136 replies to this topic

[nakji]

I don't know if you've been and gone yet, but here are some of my suggestions:


Grab breakfast/lunch at any one of the Gimbap Cheonguk/Gimbap Nara chains (hard to miss, they're everywhere and they're orange), where you can get gimbap, bibimbap, kimchi jigae and the like. Good if you're eating alone.

Walk through Insadong in the afternoon and stand in line for a hotuk - a pancake filled with brown sugar and ground nuts. Go into any one of the teahouses that run off Insadong and order some bokbun jaju; a kind of sweet berry wine; and kamja jeon (potato pancake) or haemmul jeon (seafood pancake).

At night, hit Sinchon, and wander through the alleys until you find a Chuncheon Jib Ddalk Galbi chain, and enjoy a hot pan full of chicken and rice cakes in spicy sauce. Alternatively, try any of the amazing galbi jibs (Korean barbecue houses) in that area. They're all cheap, because it's a student area. Just look for a place with real coals in the table, and lots of people. Order at least one bottle of soju. There's lots of good street food here, as well, like ddeok bokki and odeng stalls.

That should get you started, and if you walk into any restaurant the Korean staff will be happy to help you choose something - just remember, even in Seoul, not a lot of English is spoken. Be adventurous and you'll be rewarded.

[Domestic Goddess]

My korean friends took me and Billy to a korean shabu-shabu restaurant. It was interesting to see the difference between shabu-shabus in Manila, China, Japan, etc.

You have to forgive some of the blurry pics as I used my celphone to take the pictures. Here we have the basic soup stock. Even though it is red, it wasn't spicy at all (to my surprise).



The first of many servings of thinly sliced beef.



Of course, it wouldn't be korean without the kimchi bowls. The napa cabbage kimchi was so-so (and slightly sweet) but the radish kimchi rocked!



A bowlful of rice with toppings and an egg yolk for the bokkum'ed rice later.



Leafy veggies, mushrooms and even squash slices to add to the soup.



Sigh, another blurry pic of the noodles made in-house by the restaurant. This will be added to the soup after all the meat is consumed.



Let's get everything started by adding the mushrooms first. We had pine mushrooms, and two other kinds. Once they were slightly done, we started dipping our beef in the boiling broth.



After 3 trays of beef, we decided we were ready for the noodles. You can tell it was freshly-made and was slightly chewy.



And when all the noodles are gone and the tasty broth has boiled down to a cup or less, the rice with the toppings and eggyok is dumped in and bokkumed together. I thought I couldn't eat another bite but managed to eat half a bowlful (inspired by the Green's eating prowess )



At the end of the meal, we were served coffee and hot roasted soybean milk tea. It was wonderful!

[angeljolie]

It's been quite a while since this thread had been posted to. But I hope someone can help me out. We are having a Korean function on Sunday, and I will be stationed in the dining room. I was told to wear the Korean national costume but I think that will be very uncomfortable and might even cause trouble. My question is, what do waitresses or female dining managers usually wear in Korean restaurants?

Any help will be very much appreciated. Thanks!

[Domestic Goddess]

The adjumas, older ladies, wear shapeless baggy pants in outrageous colors (purple, orange, tangerine, etc) matched with an equally outrageous shirt (usually floral printed or in shocking colors like fuschia or lime green). The young'uns wear jeans and shirt in hole-in-the-wall places while fancier restaurants have their waitstaff dress up like their foreign counterparts in US/Europe (white buttoned shirt plus black slacks with white apron).

[angeljolie]

Thanks, Doddie! Since our function will be a formal one, I think I will opt for the getup of the fancier restaurants' waitstaff. Thanks again!

[nathanm]

I will be in Seoul in Ocotber and would like to find some great places to eat. I am mainly interested in high end dining, but would also stop for street food or similar if it is really good.

Is there anybody doing modernist food (i.e. analogous to Ferran Adria / Heston Blumenthal) in Korea?

[Peter Green]

I will be in Seoul in Ocotber and would like to find some great places to eat.   I am mainly interested in high end dining, but would also stop for street food or similar if it is really good.

Is there anybody doing modernist food (i.e. analogous to Ferran Adria / Heston Blumenthal) in Korea?

Nathan,

Seoul's a tough play for cutting edge cuisine. Some of the folks I've talked to think it'll still be a few years before you can find what you're looking for there (basically, for some of the kids who are doing home stays abroad now to get some serious experience under their belts and come back and cook).

I'd check out zen kimchi for sure, and, of course, Doddie's blog for up to date rec's on where and what to do.

You can wade through my last stupid trip to Korea, but have some patience.

If I was asked what I really wanted to do as an outstanding meal in Seoul, I'd have three recommendations, none of which are fancy:

1. eat at that beef place Flavour of a Long Time Ago
2. eat at the Cheju-Do pork place
3. go to Garak Sijang, the big market on the south side of the Han, at around midnight, with a few friends and a lot of soju, and take one of the platforms in they have in the middle of the market and just start ordering a lot of food....order it live.

Korea in Spring.....that sounds good.

Edited by Peter Green, 31 July 2008 - 09:10 AM.

[jkim]

I don't think you're likely to find any avantguard cuisine in Korea at all. Labour is generally cheap in Korea (well, compared to the white world), and thus people generally do not go for labour intensive luxuries.

If a korean had 10 man won (about $100) to spend for a meal, I think he would rather prefer to eat at a lobster place or a nice japanese style fish place with lots of sukedashi, rather than an avantguard restaurant. And then there is always dog, which is pretty expensive as food goes.

And if a Korean has more than that to spend on his meal (i.e. the $300-400 per person commonly dumped into food & wine degustation), he's more likely to spend it on business clubbing (room sa rong).

Please avoid western restaurants like the plague while you are there. They are awful. The best western you'll experience is likely to be "family restaurants", such as Bennigans, TGI, Outback, etc. Otherwise stick purely to local. Local is cheaper and tastes a hell of a lot better.

My friends and I always enjoyed going to ZenZen (near back of ASEM tower) and having some pork bellies with soju, followed by Jug Jug (pub near sam sung hyun dae shopping tower) for some beer, and finish with Chun (business club near chung dam station) drinking with lovelies.

[muichoi]

I've always found that the less expensive a place is the better the food. Indeed the standard at working class establishments is quite fantastic very often. I've always had people looking after me but it's well worth making clear that that's what you're looking for in a polite way. High end is pretty dismal in my experience.

[marlena spieler]

My dear friend (from france) is headed to Korea (Seoul), and she wants to know what to eat, what not to miss....she doesn't eat pork or shellfish.....other than that, she LOVES good food! all suggestions and recommendations for unmissable yummies appreciated, as well as suggestions about dishes and foods she shouldn't miss tasting!

i've told her kimchee and kimchee and kimchee; wish i were going too!

thanks!

[nakji]

I hate to be a downer, but pork and/or shellfish are involved in quite a large number of unmissable Korean dishes.

Kimchi is the main area to watch out for, because most of it is made with brine shrimp - small shrimpies that dissolve into the kimchi spice paste that give it its characteristic tang.

A friend of mine worked in Korea for two years and carried an epipen the whole time, since she's allergic to shellfish.

Deonjang jigae, often served for lunch, is usually made with small clams to flavour the soup, although it may be possible to find vegetarian versions in some places.

Safe things: Bibimbap is usually made with beef, and usually contains no kimchi, although it's worth checking beforehand.

Beef galbi - delicious and wonderful, but please note most places that sell it also sell pork as well - go with someone who knows what they're ordering, or when in doubt, try "Suh gogi ee ye yo?" - "Is this beef?" Beware the "Duagee-gogi" - this means it's pork.

Ddalk galbi, while extremely spicy, is unmissable - and cheap. Any big entertainment district in Seoul, like Jongro or Shinchon, has a large collection of these places - chicken, vegetables, and a spicy sauce are fried together in a large pan on your table. One of my favourite dishes!

Samgyetang - a small whole chicken is stuffed with rice and ginseng, and boiled in a soup. Very nice, and a test of your chopstick skills to get all the chicken off the bone.

Fall is great for street food, and she should try the fish waffles stuffed with red bean paste (bunggeopan) or hotuk - a fried pancake stuffed with brown sugar and other things. These are really popular in the Insadong area.

When I was living there, jjuk was really popular - basically like chinese congee - there are lots of chain shops that specialize in it, and it would make a good lunch.

I'm not sure if octopus qualify as shellfish or not, but if she's adventurous, she could always try the san nakji! (live baby octopus).

Spam finds it's way into many dishes at cheap lunch cafes! Beware the Spam!

Whatever the case, she should make sure to have a phrasebook or someone with her to translate, to make her dietary requirements clear. If they're due to allergies, she should also have some medicine with her as a back-up.

I hope she has fun - I feel like it's an under-promoted cuisine, and there's lots of fabulous things there to try. I just booked my tickets to Seoul for Christmas - I'll be there in December, for the first time in two years. I've already made my eating list!!!!

Also, she should check out Zen Kimchi, and I have some old posts on this topic.

[jkim]

Well, the food without shellfish would be...

> jja jang myun - "chinese" the Koreans call it, but I've never seen it at any real chinese restaurants.

> so go gi tang su yuk - another "chinese" dish, beef in batter in pineapple sauce. Ask for the beef (so) one, not the pork (standard) one.

> hwe + mae un tang - raw fish and fish bone soup.

> gop chang - intestines. make suer it is so, not dwe ji.

[prasantrin]

The last time I was in Korea, I went to a restaurant called Gung in the Insadong area. Although your friend won't be able to partake in their specialty (mandu which is made with pork), they also made very good pajon (sort of a savoury pancake--like okonomiyaki if you know what that is). According to the link I posted, you can also watch them make kimchi on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.

There are also some nice tea shops in the Insadong area. It's a very touristy area, but it's quite nice for walking around.

Also visit Mary Eats' Korean Food Guide. She's no longer based in Korea, but I'm sure many of the restaurant reviews still stand, plus she's got ZenKimchi's list of 100 Korean foods to try. The explanations will help eliminate any foods your friend won't be able to eat.

[Peter Green]

I'd second the recommendation for ZenKimChi's stuff. That will give her a lot to work from.

Also (because this has worked for vegetarians in Thailand) have someone clearly write out in hangul (the Korean alphabet) what she cannot eat. Folks will probably scratch their heads and look confused, but the Koreans can be very accommodating.

On the food list thing...there are some great beef spots on the street, and han-u (Korean beef) is excellent.

And the set table dinners are light on pork, offering a wide selection of banchan. You just have to be careful about those little clams in the broths.

[jkim]

In the absense of knowledge of where better to, I'll just make some corrections or additional notes on ZenKimChi's list.

23. Odeng/Eomuk (Street-side Fish Noodles)

These are, in fact, "fish cakes" - the same as that used by the chinese. Street stalls usually boil this in a seaweed / anchovy broth; or may cook them with ddeok bok ki.

24. Hoddeok (Stuffed Street-side Pastries) Mmmmm. Fried dough with brown sugar. Well worth waiting in long lines for.

Syrup stuffed pancakes is the best way to describe this. Very springy but innocent lookign pancake, with a molten core of hot sweet syrup.

25. GeiJang (Raw Fermented Crabs) One of my favorite side dishes. Raw crab has a fanstastic gelatinous textures.

Gye Jang is not fermented. It is pickled for preservation, but does not go through the fermentation that kimchi goes through.

57. Soju (Rice Whiskey) A sweet potato liquer, strong, and will have you cursing the world if consumed in copious amounts.

Soju is not from potatoes, and normal soju (gum doo ggo bi, etc) is not strong. Cham ee sul is 21% if i remember right. Taste is similar to vodka, but less sweet and has a more harsh texture due to the pure ethanol that is usually mixed into it to save mfg costs and artificially boost alcohol %.

69. Any product with Green Tea in it Green tea appears to be the bridge between traditional Korean desserts and European sweets, showing up in everything from frappuccinos, chiffon cakes and ice creams.

I think this is an import (from japan or china). These products didn't exist when I was in Korea.

71. Yogurt Soju Cocktail I raised my eyebrows the first time some one offered me soju mixed with a yogurt drink served to my preschool students, but one sip and it is the best darn creamcicle you’ve had in years.

Not yogurt. The koreans call acidopholis drinks (i.e. yakult) yogurt. They are confused if you mention real yogurt to them.

[torakris]

I bought the tickets yesterday, we are headed to Seoul this winter!!

We are thinking of staying in the Myeongdong area and are looking for cheap eats as well as one nice meal. My kids (ages 12, 11 and 8) eat anything and have no problems with spicy food. My biggest worry is our lack of knowledge in Korean, I am going to brush up on my hangul but restaurants that have either picture menus or menus with either English or Japanese translations would be really helpful.
Just how easy is it to get around in Seoul without any Korean?

We also plan to try some of the best fast food Korea has to offer, my kids love hitting McDonald's in different countries. Any fast food recommendations?

We will be there for 5 nights, 4 dinners and 5 lunches. We haven't decided on a place to stay yet but are looking at guest houses and most include breakfasts but if there is a don't miss breakfast in the area I would love to hear about it.

[nakji]

Syrup stuffed pancakes is the best way to describe this. Very springy but innocent lookign pancake, with a molten core of hot sweet syrup.

I don't know how many times I burnt myself on that hot, molten core. So delicious looking, how can I resist biting into it right away? But the second-degree burn scars from previous encounters warn me to be cautious. It's best to eat them in winter, when your gloves protect your hands, and the cold air cools the syrup.

I bought the tickets yesterday, we are headed to Seoul this winter!!

We are thinking of staying in the Myeongdong area and are looking for cheap eats as well as one nice meal. My kids (ages 12, 11 and 8) eat anything and have no problems with spicy food. My biggest worry is our lack of knowledge in Korean, I am going to brush up on my hangul but restaurants that have either picture menus or menus with either English or Japanese translations would be really helpful.
Just how easy is it to get around in Seoul without any Korean?

We also plan to try some of the best fast food Korea has to offer, my kids love hitting McDonald's in different countries. Any fast food recommendations?

We will be there for 5 nights, 4 dinners and 5 lunches. We haven't decided on a place to stay yet but are looking at guest houses and most include breakfasts but if there is a don't miss breakfast in the area I would love to hear about it.

I think Korea is having a moment. Korea - sparkling! I'll be there, too, over Christmas and New Years.

Myeongdong is a good area to stay, since you'll be able to get around easily, and there are quite a few cheap places in the shopping area. You'll also be close to Jongro and Shinchon, where the best eats are IMO. The food hall in Lotte will be good for bringing home food souvenirs.

When I was there, we didn't speak much Korean, but we got around fine. I don't remember many restaurants then having English or Japanese menus, but basically, since you know what kind of restaurant it is by looking in, we would just waltz in and start ordering things - if they had it, it came, if they didn't, they'd tell us. Not a great system if you have kids, though. But really, hangul is so easy. Just add "chuseyo" on to the end of whatever you want to order (eg.: "Dolsot bibimbap, chuseyo"), and they'll understand what you mean. As for getting around, the subways are all in English, and quite a good deal less complex than in Tokyo, so you should be fine.

Jongro and Myeongdong have some great street snacks, and you definitely want to get some ddeok bokki in and around there. Insadong for hotteok on the street - mind the lineups, tho, they can get long! Insadong is also good for stopping in the tea houses along the alley for some restorative kamjajeon, kimchijeon, and haemul pajeon. Also a great place for trying some infused makkeolis - pine makkeoli, anyone? Umeshu and another drink - bokbunjaju - a sweet purple liqueur are also available in the teahouses, along with a wide range of teas - and of course, sikhye - rice punch. I could never develop a taste for it - I prefer the persimmon punch.

On the streets running perpendicular to Jongro, there are some nice galbi restaurants, ones that even serve European wines. In the entertainment district of Jongro, there are quite a few ddalk galbi restaurants - you must hit one of these places up.

As for fast food, I never found the chains there to be as innovative as the ones in Japan, but things change. The one thing I do remember from McD's is the bulgogi burger. Better in Korea are the combini onigiri - or samgak gimbap - they have bulgogi, bibimbap, gochu pork.......

When you go to a lunch restaurant - any of the orange coloured places - try the modum gimbap plates - cheese, kimchi, bulgogi, tuna - oh my!

Korean breakfast is similar to a Japanese one, but with kimchi, of course! And instead of miso soup, they have doenjang jigae, or another type of jigae - it's very hearty. I'm sure your guesthouse will put out a good version.

I'm getting so geared up and excited now!

[melonpan]

one of these days theres gonna be a lawsuit and all hoddeok will be served lukewarm after that.

[melonpan]

they dont have lotteria in japan do they? ive never been to japan but i get confused by what are just japanese or just korean or what are both.

ah, i just looked it up. it turns out it is japanese! so never mind!

i love the bulgogi burgers at lotteria tho

[nakji]

They have Lotteria in Korea. Lotte is owned (or was started) by an ethnic Korean in Japan. Lotte products are very popular in Korea.

[melonpan]

oh. he was an ethnic korean in japan? cool!

love the kimchi burgers. but i love the bulgogi ones the best...

[jkim]

I don't like Lotteria. Their burgers are awful...

I'm sure you can catch the subway when you are in Korea, so I'm going to list some places that are far away from Myung Dong. I don't recall any places of significance in Myung Dong, except for the night market.

Places you want to go to while in Seoul:
1. Soon Dae Tower (shin dang dong). Take the number 4 (blue) line to Sadang station, and then change to number 2 (green) line. Great for soon dae bok keum.

2. Shin Chon. People go to Shin Chon for dak gal bi. Don't ask me exactly which restaurant or why. I just know that they do. Take the number 4 (blue) line to Dong Dae Moon Un Dong Jang (stadium) station, and then switch to the number 2 (green) line.

3. Chung mu ro. This is the "arts" district of Seoul. Take the number 4 (blue) line to Chung Mu Ro station.

4. Cham sil. This is the location of the famous lotte world amusement park. number 4 (blue) line to Dong Dae Moon Un Dong Jang (stadium) station, and then switch to the number 2 (green) line.

5. In sa dong. This is where you can get han jung sik for about 2 man won / head. Go to gwang hwa mun station (blue line up to dong dae mun station, then to number 5 purple line) and then go by foot for about 15 mins.

6. Yong San. Number 4 to seoul station, then down the national line. This is the place for electronics... yong san jun ja mart... electronic black market.

7. Samsung. This is the location of the koex mall. number 4 (blue) line to Sadang station, and then switch to the number 2 (green) line. Here, you can find Outback (western family restaurant with aussie theme), montecarlo (western family restaurant), Zenzen (great sam gyup sal place), jugjug (beer place) and some other stuff inc. world food court.

8. Ap ku jong. I never understood the fascination people had with this place. Not my kind of place at all.

[jschyun]

My top winter recs for torakris, and others in her situation, are the following:

1. Lotte World indoor amusement park (off Jamsil subway station)

2. Namdaemun Market: Torakris will love all the food vendors in the market area. Hang onto your kids though, because it gets pretty busy. Also, the little alleys full of tiny restaurants are fun. I would actually eat at the Noodle Alley near Gate 6. Right next to Noodle Alley is this insanely cheap dumpling joint that is always crowded. 10 big steamed dumplings for 4,000 won (about $3.5 U.S. dollars)! I probably should not advertise, but hey it's already been discovered. Also, there's a really cheap and good vendor for tights and hosiery that I like.

Very close by is the Shinsegae department store that has an entrance to the Hoehyun subway station. You can cruise the food court and eat up all the samples, like I do.

Also close by is the Myeongdong shopping area. It's crazy. Just basically a big outdoor mall, where rich and glamorous teenagers roam at night. As jkim said, it's mostly happening at night, but it's pretty busy in the afternoon as well.

3. Insadong: this is sort of the artsy area. There are tons of art galleries on this street and in the neighborhood, just northwest of the street. this is where I go a lot because I eat a fairly strict vegetarian diet these days. Most of the good vegetarian places are here, including this awesome vegan buffet that you're probably not interested in. However, it's also a good place for hole in the wall 'hanshik" (korean food) restos. I asked around for recs but all I got were shrugs. If you wander into the alleys during eating hours, look into the windows and look at the clientele and the food, you can get a pretty good idea of what place you'll be happy at. Insadong is a great place for cheap tchochkes to bring back home. Also, there are some decent cheap scarf vendors here.

To get to Insadong, I think it's easiest to get off the subway at Anguk station and then just head one block south. Then the north entrance to Insadong's main drag is right there.

Edited by jschyun, 29 October 2008 - 01:24 PM.

[ZenKimchi]

Sorry I'm a bit late on replying to the October request, but I feel the need to pipe in.

High end Korean dining sucks, sucks, sucks!!

I'm not talking about the westernized hotels, where you can find some great food, but the restaurants that try to turn Korean food into fine dining are more concerned with presentation, charging high prices and looking as ridiculously pretentious as possible--with taste coming low on the priority scale. They don't cater to foodies. They cater to people who want to show off their wealth.

Now, I believe that it's just a temporary trend, but it's the trend now. I have seen it over and over.

There are some up and coming places, though, that are not cheap shikdang but they aren't foolishly pretentious. These innovative chefs get looked over by the government tourism agencies because they don't tow their line of trying to make Korean cuisine copy Japanese cuisine in frilly fussiness.

Little bistros in back alleys, like Star Chef, are where you are going to find the memorable food in Seoul. Haughty places like The Gaon and the touristy Samwon Garden ain't where it's at.

[AdrianB]

Sorry I'm a bit late on replying to the October request, but I feel the need to pipe in.

High end Korean dining sucks, sucks, sucks!!

I'm not talking about the westernized hotels, where you can find some great food, but the restaurants that try to turn Korean food into fine dining are more concerned with presentation, charging high prices and looking as ridiculously pretentious as possible--with taste coming low on the priority scale.  They don't cater to foodies.  They cater to people who want to show off their wealth.

Now, I believe that it's just a temporary trend, but it's the trend now.  I have seen it over and over.

There are some up and coming places, though, that are not cheap shikdang but they aren't foolishly pretentious.  These innovative chefs get looked over by the government tourism agencies because they don't tow their line of trying to make Korean cuisine copy Japanese cuisine in frilly fussiness.

Little bistros in back alleys, like Star Chef, are where you are going to find the memorable food in Seoul.  Haughty places like The Gaon and the touristy Samwon Garden ain't where it's at.

On a trip to Seoul I was very impressed with a BBQ place which I can't remember! It was "high end" and very fashionable - popular with celebrities, policians and the like. They had a good (and well priced) wine list. Excellent, excellent snowflake beef that I think was as good if not better than best Kobe beef I had!

It was in a private room, faily priced and extraordinarily wonderful.

If it helps - they are also very famous for the Pyongyang-style noodles.

I'll look at some notes at home and post the name here soon.

Edited by AdrianB, 09 November 2008 - 08:52 PM.

[torakris]

We leave for Korea in 5 days! I just scanned through this thread and am about to go back and print pages/takes notes but I wanted to share this wonderful link first as I think others might find it incredibly helpful.

How to read a menu from a kimbap place from maryeats

I printed this out and am memorizing it. I have a feeling we will be doing a lot of eating at these kinds of places as we can get something to please everyone!
If anyone has recommendations on kimbap places or specific menu items I would love to hear them.

[eternal]

We leave for Korea in 5 days! I just scanned through this thread and am about to go back and print pages/takes notes but I wanted to share this wonderful link first as I think others might find it incredibly helpful.

Let me know how it goes. We have a 23 hour layover in Seoul on Jan 6th. Plan on staying in Myaendong and then going to Insadong the next morning before heading back to the airport.

If you only have 23 hours in Seoul, what do you eat? I'm leaning towards Bibimbap, but I've had it many times in NY...

[Peter Green]

We leave for Korea in 5 days! I just scanned through this thread and am about to go back and print pages/takes notes but I wanted to share this wonderful link first as I think others might find it incredibly helpful.

Let me know how it goes. We have a 23 hour layover in Seoul on Jan 6th. Plan on staying in Myaendong and then going to Insadong the next morning before heading back to the airport.

If you only have 23 hours in Seoul, what do you eat? I'm leaning towards Bibimbap, but I've had it many times in NY...

If you like offal, find a kopchang place

[nakji]

I was back in Seoul over Christmas and New Year. I was meeting up with some old friends, ones I'd made while living there from 2002-2006. A lot of us had had pretty crap years - broken bones, parents diagnosed with terminal illnesses, work stress, fortunes made and lost, parasites gained and lost, suicidal roommates and poor real estate investments.

Needless to say, we all really, really needed a drink.

Fortunately we had some old haunts we wanted to check out. I found some new places, as well. Giving restaurant recommendations is hard, since addresses don't really follow a western system, so I'll do my best to give landmarks and storefronts.

Insadong

The first neighborhood in Seoul I wanted to check out was Insadong. It's a famous arty-type neighborhood, and it should be on your list of places to visit in Seoul.

I wanted to go to one of the restaurants in the alleys off the main road. We started from Anguk station, and walked down Insadong-gil, the main street. At the third or fourth alley on the left, we turned down. This is a view of the alley standing in front of the restaurant we chose - at the end of the street, you can see a sign that says, "Artside". That's on the main road. Coming down from Anguk, when you reach that sign on the right side of the road, turn into the alley on your left. Walk towards the end of the alley, and the restaurant should be on your left.


I picked one of the places that had the most people in it, and was rewarded with a place that not only had lovely traditional decor, but had some pretty great food as well - this is not always a given in Seoul, I find, although things seem to be moving in this direction.

It looked like this:


It looks to be called "Dudaemun".

We ordered bulgogi:


It came pre-cooked, which is unusual - usually it cooks on a hot plate at your table.

Which, being Korea, came with a luxurious selection of side dishes. A sampling:

Deonjang soup with radish tops:


Paper-thin slices of pickled daikon with wasabi:


Either konnyaku or acorn jelly with sesame-chili-soy topping


Greens with a deonjang-gochujang sesame dressing:


Cool radish soup: (So refreshing! So addictive!)


A small salad of fresh vegetables and blanched chicken; dressed with a vinaigrette:


Garlic scapes with soy:


Kiiimmmmcccchhhhiiiiiii...and far more attractively presented than usual.


Because we are greedy, greedy, and we wanted to eat as much kimchi as possible, we also ordered a kimchijeon. The English menu identified it as "a type of Korean pizza", a mis-identification propagandistically reproduced on many a game attempt at an English menu at restaurants across Seoul. Everyone knows Korean pizza comes with sweet pickles and a ring of sweet potato puree embedded in the crust. Kimchijeon is clearly a kind of Korean pancake.



And it is so, so good - crispy fried edges giving way to a melting interior of hot kimchi and green onion. Dipped in soy and sesame oil, you can't help but want to wash it down with something -

We had the bokbunjaju, a red berry wine.


Everything we had here was expertly prepared and delicious - I thought they had a nice balance of side dishes, as well. Some restaurants in Seoul will offer limited side dishes, or - and this happens especially at meat restaurants - everything will be heavy spiced with chili. In Seoul, I expect a restaurant will have superb meat - I go back on whether or not I was impressed by the side dishes. This place is worth a second visit.

[torakris]

We had the most incredible time in Seoul, not one of us wanted to leave! We will definitely be going back in the near future, my husband is insisting we go back this Golden Week (early May) but with a summer trip to the US and next winter in Hawaii I don't think it will be financially possible...

I will start off with Insadong as well. This was probably one of my favorite areas of Seoul. We picked up most of our omiyage (souvenirs) here and had what was probably our favorite meal.
I think it was Rona who recommended it but I can't remember now but we had lunch at Koong (Gung).
Since it was our first time we had to try a little bit of everything. This is where traveling with 5 people comes in really handy.

Bossam


seafood pacheon


soup mandu and steamed mandu


the inside of the mandu


acorn jelly salad


Believe it or not all that food set us back only about $30.