Seoul: Cos stuffing your face with good food is the way to go

Finally decided to get down to blogging abt one of my fav cities in Asia! How can anyone not love Seoul? There's cheap and good food, loads of stuffs to see/ do and best part is, you can shop until you die becos the malls in Korea are opened 24/7 (or at least till 5am I think)

I love Seoul!!!! If you love Bangkok, you'll definitely love Seoul too! I really think that Bangkok and Seoul are pretty similar in terms of getting cheap and good food and shopping (except of cos things will be cheaper in Bangkok!!!) But you can afford to spend a longer time in Seoul becos there's more things to do there compared to Bangkok.

So I've been wanting to visit Korea for the longest time ever esp since I'm really into Kpop and Korean TV shows. Was really excited when my dad proposed a family trip to Seoul and Jeju Island in summer 2011. Was there for exactly a wk but pity I didn't get to do much becos I had my eye surgery done on the first day I arrived and so I was pretty blind the entire time. Nonetheless, I had loads of fun!!!

And becos I couldn't get enough of Korea, I decided to visit Seoul again in summer 2012 with my best friend, Ashley! This time, I did all my research before travelling so we managed to check out loads of nice places!!! We were there for a wk too and I really felt that we shld have stayed for 1.5 wks instead becos there's really so much to do (Read: SHOPPING!!!) I bought so much stuffs but still felt like I'm not done with the shopping yet!

For the trip with my family, we stayed in Best Western Premier Hotel Kukdo which is conveniently located in Euljiro-4-ga. It isn't a really fancy hotel but it was a nice place and was 5mins way frm the nearest subway station, Euljiro-4-ga.
(Check out Kukdo Hotel for more info)

Too happy to be in Seoul!

When I visited Seoul again in 2012, Ashley and I chose to stay in a Namsan Guest House (Check out http://www.namsanguesthouse.com/ for more info)
Namsan Guest House is located in Myeong Dong but it's not on the same side as the shopping area, so you don't have to worry abt noise/ crowd. Two thumbs up for the superb location! It's really cheap too, I think Ashley and I paid abt SGD$25 per person per night and we got ourselves an ensuite double single room. Again, don't be expecting a nice fancy place for the price you're paying, it's somewhat like a hostel. But it's clean and safe! Will most probably stay there again if I plan to visit Korea on a budget!

Gonna be blogging abt Seoul in parts and first up, here are some of the yummy food I had in Seoul and some of the MUST try famous food places:

Korean BBQ 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is a trip to Korea without Korean BBQ!!! You can find Korean BBQ places all over Seoul! Minjung, my Korean friend brought me to this Korean BBQ place in Myeongdong which served excellent food at a really reasonable price! Really enjoyed the marinated meat a lot! And it is best paired with some soju shots! Yum yum!!!

 

Bing soo
빙수

 

 

Royal milk tea bing soo

Pat bing soo with matcha ice cream

Rooibos milk tea bing soo, BEST bing soo I had and also the most ex (approx SGD$20)

 

For both my trips, I was there in July aka summer period and so I had bing soo almost every single day! Bing soo is a popular shaved ice dessert in Korea esp during the hot summer months! You can find a huge variety of bing soo in cafes all arnd Seoul. It's very different frm the ice kachang (also another shaved ice dessert) you get in Spore. Bing soo is way nicer!!!!

 

In fact, Ashley and I were pretty addicted to bing soo during our trip. We had to have a bowl every single day haha. I think out of all the bing soo, the nicest had to be the rooibos milk tea bing soo we had in a nice café in Hongdae! So so so so so yummy!!!!!

 

If you're in Korea over summer, DO NOT miss out on this delightful and refreshing dessert!!!

 

Mukshidonna Tteokbokki
먹쉬돈나

Jongno-gu
Anguk-dong 17-18
Nearest train station: Anguk
 

Directions frm Anguk Station:
Take Exit 1
Turn right at Anguk building and Pungmun Girls' High Sch
Walk 500m down the road (past Family Mart)
It is in the alley on the left hand side

 

Ashley and I got pretty lost trying to find this place. But so glad that we managed to locate this little restaurant after searching for almost 30min! We arrived arnd 12.30pm and there was alr a long queue outside the place! Waited for almost 30min before we were seated!!! Was really hungry by then....

 

 

Articles frm magazines featuring this restaurant!

Look at the queue!!!!

Our tteokbokki!!!

Happy and greedy Ashley, hee hee!

This is a simple and small place, so don't expect a fancy restaurant. And even though it might be a long walk to get to this place, I assure you that it's worth it. In fact, Ashley said this was one of the best thing she had during the trip.

So if you don't know, tteokbokki is actually Korean rice cake stew. The rice cakes are chewy and sticky and they're served with a reddish orange sauce made frm gochujang (which is Korean red pepper paste)

In Mukshidonna, you get to pick what you want to add to your stew. Ashley and I added ramyun (instant noodles), eggs, seafood, cheese and ham which turned out to be a great combo! The stew was served in a huge pot which was placed on top of a gas stove. This ensured that our food was kept warm throughout the entire meal.

 

The tteokbokki was really yummy and filling! And after we were done with our tteokbokki, they added rice to our sauce and mixed it up for us! Really delicious as well! Definitely coming back to this place for more tteokbokki when I visit Seoul again!

 

Myeongdong Gyoja
명동교자
2 outlets including:
25-2 Myeongdong
2-ga, Jung-guNearest train station: Myeongdong

 

Directions frm Myeongdong station:
Take Exit 8
Turn left onto Myeongdong 10-gil Road
Walk for abt 150m
(You will pass by 2 intersections)
Restaurant is on the right

 

Crazy queue!

Kalguksu goodness! (7000 won)

 

So this is the famous kalguksu restaurant in Myeongdong! Ashley and I had our first meal here! We arrived at the restaurant slightly before 12pm and managed to get a seat without queueing! Lucky us becos when we were leaving the place, we saw the crazy long queue! And it was only abt 12.30pm then??? Madness! So if you're gonna try the kalguksu here, go early or be prepared to queue!!!

 

We ordered their kalguksu which is knife-cut handmade noodles. It's somewhat like Chinese la mian except it's slightly flatter. It was served with mandu (Korean dumplings) which tasted exactly like Chinese dumplings. Do try their kimchi while you're there as it has a really unique taste!

 

This place also serves bibim guksu (noodles with vegetables and red hot pepper paste) and kongguksu (noodles in cold soy milk broth)

 

Yeolbong Jjimdak

열봉찜닭

A few outlets

(Sorry no address!!!)

Nearest train station: Sinsa

 

Directions frm Sinsa station:
Take Exit 8
Walk straight for 2-3min
Turn left into Garosu-gil St
The restaurant is on the 2nd lvl

 

Se7en greets you at the door!

Traditional jjimdak chicken stew (19,000 won)

 

Jjimdak is a dish made of chicken marinated in a ganjang-based sauce (Korean soy sauce). Ashley and I visited Se7en's restaurant for this dish! (Se7en is a Kpop singer I like lol...)
This isn't the best jjimdak place in Seoul but I really wanted to check this place out cos of Se7en!!! And also becos we were shopping arnd in Garosu-gil area so it was convenient for us to drop by the restaurant for lunch!

Jjimdak is definitely one of the best thing I ate during the trip! Omg so damn good!!!!!! The chicken stew is served with thick cellophane noodles which looks like transparent pho, best thing ever!!!!!! You can choose how spicy you want your stew to be, and I think we got the least spicy option but it was still kinda spicy for me!!! Even though Ashley and I ordered the smallest portion and shared it, we still couldn't finish. It was HUGE. Most Koreans would order a bowl of rice and mix it with the remaining stew but we were too stuffed to do that. Maybe the next time....!!!!

 

Ttarojip Sogogi Gukbap

33-4 Myeong-dong

2-ga, Jung-gu

Nearest train station: Myeongdong

 

Directions frm Myeongdong station:

Take Exit 8

Proceed between La Bellavita and Crown Bakery

Walk for abt 230m

(You will pass by 3 intersections)

Restaurant is across Missha

 

 



 

We had dinner really early that day at abt 5pm so this place was empty when we arrived. We had their famous gukbap which is beef soup with rice. The soup is made by boiling beef leg bones for 24hrs and then adding spices, beef, coagulated blood and beansprouts. Hmmm sounds really yummy right? BUT truth to be told, the soup tasted pretty average to me. Don't think I'd visit this place again!

 

Pro Ganjang Gejang

프로간장게장

9 Gangnam-daero

97-gil, Seocho-gu

Nearest train station: Sinsa

 

Directions frm Sinsa station:

Take Exit 4 and walk straight

See Kookmin bank

Enter 2nd alley and turn left

Geaal bibimbap (20,000 won)

Ganjang kejang (55,000 won)

Our steamed crab LOL...

 

So on the last day of our trip, we decided to have some crabs for dinner. I had high expectations for this place becos Minjung said that this is her FAVOURITE Korean dish and I came across loads of positive reviews regarding this restaurant online.

 

Located in the posh Gangnam district, the restaurant wasn't difficult to find at all. This restaurant is in a 4-storey high building and the minute you enter the place, you're greeted with pictures and autographs of Korean celebrities who have been there before. Impressive.

 

I read that this place is famous for their ganjang gejang which is soy sauce marinated crab. And so, Ashley and I ordered a portion to share. We also ordered their geaal bibimbap (crab roe bibimbap) to share.

 

So here comes the epic story. When the food was served, Ashley looked somewhat uneasy. At that point, I wasn't too sure what's wrong so I just continued to snap my pictures etc. After which, I proceeded to try the famous crab dish. But lo and behold, I didn't expect the crab to be RAW???? Omg I nearly died becos the fishy taste was really strong and I just couldn't swallow it. It certainly wasn't what I expected it to be.

Ashley and I decided that there's no way we could eat raw crabs so we got the waitress to steam the crabs for us. Pretty sure she thinks we're weird but whatever. Omg really, why didn't Minjung tell me that the crab was raw???

 

And so even though this place may be really popular among tourists esp Jap tourists, I really don't think I'll visit this place again. Raw crab just isn't my kinda thing. I guess you could visit this place and try their ganjang kejang if you're adventurous enough but don't say I didn't warn you!

 

Okay and here are some other dishes you shld try when you're in Korea. You can get most of them in the food court or any small Korean restaurants.....

 

Kimchi jjigae

Definitely kimchi jjigae! Kimchi jjigae is a type of Korean stew made of kimchi, scallions, onions, diced tofu and pork. Unless you're only gonna be in Seoul for like 5 days then I'll say, skip this dish since you can probably cook it yourself (Really easy lol) Nothing beats a piping hot bowl of spicy soup on a cold rainy day. And yup it's boiling hot when served, as seen in the pic.

Sam gye tang

I'm not a die hard fan of sam gye tang, but I'd say a trip to Korea wouldn't be complete without trying it. Sam gye tang or chicken ginseng soup is essentially a soup dish containing a whole chicken, ginseng and other herbs and is usually eaten with rice.
It was my first time trying sam gye tang in Seoul and I was expecting it to taste really strong, like those traditional Chinese herbs. But it wasn't strong at all, in fact it was somewhat bland? Tastes really healthy though lol. Definitely worth a try.

Rabokki

Rabokki is basically ramyun (instant noodles) +  tteokbokki (rice cake) My dad's favourite Korean dish and one of my top fav as well!
Warning: It is VERY spicy.



Gaeran jim topped with silver fish

 

Korean steamed egg or otherwise known as gaeran jim can be found in most Korean restaurants as a side dish. I'm no stranger to steamed egg since my mom used to make them when I was younger. However it was my first time trying the Korean version in Seoul and I have to say that, I prefer my mom's version, or rather, the Chinese version lol.

The Korean steamed egg is denser and less smooth compared to the Chinese version. As you can probably see frm the pic, the egg doesn't look silky and smooth. I'd say skip this dish and come to Spore to try the best steamed egg ever! But then again, if you're at a Korean restaurant thinking abt what side dish to order, this can always be an option.

 

Galchi jorim

 

Galchi jorim or steamed hairtail is a fish stew kinda dish. I knew abt this dish frm all the Korean variety shows I've been watching. The celebs on TV seem to like this dish very much and hence I knew I had to try it when I visited Seoul.

Surprisingly, it wasn't as fantastic as I thought it would be. It was nice though but just not epic enough. Once again, it is very spicy and be careful while eating as the fish contains many bones.

 

Okay that's abt it for all the food I've tried in Seoul in my past 2 trips! Will blog abt the cafes in Seoul, where to shop in Seoul, jjimjibang, Noryangjin fish market and Everland soon! I foresee myself writing at least another 3-4 more entries on the things to see/ do in Seoul. Whoop can't wait!

 

Ahh.... really missing Seoul now~

London: Borough Market

Following frm my last entry on my visit to London in May 2013, I'm gonna be blogging abt Borough market today!

 

Borough Market

8 Southwark St

Nearest tube station: London Bridge

 

Opening hrs:
Thurs -- 11am to 5pm
Fri -- 12pm to 6pm
Sat -- 9am to 4pm

 

My mom and I spent so much money here. I always tend to overspend when I visit a market cos everything looks so yummy! Must have spent at least 30pounds there.

The first thing we bought was the seafood paella! It was yummy but I wouldn't say it's a must try. Tastes just like any average paella you get off the streets of Barcelona or in any authentic Spanish restaurants. But it definitely tastes better than the paella I had in Serenity/ Don Quijote in Spore which is super pricey and really bad. I'd suggest that you share a portion with someone so you can save your stomach space for other food.


Seafood paella!

My mom insisted on getting a juice at the smoothie bar. There was a long queue and we were really thirsty. I can't rmb which juice we ordered but they were expensive enough -- 4pounds (SGD$8) for a small cup. Nothing impressive, just tastes like normal kinda juice you get out of a blender.

 

Next up, I couldn't resist the urge to try the scallops!!!! I hardly get to eat any proper seafood when I'm in Dublin (except for prawns) So I knew I had to get the scallops even though it was pretty ex and looked rather oily. But in all honesty, the scallops were really worth the price! It was huge and very very delicious!!!! The lady grills it front of you, so you will have to brave the smokey BBQ smell and wait for a bit before your order gets served.

 

Grilling scallops in progress...

Yummy scallops

And finally, my mom and I decided to find the legendary toasted cheese sandwich and raclette frm Kappacasein. We actually walked arnd the whole market at least 3 times trying to locate this stall. Finally decided to stop our blind search and ask one of the stall owners lol.

The queue at the stall was insane! We waited for at least 20min before getting our food! Ordered the 2 things this stall is famous for -- their toasted cheese sandwich and raclette.
 

Kappacasein

 

 

Raclette with potatoes and gherkins

The cheese sandwich consists of shredded Montgomery cheddar, diced onions and leek. They toast it on the spot for you and the result is a gooey mess between 2 slices of sourdough bread. At 5pounds (SGD$10), it was definitely pricey enough. I was expecting some sort of heavenly taste but sad to say, I was utterly disappointed. The toasted sandwich tasted pretty bland to me? I actually couldn't bring myself to finish the sandwich cos it really wasn't that nice and I was pretty full by then.

 

As for the raclette..... It was my first time trying raclette! Raclette is a type of cheese which is heated in front of a fire or special machine and the melted part is then scraped onto a plate. It was served with potatoes and gherkins (which are pickles lol) Once again, I had high expectations for this dish after seeing the man scrape warm gooey melted cheese onto plates after plates of potatoes.
And of cos, expectations only lead to disappointments. The raclette was fascinating but it wasn't tasty enough for me. It's the kinda food you'd eat once and be like, "Oh so this is what it tastes like..." and you'll nvr ever crave for it again.
I mean the raclette just tastes like normal cheese to me, somewhat like cheddar? Sorry but I'm not a cheese expert but yeah basically it's similar to the kinda gooey cheese you get on your pizza. Anyhowz, my mom and I couldn't bring ourselves to finish the plate of potatoes and gherkins with raclette piled on top of it.

Having said that, maybe it's just me and my taste buds becos this stall's definitely one of the more crowded ones in Borough market. And everyone else seems to love the toasted sandwiches/ raclette. I guess you could always try but don't say I didn't warn you!!!
Once again, you might consider sharing with someone since it isn't cheap and it's really filling!!!

 

 

 

 

Saw loads of cakes and pastries on sale too. Heard that the duck confit sandwich and beef burger are really good too but didn't get to try them! Partly cos I don't like burgers haha.

Apart frm food, Borough Market also has stalls selling homewares and decorations and some florists. It is definitely a nice place to check out when you're in London esp if you're into weekend markets and stuff.

Gonna end off with a pic of me taken the min I arrived in London!

 

Till the nxt time, bye! X