Mr. Pizza: Korea meets LA

I never actually tried Mr. Pizza during my previous visits to Korea, but was invited to celebrate a friend's birthday here in LA not too long ago.  I was very curious to see what this Korean Pizza Hut-like restaurant was all about!  I have actually tried both of their branches in LA: in Koreatown and Little Tokyo.  All the servers were male, about 180cm, exceptionally fashion conscious, and seemingly charming. There were pretty good deals being offered for dinner which definitely served at least twice the amount of people which  I went with each time.                     

                              

The menu had quite extensive options for a restaurant called Mr. Pizza, with a selection of appetizers, salads, pastas, and of course, pizzas, which were categorized into classic and specialty types.  The most intriguing options were those in the specialty pizza section, which listed pizzas with potato wedges, corn, crab, shrimp, and seafood combo options among others.

One of the appetizers we ordered were golden bread sticks, which were basically bread sticks stuffed with sweet potato and covered in cheese.  These were quite delicious.

We ordered the most popular specialty pizza which had potato, corn, bacon, tortilla chips, onions, and mayonnaise as toppings.  The crust was a surprise too, which was filled with sweet potato and had a very nice crunchy texture.  Yes, the pizza itself was very heavy, making the entire medium pizza enough to feed 3-4 people.

The meal ended up being a great deal, since we ordered a dinner combo that had a free appetizer and drinks.

The takeaway from my visits is that if you are looking for some hearty pizzas with unique toppings in a cute cafe-like setting, then pay Mr. Pizza a visit.

Thank you, LA.

- Candice
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Chocolate Fondant

Chocolate fondant is a fancier version of a brownie which is not quite baked all the way in the middle.  Upon taking the first bite, rich and smooth chocolate oozes out from the middle, adding amazing texture to the mouthful of sweetness.  This is a relatively difficult recipe to master, since the timing must be precise so as to not under or overbake the fondant.  It took a series of attempts in order to come up with the perfect baking time for the specific oven we were using - approximately 4 minutes.
The ingredients are very basic and the steps relatively simple.  First, melt butter and chocolate in a bowl over boiling water.

The chocolate should be smooth, as shown below.  We used semi-sweet chocolate.

Next, butter and flour a muffin tin to ensure that the fondant easily pops out of the pan after baking.

Fill the muffin tin with the batter, prepared by mixing the melted chocolate with the dry ingredients.

After baking! This attempt was overbaked.

After several more tries, we finalized came out with the perfect fondant, with the middle still not completely baked through.

We served it with vanilla ice cream and strawberries.  Delectable and ideal for those with a sweet tooth!

- Candice

Cherry Blossoms (벚꽃) and Shaved Ice (팥빙수)

Recently spring has been slowly unveiling itself in Korea. One of the most celebrated flowers in this season are cherry blossoms (벚꽃). 

 I visited Keimyung University in Daegu, which is regarded as one of the most beautiful campuses in Korea and is commonly used as a background stage for many movies and dramas, including Boys Over Flowers.

Part of the campus uses traditional korean infrastructures like this one.

The weather was very bright and sunny making it easy to see all the flowers in full bloom. It's a very romantic and tranquil area; I really wish there are more places like this in Korea.

After a few hours of touring the campus my friend and I stopped at a nearby coffee shop called Coffee & Smile.

 We ordered Shaved Ice (팥빙수)!

I have one major pet peeve when it comes to shaved ice; I get absolutely irked when someone mixes all the toppings atop the shaved ice into a frothy soggy slush - 

Which is exactly what my friend did, as most Koreans would do. But, I still thoroughly enjoyed my cool dessert amidst the warm spring vibes in the quaint cafe. 

Thank you, Korea.

- Angela

The French Macaron

Oh, elusive French macaron!  What justifies the price of ~$1/bite for this tiny, delicate cookie sandwich?  It is the burst of flavor in every bite from the smooth filling nestled between two airy cookies.  The exciting part is that macarons are available in myriad flavors, from salted caramel to blackberry.  It is commonly said that they are extremely challenging to make yourself at home; however my love for macarons helped me overcome any discouragement from attempting this.

I found a few steps that were crucial in making these macarons perfect:

*Adequately beat the egg whites in order to introduce enough air to make the macarons light in texture

*Be sure to allow the piped batter sit on the cookie sheet for a minimum of 30 minutes, or until properly air-dried (and not sticky).  This will help bring about the "legs" of the macarons.

*Use a non-stick baking sheet, such as a silicone mat to help ease removal of the macarons after baking.  This is especially important since they are so fragile and can break extremely easily.

I was very pleased with my first attempt in making vanilla and orange flavored macarons.  However, when I'm not willing to spend about 4 hours to prepare my own, I am certainly willing to pay the price charged by patisseries for these little bites of happiness.

- Candice

School Lunch (점심) & Mr. Pizza (미스터피자)

Here's today school menu:

Chicken Ginseng Soup (삼계탕)

Radish Kimchi (깍두기)

Fried Dumplings with Spicy Sauce (군만두)

Cooked Spinach (시금치나물)

After 6th period this egg was sitting on top of my desk. They told me it was for Easter; how sweet!

 Met up with my friend at Mr. Pizza and asked him to order for us. He decided to try their new special, The Korean BBQ Pizza with slices of rice cakes and asparagus with a cheese crust.

At first I was confused about how I should feel about this pizza. It looked more like an arts and crafts display than food and it was a real challenge to my senses. After the first few bites I thought, "This is one of the most amazing pizzas I have ever had!" And I wolfed down the remaining slices happily.

We also got access to their salad bar which served a variety of potato and sweet potato salads, fresh cut fruits and pastas.

Thank you, Korea.

- Angela