We are back at and this time, we headed east, far east, to Korea. While most Americans visit Asia, it doesn’t seem like Korea is always top of mind the way Thailand or Vietnam are, but here we are.
After a long journey (20+ hours) of traveling, and then a 14 hour time difference we arrived at 4:30 pm the next day. Even after the long trip, we knew we still had to stop for dinner and so we found a local place around the corner from our hotel that sold 3 items: mung bean pancakes, scallion pancakes and oyster soup with rice cakes; we opted for the scallion pancakes and oyster soup, both were fine but I think we can all agree to check oyster soup off the list and there is no need for a second go to with that one.
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Pajeon Pancakes @JBD Restaurant
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We woke up refreshed after a great night’s sleep ready to eat our way through the city with a private food tour that took us to three of Seoul’s markets: Gwangjang, Namdaemun and Tongin Market.
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Gwangjang Market
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Handcut Noodles @Gwangjang Market
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The one rule before we left our house was that everyone tries everything; O is easy, she tried blood sausage with me in Portugal but M is much pickier but props to her, she tried everything. First on the menu: Hottekok- mung bean pancakes at Gwangjang. We skipped this the night before but gave it a go this time and it did not disappoint, it was also fried on a flat top so you really can’t go wrong. We also saw the lady from the Netflix show, Street Food Asia who served hand cut noodles. We didn’t end up eating at her stall since there 20+ people in the cue.
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Waiting for Kalguksu (handcut noodle soup)
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We then headed to Namdaemun where we did quite a bit of eating. The first stop was right outside Hoechyon metro stop (Gate 5) where a small stall was serving press buns filled with walnuts, cinnamon and sugar. It was so delicious, I’m pretty sure M and O ate all of them since I only remember taking one bite. We enjoyed it so much that we went back to the market later in the trip for more.
Dumplings and hand cut noodles were next at the oldest dumpling shop in the market. People were standing in line waiting to take dumplings home but apparently there is a whole hidden seating area upstairs that our guide took us to. There are only two type of dumplings: pork and pork with kimchi. Kimchi is kind of like bread served at an American restaurant, it shows up on every table when you sit down even before you order. Baba got a little too excited at this stop and went to town on the dumplings and hand cut noodles forgetting that we had 10 more food stops on the tour.
Next stop, the Korean version of sweets: buns filled with red bean paste. One bun was made of black rice flour and the other regular rice flour. As a family who eats a lot of hummus, the buns tasted like sweet hummus which felt not right at all but I guess it is an acquired taste. We then continued the red bean theme and ate donuts filled with red bean paste. This was a little bit more up M’s alley since you can't go wrong with fried sugary dough but I still think she would have opted for ice cream if given the chance.
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Kimchi Buns @Namdaemun Market
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Red Bean donuts @Namdaemun
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Black Rice Bun with Red Bean Paste
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We continued to stop at many more stops sampling ttekboki, seaweed rolls with vegetables, Korean fried chicken, the Korean version of latkes, Korean sweet wine (Makeoli).
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Gimbap @Namdaemun Market
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We did however say no to one tasting and that is the live octopus tentacles. Supposedly even after you cut an octopus’s head off the tentacles nerves are active for another 4 hours and people come to the Gwanghjang market to eat these tentacles. Our tour guide told us a story about when she first tried them and they got stuck down her throat proceeding to tell us she doesn’t believe anyone actually died of eating them…sealing the deal for us to say a hard no.
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Korean Fried Chicken@ Tongin Market
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Worth honorable mention although not consumed on our first day, are two amazing restaurants serving more Korean must try items: Chicken Galbi and Korean Fried Chicken. We ate chicken galbi in Myendong at Yoondae and the cast iron skillet comes to your table with raw chicken, onions gochujang, cabbage and you cook the food with the built in gas stove in the middle of your table. Right before you eat, your waiter sprinkles in cheese, rice cakes (not the American kind) and ramen-style noodles for a final stir-fry for all to enjoy. The gochujang made the dish especially spicy and while O’s mouth was for sure on fire, she just couldn’t stop.
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Chicken Galbi @Yoogane
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The second to last night of our trip, based on multiple recommendations went to Kyochon Chicken for dinner in Insadong; Baba said it was the best fried chicken he ever had and we definitely all agreed.
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Fried Chicken @ Kyochon
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