, the fun continued as we took tons of pictures (i think there were 4 cameras going at the same time), laughed a lot and ate a delicious cake one of my cousins brought as a gift. on the way, we saw tons of policemen (there was even a barricade of them right in front of my uncle's building). for the past few days, there have been protests throughout the city. at one point, there were about 40,000 people in the city hall plaza nearby our hotel. due to all of this, there have been some delays when taking buses from our hotel to the hall and back. walking has been the best option although there are huge crowds all over the place which slows things down. the hardest thing has been trying to get taxis in our area since many roads have been closed. it took my parents almost an hour to get from their hotel to the restaurant/hall.
one of the many police barricades - thankfully, they let us through
hanging out @ uncle tony's after the concert
wish we weren't leaving tomorrow. i'm so thankful my entire family could share this memorable experience all together and already am looking forward to playing here again (and eating the food!).
for dinner, my uncle, (dad's younger brother) who is a piano professor in korea, held a dinner for our family at bellagio (restaurant attached to sejong hall). we had such a great time talking and laughing and the food was excellent. i realize how rare this kind of meeting is and i'm not sure when we will be able to get together like this again.
tonight's concert was another great program. we started off w/ bernstein's candide overture followed by mozart's sinfonia concertante w/ juliette kang (first associate concertmaster) and cj chang (principal violist). julie and cj sounded so good together and as always, the candide was a lot of fun. we played shostakovich symphony #5 in the 2nd half and tonight's audience seemed even louder and more excited despite the smaller size (probably due to the demonstrations which i will talk about later). it was so surreal to be playing here in seoul w/ my entire family watching (as well as about 100 friends).
this is after about 20 people had already left since they had to catch the last train to taegu (about 150 miles away)
such a rare and memorable occasion for our family
my family meets maestro eschenbach
after the concert, we went to my uncle's apartment for dessert. there, the fun continued as we took tons of pictures (i think there were 4 cameras going at the same time), laughed a lot and ate a delicious cake one of my cousins brought as a gift. on the way, we saw tons of policemen (there was even a barricade of them right in front of my uncle's building). for the past few days, there have been protests throughout the city. at one point, there were about 40,000 people in the city hall plaza nearby our hotel. due to all of this, there have been some delays when taking buses from our hotel to the hall and back. walking has been the best option although there are huge crowds all over the place which slows things down. the hardest thing has been trying to get taxis in our area since many roads have been closed. it took my parents almost an hour to get from their hotel to the restaurant/hall.
one of the many police barricades - thankfully, they let us through
hanging out @ uncle tony's after the concert
wish we weren't leaving tomorrow. i'm so thankful my entire family could share this memorable experience all together and already am looking forward to playing here again (and eating the food!).
Friday, May 30, 2008
5/30 - Sejong, Sookmyung and Subway
thankfully, the weather has been very nice in seoul so i opted to walk to the morning rehearsal at sejong performing arts center. during the rehearsal, pauline met julie at sookmyung women's university where she is teaching. after rehearsal, i headed to sookmyung as well to check out the campus and her office.
sookmyung campus
julie's office
it was cool to see where my sister has been working and the campus was beautiful. we had dinner plans w/ an old family friend before the concert so we went back to get ready. he took our family to the best naeng myun (cold buckwheat noodles) place in myung dong (the area we are staying at). it was sooooo good. i wanted to keep eating but didn't think it would be a very good idea to go overboard right before the concert. he told us that myung dong is like the expensive ginza section of tokyo. offically, 36 square feet of commercial space costs around $600,000! pretty crazy.
the best naeng myun!
on a side note, the subway system in seoul is also pretty good (like tokyo). it's so easy to get where you need to go. at times, it can be a little jerky though.
tonight's concert was very meaningful since my entire family could be there. several more old family friends were able to come as well as some of pauline's college friends. it was an evening of 6th symphonies w/ the beethoven in the 1st half and tchaikovsky in the 2nd and was such a great program to play. i had a lot of fun and felt the audience really got into it.
banner outside of sejong hall
sookmyung campus
julie's office
it was cool to see where my sister has been working and the campus was beautiful. we had dinner plans w/ an old family friend before the concert so we went back to get ready. he took our family to the best naeng myun (cold buckwheat noodles) place in myung dong (the area we are staying at). it was sooooo good. i wanted to keep eating but didn't think it would be a very good idea to go overboard right before the concert. he told us that myung dong is like the expensive ginza section of tokyo. offically, 36 square feet of commercial space costs around $600,000! pretty crazy.
the best naeng myun!
on a side note, the subway system in seoul is also pretty good (like tokyo). it's so easy to get where you need to go. at times, it can be a little jerky though.
tonight's concert was very meaningful since my entire family could be there. several more old family friends were able to come as well as some of pauline's college friends. it was an evening of 6th symphonies w/ the beethoven in the 1st half and tchaikovsky in the 2nd and was such a great program to play. i had a lot of fun and felt the audience really got into it.
banner outside of sejong hall
5/29 - Food, Family and Fun in Seoul
a big reason i am able to pack lightly when going on tour is that i don't have to put my tails and other concert dress in my suitcase because the orchestra brings wardrobe trunks for us to put those in. w/ this extra space, i usually pack a suit (in case of a formal event), dress shoes, extra socks/t-shirts and this time, put a few of pauline's dresses in there. unfortunately, i forgot we wouldn't have access to these trunks until 3 p.m. and i needed my suit while pauline needed one of her dresses for a big family lunch. pauline had some dressy things she could wear but i only had a pair of jeans and shorts. so we rushed next door to the lotte department store and i was able to get some slacks (and have them altered) in 20 minutes! my dad had an extra shirt and tie so i was all set.
this being the first time both of us are in korea since getting married, my mom wanted to have some kind of post-wedding reception/lunch for our relatives who could not attend. about 15 of us gathered and had a wonderful time catching up and it was nice that pauline could meet them all.
since we had dinner plans in nearby insa-dong, we decided to just hang out and rest in our hotel. people took turns taking naps while i ran over to get some ppad bing soo (red bean shaved ice - it's better than it sounds) and chocolate covered green tea ice cream bars - mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!
we left for insa-dong at around 5 and met up w/ my sister julie there. if you ever get a chance to come to seoul, this is an area you have to visit. although it's very touristy, there are so many cool things to see, eat and buy here. we went to a restaurant well-known for their jeon (fried pancakes - not for breakfast but more like the ones we had in japan). we also had some dol sot bibimbop (fried rice in a stone pot) and lots of bahn chahn (the many tasty side dishes). afterwards, we walked around the stores and took many pictures, some sillier than others. here are just a few.
he is pounding a batch of dduk (sticky rice cake) to soften it
they even let pauline try
julie may have found a new calling while putting that guy out of a job
catching a big break and landing a magazine cover! basically being a ham.
now you can see where i got it from
the ham's..... errr.... i mean, han's!
this being the first time both of us are in korea since getting married, my mom wanted to have some kind of post-wedding reception/lunch for our relatives who could not attend. about 15 of us gathered and had a wonderful time catching up and it was nice that pauline could meet them all.
since we had dinner plans in nearby insa-dong, we decided to just hang out and rest in our hotel. people took turns taking naps while i ran over to get some ppad bing soo (red bean shaved ice - it's better than it sounds) and chocolate covered green tea ice cream bars - mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!
we left for insa-dong at around 5 and met up w/ my sister julie there. if you ever get a chance to come to seoul, this is an area you have to visit. although it's very touristy, there are so many cool things to see, eat and buy here. we went to a restaurant well-known for their jeon (fried pancakes - not for breakfast but more like the ones we had in japan). we also had some dol sot bibimbop (fried rice in a stone pot) and lots of bahn chahn (the many tasty side dishes). afterwards, we walked around the stores and took many pictures, some sillier than others. here are just a few.
he is pounding a batch of dduk (sticky rice cake) to soften it
they even let pauline try
julie may have found a new calling while putting that guy out of a job
catching a big break and landing a magazine cover! basically being a ham.
now you can see where i got it from
the ham's..... errr.... i mean, han's!
5/28 - Tokyo to Seoul
after saying bye to our friends, pauline and i headed to narita airport via taxi and keisei skyliner (train). since we were not flying w/ the rest of the orchestra, we got to the airport a bit earlier and had our final meal in japan. pauline had udon and i had ramen (of course).
we got to seoul a little before the orchestra but once they arrived, we had a bit of trouble actually getting on our buses to the hotel since the airport police wouldn't let us stop anywhere to load. our touring manager, julie kim (who by the way is doing an amazing job), did everything she possibly could to change their minds but they would not budge.
walking to our buses at the airport
as our buses pulled into lotte hotel, we were greeted by my parents who were waiting for us. soon after, my sister julie met us in the lobby and from there, we went to her church to attend a wednesday night service. it was great to finally meet many of her friends i had heard so much about.
afterwards, we went to my parents' hotel to meet up w/ my aunt grace (dad's younger sister) who is in town to take care of some things. we decided to go to a nearby restaurant to eat and just hang out. by the time we finished, it was pretty late so we caught a taxi, dropped my sister off at her place and headed back to our hotel.
thankfully, tomorrow is a free day but we have lots of plans, including a lunch w/ many relatives and dinner in insa dong, a very famous (and touristy) area of seoul.
we got to seoul a little before the orchestra but once they arrived, we had a bit of trouble actually getting on our buses to the hotel since the airport police wouldn't let us stop anywhere to load. our touring manager, julie kim (who by the way is doing an amazing job), did everything she possibly could to change their minds but they would not budge.
walking to our buses at the airport
as our buses pulled into lotte hotel, we were greeted by my parents who were waiting for us. soon after, my sister julie met us in the lobby and from there, we went to her church to attend a wednesday night service. it was great to finally meet many of her friends i had heard so much about.
afterwards, we went to my parents' hotel to meet up w/ my aunt grace (dad's younger sister) who is in town to take care of some things. we decided to go to a nearby restaurant to eat and just hang out. by the time we finished, it was pretty late so we caught a taxi, dropped my sister off at her place and headed back to our hotel.
thankfully, tomorrow is a free day but we have lots of plans, including a lunch w/ many relatives and dinner in insa dong, a very famous (and touristy) area of seoul.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Last try for pizza in Japan
After a travel day yesterday from Osaka back to Tokyo (and good sushi last night), I thought I would give Tokyo one more chance at pizza. When I went to the first restaurant in Tokyo (Pizza Maruma ), I noticed a second pizza place right across the street. So after today's victorious triumph against the Tokyo Symphony in baseball (we scored almost as many runs (16) as the Phillies (20!!!!), I was hungry for pizza and went to Palermo's for lunch for yet another margherita pizza.
For just a little less than ten dollars, I got yet again a small pizza and an even smaller salad. And here are the results:
Crust 6/8 It better be good, because most of the pizza was crust.
Sauce 4/8 Barely any.
Cheese 4/8 Average is all I can say
Presentation 2/8 Picture a donut with the cheese and sauce where the hole is located. That was my pizza.
Overall 3/8
In order to get the pizza effect, I wound up taking bites of the middle and immediately eating the crust so that I was not just eating bread at the end. Now I know why the waitress brought olive oil with the pizza... to put on the leftover crust. Weird thing is that I was more full after this tiny pizza. I guess it was the plentiful crust.
Well tomorrow we are out of here and on to our next stop. Sayonara small pizza I hope. Bring it on Korea. Let's see what you got!!!
For just a little less than ten dollars, I got yet again a small pizza and an even smaller salad. And here are the results:
Crust 6/8 It better be good, because most of the pizza was crust.
Sauce 4/8 Barely any.
Cheese 4/8 Average is all I can say
Presentation 2/8 Picture a donut with the cheese and sauce where the hole is located. That was my pizza.
Overall 3/8
In order to get the pizza effect, I wound up taking bites of the middle and immediately eating the crust so that I was not just eating bread at the end. Now I know why the waitress brought olive oil with the pizza... to put on the leftover crust. Weird thing is that I was more full after this tiny pizza. I guess it was the plentiful crust.
Well tomorrow we are out of here and on to our next stop. Sayonara small pizza I hope. Bring it on Korea. Let's see what you got!!!
5/27 - Firebirds Fight Back
thankfully, i am still able to wake up relatively early here w/out too much trouble (which is never the case back home). this time, the baseball game against the tokyo symphony was being held a bit closer so pauline and i went directly from our friends' house at around 8 a.m.
we arrived soon after the rest of our team and after a brief warm-up, started playing. although we struck first w/ a run in the 1st inning, they held us scoreless for the next 3 innings while racking up a 7-1 lead. it was starting to look bad when all of a sudden, we broke it open w/ a 9 run 5th and 8 run 6th. in the end, your philadelphia orchestra firebirds clawed back for an 18-7 victory.
from there, pauline and i took the train to the kinshicho stop where we had a quick lunch, curry and tonkatsu (fried pork cutlet) and went souvenir shopping at a huge hyaku yen (100 yen or dollar store). this is not like your average dollar store back in the states. there are so many cool and unique things you can find and we ended up getting a ton of great gadgets and gifts for our family and friends back home. then we headed back to our friends' place so i could shower and then go back out for the concert.
although the subway system here is quite extensive, they make it so easy to follow and get around. every day we have been going back and forth all over the city and not once have we gotten lost.
it was great to see some familiar faces out in the audience at suntory hall. several of our donors arrived yesterday to cheer us on. they will be w/ us in korea and china as well. it was nice to chat w/ them backstage during intermission and at the end of the concert. i know they were pretty jet-lagged but they all looked great and i'm glad they could be here.
i was kind of sad to play tonight's concert as it marked the end of our time in japan. tonight, we played the britten again w/ midori and then schubert's "great" symphony. i think it went very well and we ended w/ 2 encores by strauss.
when i got back home, my friends and i ate the okonomiyaki we brought from osaka and some other snacks. there are so many good things to eat here. this is a picture of coolish, the amazing frozen smoothie.
we played another round of nertz before going to bed. i will miss our friends but hope to see them again soon either in the states or when we come back to tokyo.
we're off to korea tomorrow where my parents, sister, other relatives and friends await. it is going to be another food fest! can't wait.....
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