South Korea Archives - Page 2 of 4

In Japanese

Big Room Sushi House 대방횟집: Sashimi Feast in Seoul

November 22, 2013

When we arrived in Seoul for the last few days of our trip in South Korea, M’s relatives took us to Big Room Sushi House (대방횟집 dae bang hwe jip). I clearly had no idea where I was going, so having them lead me to food is just great.

We got a set meal that came with SO MANY dishes. It was about 20,000 won or 30,000 won per person. It’s a pretty good price since we did get so much food.

When we sat down, there were a few sauces, quail eggs, edamame, and veggies for us to nibble on before the rest of the meal came.

Assorted sashimi

You won’t find any of the normal stuff here. There was abalone and a bunch of other fish I could not identify. Everything was fresh and tasted great.

Roasted ginko beans are great to munch on.

Raw Oysters was all eaten up by me. I like ousters in all shapes and forms.

Sea Squirt Sashimi tasted like the ocean. Not my favourite seafood by a long shot, but it was alright.

Shrimp tempura was deliciously crunchy and light.

Grilled Prawn were a tad dry and there is a hidden skewer that goes through them, so you have to make sure you don’t eat that. Take it out before you eat it.

Grilled Mackerel has little bones inside, so its quite hard to eat if you aren’t good at picking the little bones out.

Vegetable pancake was good! Very simple but satisfying.

Hot spicy soup was really good and had lots of flavour. If you aren’t into spicy food, they can make it non-spicy too.

Cucumber roll with some fish eggs are poorly put together, but tasted fine.

Kyoho Grape also know as slip skin grapes are very unique and very different than the type of grapes we have in North America. You just put the opening of the grape against your lips and then use your fingers to push the flesh out. It’s a pretty weird process and no one eats the skins.

The flesh of the grape is like jelly, but there are some seeds inside. You just easily spit them out and start on the next grape.

Overall, a pretty good place for a feast. It’s close to the station and has some cool shops near by. I would definitely call ahead to make a reservation so they have everything prepared before you arrive.

We Rate Big Room Sushi House:

Address:
349-3
Sindaebang 2(i)-dong
Dongjak-gu, Seoul, South Korea

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=%EB%8C%80%EB%B0%A9%ED%9A%9F%EC%A7%91&ie=UTF8&ll=37.497776,126.928353&spn=0.020054,0.041885&t=m&hq=%EB%8C%80%EB%B0%A9%ED%9A%9F%EC%A7%91&radius=15000&z=15″]

In Busan

Hotel Commodore in Busan

November 20, 2013

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.

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.

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

Standard Double Room

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.

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.

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.

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

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/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://www.google.ca/maps?t=m&cid=0x1bc59958ec95f2fd&z=16&iwloc=A “]

In Japanese

The Onigiri: Delicious Rice Balls in Pohang

November 19, 2013

The Onigiri is a chain restaurant in South Korea that specializes in Japanese rice balls. We came here to grab a bunch of onigiri to go. My last onigiri was a few years ago from T&T and I’ve never really had a good experience with them as they always had too much rice.

I was so amazed by this little shop and I could tell it would be good. I would really want one in Vancouver. Would definitely make a great lunch.

The menu board. I have no idea what it says, but the prices range from 2,500 won to 1,800 won. They serve other items like udon and ramen.

So many choices!

We clearly bought a lot! Having just 2 already gets you full. Don’t underestimate the size of these little babies.

Some of the flavours available are:

스팸데리야끼 = spam teriyaki
매운스팸 = spicy spam
떡갈비 = short ribs
매운 떡갈비 = spicy short ribs
소고기고추범벅 = boiled, mixed beef, Korean peppers
김치날치알 = kimchi fish egg
매운멸치 = spicy anchovy
김치참치, 매운 참지 = kimchi tuna, spicy tuna
아몬드멸치 = almond anchovy
소고기고추장 = beef red pepper paste
베이컨김치 = bacon kimchi
치즈참치마요 = cheese tuna mayo
참치날차알 = tuna fish egg
크래미샐려리 = creamy celery
크래미날치알 = creamy fish egg
참치 마요 = tuna mayo
치즈날치알 = cheese fish egg

M ordered me the spicy short ribs onigiri and the kimchi tuna onigiri. My favourite out of the two were the kimchi tuna ones.

The favourites that we ordered were anything with the fish eggs, anchovy or tuna.

Overall, the onigiri were great, you could tell there was lots of stuffing inside. I wouldn’t recommend ordering more than 3, you’ll be so full that you will need to be wheelbarrowed around town.

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

Address:
469-1 Daejam-dong, Nam-gu
Pohang, South Korea

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://www.google.ca/maps?daddr=469-1+Daejam-dong,+Nam-gu,+Pohang,+Gyeongsangbuk-do,+South+Korea+(140+Posco-daero)&sll=49.23998600000001,-122.95816950000001&sspn=0.1721632379598321,0.3516140344755832&t=m&z=14&start=0&geocode=Fcy0JQIdWZe1Bynl4x2t7AFnNTHVWAxzmHuoXw “]

In BBQ

Flower Pig: Bossam Delivery in Pohang

November 18, 2013

While in Pohang, we decided to order in some bossam. Bossam, is steamed pork wrapped in leaves and other ingredients. Imagine it like the Korean version of peking duck.

We found Flower Pig in a directory and decided to try it out. They only use local Korean pigs and the restaurant is open till 1am. We ordered around 6pm and took about an hour for them to prepare and deliver the meal.

We ordered a large order of bossam and it was definitely enough for 5 people. All the component was there to begin wrapping those slices of steamed pork.

It also came with free cold noodles. It was quite large but it wasn’t very good. The noodles were damp and seemed like very random ingredients were thrown in.

The steamed pork had a lot of slices.

We had some carrots, lettuce, sesame leaves, peppers and sliced garlic.

These were salted shrimp, marinated onions, red sauce and some kinda of unidentified liquid.

We also had a large box of kimchi. There was so much that we didn’t make a large dent into it.

With the ingredients, you kinda just throw it together to suit your tastebuds.

The restaurant that we ordered from wasn’t very good. The bossam would have been much better if we had it grilled to have a little bit more of a crunch. Next time, I’d probably just have it at a restaurant or make it at home. Delivery is never the same unless you know a good place.

In Indian

Sweet India: Korean and Indian Fusion Food in Pohang

November 15, 2013

Along Bukbu Beach in Pohang, South Korea, there are tons of things to see and eat. On a Sunday, we wanted to go grab some Indian food, but Namaskar was closed, so we headed to Sweet India. They don’t serve authentic Indian food, but more of a Korean fusion.

The restaurant has multiple floors and we dined on the second floor.

When you take a look at the menu, you know they are missing a lot of staple Indian food. I was looking for paneer and pakoras, but it was nowhere to be found. If you are looking for more authentic Indian food, definitely check out Namaskar in Pohang.

Complimentary Picked vegetables

Garlic Naan (2,500 won) comes with a huge piece and it looks like its more of a garlic oil on top rather than bits of garlic. Its still good, but it is quite oily when you rip into it.

Original Naan (2,000 won) was large as well. I preferred this over the garlic naan.

Lamb Curry (12,000 won) had a few chunks of lamb and tasted alright.

Mixed Vegetable Curry (8,500 won) was quite good but the size of the order was small.

Tandoori Chicken (18,000 won) has 4 pieces of chicken legs. The chicken was dry and it wasn’t anything special.

Chicken Tikka (12,000 won) comes with 7 pieces and it is spicy.

Bacon Cream Risotto (8,500 won) was my favourite dish of the evening. It was creamy and super cheesy. Good type of comfort food.

Seafood Tomato Spaghetti (8,500 won) was quite mediocre and some of the seafood could have been fresher.

The food here really doesn’t compare to authentic Indian food and is very mediocre. I probably wouldn’t come here again. The service was quite poor and the waitresses were not attentive at all. People wanted to get refills of water, order or get the bill but we would have to wait a while for a waitress to appear. The servers were mostly behind the counter on their phones. Not cool at all.

We Rate Sweet India:

Approximate Location:
1085-3 Duho-dong (5-16 Yongdusan-gil)
Buk-gu, Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea ‎

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://www.google.ca/maps?q=36.064087,129.381906&num=1&t=m&z=16 “]

In Japanese

Gajokjung: Ramen in Pohang

November 14, 2013

Apparently, there is a ramen restaurant in Pohang, South Korea. M’s family was just craving a bowl of ramen and raved about this place. Gajokjung means Family Restaurant.

There’s parking in the front, but we just took a taxi here.

The lines can get quite long during peak hours and is difficult to get a spot. You definitely want to come early to grab a seat or wait till it dies down a bit.

Copy of the menu

There is complimentary cups of coffee available. It’s weak coffee, so it won’t give you that extra perk that you need in the morning. All the coffee is self-serve, so you can grab as much as you want.

Pork Tonkatsu (8,000 won) is one of their best sellers. It is extra crispy and delicate on the outside because of the panko crumbs. Highly recommended!

Combination Tonkatsu Special (9,500 won) comes with pumpkin, fish, pork and cheese filling. I got this to sample all their different kinds. All of them were great, but the best one is the pork.

Japanese Ramen Miso ramen (7,500 won) has a miso soup base, with seaweed, veggies, and a piece of pork belly.

All the ramen come with picked radish and kimchi on the side. You can get this refilled if you want more.

Koma Karashi Ramen (8,000) is their hot and spicy flavour.

There are 4 levels of spiciness you can choose from:

Mild
Sweat
Tear
Volcano
Crazy

I chose Sweat as I wanted to enjoy my meal and not regret any decisions. Crazy just sounded crazy.

Both the ramen fell a bit flat compared to the ramen that can be found in Vancouver. It was lacking the full body flavour in the broth and the fatty pieces of pork belly was not evident.

Buckwheat Noodles (8,000 won) has 2 clump so noodles. It was ok. Nothing special to it.

Overall, the food was ok. I’ve just been spoiled by all the great ramen from Vancouver. The best thing about this place was the tonkatsu. I would highly recommend eating all the tonkatsu you can. It’s really good!

We Rate Gajokjung:

Address:
1104-9 Duho-dong
Buk-gu, Pohang-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
South Korea

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://www.google.ca/maps?q=1104-9+Duho-dong+Buk-gu,+Pohang-si,+Gyeongsangbuk-do+South+Korea&hl=en&ll=36.063497,129.373755&spn=0.020433,0.041885&sll=36.065028,129.373208&sspn=0.040865,0.083771&hnear=1104-9+Duho-dong,+Buk-gu,+Pohang,+Gyeongsangbuk-do,+South+Korea+(6+Daegok-ro)&t=m&z=15″]

In Busan

Angel In Us Coffee: South Korean Cafe

November 12, 2013

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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/

In Busan

Jagalchi Market (자갈치시장): Korea’s Largest Seafood Market

November 11, 2013

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.

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.

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

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.

So many kinds of shrimp.

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

More views.

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

Clams, mussels, geoduck and so many other things.

There is dried fish too.

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.

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

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://www.google.ca/maps?t=m&cid=0x47b390376ab3b06d&z=16&iwloc=A”]

In Busan

Seoul Kakdugi Restaurant (서울깍두기): Seolleongtang in Busan

November 8, 2013

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.

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

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

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

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.

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)

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://www.google.ca/maps?q=10,+Gudeok-ro+34beon-gil,+Jung-gu,+Busan&t=m&hnear=10+Gudeok-ro+34beon-gil,+Jung-gu,+Busan,+South+Korea+(11-1+Nampodong+2(i)-ga)&z=14 “]

In BBQ

Unyang Charcoal Eel BBQ in Busan, South Korea

November 6, 2013

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.

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

The menu is on the wall.

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.

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

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.

Looks beautiful.

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.

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

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.

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.

More kimchi.

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

Eating Ssiat Hotteok (seed-stuffed pancake) in Busan

November 5, 2013

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.

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

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

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.

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.

In Busan

Woojindogi: Busan Oden in Gukje Market

November 3, 2013

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.

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.

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 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.

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

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.

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

In Fast Food

Pizza Hut: Rich Gold Pizza and Crown Pizza in Korea

October 31, 2013

I thought I knew pizza … but when I came to South Korea the pizza wasn’t the same. M and I made it a mission to have pizza at Pizza Hut. Their pizzas are quite different and you won’t be able to find it in North America. Imagine sweet potato and minimal tomato sauce on your pizza. To me that’s nuts.

Pohang has a new Pizza Hut and we found one in their Downtown core.

They have 4 styles of pizza:

Rich Gold
Crown Pocket
Cheese Crunch
The Special

The salad bar used to be good, but this particular location sucked a lot. Two people must share a plate for the price you pay. The salad isn’t fresh and a bit wilted. The fruit looked stale and old, but you can try rambutan and passion fruit that you can’t easily find in North America.

On the bright side, you can get pasta, rice cake and mussels at the bar too.

This is what I grabbed. Everything tasted ok, but I wouldn’t get the salad bar again. Nothing tasted fresh.

Pizza Hut’s Rich Gold Pizza (Medium – 27,900 won) has a sweet potato mousse circling the crust. It’s essentially two carbs in every bite.

We got the supreme toppings but minus the meat since we were eating with some vegetarians. It tasted pretty good surprisingly. It still doesn’t compare to normal pizza because they use little to no tomato sauce. It’s mostly just cheese and sweet potato.

Bulgogi Crown Pocket (Medium – 28,900 won) has bits of beef on top with peppers, bbq sauce, ranch, and mushrooms.It’s pretty expensive since the pizza wasn’t that big. The bulgogi was a bit sparse and you could barely notice any meat.

Nestled in the crust is sweet potato purée and cream cheese. I thought it was a gross combination.

Bacon Steak Crown Pocket (Medium – 28,900 won) has a sweet sauce drizzled over the peppers, cheese and green beans. It was ok, but I didn’t like the sweet and savoury combination.

I wasn’t a fan of these Korean-style pizzas. It’s a cool sounding combination but not nice on the palate. The price was very expensive! It was about $28 for a medium pizza. Also, the service was quite poor

Have you tried these before?

Website: www.pizzahut.co.kr

In Buffet

Gyeongju City Tour: Day Tour in Historical Korea

October 28, 2013

We decided to take a day tour to Gyeongju Korea which is in the Southwest part of Korea. As we were staying in Pohang, it was only a 30 minute bus ride to get to the tour. There are buses and trains that take people from Seoul to Gyeongju easily. We took the Gyeongju City Tour as it had pretty good ratings by foreigners.

Gyeongju is a great place to visit as it has a large amount of heritage sites and old ruins.

Gyeongju was the ancient capital of the Silla Millennium. Some of Gyeongju’s most important relics are Seokguram Grotto, Bulguksa Temple, Poseokjeong Pavilion’s original site, Heavenly Horse Tomb (Cheonma-chong), Cheomseongdae Astronomical Observatory, and Anapji Pond. With a total of 396 registered cultural properties, Gyeongju holds 5.5% of Korea’s cultural properties, and 30% of the cultural properties of North Gyeongsang Province.

The particular tour we went on was Course 1 for the Silla Historic Areas for 14,000 won + 4,000 in admission fees (collected prior to departure)+ 9,000 won lunch buffet.

Singyeongju Station (08:50)
Gyeongju Express Bus Terminal (09:00)
Bomun Lake Resort (passing through)
Bulguksa Temple
Silla Arts and Science Museum
Bunhwangsa Temple
Tomb of General Kim Yushin
Cheonmachong (Heavenly Horse Tomb)
Gyeongju National Museum (when closed: Wolseong)
Donggung Wolji(Anapji Pond)
Cheomseongdae Astronomical Observatory
Gyeongju Express Bus Terminal (17:10)
Singyeongju Station (17:30)

We arrived at the Gyeongju Express Bus Terminal late, so we missed our tour bus. Good thing that tour office was across the street so they could help us get to the bus at Bulguksa Temple. We took public transit to meet up with the tour. It was a bit stressful, but it’s good M was there to do all the talking.

The tour goes to 8 locations and before we get off we are shown an introduction video about the location in 3 language – Korean, English, and Japanese.

You can choose to stick with the tour guide (only spoken in Korean) or wander off on your own. Do note, there are NO explanation on what time to come back in english. A lot of the foreigners had to ask around for a translation to make sure they come back to the bus on time.

Bulguksa Temple

The temple area was quite beautiful and had a large enough space to roam around. It is quite far from the city centre, so going on this tour was worth it. Of all the locations of the tour, this place had the best scenery.

Coming on a weekday, this place was crowded with lots of students on field trips. It was packed and so many kids being loud and running around. It did disrupt the whole experience of this place. There was also some construction going on.

Silla Arts and Science Museum

Silla Arts and Science Museum is a 2 story museum with a basement level with six exhibition halls. Its all indoors and isn’t that large. It was also packed with kids, so M and I just skipped the museum and walked outside to look at the pottery stores and grabbed a drink.

Bunhwangsa Temple

The temple is in a small area and it features the Bunhwangsa temple part of the Old Silla era.It was built in the year of 634, so it’s quite old and you can see the aging of the structure.

The other item to look at is their giant bell. You can ring it for a 1,000 won donation.

We didn’t spend much time at this location, but the structure were nice to look at.

Lunch at Myeongwon Shabu Shabu

We stopped at Myeongwon Shabu Shabu for a buffet lunch. It was 9,000 won after taxes. I don’t see too many all you can eat places in Korea, so you know its definitely a place thats just for tourists. We saw tons of tour buses in the parking lot too.

It’s a large space, so you know it’s a perfect location to bring a large amount of people in one sitting. Located in the middle of the restaurant is the long table of food. there’s also signs located around the restaurant saying something about 5,000. There’s no english signs, but basically it says that if you don’t finish the food on your plate, you are charged 5,000 won.

Once a new tour arrives, you can see 30+ people hurrying to get a plate of food.

There’s rice and kimbab.

Nigiri Sushi. You can really see the vibrant green wasabi underneath.

Different types of banchan, which is essentially side dishes.

Different vegetables and kimchi.

The hot items had japchae, bulgogi and some other meat dishes.

The last bit of the table had soup, noodles, and fruits.

Plate #1.

Plate #2.

Plate #3.

The food is alright, but isn’t the best Korean food to represent the area.

Anapji Pond

Anapji Pond is located in Gyeongju National Park and its very beautiful. The pond was part of the palace complex in ancient Silla. It was a lovely place to walk around after lunch. There is a long path that goes around the 3 different structures.

Gyeongju National Museum

This museum houses many ancient relics from the Silla kingdom. There are various building located in the museum, but it was very packed with several groups of students.

Cheomseongdae Observatory in Gyeongju

It’s a small area and the observatory looks like a chimney. It was used as a star-gazing tower and the oldest surviving observatory in East Asia. There’s really not much to do except to stare at this and take photos.

Across from the observatory, there are these hills in the field. There are actually thousands of these spread out all around Gyeongju. They are actually graves for royalty in the Silla Dynasty.

Cheonmachong Tomb

We then headed to Cheonmachong Tomb to look at Tomb #155. The king is still unknown, but you can take a look at the surrounding area and go into the tomb to see what it looks like inside.

There’s no pictures taken inside, but there are just artifacts lining the walls and also a recreation of the burial site.

Tomb of General Kim Yushin

This was the last stop of the day was to another tomb. This one is a little but different as it has stone carvings with 12 zodiac characters.

Overall, the tour was alright, but it was really hard to understand the cultural significance of these locations. The video did describe a bit about each location, but it just isn’t the same. One thing I liked about the tour was that it would be easy to get around to the locations with the tour rather than getting there yourself.

Since I’ve already visited the historical sites in Seoul, I felt like I’ve seen very similar buildings. The one thing new to me were those tombs.

Website: http://cmtour.co.kr/en/course01.html

In BBQ

Delivery Chicken in South Korea: BHC and BBQ

October 25, 2013

Sometimes in Korea, you want food to come to you instead of you going out for food. Or perhaps cooking is too hard. For a lot of university students, ordering in is quite common and you can almost get every single type of food to be delivered.

We were craving different types of chicken, so we ordered from BHC and BBQ Chicken for some of their specialty chicken. They have locations all over Korea, so you’re bound to run into one.

As we knew the original fried chicken would be amazing, we ordered other items off their menu to get a taste of what else is popular in Korea.

BBQ

From BBQ Chicken, we ordered grilled chicken and it came with sauce, a can of pepsi, and pickled radish cubes.

Korean traditional Charbroiled Chicken is quite juicy and is marinated ahead of time and comes straight off the grill to seal in those juicy flavours. It was pretty good, but you can’t really beat an experience eating inside the restaurant.

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

BHC Chicken

Another popular place is BHC which stands for Big Hit Chicken. They usually advertise heavily with the use of celebrities. M wanted boneless chicken so we ordered from here.

Boneless Chicken with shredded leek is another popular item. It reminded me of chicken nuggets with green onions. It was ok, but nothing very special.

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

There were all good alternatives for chicken but I think the one that still steals my heart is original fried chicken. Can’t beat that stuff. I must continue the hunt for the best chicken.

In Chinese

Taesan Chinese Restaurant: Fusion in Pohang, South Korea

October 24, 2013

Our first few days staying in Pohang were spent eating at home and enjoying homemade food from M’s mom. As we were out during the afternoon one day, we headed to Taesan Chinese Restaurant for some Chinese Korean fusion food. They swear it’s one of the best Chinese restaurants in the area.

Chinese restaurants run by Koreans aren’t very authentic. They always have some fusion component to it. You won’t find your normal dishes here. The food is pretty darn good and I highly encourage you to try some when you can. It’s quite unique.

In Vancouver, there are 2 good Korean x Chinese restaurants – Heeraedeung and Tai Wan. Other parts of the world I have no idea, but I’m sure there is.

Banchan are complimentary side dishes that come with every korean meal. It’s nice to have something to pick at while you wait for the meal.

Black Bean paste, pickled radish, onions, and some sort of other pickled vegetable. These banchan were pretty average and not very addictive.

Deep Fried Dumplings (goon mandu) comes with 10 pieces and has a sauce on the side. These were really good. Crispy crunchy skin with the succulent meat on the inside.

Noodles with Black bean Sauce (Jajangmyeon) is what M ordered. He loves this dish and thought it tasted great. Don’t let the dark look of the sauce scare you, its very savory and flavourful. Its packed with vegetables like onions.

You would eat this dish by mixing them together until they are well combined, then enjoy!

Fried Rice with Seafood comes with a bit of black bean sauce on the side. It was a good size for lunch and was quite good when mixing in the sauce. The black bean sauce is what made this dish incredible, without it, the fried rice wouldn’t be as good.

The fried rice also comes with a Spicy Seafood Noodle Soup (Jjambbong) it was very flavourful and was indeed spicy.

Overall the food was good and it’s a nice change from the usual Chinese food. When looking for food in Pohang, the internet doesn’t really help as most restaurants don’t have a website. For the large chain restaurants, they will, but the good stuff that locals like would be hard to fine.

If you know someone in the area, definitely ask them for recommendations!

We Rate Taesan Chinese Restaurant:

Address (Approx)
20 Hyojadong-gil 1beon-gil, Nam-gu,
Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea (253-106 Hyoja-dong)

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://www.google.ca/maps?daddr=20+Hyojadong-gil+1beon-gil,+Nam-gu,+Pohang,+Gyeongsangbuk-do,+South+Korea+(253-106+Hyoja-dong)&sll=36.00728061772533,129.32860218785672&sspn=0.0018731321429394233,0.004853779315719831&t=m&z=17&start=0&geocode=FeBsJQIdoGS1BynrDs4q0wFnNTHfU_AmfIKVCw”]

In Fast Food

Lotteria: Wild Shrimp Burger in Korea

October 23, 2013

Once we landed in Seoul, Korea we needed to take 2 trains and a taxi to get to Pohang, Korea. It was a long commute and took about 3 hours. Once we got to Singyeongju Station near Gyeongju, M and I needed to take a dinner break and found a Lotteria in the station.

If you’ve never heard of Lotteria before, it’s like the Korean McDonalds where it serves fast food like burgers and chicken. It’s literally everywhere in Korea, you’ll find one if you just walk around the streets in any town.

I had no idea what I wanted to get, so it took me a while to stare at the menu.

There was one item that intrigued me – Wild Shrimp Burger. I’ve never seen a shrimp burger, so it was time to check it out a chow down.

Wild Shrimp Burger Combo ($6,200 WON or $6.20 CDN) came with a pop and fries. They have Pepsi and most people in Korea prefer Pepsi over Coca-Cola. This whole meal is just over 900 calories, if you’re into counting. The burger itself is about 500 calories. You definitely shouldn’t come here if you’re trying to lose weight.

Since I’m on vacation, so I can eat ALL the food.

The fries were ok, but it still can’t beat McDonalds. It’s probably because these fries aren’t heavily salted.

Wild Shrimp Burger is made of a sesame bun, shrimp patty, thousand island dressing, tartar sauce, lettuce, pickles, and paprika. It had a unique taste and it kinda reminded me of a fish fillet burger from McDonalds.

The exterior of the shrimp patty was nice and crispy. The inside of the patty has small bits of shrimp, but you really can’t notice it too much. The burger sounded amazing, but when i ate it, it was a bit of a let down.

Website: http://www.lotteria.com/

In Gangnam

Awesome Restaurants in Seoul, South Korea

September 5, 2012

I spent 5 days in Seoul, South Korea but I did not have enough time to visit all the places that I came across. Below are a few places that I thought were really cool and wanted to share with you.

Have you been to any of these places before? or is it now on your list of places to visit?

CNN opened their first CNN Cafe in Seoul. They are slowly expanding throughout the country. The concept of the cafe is to give people a space to work and enjoy coffee. They have free wi-fi, computers and printing services. Imagine doing all your work and staying up to date on breaking news around the world.

They also have locations at the local universities too. This is a student’s/ entrepreneur’s dream come true! Wouldn’t it be so awesome to have this in Vancouver?

More information: http://www.cnngo.com/seoul/play/cnn-cafe-opens-500-square-meter-flagship-seouls-busiest-street-163365

Daiso is a large franchise of cheap household items at very affordable prices. It has even been dubbed the “Walmart of Asia” or the “Asian Dollar Store”. With over 2,500 stores in Japan, and 522 in the rest of the world they will continue to expand further into North America.

The prices in Daiso Korea range from 500 to 5,000 won. The one pictured here is a smaller store, but they have another location in Sinchon that is 3 floors.

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

Dunkin’ Donuts is huge in Korea. It’s not as big in Vancouver, but Koreans love this place to chill and have coffee. There are a lot of locations scattered all over Seoul.

They have very different flavours from the Dunkin’ Donuts in North America. For example – tofu donuts, green tea donuts and sweet potato donuts.

More Information: http://www.dunkindonuts.co.kr/main.html

Ding Dong Cafe is a Traveler’s Cafe. When I passed by this place, I thought it was a scam to get tourist into the cafe. It turns out ding dong cafe is a restaurant that has a tourist theme. The interior is decorated with pictures from around the world and maps.

It was named one of the top 5 cafes in Hongdae by CNNgo and apparently has some good brunch.

Address:
333-24 Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu (마포구 서교동 333-24)

More Information:
http://www.cnngo.com/seoul/eat/top-five-hongdae-cafes-387537