Category

Busan

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gongcha-menu

In all the Lotte Department stores is Gong Cha or at least I keep seeing it in the Busan locations. I remember having Gong Cha in Hong Kong a few Summers ago and it has always stuck in my mind.

Gong Cha opened their first location in Taiwan during 2006 and soon after opened locations in Hong Kong, Singapore, Macau, China, Malaysia, and Philippines. There are a lot of locations all over Asia and attracts locals and tourists. They are best known for their signature milk tea with a dollop of cream on top.

gongcha-tea

House Special Green Tea (large – 3,900 won) is one of the most popular flavours. It has the base of the brewed green tea and it is topped with their signature creamy foam. The foam tasted like salty cream.

Overall, it was a nice refreshing drink. I’ve never really been a fan of the cream, but I do the link the tea underneath it.

We rate Gong Cha

Location:
Bujeondong, Busanjingu
(Seomyon subway station)

Website:
http://www.gong-cha.co.kr/

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Janny-Crepe-House-street

We spent the afternoon in Busan roaming the Gwangbokro Culture and Fashion street in Busan. We just finished lunch at some relatives house and wandered off here to do some shopping and looking for a sweet treat.

Janny-Crepe-House-outer

M’s mom wanted to show us some amazing organic milk soft serve Ice cream with honeycomb, so we wandered and wandered until we found a good place. We stumbled upon Janny Crepe House. At first glance, you won’t be able to notice as you just assume they only have  crepes.

Janny-Crepe-House-comb

As you look closer, you will see their display case filled with delicious honeycomb.

Janny-Crepe-House-making

It’s a small shop with a lot of people waiting, so there’s not a lot of seats available. Best to have it to go and wander the streets to do more shopping. This is also very random, but they sell dolls as well.

Janny-Crepe-House-honey

Organic milk soft serve Ice cream with honeycomb (4,500 won = $4.50) was just beautiful. You have the soft serve on the bottom and then it is topped with a piece of honeycomb.

Janny-Crepe-House-sweet

The way the honeycomb glistens beautifully. Everyone else loved the ice cream and honeycomb, but I personally felt it was a bit sweet. I just prefer less sweet treats. The texture of the honeycomb was crunchy kinda like a wafer. A cool treat to try out if you’re ever in South Korea.

It’s a unique treat and I’ve never seen this in Vancouver yet.

Hotel-Commodore-Busan

When we took a weekend trip to Busan, we stayed at the Hotel Commodore for one night. It is rated as a five star hotel with 312 rooms. The hotel has been around since 1979 and is 17 storeys high.

The exterior is very gorgeous and has a nice traditional feel. It is centrally located close to Downtown and it is easy to get access to cabs to get anywhere in the city.

Hotel-Commodore-Busan

The interior of the lobby is quite ornate and you will spend some time just looking at all the walls.

The hotel has 3 restaurants:

  • Viking Buffet Restaurant (International cuisine)
  • Admiral Yi Western Restaurant
  • Hanguk Kwan (Traditional Korean)

We didn’t get a chance to try out these restaurants, but there is definitely more delicious food out in the markets.

Hotel-Commodore-Busan

The lobby seating area has a very beautiful chandelier. It has the colours of korean on it.

Hotel-Commodore-Busan

Standard Double Room

Hotel-Commodore-Busan

If you book through their website, it’s about $200, but if you do through websites like Expedia, you can book if for about $90.

The standard room is very simple with a minibar, coffee/tea maker, mini fridge, Air conditioning, and a desk. They give you complimentary water, tea and coffee packets.

You have to pay for wired internet, but good thing we had a portable wifi box we rented from the airport.

Hotel-Commodore-Busan

Everything from this room was pretty outdated. The clock is built into the side table. This room did not feel five star at all.

The standard double room was ok and has everything you need to sleep for the night, but is in need of some upgrades. If you want a nicer room, you might want to look into the semi suites but thats a bit more expensive.

Hotel-Commodore-Busan

The private bathroom has a more modern feel to it compared to the rest of the room. The bathroom has a shower/tub, the usual stuff and they have small things of Aveda shampoo, conditioner and moisturizer.

Hotel-Commodore-Busan

The view of the room faces the city and you can see all the buildings below.

map

The location is great and close to tourist areas like Jagalchi.

Address:
743-80, Yeongju-dong, Jung-gu,
Busan, South Korea ‎

Website:
http://www.commodore.co.kr/

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Angel In Us Coffee

Angel In Us Coffee is a strong domestic brand in South Korea. You can basically find it in any city. It took me a long time to figure out why this coffee shop is named Angel In Us. Apparently it’s supposed to imply that coffee is a god’s gift delivered by angels. They also have a unique roasting process for the beans too.

We came here with some relatives to relax and have a beverage. We were walking for most of the afternoon, so we thought it would be good to take a breather here. All the other cafes in the area were packed like crazy, so we came to Angel In Us Coffee because of their large space.

Angel In Us Coffee

This cafe is 3 storeys tall and can fit large groups. We had about 8 people, so it made sense to come here.

Angel In Us Coffee

We took over the 3rd floor and used it at our own little space. The view from above is the shopping streets.

The ironic thing about coming here is that we didn’t order coffee. I had coffee almost everyday in Korea, so I thought it was time to get some tea.

Angel In Us Coffee

Iced Green Tea was literally a green tea teabag in iced water. There was a subtle taste of green tea, but it wasn’t very strong.

Angel In Us Coffee

Green Tea Frappucino is a nice sweet treat for a hot day.

 Angel In Us Coffee

Ice Cream Waffle comes with a thick crispy waffle, vanilla ice cream, green tea ice cream, whipped cream, and a chocolate and caramel drizzle.

This place was decent, but I’m pretty sure they don’t have the best coffee. It’s a nice place to just chill and have a snack and beverage.

Website: http://www.angelinus.co.kr/

Jagalchi Market

One of the attractions in Busan is the Jagalchi Market, which is Korea’s largest seafood market. It attracts lots of locals and tourists everyday. If you’re coming here, its best to bring a friend who knows Korean if you’re buying something. It just makes it a bit easier.

You know you’re in the right area when the air smells a bit fishy.

Jagalchi Market

Outside the market building, there are tons of restaurants, and seafood shops. The most common restaurant near the main road are BBQ eel restaurants. There are so many, you can’t go wrong.

Jagalchi Market

Inside the big Jagalchi Market, the first floor is the fish market and the second floor are the restaurants.

Jagalchi Market

We came here just to look at the different produce. We didn’t have an intention to buy anything as we just had lunch before coming here. It’s pretty cool seeing all the different kinds of seafood in the baskets squirming and flopping around.

To me, it was going to an aquarium and seeing the animals up close.

Jagalchi Market

So many kinds of shrimp.

Jagalchi Market

If you wander around the coast, you can get some nice views of Busan.

Jagalchi Market

More views.

Jagalchi Market

Outside the market, there are even more vendors selling all types of seafood.

Jagalchi Market

Clams, mussels, geoduck and so many other things.

Jagalchi Market

There is dried fish too.

Jagalchi Market

The streets were very busy and crowded. It’s not a place for everyone. If you can’t stand the smell of fish and crowds, this place might not be for you.

Jagalchi-Market-fishy

We walked around for about 30 minutes looking at all the seafood, but the only fish that we bought was boonguhbbang (gold fish bread). It is a waffle stuffed with red bean and shaped like a fish. You can find it on the street corners and costs about 1,000 won. It’s especially good when it is freshly made and not sitting around.

If you have some spare time in Busan, definitely stroll through this area and perhaps stop by for lunch or dinner. Even if you plan on not buying anything here, its still a great experience seeing something different.

Address:
B37-1, Nampodong 4-ga, Jung-gu, Busan-si
부산광역시 중구 자갈치해안로 52 (남포동4가)

Website: http://www.bsjunggu.go.kr/eng/main.php

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Seoul Kakdugi Restaurant

Where in Busan can you find the best Seolleongtang aka Ox Bone Soup? Seoul Kakdugi Restaurant (서울깍두기) has been around since the 1950’s serving up the delicious dish. The locals say this place is the best for getting Seolleongtang. It can’t be bad because that’s basically all they sell.

Seoul Kakdugi Restaurant

With their long history and simple interior, they can accommodate up to 300 people.

Seoul Kakdugi Restaurant

Here is their menu. Very simple and it only has 4 items.

Seoul Kakdugi Restaurant

Kkakdugi (radish kimchi) and regular kimchi comes before the meal and the servers are diligent in refilling them up quickly.

Seoul Kakdugi Restaurant

Seolleongtang (9,000 won) is the ox bone soup with noodles,beef and rice. It is the most popular item on the menu and it is really good!

You just need to add your own salt to adjust the flavour. I added about a scoop and a half to get it to the right amount of tastiness.

Seoul Kakdugi Restaurant

Boiled Beef (40,000 won) is quite expensive. It’s like $40 CDN for a plate of meat. Pricey, but it was definitely interesting.The beef was delicious since it was cooked in the ox tail broth. This plate fed a table of 8, so you definitely want to share this with a large party.

The food here is pretty good. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s something yummy if you are in the Busan area. The location is also close to the Jagalchi Fish Market, so you can stroll around there after eating.

We Rate Seoul Kakdugi Restaurant:

Address:
10, Gudeok-ro 34beon-gil, Jung-gu, Busan
부산광역시 중구 구덕로34번길 10 (남포동2가)

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Busan Eel

Busan is known for their eel and most tourists come here to enjoy the fresh taste of grilled eel. M really wanted to go, so he asked his aunt to take us to the best eel restaurant in Busan. The locals like to come here and it was pretty packed on a weekend.

unyang charchoal eel bbq

The eels are alive in the tanks outside and you can watch them wriggle before your meal.

unyang charchoal eel bbq

The menu is on the wall.

unyang charchoal eel bbq

All the seating is on the floor, so if you aren’ used to it, you might get a little uncomfortable. My legs went numb a few times due to my poor circulation, so I was moving around adjusting my legs.

unyang charchoal eel bbq

The grill has a bunch of super hot coals. It’s so hot, its glowing.

unyang charchoal eel bbq

The eel is skinned and chopped up into pieces on a plate. As the eel is fresh, the flesh is still moving slightly. It’s a little bit scary, but it’s ok because you will be sticking it on the grill.

Busan-BBQ-Eel-grilling

Looks beautiful.

Busan-BBQ-Eel-cooked

We really had no idea when each piece would be done, so we just guessed. As long as it has a nice golden char to the edges, it will be ready to eat.

Busan-BBQ-Eel-sides

The meal comes with a few banchan and a few other items to wrap your eel in.

Busan-BBQ-Eel-wrap

My favorite leaf to use is the sesame leaf with some spicy sauce, a piece of eel and garlic chive kimchi. Just wrap it all up and stick it in your mouth. The eel tastes just like fish.

Grilled eel was a unique experience because the eel I am used to is covered in a sweet BBQ sauce compared to the fresh eel in Busan. It’s something I can’t get fresh in Vancouver because we don’t have eel.

Busan-BBQ-Eel-pumpkin

Once you are done the BBQ portion of the meal, you are given more banchan.

This is roasted pumpkin. It’s soft and quite flavourful.

Busan-BBQ-Eel-radish

More kimchi.

Busan-BBQ-Eel-soup-rice

The last part of the meal is soup and rice. I can’t remember what type of soup it was but it had some meat and vegetables. It was a very good soup but a tad spicy.

By the end of the meal you’ll get quite full. I was happy with the meal and I would definitely go again because I love being involved with my food and cooking it.

We Rate Unyang Charcoal Eel BBQ

Phone:
+82 51-247-2150 ‎

Address:
Seodaesindong 2(i)-ga, Seo-gu, Busan, South Korea ‎

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://www.google.ca/maps?t=m&cid=0x20c3dc0e68c0deb5&z=16&iwloc=A “]

In Busan, they say you can’t leave without trying Ssiat Hotteok (seed-stuffed pancake). Apparently it’s their specialty and all the locals say you gotta try it.

Ssiat (seed) Hotteok in Busan

M’s aunt took us to The Street of Film near Jagalchi Market. It has a plethora of street food vendors.

Jagalchi Market in Busan

Jagalchi Market in Busan

Jagalchi Market in Busan

You can probably find a lot of different korean food. Your taste buds will be salivating after walking through this area.

Busan-Ssiat-Hotteok

There is one cart that has a very crazy unusual lineup. It zigzags and there is a lady making sure people are lining up correctly and not in a mod fashion.

Busan-Ssiat-Hotteok

Ssiat hotteok (1,000 WON = $1 CDN) is filled with sunflower and pumpkin seeds. The seeds are stuffed after the dough is cooked in the hot oil so it has more flavour and tastes less greasy.

The seeds and sugar are mixed together between the dough to give it an amazing crunch sound when you bite into it. It was so good! I could eat a few of these! It’s not too sweet and just so addictive.

If you are even in Busan, go to center area of The Street of Film and find this cart. You won’t be able to miss it as its right in the intersection.

 

Busan Korea

We took a weekend trip to Busan with M’s family to see some relatives. Busan is South Korea’s second largest city after Seoul and is located on the southeastern area of Korea.

Gukje Market busan

We were taken to Gukje Market in Downtown Busan. It is the largest outdoor market in Busan and you can find anything from fabrics, to household goods. The prices are pretty good and tons of shops to see. It is also next to a large underground shopping center and the Jagalchi Fish Market.

Woojindogi Busan Odeng

As we were walking through the market, we stopped at Woojindogi as we heard that had some of the best oden in Busan. Odeng or oden originated from Japan, but Koreans have made their own unique versions.

Korean fish-cakes are called Eomuk and they are pretty darn good.

Woojindogi Busan Odeng

Woojindogi only serves oden and there was a huge line around lunch time. There were no seats inside, but there were a few counter seats outside.

Woojindogi Busan Odeng

On the left is the fish cake and tofu skin stuffed with noodles. It smells amazing when you’re waiting to get your order.

Woojindogi Busan Odeng

Busan Odeng has the tofu skin with noodles on the bottom and the fish cake on top. The broth is delicious and we ate it all so fast.

If you get a chance to go to Korea, definitely get some oden that looks like this. It’s SO good! I don’t exactly know the address since the market is a bit confusing, but you can ask around.

Gukje Market busan

While you’re at Gukje Market, go find some Korean socks. They’re really cheap and have lots of cute styles.