Picture This: A Stomach-Stuffing Sojourn in Seoul

As a first-time, four-night trip to a certain foreign city is right around the corner for me, I find myself thinking back to last year at this time, when I did a similar first trip to a different city: Seoul. Since this was my first trip to Korea, I had a long list of dishes to try and restaurants where I hoped to find that food. My challenge was traveling solo, with the usual problem of limited stomach space combined with limited time before I continued on to Tokyo. A year later, I finally have a chance to share some of the finds from my trip to Seoul. (This makes me realize that I’ve never done a “full” report of my food adventures in Tokyo. Maybe I’ll eventually compile a greatest hits post from all of my previous trips there.)

Of course, I did more than eat, as the photo above from the Secret Garden at Changdeokgung proves. But most of the sightseeing was en route to the next market, cooking class, culinary tour, or restaurant. Besides, I know you’re here for the food photos. Here’s a bunch of them, presented with minimal “narration.”

After a long flight to Tokyo, a little layover to change planes, and a relatively short hop to Seoul, I was exhausted and running late for my planned “Night Dining Tour” by O’ngo Food Communications. At the airport, I jumped on the wrong train and then switched to the right one to downtown Seoul, then walked (this would prove to be the trickiest part of the journey!) to my hotel. I threw my bags in the room, forced myself not to look at the tempting bed, and 10 minutes before tour time jumped in a taxi that fought its way through traffic and got me to the start of the tour just in time. First stop would be a casual Korean barbecue eatery.

And the first taste of Korea would actually be a drink: Cojinganmek. It’s a combination of soju, beer, and Coke. Food, fast, please. This is dangerous for a tired, jet-lagged traveler with an empty stomach!

Luckily, the food would come quickly, and we’d soon be eating grilled pork belly, ssam-style.

The first taste of kimchi was a strong one!

Meat on the grill.

The tour immediately immersed me in Seoul’s evening activities, even if I was a bit disoriented. We traveled down some interesting alleys that I’d rediscover my next days in the city. Lots of interesting restaurants, though the shoes are better organized in Japan.

At another tour stop, I enjoyed this tofu with kimchi.

Drinking too much alcohol my night of arrival, what’s on the right looks better than what’s on the left.

The royal toppoki at Matborae Tteokbokki was fun, and kept me going. It’s got beef, dumplings, peppers, chives, fish cakes, noodles, and, of course, the tubular rice cakes known as tteokbokki (sometimes spelled toppoki).

For early lunch the next day, I enjoyed Joenju-style bibimbap at Gogung. Lots of banchan to eat aside from the main bowl of food.

And lots of different ingredients in that Joenju-style bibimbap. Fun to eat with many different flavors and textures.

Right near Gogung I spotted Bukchon Sonmandu. Hard to miss due to the long line. When traveling, I generally trust long lines.

Watching the workers make the mandu, I knew I had to eat some, despite the filling bibimbap meal I’d just completed.

A look inside Bukchon Sonmandu.

I ordered shrimp dumplings and devoured them quickly. And left quickly, before being tempted to sample some more.

Not food. But cute.

For dinner, it was noodle time. I walked and walked and walked until I reached Ojang-dong Naengmyeon. Here it is from the outside…

…and the inside.

I was really in the mood for mul naengmyeon (as much as I enjoy bibim naengmyeon), so that’s what I ordered, and here’s how it comes to the table. The noodles come with strips of zucchini and pear, along with beef slices and a hard-cooked egg. The steel bowl keeps the beef broth icy cold. I added vinegar, mustard, sugar, and eventually even a little kimchi (I couldn’t help it) to continually change the flavor profile.

The server comes by with scissors to cut the noodles, making them easier to eat.

Mul naengmyeon would be part one of dinner. From there, I walked to Myeongdong Gyoja to enjoy their famous kalguksu, featuring long, chewy (knife-cut) noodles as well as pyramid-shaped byeonsi mandu dumplings. The kimchi here is pretty pungent.

If you’re still hungry in the evening, you can check out all the interesting street food.

Seems like a lot of young women like the spicy tteokbokki. I was too full from eating noodles, but I’d soon get my fill of them.

The next day, I took a morning cooking class back at O’ngo, and prepared this bibimbap which I happily ate for breakfast. And almost immediately upon returning to Seattle, I bought bowls to start making bibimbap at home. What I learned to be the secret of good bibimbap? Using gosari (fern bracken, a.k.a. fiddlehead ferns), which you can buy dry at many Asian grocery stores.

Lunch was the famous samgyetang at Tosokchon. There’s a whole chicken, stuffed with rice, in the herbal broth!

Did I mention that samgyetang is ginseng chicken? It makes a man “strong.”

More ginseng, in case there wasn’t enough in the bowl.

From Tosokchon, a stroll through Tongin Market. Lots of kimchi.

A closer look at the kimchi.

Oh…I wish I was able to eat all this chap chae!

Lots of interesting things to see in the markets.

I saw this guy making tteokbokki, so I had to give it a try.

Spicy!

That night, I met up with Joe McPherson of ZenKimchi. He didn’t have any organized tour planned, but agreed to show a fellow food writer around. Great guy. This is not him, but instead a vendor selling yeot, which is a Korean taffy.

First stop was for BBQ. Here with have pork diaphragm, less fatty than the typical pork belly. Note the eggs cooking in the “grease capture pit.”

Ready to eat!

Of course there was also pork belly.

Next, on to Bongpyeong Memil Makguksu for mul makguksu, with buckwheat noodles thicker and rougher than what you find in mul naengmyeon. You can read more about all my noodle dishes in my “carbotourism” report.

To wash it down: a floral makgeolli made with buckwheat flowers.

Then it was on to Two Two, one of the original places for Korean fried chicken (KFC!). First, this Fruit Loopy-like bar snack.

The chicken was crisp and delicious. Or was it just another excuse to drink beer?

The next morning, it was time to go to Noryangjin, the famous fish market in Seoul. Here’s a view of the market.

So many vendors ready to sell seafood, even offering to cut it fresh for you if you want sashimi.

Tanks of fish.

Octopus.

Various shellfish.

Shrimp.

Sea squirts, sea cucumbers, and lots to see that I didn’t recognize.

I finally chose a vendor who helped me choose items for lunch, packaging it and sending it to an upstairs restaurant which prepared and served it to me. (But not this crab.)

To start, sea squirt and the requisite live octopus.

Scallops.

I never actually learned the name of the fish I bought. But here is some of it, as sashimi.

The rest of the fish went toward making this spicy soup, which I enjoyed.

Following Noryangjin, I went to San Francisco-like Fell + Cole for ice cream. My choices: one scoop of Strawberry Red Wine + Szechuan Pepper, and one scoop of Perilla Leaves.

After this, I met up again with Joe, as he invited me along to scout places in the young and hip Hongdae district for a future tour. Staying with frozen treats, we visiting Molly’s Pops and contemplated the choices in the showcase.

For me, Mint Chocochip and Mango. Presented with a camera-shy smile. (More about the frozen treats here.)

Sweet tooth still strong, we stumbled upon a fascinating Schneeballen shop. You break the pastry with a mallet and then eat the broken pieces. More of that story here.

Lots of interesting stores, cafes, and restaurants in this area. This sign seems to promise a cat cafe, a restaurant, and who-knows-what.

There’s the Hello Kitty Cafe.

And then there’s the sheep cafe. Yes…had to take a look.

We went to Mimine for their spicy tteokbokki “soup.”

But more famous at Mimine is tempura-style shrimp, which you can dip in garlic salt, sea salt, or seaweed salt.

The owner even has a patent on the frying style, famous for keeping the shrimp straight instead of curled!

For my final meal, Joe took me to a place that seemed to be called “Charcoal Meets Dakgalbi” for spicy grilled chicken and vegetables. Here the chicken hits the grill.

The chicken is now cut into pieces that are perfect for ssam.

A look at the table.

One more thing: If eating is a hedonistic pleasure, so is going to a spa. I may have had the best spa treatment in my life at the Banyan Tree Spa. No…not a Korean scrub, but a Balinese massage integrating oil and a variety of techniques. My massage therapist was at once gentle and strong.

The setting was beautiful, and Banyan Tree offers a first-class experience. (This photo and the previous courtesy of Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts.)