[Jeonju] - Sweet Red Bean Soup (단팥죽) @외할머니 솜씨

I'm addicted to sweet red bean soup (단팥죽) after my friend brought me to eat it at 서울서둘째로잘하는집 around Samcheongdong area in Seoul. Writing this post make me crave for the  the sweetness taste... sigh~!

As you know I have a sweet tooth, and that's explained why I love to go to high tea buffet to indulge myself in yummy cakes, desserts and ice cream. Just can't stop myself for sweet temptation! Therefore, I really thanks to my high metabolism rate that allowing me to eat to my heart's content without worrying to gain weight. 

People say sweet food reduce stress level, but I also heard that sugar feeds cancer! So, now I have to eat sweet things moderately especially I don't do exercise and not young anymore. I must somehow select which food that benefit to my body, right?

Grandma's Best Desserts Factory
(외할머니 솜씨 = Oe Halmeoni Somssi =
Maternal Grandmother's Skill)

Grandma's Best is located opposite of the fountain (in this video)...

We're on our way to Gain Makgeolli House, and walked along Gingko Street. I just happily recording the above video, and I suddenly saw a hanok style house selling dessert.

Menu board hanging on the wall outside the restaurant.

Then I told my hubby that this dessert house also selling danpatjuk. We quickly stepped inside this this dessert factory without thinking twice. I know he won't reject dessert, especially patpingsu. He also like the bread filled with thick danpatjuk, which my friend bought for our breakfast.

It's full house, but we didn't need to wait... just sharing table with other guests on long communal table for 8 persons. Well, it's a bit squeezy as all the tables only have little space in between.

Before you order at this counter, do take a look at the number on your table.

(I only noticed it after that and had a hard time pointing to my table).

At first I thought they only sell danpatjuk (단팥죽), traditional patpingsu (옛날팥핑수) and energy boasting oriental herbal tea (쌍화탕) as shown on the outside menu board. But, at the ordering counter as shown on the above picture, they also serve few types of Korean teas (ending with '차'), ice cream and other desserts too.

Again, we're the only foreigners inside this restaurant. Some busy eating their foods, some still waiting, and the gal sitting next to me busy snapping danpatjuk with DSLR camera~^^ 

Ok, let's take some photos while waiting for them to prepare and deliver our orders. But, because it's not so convenience to take photos when you're surrounded from every corners... 

There's also raised platform to sit on the floor.

(Maybe it's with ondol heated floor... not sure :P)

Cozy and pleasant hanok style interior.

Love this Hanok triangular skeleton ceiling constructed using wood log.

We ordered danpatjuk (hot patpingsu?) to fight with cold weather.

So satisfied with this yummy, impressive rich flavors and right amount of sweetness. A bowl of danpatjuk has topping of rice cake, walnuts, pine nuts, gingko nuts, cinnamon sprinkles~^^

Don't underestimate this small bowl, it's not like ice kacang which maybe have a spoonful of red beans, but covered most with shaved iced with syrup. You'll feel your stomach filled up quickly with this thick red bean paste and chewy soft rice cake.

At first, I thought 7,000 Won  for a bowl of danpatjuk was a bit expensive. It seemed so easy... Bought the ingredient and just put red beans to slow cooker at night. Tada... in the morning, it's cooked well. But the next step is to grind or mashed them, then filter the husk for smoother red bean paste... It took 2 hours for me to blender and filter the whole pot. Then I knew how much of laborious work involved. It's really worth the price with all goodness in all of the ingredients! Check out my next posting for the recipe. 

I seriously think only Grandma will put so much efforts to prepare the yummiest food for their grandchildren. I'm kinda lazy, next time I'll just stop until grinding... still can eat, right? 

I'll definitely go back to try their patpingsu and other desserts. According to locals, it's actually one of the best restaurants in Jeonju, which I only found out this when searching for the address. 

Write down the address if you've sweet tooth or want to have heart-warming and authentic taste of Grandma's home-cooked dessert when you're visiting Jeonju~!

Grandma's Best Desserts Factory

Add: 113-4 Gyo-dong, Wansan-gu,

Jeonju-si, Jeollabuk-do, Korea

전라북도 전주시 완산구 교동 113-4 도로명주소

Opening Hours: 

12pm - 10pm (Weekdays)

11am - 10pm (Weekends)

(Last order 9:30pm)

Related Posts:

Danpatjuk @서울서둘째로잘하는집, Seoul

Patpingsu @Cafe Bene, Seoul

Get yourself drunk with Jeonju Makgeolli @가인막걸리, Jeonju

Authentic Jeonju Bibimbap @한국집 전주 전통 비빔밥, Jeonju

[Jeonju] - Pungnammun Gate (풍남문)

How is everything? Yap, I'm back after missing for 2 weeks as I spent my time to participate in "Korea, My Love Contest" and also "Master Planner Challenge 2014" for that one reason! I think you know the reason... Yes, I want to go to Korea!!! Although I knew that it's not easy to win the first prize, but to do my best. Ok, luck was not on my side, so not going to see beautiful autumn foliage in Korea. ㅠㅠ

Ok, now back to Jeonju...

 

Pungnammun Gate

South Gate of Jeonju Castle

Treasure No. 308

Pungnammun3-gil 1, Wansan-gu, 

Jeonju-si, Jeollabuk-do, Korea 

Jeonju Hanok Village Hotel, a modern Hanok style hotel with ondol floor is just a few minutes walk from Pungnammun. 

Related Posts:

[Jeonju] - Evening at Omokdae Pavilion(오목대)

[Jeonju] - Hanbyeokdang Pavilion (한벽당)

[Jeonju] - Cheongyeonru Pavilion (청연루)

[Jeonju] - Gyeonggijeon Main Hall (경기전 정전)

Yeongju Loess Pension (풍기 황토 펜션)

We reached Punggi 5 hours earlier as tickets for V-train were sold out on that day. We just took O-train directly from Seoul to Punggi.

We took taxi directly to Loesspension, though we saw few restaurants and market around Punggi station, as we didn't want to bring our luggage around.

This cute mushroom-shaped cottage made of only loess (황토 = 黄土高原) and pine tree. It's  chemicals free and also eco-friendly, as the combination of ancient secret and science effortless keeping the room cold in summer and warm in winter. Cool, right?!

Yeongju Loess Pension 

It took about 10 minutes from Punggi Station to this pension. However, the owner was not around. Only ahjumma was cleaning the room. I told her that we booked the room. Luckily she understood what I tried to say with my limited Korean language. 

She tried to call, but no responses, and she said she'll try again later as the owner was at work. We walked around, and after awhile she told us that the owner will come back soon.

Landscape view of Loess Pension Cottage

Since this cow also has nothing to do like me... Let's take photos together :P

Hungry~~~!!! Why only have BBQ pit? Where is the food?

Peek-a-boo! Is it inside this big pot?!

Desperate for food...

See whether I can climb this wall to go in to the kitchen...

Anybody home? Please help me to call for food delivery...

KT Olleh pocket wifi has no internet connection here ㅠㅠ

안녕~ 강아지야 ^^ 

도와 주세요~~~!

Are you sure 강아지? 

You must be joking, this tree has no fruit, not even a leaf :(

Last resort... Jump! Jump!! Jump!!! to get attention :P

Finally, there's white car turning in after waited for about 1 hour. The lady owner came in, and told her that we booked through the website. Then they showed us the room, and we made payment. 

It's partly my fault, as I stated on the reservation that we'll be there around 19:30 pm. Although, she didn't confirm our booking, maybe because I wrote it in English and secondly I didn't make the payment as I don't want to bother my Korean friend to book and pay for me first. But, luckily there's a room for us. 

Just dropped our luggage there, and asked whether she can help us to call for a taxi to bring us to nearby restaurant. She said she's going out and will drop us at the restaurant.

At the same time, her 삼촌 (uncle) came back, then she asked for a name card and gave to us. She told us to call his uncle so that we can take his taxi back here. 

In her car, she said that I looked like Korean lady, and praise me that I can speak good Korean language. She asked few questions, and I tried to answer her one word by one word. When she asked how did we come there and how long we will stay. I paused quite long to digest her question, as I was thinking do I need to tell her my full itinerary... She looked at me and I looked at her (maybe with my blank and blur face) then she laughed, and I laughed too. Then she repeated again that question, and I answered that with so much difficulty... from we took flight from Singapore to Seoul, then today from Seoul to Punggi by O-train, tomorrow will go to Busan, bla bla bla... but didn't finish my full itinerary as we reached the restaurant ㅋㅋㅋ

Room No. 3 - 80,000 Won 

Address: 경북 영주시 픙기읍 금계리 177-1

http://loesspension.com

Ph: 054 6377800 / 010 25194377

The room is good to accommodate 2 person. It's quite big with attached kitchen and long wooden dining table. Bathroom is equipped with basic toiletries. Due to environmental friendly practice, remember to bring your own toothbrush and toothpaste as most of the accommodations in Korea do not provide them.

Mattresses, pillows, blankets and  wall-mounted air-heater 

As the ceiling is high, you need to switch on air-heater to keep the room warmer, even though the floor is heated (ondol floor). They came to check and increase the heat of the floor after checking with us whether it's warm enough. We had a good rest until my HP alarm woke me up! 

It's nice and cozy accommodation, but it's better to eat before you come here or maybe buy some food to BBQ. It must be so much fun munching some food and snacks and enjoying the unblocked view of vast sky... and kinda romantic under the moonlight and shy twinkling stars with some soju or makgeolli ^^

Please check the links below for recommended attractions around Yeongju:

~ Seonbichon Village (선비촌)

~ Sosu Seowon Confucian Academy (소수서원) 

~ [Yeongju] Museom Single Log Bridge (무섬외 나무다리)

~ [Yeongju] Quaint Museom Hanok Village (영주 무섬마을)

~ [Yeongju] Legends of Buseoksa Temple (부석사)

~ [O-Train] - Railroad Trip from Seoul to Punggi