A taste of Seoul, Korea: Three nights

by Jeremy Kressmann on

Korean food is hot! “Spicy” is probably the most prominent flavor in Korean cooking, but it’s also a sign of the increasing popularity of Korean cuisine. Everywhere you turn these days, it seems like someone is talking about Korean food, from New York’s superstar chef David Chang to the insanely popular Kogi food truck in Los Angeles. But for all the buzz Korean food is getting among eaters, many of us know little beyond the Korean basics of barbecue and Kimchi. What exactly do they like to eat in Korea? And why is everyone so obsessed with the food there?

During my recent visit to Seoul, I decided to investigate. Armed with only my camera and an empty stomach, I dived head-first into the sizzling center of Seoul’s food scene, curious to discover what Koreans liked to eat. But before I started, I needed to find some help. As any local will tell you, eating in Korea is a communal experience, with dishes passed and shared among friends. To help me navigate my way through the bewildering array of Korean food choices, I met up with three of Seoul’s top food experts: Dan from Seoul Eats, Joe of ZenKimchi, and Jennifer from FatManSeoul. Over the course of several meals with my hosts, I began to get a sense of the surprising, subtle and savory flavors that make Korean food so special. Want to get a taste of what Korean food is all about? Join along as we take a big bite of Korean cuisine – click below for more.

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Up All Night in Hongdae
Hongdae, a youthful neighborhood west of Seoul’s main downtown, has become in recent years a hub for all things fun, young and trendy. Stroll down any side street near the Hongik University metro stop and you’ll be assaulted by cozy coffee shops, raucous pubs and of course, plenty of food.

I started my culinary exploration of Seoul here in Hongdae, with Dan Gray, creator of Seoul food website Seoul Eats. The first stop was a spot simply called “RIBS,” specializing in Galbi, or pork short ribs. These tiny bite-size meat morsels make a perfect accompaniment for drinks are flavored with plenty of pepper and spices. Like many young Koreans out on the town, this was to be the first of several more stops, with plenty of drinking and snacking along the way. We headed to Chin Chin, best known for Makgeolli, an unfiltered rice wine. The drink has a milky, tangy taste to it, with a finish not unlike the yeasty taste of good Hefeweiss beer. Patrons can enjoy the drink al fresco, paired with the buzzing throb of Seoul’s plentiful motor scooter traffic jams.

After a few rounds of Makolli, we were hungry again. Thankfully, Korean food lends itself well to consumption on the street, with literally hundreds of vendors lining the sides of Hongdae’s many alleys. We headed to a Pojangmacha, or tent restaurant to get a taste of late-night Korean snacking, where we enjoyed Gaeran Mari, an omelette-like drinking snack made of eggs, veggies, ham and doused in ketchup.

Roll Up Your Sleeves in Mapo
Hongdae gave me a taste of Seoul’s frenzied late night eating scene. But I was still curious to see what the average Korean might be eating for dinner. To discover more, I met up with Joe McPherson from ZenKimchi, for a mini-food tour of Mapo-Gu, a largely working-class district east of Hongdae. Mapo is also home to Mapo Restaurant Street, a huge cluster of eateries offering traditional Korean specialities like Bulgogi and Bibimbap. They also offer more eclectic fare, including dog meat soup.

We got our hands dirty by starting with a Samgyeopsal eatery, specializing in salt-grilled pork belly. Barbecue is perhaps Korea’s most well-known cuisine. Diners typically gather round a large hole in their tables, filled with glowing red coals, while the meal’s meat is cooked in front of you. Dinner was salt-pork, accompanied by the ever-present Kimchi (pickled cabbage), as well as eggs, which were cooked up using a lip on the edge of our grill and mixed with the Kimchi.

One meal is never enough in Seoul. Like many of my nights there, we moved on to try another Korean speciality, a cold buckwheat noodle soup called Makguksu. This icy-cold dish makes a refreshing contrast to the typical spicy, smoky flavors of most Korean food. We ended our night on a decidedly blue-collar note, stopping by the 7-11 for corn ice cream sandwiches a uniquely Korean frozen novelty.

Taste the Past in Itaewon
I had been snacking till dawn and had a taste of Korean working-class cuisine. But now it was time to get a taste of the past. Korean food has a long and illustrious history, with some unique traditions that set it apart from their nearby Chinese and Japanese neighbors. To get better sense of this, I met up with Jennifer, creator of FatManSeoul and walking encyclopedia of Korean history and culture. We headed to Itaewon, Seoul’s historic district, a throwback neighborhood lined with old-style buildings, traditional Korean handicrafts and tea shops.

Our meal for the evening would be Hanjeongsik, a cornucopia of traditional small plates. No meal goes by in Korea without the ubiquitous banchan, small dishes of pickled vegetables, dried seafood and sauces that are used for dipping and as sides. Hanjeongsik takes banchan to the next level, meant to symbolically reflect five colors (black, yellow, green, red and white), directions, the four seasons and five tastes. Our spread included prawns, tofu soup, fish cakes called odeng, seaweed and plenty of pickled veggies. It’s a decadent and delicious way to sample what traditional Korean eating is all about.

We finished our evening at a tea house nearby. Though many younger Koreans now seem to gravitate towards the ubiquitous coffee shops of Seoul, tea houses will give visitors a taste of the Korea of days gone by. The humbly-named tea house “Second Best in Seoul” in Itaewon takes the traditional Korean tea to the next level. The tea here is less a drink than a dessert, combining fruits like persimmon, nuts and red bean paste into delicious post-meal concoctions. We enjoyed our tea sitting in the shop’s retro 1970’s chairs, digesting our meal. Like so much of the cuisine of Korea, it proved to be a surprising blend of the old and the new, a collection of culinary surprises waiting to be discovered.

Gadling writer Jeremy Kressmann is spending the next few months traveling through (Southeast) Asia. You can read other posts on his adventures “South by Southeast” HERE.

Photo of the Day (11-4-09)

by Jamie Rhein on

A close-up view of a building’s features is one way to show it off its beauty This Buddhist temple’s door is a perfect example. LadyExpat, who took this photo in Daejeon, South Korea, moved in for an intimate look so that the textures and nuances of the blue paint, the worn wood and the metal are a study of contrasts. Plus, think of the story they tell of the people who have passed through these doors over the years.

If you have a photo of contrasts and textures you’d love to show off, send it our way at Gadling’s Flickr photo pool. It may be chosen as a Photo of the Day.

The best stinkin’ food in Asia

by Aaron Hotfelder on

We humans have mostly evolved a distaste for eating foul-smelling things, like dog poop, Drano, or anything Dad tries to cook. This is a beneficial instinct, as bad-smelling things are often quite toxic. (Sorry, Dad.)

But the rules are a little different in Asia, where the smells of stinky tofu, fish sauce, the durian, and countless other pungent foodstuffs are often found in restaurants and on the streets. When a friend of mine returned from Korea last summer, she told me the smell of stinky tofu— aged, fermented bean curd soaked in a brine– would be forever seared into her brain. “How’d it taste?” I asked. She answered, “I believe this is what they politely refer to as an ‘acquired taste.'”

But like the stinkiest French cheese, sometimes the worse the food smells, the better it tastes. Over at KoreAm, a blog about the Korean American experience, Lola Pak has come up with an entertaining list of the Top 10 Smelliest Foods in Asia. Some of her observations:

  • “Unless you enjoy breathing in ammonia, avoid [fermented] skate at all costs.”
  • “Koreans gnaw on dried squid while drinking beer and soju. Too bad the rubbery strands smell like dead mice.”
  • “Due to its fetid odor, the oval, tropical fruit [durian] also has one thing in common with terrorists and smokers: It’s banned from the Singapore airport.”

Whole thing here. How many of these stinky foods have you tried?

South by Southeast: Welcome to Seoul

by Jeremy Kressmann on

Seoul is not in Southeast Asia. But for a budget traveler like myself headed on to Southeast Asia, this South Korean capital has provided a perfect introduction to my trip. First-time Asian visitors “headed Southeast” often start in Tokyo, the neon Asian mega-capital of food, shopping and nightlife. Yet Seoul matches the urban amenities of Japan’s uber-city pound-for-pound, all at a fraction of the price. When you add in Seoul’s welcoming and friendly locals, surprising natural beauty and top-notch culinary scene, you’ve got the makings of a emerging traveler’s hotspot.

So if you’re planning a visit to Southeast Asia, skip that Tokyo layover and arrange a stopover in Seoul. Not only does South Korean carrier Korean Air offer convenient Asia connections from Chicago, New York, Dallas, Washington DC and Atlanta, it’s also a great place to get over your jetlag and pickup last-minute travel supplies before heading onwards. Whether you’re just passing through or end up hanging out stay a few days, you’ll find yourself surprised and delighted with just how much Seoul has to offer.

Over the past few days here in Seoul, I’ve found plenty of reasons to justify sticking around. Ready to investigate this tourist-friendly, bustling Korean capital? Let’s take a closer look at Seoul and review the basics of your visit? Click below for more.

Getting Around

Most travelers arrive in Seoul through Incheon International Airport, located an hour west of the city. Getting downtown is easy enough. Budget-minded travelers should grab an “Aiport Limousine” bus ($10) or the Airport Railroad Express (also about $10), both of which connect to Seoul’s excellent metro system. In a little over an hour you’ll arive in Seoul.

To get around, you’re going to want to use Seoul’s fantastic metro system. As one of the largest in the world it will take you just about anywhere in the city and prices are reasonable, costing around $1-2 per ride. Signage is in both Korean and English to aid with navigation.

City Layout

Seoul itself is divided into two distinct sections, located north and south of the Han River. On the north is Seoul’s historic Jongno-gu neighborhood, home to many royal palaces, along with nearby Insadong, ground zero for the Seoul art galleries and antiques. To the west of Jongno-Gu is Hongdae, Seoul’s happening student district, bursting with cafes, bars and eateries. Nearby Itaewon is known as the home of Seoul’s expats, including large numbers of U.S. Military personnel and loads of restaurants and bars. On the south side of the Han River is ritzy Gangnam-gu, a more upscale area full of high-end hotels and plenty of shopping.

Where to Sleep

Seoul has numerous lodging options, ranging from the luxurious to the thrifty. If you’re looking to make your dollar stretch the furthest, check out some of Seoul’s many clean, modern guesthouses. In addition to NAMU Guesthouse is well-located near Seoul’s trendy Hongdae student area. Other good options include anHouse and Bebop Guesthouse, both located not far from Hongdae in Mapo-Gu. Expect to pay between $10-$30/night for a guesthouse and much more than that for a nice high-end hotel.

What to Do

Seoul has a surprising amount to offer for budget travelers. With exchange rate currently trading at 1150 Won to the Dollar, you’ll find attractions, food, drinks and souvenirs are amazingly cheap compared to wallet-hungry Asian cities like Tokyo. Some top attractions include:

  • Gyeongbokgung – one of Seoul’s biggest royal palaces, Gyeongbokgung was first contstructed in 1394. Though the original was heavily damaged during the Japanese occupation of Korea from 1910 to 1945, it’s been immaculately restored. For about $3, visitors can spend their time strolling the beautiful grounds and investigating the palace’s lavish living quarters. The National Folk Museum of Korea is also nearby.
  • Bukhansan National Park – the greater Seoul metropolitan area boasts surprising natural beauty. About an hour north on the metro is Bukhansan National Park, a popular hiking spot and home to a number of serene Buddhist temples. During autumn Korean hikers flock to Bukhansan to experience beautiful fall colors, have a picnic and toast their ascent of the park’s three peaks with Soju, a Korean rice liquor. Entrance is free.
  • Seoul Markets – though frequently overshadowed by Japanese and Chinese cuisine, the spicy flavors of Korean food will have any traveler’s mouth watering. Perhaps the best way to experience Seoul’s food scene is through its many food markets. Spots like the Noryangin Fish Market, Gwangjang Market and Gyeongdong Herbal Market offer a good sampling of all that Korean cuisine has to offer.
  • Korean DMZ – many visitors to Seoul take a daytrip to the demilitarized zone, or DMZ, the buffer zone that runs between North and South Korea. Visitors can stop at the Joint Security Area at Panmunjeom, where North Korean border guards stand sentry, as well as several incursion tunnels where North Korean forces tried to sneak into South Korea. Cost varies from $50-$100 depending on what sights are included.

Gadling writer Jeremy Kressmann is spending the next few months in Southeast Asia. You can read other posts on his adventures “South by Southeast” HERE.

Travel from the rest of the world to the U.S. falls … again

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Travel fell again in 2009, according to U.S. Department of Commerce data, as a weak economy put pressure on both personal and corporate travel budgets.

Only 3.6 million people arrived from other countries, marking a decline of 11 percent from June 2008 to June 2009. For the six months of the year, international arrivals were off 10 percent year-over-year. The spending situation was even worse. Guests to the United States fell 22 percent from June 2008 to June 2009, the eight month in a row in which this measure dropped. For the first half of the year, foreign visitors spent $60 billion – a 15 percent decline.

Travel from Canada took a hit in June, down 13 percent in June. Land arrivals fell 15 percent, with 11 percent fewer coming by air. For the first half of the year, Canadian visits were off 9 percent. The situation with Mexico was more favorable. Land arrivals jumped 5 percent, with air travel down 15 percent. Overall, travel from Mexico to the United States showed a modest decline of 1 percent for the month of June. For the year, however, visits from Mexico plunged 13 percent year-over-year.

Excluding Canada and Mexico, foreign visits fell for 16 of the top 20 countries in June – nine at double-digit rates. For the first two quarters of 2009, the results for the top 20 are the same, though only eight countries posted double-digit drops. Travel from Europe fell 11 percent for the first half of the year, with the United Kingdom posting a worse-than-average rate of 17 percent. This country accounts for 36 percent of all Western European arrivals, and Western Europe is responsible for close to half of all overseas visitors to the United States. Visits from Eastern Europe were up 3 percent from June 2008 to June 2009 and 1 percent for the first half of the year.

Asia, however, sustained the greatest drops. From June 2008 to June 2009, visitation from Asia fell 28 percent – driving the first-half results down 17 percent. Visits from Japan plunged 39 percent from June to June and 18 percent for the first half of the year. Japan sent 51 percent of Asian visitors to the United States in the first half of the year. Travel from South Korea and India fell 17 percent and 14 percent, respectively, with China down 4 percent for the first half of the year.