MANI MOGO (Eat Plenty) in SEOUL!
If
you’re going to visit Seoul, make sure you bring your eating A-game because
Korea, my friends, is a foodies’ haven! But for some bizarre reason, I had very
little appetite while I was in Seoul so I weren’t able to fully enjoy all the
food that I could’ve devoured there. I
regret it, now that I’m recalling my food adventures during my seven-day visit.
Imagine
my frustrations when I couldn’t order samgyeupsal or seafood pancake because I
was alone and there’s no way I could finish all of those big servings by myself.
I know I had no excuse not to eat like it’s my last days on earth, but I guess
it really is more fun to eat with company. Huhu L
I
missed eating seafood jige, beef bbq, heottok, tteukboki and many more Korean
delicacies. Are you as frustrated as I am right now? I can’t blame you. I think
about this everyday since I got back.
Oh
well, I can always go back right? There are still many opportunities to eat and
do some mukbang videos. But
incase you are already planning to go to Seoul, here are some of my favorite
food and food places that I’ve tried which I guarantee are all good and
mashiseo (tasty)!
CHICKEN and BEER IS A KOREAN NATIONAL TREASURE!
Forget about Jollibee or Bonchon, this thing here is better than what your momma cooks for you. I'm not a big fan of beers but this combination is five star for me. I can't believe I went for beer on my own. Lol.
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| BHC chicken & beer Chungmuro Station Branch in 210, Toegye-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul |
Because I couldn't finish all of it in one seating, I brought half of the chicken to Ttukseom river during my bike tour and ate it together with kimchi and rice in one of the convenient stores I saw on several Korean variety shows.
I ATE PORK KIMCHI STEW THREE TIMES AND I'M NOT SORRY
This is seriously my favorite soup from Korea. The spiciness is just perfect for my taste and the kimchi flavor never fails to improve my appetite.
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| Kimchi Stew #1 at Seoul Train Station |
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Kimchi Stew #2 at Yoo Ga Li Ga Restaurant in Myeongdong |
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| Kimchi Stew #3 at Itaewon |
BEEF STEW IS LIKE THE COUSIN OF BULALO
This is such a delicious main dish that Pinoys would love because of how closely it tastes like our own bulalo but with mushroom, spinach and clear noodles with the soup.
JAJANGMYEON TASTES AS GOOD AS IT LOOKS IN K-DRAMAS
If I could eat this everyday, I think I would. I happen to go down the wrong station (again) trying to find Dongdaemun Design Plaza, but instead of going back to the train tracks, I tried looking for the cheapest Korean eatery to eat this heavenly noodle. I'm going to have to find a restaurant that delivers this in Manila. For 3000 won (140 pesos) this is the best food buy you could possible get. I couldn't finish a bowl, but that's just me.
KOREANS LOVE COFFEE. LIKE FOR REALS.
If you feel like you can't find any local food you can eat for breakfast, fear not. The streets of Seoul are lined up of chain after chain of coffee shops and snack bars. I was trying to look for a Dal.Komm Coffee branch which is famous for its product placements in Kdramas like Descendants of the Sun, but instead I frequented two of its biggest competitors: Tom n Toms and Holly's Coffee for breakfast and snacks. Both have very good tasting Cafe Mocha and fresh juices and with its cozy ambiance and fast WIFI, it's hard not to spend some time in them.
Coffee in Seoul costs an average of 6 thousand won and a breakfast meal would be between 10-12 thousand (around 400-500 pesos). EXPENSIVE FOR BREAKFAST, I KNOW! But I can't live without caffeine, so...
THERE'S GOOD FOOD EVERYWHERE IN SEOUL
Most major tourist areas in Seoul are lined up with local restaurants and establishments. I would discourage you to eat inside malls because the cost is slightly higher and there aren't a lot of choices. One of my favorite streets for food is Insadong and Myeongdong where you will find a number of tourists as well.
I know something was definitely wrong with me because I only got to try three types of Korean street food. (Also, I'm not a fan of fried street food so I really didn't crave that much.)
But I was able to eat my favorite fishcake almost everyday. And I did try ramyeon by the Hangang river, under the cherry blossom trees. I still felt kind of satisfied. =)
But I was able to eat my favorite fishcake almost everyday. And I did try ramyeon by the Hangang river, under the cherry blossom trees. I still felt kind of satisfied. =)
I tried almost all of my favorites like japchae at the Gyeongbokgung Palace cafe and curry catsu at Everland, but I definitely would do a food tour of Korea when I come back! There's no justice in missing out on BBQ.
If you'd like to know more about the different traditional markets in Seoul where you'll find fresh produce and street foods, check out VisitKorea website at
http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/FOD/FOD_MAIN.jsp