Anyone traveled or lived there? I've been a couple times before on business, but this trip I'd like to spend a few free days there to explore. Korean is one of my favorite foods, so any recommendations for great authentic restaurants would be appreciated....the older the better Would also like to buy some antique furniture/artwork while I'm there...
Went there last year and had a pretty good time. Here's a few places to see in Seoul: Insadong Gyonbokgung Palace Changdeokgung Palace Jongmyo (shrine) Namdaemun Market (live market) Namsan Tower (at night) There are plenty of bars around the Insadong area, and don't really pick up until around 11P. Those guys party all night long too. The karaoke joints are fun, but generally there's only a handful of English choices if any. If you can, try to book a DMZ tour before you head down there. It was an amazing experience looking across the border into North Korea. Avoid the Itaewon area - it is sleazy and full of degenerate expats. The National Museum was a bit of a let down as well.
Agreed. Might be better to go to the area around Yonsei university. There are plenty of bars and restaurants there. I'd actually recommend to consider escaping hectic Seoul and going to Cheju, which is the country's only sub-tropical island. Reminded me a little bit of Hawaii in a way. I went to so many restaurants in Seoul, but I can't really name any names. Trying to think of recommendations, will make them when I can think of something.
You gotta try their local dishes, experience the different culture, like live octopus and dogs. Don't just stick with Kimchi and other boring Korean food you can find here.
Depends, I went with the wife and it turned into a romantic trip for her. I went during the spring so it was nice and cool at night, and we went on walks to the Cheonggyecheon stream by Insadong and on a different night went to N'Seoul tower. One of the safest cities I've ever been to, it made me feel like I was the criminal walking around at 2am at night. I thought the DMZ was kind of a let down myself. During the DMZ tour, we went into a tunnel dug by the North Koreans from the 1970's and the last train station that was originally supposed to connect to North Korea. It's been a while since I went there and I can't think of anything else on the top of my head.
Thanks guys....Baqui, I already wrote down your proposed itinerary in my book ATW, let me know if you remember any of those restaurant names......also, I won't be eating any live octopus or dog :grin: Also TMac'n thanks for the Cheonggyecheon stream suggestion
You shouldn't have too much trouble finding a restaurant. It's definitely an upgrade from the Korean restaurants here in Houston...
There are only two Asian cuisines that I prefer to in the US, Korean and Vietnamese. They both taste better here because in the home country, restaurants tend to skimp out on quality ingredients due to food costs.
I'mma have to disagree. Seoul is expensive in everything, which includes the food. But the Korean food in Houston is pretty expensive as well, and IMO, not as good. But what do I know... I prefer Mexican food over Korean food anyday of the week.
I never really noticed too much of a difference to be honest, I do prefer Korean food in Korea rather than Korean food here in Texas... But that's just me, it's different for everyone I suppose.
Actually, Korean food is FAR better in Korea than anywhere in the US. Maybe food in Koreatown LA is the only place that can compare. It's as simple as this: Korean food is cheaper in Korea and American style food is cheaper in America. Makes sense doesn't it? American food chains such as "Bennigans" will charge you double the price for a steak they would charge you at a Bennigans in the US. Korean barbeque will cost about twice as much in the US than it would for comparable quantity/quality as they do in Korea. If you want to try truly authentic fine dining in Korea, go to a "Han shik" restaurant. "Han shik" means traditional Korean food where you are served several courses of authentic Korean food. If you want to take it a step up, try a "Han Ok" which means traditional Korean house where you eat authentic Korean food and sleep in traditional Korean houses. Foreigners and Koreans alike enjoy this type of experience. A friend of mine's family owns one and you can check out their website to get a better idea: http://www.rkj.co.kr . By the way, these are not cheap. In terms of things to do in Seoul, there is ALOT. I know I just came back from there after spending a month in August. You could do the touristy stuff, cultural and historic attractions. I highly recommend you take the "Seoul city tour bus" which will take it you to most of the main attractions in Seoul. It is very convenient because the bus drops you off at various locations and you can explore on your own and ride another bus that stops at the very same location. These buses come exactly every 30 mins, so you can spend half hour, one hour, or two hours, whatever you'd like. The tour starts and ends at Gwanghwamun. You pay 10,000 won or about $10 for the bus pass and you can use it all day long. I took the "downtown" tour. There is also the "gyeongbukgung tour" which is the royal palace tour (not as exciting imo). Definitely recommend checking out Chunggyecheon at night and the surrounding areas. It is walking distance from Gwanghwamun and there should be plenty of places to eat or grab a drink. If you're into shopping, check out Myungdong. Be aware there will be many, many, Japanese and Chinese tourists. You might think you're in Tokyo with the amount of Japanese you hear in the streets. You should also check out Times Square in Yeongdungpo, a very cool mall if you just want to hang out. Try out the 4D movie theaters while you're in Korea, it's like 3D on steroids. Dongdaemun (East Gate) or Namdaemun (South Gate) are traditionally famous tourist locations. Go to Gangnam and Apkujung for the nightlife and also shopping. These are the true hotspots where you will find the trendsetters and partygoers of Seoul. Think Manhattan in New York.
lol @ Korean food being more expensive in Korea. Not even close... Everything is around $6 where it costs nearly $10 here with tax and tip. You don't pay those two in Korea.
Over the years Korean food has been changing a bit. It's been becoming much sweeter. That was true first in Korea, and then has been happening in the U.S. as well over the last few years. Some of the foods have always had a hint of sweetness, or moderate amount, but that's been increasing lately both in Korea and the U.S. That's true at many places even in Korea Town in LA, or in NJ, or Houston. It's also true in Seoul. Some Koreans love it. If you or someone you are with someone who is able to speak Korean well enough you might be able to ask how sweet the different items are, and if they can make it a little less sweet. Just remember some of the items will always have some sweetness to it. I just don't like my entrees to taste like dessert.
That's true. We bought some tomato juice once and couldn't drink it because it was so sickly sweet. Gross. Also, it's very difficult to find bread over there that isn't super sweet. Eating out in restaurants is unbelievably cheap in Korea. Depending on where you go, it's actually cheaper than buying groceries and cooking your own meals. My main recommendation: make sure to try Sam Gye Tang which is a popular Korean chicken ginseng soup. It is by far my favorite Korean dish and is relatively common over there. A good chain is Baek Je Sam Gye Tang... although I'm not sure if there is one in Seoul. I'm sure you can find a good place to get it, though! Restaurants tend to specialize in one thing in Korea. Some other things I like are: Gim Bap (similar to sushi rolls, but with stuff like ham, egg & veggies) Bi Bim Bap (rice mixed with vegetables and red pepper paste -- try to get Dol Sot Bi Bim Bap, which is served in a hot stone pot with an egg dropped in) Sam Gyeop Sal (a.k.a. Korean BBQ... grilled pork wrapped in lettuce leaves) Drinking Forget about soju, which is pretty much nothing more than a weaker version of vodka. Instead, try to find a place that serves Ma Ka Lei (chilled rice wine) or better yet, Dong Dong Ju! Dong Dong Ju tastes more strongly of ginseng and has more bits of rice floating around in it. You haven't experienced Korea until you've been to an authentic Ma Ka Lei joint! Also, one of the best things about these places is that they serve up some great Korean pub grub (Koreans always eat while they are boozing it up). My favorites are: Pa Jeon (a type of pancake with green onions) Nok Du Jeon/Nokdu Ji Ji Mi (another type of pancake with ground mung beans) Gam Ja Jeon (a type of potato pancake -- my absolute favorite!) These pancakes are awesome and go really well with a nice cold bowl of Dong Dong Ju. Man, I want to go back to Korea now.... Things to do - Tap Gol Park in In Sa Dong is nice... there's a nice market right next to it too. - The War Museum is huge and definitely worth checking out! Where else do you get to climb around on tanks and play with artillery guns? You can spend half a day there easy. - I hated Nam Dae Mun market. Super crowded and nothing there I really wanted. I would stick to the smaller market in In Sa Dong instead. - See Nanta!! Nanta is a play shown in its own dedicated theater. It's pretty funny and you won't regret it. The theme of the play is "Cooking" and the cast prepares food on stage in humorous ways. They may even call people up from the audience. There are lot of other great plays in Seoul. We stumbled into a type of martial arts comedy which was pretty wicked too. - The DMZ tour is sort of neat, but it paled in comparison to the Kum Gang San (Diamond Mountains) tour we took, which actually went across the border into North Korea, into a special tourist zone operated by Hyundai. Definitely a surreal experience to say the least, and maybe a little dangerous. A South Korean woman got shot there a year ago because she walked outside the designated walking area. I'm not even sure if they still offer that tour, but it's definitely one of the highlights of my life so far. - Gyeong Bok Palace is worth a visit. It's close to In Sa Dong. Overall, I would make In Sa Dong my base of operations. There are lots of cheap hotels there and there's a ton of fun stuff within walking distance. So, bottom line: Priority 1: Stay in In Sa Dong, visit the nearby Tap Gol Park and market. Walk to Gyeong Bok Palace Priority 2: Day trip to the War Museum. See Nanta in the evening. Priority 3: Hook up with a DMZ tour if possible. Priority 4: Eat Sam Gye Tang at least once. Priority 5: Go to a Ma Ka Lei bar/restaurant. Try some Dong Dong Ju and Pa Jeon (and/or Gam Ja Jeon or Nok Du Ji Ji Mi). Whew... that was longer than I expected. I miss Korea...
