Ahh, Korean food. For every foreigner that loves it, there's another that resents it deeply. Of course we knew all about kimchi before we'd left home thanks to some Korean students of Mel's who'd invited us to a picnic of galbi and kimchi before we left. They all stared at us as we choked down that first pungent taste of spicy, fermented cabbage. "Yummm", we lied. But there's a lot more to Korean food than kimchi. When we lived in Suwon our school lunch sucked and probably turned me off of a lot of foods I would have otherwise liked had they been cooked nicely. If we wanted to eat something that wasn't Korean in Suwon our options were pretty limited unless we wanted to travel, so we even started to get sick of bowls of pho and Outback steaks after a while.
Seoul is totally different. If there's something you're craving, it isn't too hard to find. There are hundreds upon hundreds of restaurants on our street alone. We'll never be able to try them all. I'm loving the food here, Western and Korean. Even my school lunch is usually pretty good. As someone who is guilty of complaining about Korea's selection of food in the past (I recall going home after the first contract and admitting: "It was pretty good except for the food") I feel like it's time to make a post about all the awesome food we eat here now. Dining out is a daily event for Mel and I. We have a kitchen but I can't even remember the last time I cooked something. The restaurants around us are just too cheap, convenient and plentiful to ignore! So here it is, some of our favorite foods in Korea. Hope you're not too hungry when reading this!
Korean Food
Galbi- Who doesn't love barbecued meat? I'd say approximately every 3rd building in Korea is a galbi restaurant! They usually serve either marinated pork or beef with 5 or 6 complimentary side dishes for about $10 per person. Although we rarely eat pork at home, we almost always choose it in Korea because Korean pork tastes so much better for some reason! My favorite is the samgyupsal, which is basically a barbecued slice of bacon that's an inch or two thick. There's usually one or two side dishes that I like and Mel eats almost all of them, but the best (in my opinion) are: cabbage salad with kiwi dressing, macaroni salad, greens in lemon juice, potato salad, soybean paste jiggae and the vinegar-cabbagey soup. If I could only find a galbi place that serves all those things I would never eat anywhere else!
Galbi- Who doesn't love barbecued meat? I'd say approximately every 3rd building in Korea is a galbi restaurant! They usually serve either marinated pork or beef with 5 or 6 complimentary side dishes for about $10 per person. Although we rarely eat pork at home, we almost always choose it in Korea because Korean pork tastes so much better for some reason! My favorite is the samgyupsal, which is basically a barbecued slice of bacon that's an inch or two thick. There's usually one or two side dishes that I like and Mel eats almost all of them, but the best (in my opinion) are: cabbage salad with kiwi dressing, macaroni salad, greens in lemon juice, potato salad, soybean paste jiggae and the vinegar-cabbagey soup. If I could only find a galbi place that serves all those things I would never eat anywhere else!
Sinpo Woori Mandu- A chain store with the most delicious mandu I've ever tasted. We love the bibimbap mandu, which comes fried, stuffed with noodles, pork and onion and is served with noodles and bibimbap toppings in the middle. Sinpo Woori Mandu also serves my favorite soup in Korea- a jiggae with a clear beef broth, strips of beef, veggies and clear glass noodles. Oh my god, it's so good, and there's not even a hint of spice. The place is a chain restaurant, but the one we go to is a block or two behind the big Giordano store near Gangnam Station, exit 6.
Mandu Ramen at Kimbap Nara- Kimbap Nara is a chain store (and there's loads of similar knock-off stores that are just as good) that sells Korean comfort food. There's lots of bibimbap, kimbap and doncaste on the menu here, but my favorite is the mandu ramen. Maybe I just love Korean mandu? It's just your average bowl of ramen noodles with kimchi broth, spiced up with 3 onion/pork dumplings and a little egg. The savory mandu compliments the spicy ramen so well. If you're in Korea and you need directions to a kimbap nara then you need glasses. That joint be everywheres.
Nangmyeon- this is a dish I'd heard about but never tried during our first year in Korea: ice cold noodles. I didn't know why anyone would want to eat cold noodles, but actually it tastes really good, especially in the summer and especially with barbecue! You can get it with a cucumber-vinegar broth or a kimchi-vinegar broth which are both highly recommended!Honorable mention for excellent Korean food goes to chicken galbi (a spicy chicken stir fry with rice cakes, sweet potato, cheese, cabbage and noodles), ttokboki (spicy rice cakes), and cheese doncaste (a breaded pork cutlet with cheese inside and curry sauce outside).
Western Food
Ho Lee Chow- The best and closest thing to the Chinese food we're used to from home, which of course is absolutely nothing like actual Chinese food. We love the sweet and sour chicken, Mongolian beef and savory Ho Lee Noodles. It's a little expensive but worth the splurge every now and then., and I've never ordered a dish I didn't like. We always go to the one near Hanti Station (near the Lotte My Super) but the easiest one to find is probably behind the Hamilton Hotel right outside Itaewon Station. We used to travel all day from Suwon for this pretty often!
Santorini- This Greek restaurant in Itaewon is a recent find for us. I love Greek food and even though the prices are a bit much ($20 a plate for a main dish), like Ho Lee Chow it is worth a random splurge. The chicken souvlaki with tatziki, rice and potato wedges is flavorful and well worth the trip to Itaewon. If you go behind the Hamilton Hotel near Itaewon Station turn left and it will be on the left side of the road a few buildings down from the hotel. Look for the sign and menu on the street. Yum!
Handmade onion rings from Big Rock Tavern- Big Rock is a Canadian pub that serves really great poutine, fish and chips, burgers and Canadian beer, but my favorite dish is the onion rings with spicy southwest dip. Beats a crappy BK onion ring any day. To get there go out Gangnam Station Exit 7 and turn right going up the hill full of restaurants on the street behind the Starbucks. It'll be on the left near Pizza School. On Sundays from 10a-2p they also have a great all-you-can-eat breakfast with bacon, sausage, taters, omelets, OJ, coffee and lots more for only 12,000 won.
California Pizza Kitchen- The pizza is nothing special but the avocado-bacon-chicken egg rolls are awesome. Exit 6 of Gangnam Station, walk straight and take your next left. Walk a few minutes and look for it at the end of the street on the left.
Oriental Spoon- A restaurant just a few shops up from the Sinsa entrance of Garosu-gil that serves Thai-inspired dishes at reasonable prices. The apricot chicken and noodles are worth a visit.
Mr. Pizza- My favorite pizza place in Korea offers a wide selection of very Korean pizzas (sweet potato mousse-filled crust, brocolli, corn and chicken wing pizza) and several traditional pies as well. The star of the show, no matter what pizza is ordered, though, is the garlic dipping sauce! I literally take a knife and spread that sauce all over my pizza like butter on toast. It's probably about as healthy as it sounds.
Kraze Burger- The prices are a bit high- close to $10 for a burger and no fries- but their hamburgers are really, really good. McDicks and BK are everywhere in Korea, but I'd rather pay a bit more and eat at Kraze Burger. My favorite is the burger with cream cheese sauce and onion rings on it with a side of chili cheese fries. Or you can go with the "nude" burger which is served with an egg on top instead of a bun. Awesome!
On The Border- Tucked away behind the food court in the COEX mall is On The Border, a TGI Friday's-styled Mexican restaurant. A bottomless bowl of handmade chips and salsa are free with every meal and they're the BEST chips in town. Also amazing is the chicken tortilla soup for less than $6, it's loaded with chicken, avocado, cheese, and rice. Just order the soup and pig out on chips for a cheap and awesome meal. You'll feel so smart, S-M-R-T.
Dos Taco- The flautas and chimichangas are pretty good if you're craving Mexican food and it's not very expensive. My complaint about Dos Taco is that I always leave a bit hungry because everything is sold a la carte and there's no combo option. There's only so many tacos one person wants to eat. Still, Mexican food is my favorite, and we used to travel all the way from Suwon for this too. It's a treat to live so close to it now. Sinnonhyeon Station, a few buildings down from the Kyobo building behind Frisbee (the Apple Store).
Sorrento- We don't go out for Italian food very often because it's probably the easiest kind of food to make at home (who can't boil noodles?), but the lasagna at Sorrento is pretty tasty, with a rich garlicky sauce and lots of cheese. There's Sorrentos everywhere- we've been to the one next to Forever 21 in Myeongdong and one in the Kyobo building near Sinnonhyeon.
Butterfingers- I almost didn't put this on the list because it's got the worst service of any restaurant I've been to in Korea, but sometimes I like to have breakfast for supper and the food there is really good. My favorite is the blueberry pancakes with blueberry compote, syrup and vanilla butter, ham, bacon and hashbrowns. Mel loves the french toast. Skip the weak coffee. Gangnam Station exit 6, just before California Pizza Kitchen.Honorable mention goes to Yum Thai (the BEST Thai restaurant in Korea! With real Thai chefs! And papaya salad! Located near Sinsa Station... I would've given it a proper slot on this list but I had no pictures...), Pizza School (Potato and bacon pizza is always good just before payday!), China Factory (each person gets to order 3 dishes from the menu to share, plus a free dim sum and dessert bar!) and Quiznos... good old reliable Quiznos.
Chicken
Goobne Chicken- Chicken gets its own category here because Korea has so many freakin' chicken and beer restaurants, and there's just something extra tasty about the way they cook their chicken. I discovered Goobne Chicken because it was served at one of my students' school birthday parties. It's just oven roasted rotisserie chicken like you'd make at home- no spice and no batter. It's so good! Search for your closest store here: http://www.goobne.co.kr/store/areaStore.htm
The Frypan- This is a new chain store that's been popping up all over the city. Basically it's just a plate of handcut potato chips topped with fried chicken breast or legs and dipping sauce. It's all cooked to order and tastes great with a cheap mug of draft for less than $15 all together.
Kyochon fried chicken- another chain store that you can find almost anywhere. Korean fried chicken is cooked in a way that removes the fat from the skin which makes it thin and crackly. They fry up a whole bird for you (even the neck!) and it tastes great. The place is always packed. Puts KFC to shame.
Garten Bier- A favorite from Suwon. The charm of this place is that each table has a refrigerated hole in it to keep every glass frosty and cool. We like the cherry soju but the beer is good too.
Smoothie King- Dude, I love having regular access to Smoothies! I missed them when I lived in Taiwan. I've never had a smoothie I didn't like from Smoothie King and they make for a good breakfast. When I wake up and my stomach is feeling a bit off it's usually the only thing I want to eat.
Honorable mention goes to some drinks you don't "go out" to buy: good old Nestea peachee ice tea and cherry ade from 7-11. Oh and, of course, 막 걸리, because I'm an adjoshi and I love it.
Dessert
Cake Opera-I've never had anything but the banana bread from here, but I love it. For some reason I got a mad craving for banana bread (something I don't usually buy) a few months ago and luckily our friend Pip knew of a place that made it. Tastes just like home as far as I can tell, and it's a good treat for $3 per half loaf. Cake Opera is a little tricky to find... Sinnonhyeon Station, exit onto the side of the road opposite Kyobo... by the Burger King. Walk 5 minutes or so and turn right at the Dunkin Donuts. It's just past the Paris Baguette.
Baskin Robbins- The ice cream is just alright for me, but the fondue is pretty fun to order. The fondue sauce is chocolate, and you get a bunch of ice cream, fruit and cake to eat with it. A nice dish to share or an indulgence for one.
On The Border- Another round of applause for the Mexican place in the COEX. We love the generous slab of apple crisp served on a sizzling platter, topped with a scoop of ice cream and caramel sauce. There are no words.
Finally, Cold Stone Creamery-We don't go out for dessert very often, but since summer has hit we've been at Cold Stone probably three times a week. This isn't helping the moob situation. Cold Stone takes a bunch of ice cream, a bunch of toppings, mixes the two on a cold stone and throws it all in a dish or cone. Schwing! I see my peeps in SJ just got a Cold Stone last week... enjoy! It's nice to know it will be waiting for me when I come home.
All right, after typing up this blog I feel like I could use a good binge so I'm going to log off now and raid my cupboards. I hope I've made amends to Korea for slagging their food in the past! I take it all back. I want to eat Korea!!
Anyone know if an Arby's will be opening here soon, so I never have to leave?!
Goobne Chicken- Chicken gets its own category here because Korea has so many freakin' chicken and beer restaurants, and there's just something extra tasty about the way they cook their chicken. I discovered Goobne Chicken because it was served at one of my students' school birthday parties. It's just oven roasted rotisserie chicken like you'd make at home- no spice and no batter. It's so good! Search for your closest store here: http://www.goobne.co.kr/store/areaStore.htm
The Frypan- This is a new chain store that's been popping up all over the city. Basically it's just a plate of handcut potato chips topped with fried chicken breast or legs and dipping sauce. It's all cooked to order and tastes great with a cheap mug of draft for less than $15 all together.
Kyochon fried chicken- another chain store that you can find almost anywhere. Korean fried chicken is cooked in a way that removes the fat from the skin which makes it thin and crackly. They fry up a whole bird for you (even the neck!) and it tastes great. The place is always packed. Puts KFC to shame.Drinks
Garten Bier- A favorite from Suwon. The charm of this place is that each table has a refrigerated hole in it to keep every glass frosty and cool. We like the cherry soju but the beer is good too.
Smoothie King- Dude, I love having regular access to Smoothies! I missed them when I lived in Taiwan. I've never had a smoothie I didn't like from Smoothie King and they make for a good breakfast. When I wake up and my stomach is feeling a bit off it's usually the only thing I want to eat.Honorable mention goes to some drinks you don't "go out" to buy: good old Nestea peachee ice tea and cherry ade from 7-11. Oh and, of course, 막 걸리, because I'm an adjoshi and I love it.
Cake Opera-I've never had anything but the banana bread from here, but I love it. For some reason I got a mad craving for banana bread (something I don't usually buy) a few months ago and luckily our friend Pip knew of a place that made it. Tastes just like home as far as I can tell, and it's a good treat for $3 per half loaf. Cake Opera is a little tricky to find... Sinnonhyeon Station, exit onto the side of the road opposite Kyobo... by the Burger King. Walk 5 minutes or so and turn right at the Dunkin Donuts. It's just past the Paris Baguette.
Baskin Robbins- The ice cream is just alright for me, but the fondue is pretty fun to order. The fondue sauce is chocolate, and you get a bunch of ice cream, fruit and cake to eat with it. A nice dish to share or an indulgence for one.
On The Border- Another round of applause for the Mexican place in the COEX. We love the generous slab of apple crisp served on a sizzling platter, topped with a scoop of ice cream and caramel sauce. There are no words.
Finally, Cold Stone Creamery-We don't go out for dessert very often, but since summer has hit we've been at Cold Stone probably three times a week. This isn't helping the moob situation. Cold Stone takes a bunch of ice cream, a bunch of toppings, mixes the two on a cold stone and throws it all in a dish or cone. Schwing! I see my peeps in SJ just got a Cold Stone last week... enjoy! It's nice to know it will be waiting for me when I come home.All right, after typing up this blog I feel like I could use a good binge so I'm going to log off now and raid my cupboards. I hope I've made amends to Korea for slagging their food in the past! I take it all back. I want to eat Korea!!
Anyone know if an Arby's will be opening here soon, so I never have to leave?!
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