Mercimek koftesi @ Lüleburgaz, Turkey, February 15, 2020
Mercimek koftesi Turkish cuisine is rich and diverse. The Ottoman Empire had allowed the introduction of multiple cultures, and different cuisines co-evolved over time. And I am glad that I had tried at least some of the most iconic dishes during my stay. In Lüleburgaz, a city in western Turkey, I had the pleasure to taste home-made Mercimek Koftesi, or lentil meatball. Its characteristic shape is the result of squeezing it in the palm, and it looks practically the same as Çiğ köfte, or raw meatball,...
Khurjin, Tolma, and pomegranate tea @ Lavash Restaurant, Yerevan, Armenia, November 22, 2019
Armenia often fails to attract travelers’ attention due to other popular destinations in the region, such as Georgia and Turkey. But during my 10 days of stay in the country, I was pleasantly surprised by its charm in several aspects. Despite the small land size, Armenia boasts a long history, a strong sense of identity and rich cultural heritage both in tangible and intangible forms, which includes its cuisine. ‘Khurjin’ in the Armenian language means ‘pouch’ or ‘bag knot’. This traditional Armenian dish contains a large...
Bosnian pot and Cevapi @ Bosnian Steak House, Sarajevo, May 30, 2019
This restaurant is in the center of the touristy area in Sarajevo, but I went inside nonetheless, because the vibe was good near the busy street, and it was fun to watch people. And the server turned out to have great photo-taking skills. Bosnian cuisine uses a lot of meat, which doesn’t annoy me. The Bosnian Pot (Bosanski Lonac) tastes almost what it looks like. It’s a heavy stew with tender and moist meat and vegetables. I’d say that this kind of stew is found in...
Pierogi ruskie @ Pierogarnia start Mlyn, wroclaw, Poland, may 14, 2019
Pierogies are filled dumplings and are one of the most liked food in Poland. One traditional Polish pieorgi is pierogi ruskie, which is often mistranslated as Russian pierogi, but it actually means Ruthenian pierogi. The stuffing contains minced potatoes and fried onions. Potatoes and fried onions cannot go wrong, but I enjoyed the dough more, which was chewy and moist, a quality that tell pierogies apart from empanadas in Latin American cuisine. Pierogi ruskie, USD 4.7 Vegetable soup, USD 2.5 @ Pierogarnia start Mlyn, wroclaw, Poland,...
Kushari @ Abou Tarek, Cairo, Egypt, February 14, 2019
Kushari Kushari or Koshari is one of the traditional Egyptian dishes, made of lentils, macaroni, and rice, accompanied by tomato sauce, vinegar, chickpeas, and fried onions. The two metal jars in the background contain spicy sauce and vinegar, which are optional, yet still critical in my opinion. The rumor has it that the food was first invented during the British occupation, and later evolved through Egyptian soldiers. For me, the dish offers a hard-to-fail combination: garlic, vinegar, spicy sauce, and the crispiness and sweet taste of...
Parrilla Libre El Fogón, Gualeguaychú, Entre Rios, Argentina, August 19, 2018
On my birthday, I spent the whole day with my best travel companion, my car. I drove from Gualeguaychú to Montevideo, about 350 kilometers or 6 hours. It might just be the tradition of my family, but we do not have a strong culture of celebrating birthdays. So I did not feel particularly lonely being alone. But as a farewell to Argentina, and as a reminder that things are quite expensive in Uruguay, I had the last substantial meal of meat in Gualeguaychú. The Argentinian Parrilla,...
Mercado del Puerto, Montevideo, Uruguay, August 4, 2018
I stayed in Montevideo just for one day, knowing that I’ll come back soon and stay for 10 days then. So I really didn’t do much in the capital city, but I dropped by the Mercado del Puerto (port market) before heading towards Colonia del Sacramento. In fact, Mercado del Puerto seemed to be the most popular destination among tourists, especially these days due to the cold outside. Even though it’s called Port Market, it turned out to be an indoor space of restaurants. Specifically, the...
ñoquis – asado (roasted meat) – morcilla (blood sausage) – chipa guazú (a type of corn cake)@encarnacion, Paraguay, June 27, 2018
Not everything on this plate originated from Paraguay but these are some routinely consumed ‘typical’ dishes here. ñoquis – asado (roasted meat) – morcilla (blood sausage) – chipa guazú (a type of corn cake) and some salad. Once I leave Paraguay, Chipa guazú will be especially missed since it’s only available here. It’s one of the varieties of ‘chipa’. 62000 Guaranties or USD 11 @encarnacion, Paraguay, June 27, 2018
This website chronicles Leebong’s journey around the world for 2+ years, for the time being. To find out more, see The Travel & The Why.
To catch me, see Itinerary.
Impressions Series
