More Seoul Food: SQ J to ICN and Dining in Korea

[jammed]

my goodness, what a comprehensively detailed TR! Makes it a must-read for any research for Seoul; I wld have been helped tremendously if I had read this before visiting last year. Incidentally, wife and I stayed at IC opp. Park Hyatt, one of the reasons being the connectivity to CALT. Thanks for the TR!

[SQ22]

Thanks yflyer for a wonderful trip report, as always. I have lots to learn from you!

[yflyer]

my goodness, what a comprehensively detailed TR! Makes it a must-read for any research for Seoul; I wld have been helped tremendously if I had read this before visiting last year. Incidentally, wife and I stayed at IC opp. Park Hyatt, one of the reasons being the connectivity to CALT. Thanks for the TR!

Thanks, jammed!

The previous time Mrs yflyer and I were in Seoul, we also stayed at the Intercontinental there. Both hotels are very good, although they are very different!

[yflyer]

Thanks yflyer for a wonderful trip report, as always. I have lots to learn from you!

Thanks, SQ22! Glad you enjoyed reading it! Looking forward to the rest of your HCM City TR as well...

[SQ22]

Thanks, SQ22! Glad you enjoyed reading it! Looking forward to the rest of your HCM City TR as well...

Already done, Bro yflyer.

[viraj735]

Hi yflyer! Looks like you had an amazing trip. It seems that apart from the DDP and that nice walkway by the stream most of the activities involved looking at food, walking to get food and eating food! What more could anyone want?

The food tour sounds like a great introduction for those who aren't very familiar with Korean cuisine (me).

Thanks for all the photos. they serve as a great dining guide.

[yflyer]

Thanks for all the photos. they serve as a great dining guide.

You're welcome, viraj735!

Hi yflyer!...most of the activities involved looking at food, walking to get food and eating food!

Yes...Mrs yflyer's motto is "Make every meal count!"

Hi yflyer!
The food tour sounds like a great introduction for those who aren't very familiar with Korean cuisine (me).

Yes the food tour was great, although looking back it would have been feasible to eat at most of those places on our own too (except maybe the tent restaurant, which you would really need a local's help to even find one...). But of course it is much more enjoyable with a food guide and other companions.

And also we would not have learnt all those diabolical Korean drinking games...

[feizhu]

Thanks for sharing. I just got back from Korea last month and managed to squeeze in 4 meals a day But to be honest, even though I tried quite a few of the more notable eateries/dishes. ie. Si Wha Dam, Kyochon chicken, Kongbul etc, I didn't fancy any of it Maybe Korean food just isn't my cup of tea

[yflyer]

Thanks for sharing. I just got back from Korea last month and managed to squeeze in 4 meals a day But to be honest, even though I tried quite a few of the more notable eateries/dishes. ie. Si Wha Dam, Kyochon chicken, Kongbul etc, I didn't fancy any of it Maybe Korean food just isn't my cup of tea

Hi, feizhu! Everyone likes some cuisines and dislikes others, but kudos to you for being open minded and giving Korean cuisine a good try!

I found Korean food initially very disorientating. For example bibim naengmyeon, cold noodles in spicy/sweet sauce, is a dish that defies logic if you go by Chinese or other Asian cuisines, and the first time I ate it I thought it was just strange. Well a few trips and a few more bowls afterwards, I am now practically addicted to the stuff, and have to eat at least one bowl each time I visit. It doesn't help that the restaurant in the Incheon satellite terminal, close to the SQ gates, which used to sell this dish, has closed down.

I also find that the soups in Korea, whether beef rib or chicken soup, are much less salty than Chinese/Asian soups, and instead concentrate on the other flavours in the broth -- another acquired taste.

Some Korean food is immediately accessible and enjoyable, like Korean barbarque. On the other hand, some dishes like raw octopus, I may never fully appreciate

But I did find that after a little time there, Korean cuisine did grow on me, and I am now very fond of the stuff.

On a related note, Anthony Bourdain has just launched a new season of his "Parts Unknown" series, and the first episode in the new season is on Seoul.

An interesting article on the production of that episode is here:

http://www.foodrepublic.com/2015/04/...s-unknown-kore