Somehow I ended up going to Blue Ribbon Family Day. It’s a get-together where people connected to Blue Ribbon gather to eat good food and have a few drinks, and this year it was held at Xesc Menzl’s factory-and-café in Yangpyeong. I’ve been eating my way around for so long that I’ve made a connection or two, so I got an invite, and it turned out to be a really lovely day.
The venue
It was a pretty big place.
Finger food
The chefs had put a lot of work into it, and everything tasted amazing. The uni was especially good… but it melted fast, so you had to eat it quickly.
Bread and BBQ
Grilled with real care over a wood fire, so there was no way it wasn’t going to be delicious.
Diavino
Wine had been sponsored, so we could drink as much as we liked. It was good stuff.
Caviar, truffles, jams and more from Bimiliya Boutique
They really went all out with the sponsorship that day.
The meats
Seriously impressive… There were a lot of people, but there was even more food, so some was left over at the end.
Influencers busy taking photos
There were lots of influencers who are close with Blue Ribbon. The moment any cooking started, the cameras came out. Everyone seems to be working really hard…
Salad
A salad with a fine-dining touch. When a chef makes it, even a salad is delicious.
A glass of wine too
I held back, since I couldn’t afford to drink too much.
Grilling sausages, too.
When Xesc Menzl makes them, even the sausages are on another level.
Truffle being shaved over the pasta right there…
Bimiliya Boutique was working hard. And of course, pasta smothered in truffle is delicious.
Caviar
I think it tastes best eaten off the back of your hand. Caviar is so delicate that it’s best when you focus on nothing but the caviar.
Sandwich
Made into a sandwich and eaten American-style, this was so good…
Jamón
They carved it right in front of us, which was pretty cool. Perfect with wine.
Jam samples from Bimiliya Boutique
These days, fancy jams aren’t just one fruit; they blend several fruits into some unique flavor combinations.
Cake
After all that great food, out came a gorgeous cake too. You’ve got to save room for dessert.
We got a quick tour of the Xesc Menzl factory.
There’s all kinds of machinery.
I couldn’t really tell you what any of it does…
Inside
It looks like they’ll be using spaces like this to branch out into all sorts of businesses.
No idea what this is…
I just took a photo of it anyway.
A stream nearby
It’s a place surrounded by nature.
Anyway, I ate really well, got lots of gifts, and headed home. It was a fun time, and I’m very grateful to have been invited to a gathering like this.
OUT OF ALL in Hongdae, where I went to buy running shoes
But when I got there, they didn’t have what I was looking for…
Running shoes along these lines, more or less…
But no matter how cool they look, they’re pointless if they don’t fit my feet. I just went home empty-handed that day. A bit of a shame…
Back home I had a chestnut pie from LE PAIN.
Packed with chestnuts and really tasty. The world is big, and there are so many delicious desserts out there.
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