BHC Chicken Myeongdong

BHC Chicken Myeongdong

Koreans are in love with fried chicken! You think KFC is where it’s at then you haven’t been out in Korea and tried the numerous fried chicken joints. There’s many different brands but BHC Chicken is something of a Korean institution. In Myeongdong you can find chicken shops crammed up against each other which makes picking one somewhat difficult, if in doubt go for the one with the most people sitting outside, in this case BHC!

BHC stands for “Better and Happier Choice” and has been serving up delicious lumps of fried chicken since 2004. The branch we visited in Myeongdong has lots of outdoor seating like the restaurants next to it and makes a good place to grab an almost compulsory cold beer with your chicken while you people watch.

There’s every variety of chicken you can imagine, and if you’re not a fan of gnawing your way around the bone they have boneless as well!

So how did the food measure up?

We ordered a mango salad to get started which turned out to be a bit of a mistake as well as half and half spicy and regular. We also got a side order of doughy cheese balls.

First up the mango salad was a bit of a fail. The salad itself would have been fine except for the fact the mango was still partially frozen, i.e chewy frozen! We should have known better than to order salad in a fried chicken joint right?

The chicken though was the star of the show; there was the right amount of batter versus chicken and it was perfectly cooked. The sauce on the spicy version was a balance of sweet and spicy and not overpowering and reminded me of a Thai sweet and spicy sauce. I have to warn you though those doughballs are dangerous. Filled with cheese and deep fried it’s a really struggle not to keep popping those in with your beer while you wait for the chicken dangerously filling you up before the star of the show arrives!

There’s a lot of fried chicken shops in South Korea but if you’re stuck on deciding which to choose, looking at the busiest is a good sign but visiting a shop with over 1000 locations you can’t go wrong either.

Eggs N’ Things Japan.

Eggs N’ Things Japan.

 

Eggs N’ Things is a chain of Hawaiian-style restaurants with origins in Hawaii. It’s a tempting choice for lunch, brunch, and beyond!

What’s it all about?

Eggs N’ Things first appeared in 1974, and since then has been a firm favourite all over Japan and Hawaii as a “casual breakfast” joint. Their aim is simply to provide you, loyal customer, with an all day breakfast option. What’s not to love about that?

Menu.

The menu is pretty extensive. It’s virtually all breakfast-type foods, with the odd Hawaiian favourite thrown in for good measure. As the name suggests, eggs are a popular feature. Have them any way you want, with anything you want. Poached are particularly good, especially teamed with one of their meat dishes (steak and eggs is a good meal any time of day). For any vegetarians, don’t worry! There are plenty of veggie-friendly choices, as well as a decent kids menu for little appetites. Since my knowledge is limited, I’ve attached a link to their Menu’s, so any vegan readers can check for themselves if Eggs N’ Things can cater. Pancakes? Eggs N’ Things have got you covered. Their pancakes are awesome. Light and fluffy, they come out heaped with fruit, whipped cream, and sauces, and are part of the grand all day menu, meaning you can enjoy one right up until closing time (It’s hard to say no to pancakes for dinner).

Atmosphere.

They pride themselves on a laid back feel. All locations are light, bright, and airy, with staff donning cheerful Hawaiian shirts and a big smile to add a pop of colour. There’s also beautiful artwork, a mix of seating, and an open-plan bar so you can eye all the drinks! All locations have souvenirs available, so you can take home a mug or bag adorned with their logo too.

Price.

It’s not cheap, but it won’t break the bank either. I would say it’s about mid-range for price, and it’s worth the expense for the experience. For a couple dining with drinks, allow around 5,000 yen (roughly US $50), and you’ll not leave hungry (and possibly with some change!).

Location.

There are 17 locations across Japan, including Osaka, Tokyo, Fukuoka, Nagoya, and Kobe. The website has a list of locations; click on one to bring up address, opening times, preferred methods of payment, and transport advice (Japanese only).

Summary.

Whilst Eggs N’ Things isn’t a local food option, it is nice to have choices when travelling. You can take a break from ramen, curry, and sushi guilt-free, and maybe enjoy some eggs n’ slut (an actual menu choice) surrounded by locals who love it.

Dōtombori, Osaka.

Dōtombori, Osaka.

Sunset on Dōtombori

Dōtombori. This world-famous strip runs along the Dōtonbori canal from Dōtonboribashi Bridge to Nipponbashi Bridge in Namba. It started its life off as a theatre district, but is now more famous for its illuminated billboards and animatronics. Let’s take a casual walk along here, and discover what it has to offer.

Restaurants.

Kuiadore is a word you may see associated with restaurants here. Translating to “ruin oneself with food”. it’s often used on signs and in advertisements. Let’s do just that with one of these beauties:

  • Hariju. A famous beef restaurant founded in 1924, and using only Japanese beef in its dishes.
  • Zubora-ya. Easily spotted thanks to the large pufferfish hanging outside, this is a fugu restaurant for those with exotic tastes.
  • Cui-daore. Perfect for the indecisive diner, it’s an 8 storey mega-restaurant with every kind of Osaka cuisine your little heart could desire.
  • Kani Doraku. Another easy to spot restaurant thanks to the moving crab billboard. No prizes for guessing the type of food served here!

Landmarks.  

Quite possibly the most famous landmark is the Glico Man billboard. Originally erected in 1935 to promote Glico Candy (a local Osaka confectioner famous for Pocky among others), it is one of the oldest billboards here. It has undergone a few face-lifts in support of sporting events over the years, with the most recent incarnation being switched from neon to LED. Still, it sticks out among its modern peers as unique, retaining its vintage charm. Another note-worthy feature is the Ferris wheel, which sits close to the canal, and at a juxtaposition to the glossy buildings and glittering signs. Whilst on the subject of billboards, make sure to go back at night so you can appreciate them in their full glory. My personal favourite is the Asahi Beer one, which fills up at regular intervals with golden LED’s to simulate their “Super Dry” variety. It’s mesmerising.

Visiting.

It’s almost a certainty you’ll pass through here, even if it is accidental at first. I suggest you stay a while, soak in the atmosphere, and join all the other delighted tourists in enjoying the food, scenery, and atmosphere. Night time, as mentioned, is the best time, but it is nice during the day too. Take a walk along both sides of the canal, grab some Takoyaki (octopus balls) at Otakoya, ride the Ferris wheel, and pose on Eibisubashi Bridge with the Glico Man. Make sure it’s a victory pose!

Uber Eats in Hong Kong … Nice try but no

Uber Eats in Hong Kong … Nice try but no

Anyone who’s been in Hong Kong for a while either for business or pleasure is familiar with the sight of an orange Food Panda bike zipping around the busy streets, Uber Eats is an attempt by the popular ride sharing service to get a piece of the food delivery pie. Unfortunately it falls down in Hong Kong and here’s why.

We ordered a pizza from Jacomax, literally one minute walk away from our building mainly because Uber had a $150 first time discount coupon and also to try something new. On previous experience Jacomax are pretty speedy with cooking the pizza and Food Panda has delivered before in around twenty minutes. So all went well at first with the order process, the system itself looks like other food ordering apps, but then we waited….and waited. Waiting in itself is fine with order status updates but firstly the app was stuck on processing for around forty minutes and then to make matters worse there was no way of querying the status, none. Clicking on help for the order gave a blank screen with no possibility to get in touch to check what was happening. For a company of this huge size experienced in software development this is simply unforgivable.

Eventually after 55 minutes for an order that would normally take thirty minutes max on other services the status changed and the order was at the door a couple of minutes later. So what went wrong here? The problem is that Uber is using their drivers to deliver food. Anyone who has waited in Hong Kong for an uber that appears five minutes away and then takes fifteen to arrive can see where this is going. The driver based system is the problem. With a dedicated fleet of delivery riders on speedy mopeds other delivery services control this part of the process and can ensure it is efficient. Uber cannot. Simple.

So next time you are dying for a take out consider your options. It’s fine Uber decided to use this model of freelance drivers but what isn’t acceptable is for a company of this size to have such a poor app and ordering experience with no help available.