Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

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

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • #31
    Should put a warning label on top

    *Do Not Read Near to Lunch Time*

    Just kidding. Great TR.

    Now gonna go for early lunch. SSSsshh don't tell boss.

    Comment


    • #32
      Originally posted by RCTP View Post
      Should put a warning label on top

      *Do Not Read Near to Lunch Time*

      Just kidding. Great TR.

      Now gonna go for early lunch. SSSsshh don't tell boss.
      Thanks, RCTP! Yah, never a good idea to read this sort of TR on an empty stomach !

      Comment


      • #33
        Continuing with the TR...

        Our next meal was at Soigne, which offered contemporary cuisine with elements of Western cuisine, infused with strong Korean flavours and ingredients.



        Several set menus were available, which were all variations on the chef’s tasting menu of the day.

        Last edited by yflyer; 11 July 2020, 04:52 PM.

        Comment


        • #34
          We chose to accompany our meal with a white wine from the French region of Alsace, made with the less common Chasselas grape.





          A procession of small Asian-themed amuse bouches…









          This gave us a glimpse of Chef Jun Lee’s style…despite his western culinary training, the tastes on offer in this restaurant looked towards Asia and Korea.
          Last edited by yflyer; 11 July 2020, 04:52 PM.

          Comment


          • #35
            My first course was named “kimchi” but in reality quite different from the ubiquitous kimchi that came with almost every meal in Korea. This came with pungent flavours of Korean vegetables, spices and other Asian ingredients…



            Mrs yflyer chose country vegetables with clam…another strongly flavoured dish, with spices, chilli and clams.





            Both dishes were daringly local in conception – not unadventurous smoothed-over fusion fare: these were strong and intense Korean flavours straight from the street markets.

            We were on more familiar ground with the next course, which was escargot with truffle custard.

            The escargot were plump and firm, and went very well with the subtly flavoured custard. We felt this was one of the most successful escargot dishes that we had encountered over the years.



            Next, a pasta dish, cod caramelle with seaweed, which was mild and creamy, with excellent pasta texture.

            Last edited by yflyer; 11 July 2020, 04:54 PM.

            Comment


            • #36
              The highlight of our meal at Soigne was the chicken, which was chef Jun Lee’s take on that Korean favourite, fried chicken, however this was done in a very elaborate manner that belied the simplicity of the end result.



              Both dark and white meat were combined and rolled together with chicken skin, which was then fried till it attained the ideal level of crispness. Within this crisp, glistening skin, the combination of dark and white meat within was moist and tender. It was bite after perfect bite!

              Dessert was strawberries and ice cream, followed by petit fours.





              A very satisfying meal indeed.
              Last edited by yflyer; 11 July 2020, 04:54 PM.

              Comment


              • #37
                Later that day, before heading out dinner, I went for a run along the Han River. There are a couple of recommended jogging routes from the Park Hyatt.



                I chose to run along a route slightly different from the two recommended ones, heading West rather than East where the Tancheon tributary met the Han River, and crossing one of the many bridges across the Han River.



                The Han River is very pedestrian and cyclist-friendly, with a clearly marked footpath and cycle track running for kilometers and kilometers in either direction.



                My run included going across the river at this bridge (along the pristine footpath/cycle track, which included a long ramp for cyclists, as shown in the photo above) where I encountered other cyclists and even pedestrians crossing this wide river on foot.

                Last edited by yflyer; 11 July 2020, 04:54 PM.

                Comment


                • #38
                  Now that a few calories had been burned off, I was ready for what Mrs yflyer had planned next: a visit to Majang market, a wholesale livestock and meat market, for dinner. We also planned to purchase top grade Korean beef, which was on sale to retail customers at reasonable prices.

                  This market is not as established on the tourist trail as some of Seoul’s other attractions, but is well worth a visit, especially if you are a fan of high quality meat and barbeque.

                  It was after dark, and fairly late, when we arrived at the nearest subway station to the market, which, according to written instructions and Google Maps, was several hundred meters away. This was still a busy part of Seoul, but as we walked, the street lighting grew dimmer and there were long stretches of dark, deserted road towards the market.

                  According to the GPS, the market was up ahead, a few hundred meters ahead. We pressed on in the near-darkness. Up ahead, we saw a large group approaching, speaking loudly in Cantonese. Mrs yflyer speaks Cantonese, and she asked the group if they knew where the meat market was. The group said yes, and pointed further up the road. She didn’t really have to ask…the moment I heard their voices, I figured that a large group like that must have been visitors from Hong Kong, heading back from the market after a hearty meal…

                  We arrived in the market near closing time when most of the stalls were closing, but where there were still several outlets with meat on sale.



                  There were very appealing-looking cuts of Korean beef available. We bought meat, which was vacuum packed for takeaway, and also purchased some to be eaten at restaurants in the market itself.



                  Korean beef is graded with a numerical system: 3, 2, 1, 1+, 1++ where 3 is the least marbled, and 1+ and 1++ being the most marbled.



                  The 1+ steak on the left was going for 8,000 KRW (USD 8) per 100g.

                  The 1++ steaks on the right of the photo were very good value at 12,000 KRW (About USD 12) per 100g.

                  This was far cheaper than equivalent cuts in high-end supermarkets, which were going for about 20-22,000 KRW per 100g.

                  This being a specialist wholesale meat market, there were also other cuts of meat which were rather more impractical to bring home...





                  What else goes on in a meat market? Click here for a glimpse [WARNING: Explicit/graphic image which some may find uncomfortable to view.]
                  Last edited by yflyer; 11 July 2020, 04:56 PM.

                  Comment


                  • #39
                    The restaurants at Majang meat market operate on a similar concept as Noryangjin fish market: you could buy cuts and pre-prepared platters of meat to be brought to nearby restaurants, to cooked and eaten. After you bought the meat, a person from the stall would bring you to a restaurant to have it cooked at your table.

                    There was a very reasonable fixed fee per person to eat at the restaurant, and this included use of the hot plate to cook your meat. There were complimentary sauces, lettuce, and side dishes.

                    You could also purchase noodles, rice, soup and other dishes to accompany your meal, and of course beer and soju. All at very reasonable prices. In short, everything you needed to have a real feast with the meat purchased from the market. Looking at the tables around us, we could see that there were massive quantities of gourmet meat being devoured by our fellow diners.







                    At one point, the proprietress must have seen us incompetently trying to work the grill, and she came over to show us the proper way...





                    Almost done...we were told to cook on one side till 40% cooked, then turn it over...



                    We ate the hot, succulent, marbled meat right off the barbeque, first dipped in a little salt and pepper, and later wrapped in lettuce, together with spicy sauce, kimchi and garlic.



                    Koreans tend to prefer to have their carbs after the meat courses, rather than together with the meat.

                    I ended off with a bowl of one of my favourite Korean dishes: bibim naeng myeon, a spicy cold noodle dish.



                    By the time we finished dinner, it was late in the evening, past 10pm and the market was mostly deserted, except for several wholesale vendors prepping their produce for the next day.



                    The walk back to the main street was also a couple of hundred meters along the same dimly lit side road – but at no time did we feel unsafe.
                    Last edited by yflyer; 11 July 2020, 04:57 PM.

                    Comment


                    • #40
                      On the last day of our trip, we had lunch at Pro Ganjang Gejang, a restaurant along one of the side streets close to COEX, which specialised in raw marinated crab.



                      This was a dish that Mrs yflyer really enjoyed – by the time she was done, only crab shells remained.



                      The owner of this restaurant was an audiophile, and had a very impressive hifi setup in the restaurant, which was playing a compilation of cello music played by Yo Yo Ma as we had lunch.



                      The crab is a dish eaten cold, from the shell, where within there was soft, translucent and delicately flavoured raw crab meat. The crabs we were served also contained a large quantity of delicious, bright-orange roe.







                      I tried some of the crab, and found this tasty as well, but I did not think that I could eat an entire cold, raw crab, so opted for crab bibimbap instead. This was also made from the raw marinated crab, and I found this very delicious.





                      Other delightful side dishes included this savoury steamed egg dish, which was almost souffle-like...



                      And seaweed soup...



                      If you are into crab dishes, especially dishes like Shanghai hairy crabs, then this style of crab preparation would likely appeal to you too.
                      Last edited by yflyer; 11 July 2020, 04:58 PM.

                      Comment


                      • #41
                        We had time for some last minute shopping at the supermarket of the Hyundai Department Store, next to COEX, before catching our flight home.

                        An impressive seafood selection. Wonder whose shopping basket this stingray ended up in...



                        I don't read Korean…I wonder if that picture is of the person who caught the abalone…



                        The meat selection in this supermarket is great too…not a bad alternative to shop here (or SSG Food Market) if getting to Majang wholesale meat market is too much of a trek…



                        Grade 1++ Korean beef going for KRW 22,000 (About USD 22) per 100g...this was more expensive than at Majang wholesale market (where 1++ was going for KRW 12,000 (About USD 12) per 100g, but the quality of the meat at either place is superb.

                        Dry-aged beef also available here…



                        "I am almost out of Korean Won...how much do you have left?" Mrs yflyer asked?

                        "Not much, but I do have some"...

                        Mrs yflyer claims I hesitated and betrayed just a hint of reluctance as I opened my wallet, but I didn't really...

                        ...a few more KRW in hand, she headed to the supermarket counter to pick up more beef to bring home before our flight later that day...
                        Last edited by yflyer; 11 July 2020, 04:59 PM.

                        Comment


                        • #42
                          When we checked out of the Park Hyatt, we first asked if we could buy tickets for the KAL Limousine Bus to Incheon airport at the hotel. The bus stop for this is right across the street from the hotel.

                          But the receptionist at the Park Hyatt recommended that we take the airport bus from the nearby CALT, the city air terminal, next to COEX and not far from the Park Hyatt. The hotel would provide a complimentary car transfer to the CALT. We could also check-in and drop our luggage off at this terminal as well.

                          We had never tried this service before, and decided to do so.



                          This was a very straightforward process. There is an airport check-in area where you can check in for a wide range of airlines, including SQ. There was no queue when we were there, and we got our boarding passes, as well as dropped off our luggage.

                          We were also delighted to learn that we could also clear immigration at the city terminal itself before the bus ride to Incheon.



                          There was no queue at the small immigration desk either, and we were at the bus waiting area in minutes. Buses would leave every 15 minutes.



                          This was the same, spacious, executive bus layout as the KAL Limousine bus: a very comfortable 2-1. It was a comfortable 80 minute ride to Incheon Airport.



                          At Incheon airport, we had a separate entrance and lane for an express passport check and security screening, which was a lot quicker than going through the regular immigration and security queues.
                          Last edited by yflyer; 11 July 2020, 04:59 PM.

                          Comment


                          • #43
                            We paid a visit to the Asiana Airlines Star Gold Business Lounge in the main terminal before heading to the satellite terminal to board SQ15 bound for Singapore. This was operated by SQ’s workhorse on this longhaul route, the 77W.



                            We walked down opposite aisles to reach our pair of side-by-side J seats in the middle of the 1-2-1 cabin. Mrs yflyer remarked that as a couple, you were actually just as near to each other if you had picked a window and an aisle seat, and it may actually have been easier to converse too. I replied that I had wanted to try that, but this was a fairly full flight and there were no window and aisles seats available that were next to each other. Maybe next time.



                            Champagne as a pre-take off drink…



                            Today’s menu…



                            As on our outbound flight, we had satay to start.



                            I had a dry martin (Sans olives this time, not sure why) along with a small bowl of nuts.



                            Mrs yflyer had a bottle of sake.



                            The starter today was duck foie gras…

                            Last edited by yflyer; 11 July 2020, 05:00 PM.

                            Comment


                            • #44
                              Mrs yflyer had the Korean-style herbal chicken with rice…



                              She let me have a taste, and it was delicious…

                              For myself, I had initially ordered a BTC steak option, but in a rare service lapse on SQ’s part, the beef was served quite overcooked, and I left it untouched after a couple of bites. When the cabin crew noticed this and asked if something was the matter, I mentioned this, and she apologised profusely, and immediately offered me another main course. I glady accepted: “Any other main will do!”…there was another steak option on the menu, and this was brought to me within a few minutes.



                              This was delicious, and this time, the steak was done to a perfect medium. Pink and tender on this inside.



                              Just goes to show that not everything goes perfectly on SQ, but if something does go wrong (And steaks are sometimes overcooked even at top-end restaurants on the ground...), you can bet that the SQ cabin crew will do everything they can to set it right. Thumbs up!

                              Dessert was either Haagen Daz strawberry ice cream, or mint chocolate cake…





                              I folded down my bed and slept for the remainder of the flight, while Mrs yflyer caught up on movies and television on Krisworld (She never did fold down the bed...).
                              Last edited by yflyer; 11 July 2020, 05:00 PM.

                              Comment


                              • #45
                                And that wraps up this TR on a very memorable trip to Seoul. A trip where, for once, I had time on my hands to explore Seoul with Mrs yflyer.

                                And thanks to Mrs yflyer, I now have a much better idea of what Seoul is about: where to go, what to eat, and how to get around. Free evenings on subsequent business trips will not be the same. There is a whole list of restaurants and places I would want to go to again…and yet I have also got the feeling that what we saw was only the tip of the iceberg! Looking forward to heading back.

                                Thanks for reading!

                                Comment

                                Working...
                                X