In Vancouver, Insadong is just a Korean restaurant, but in Korea, it’s an awesome shopping/eating area. During my time in Korea, I knew I had to wander down this street. People have said it’s a good place to buy old antiques and folk items. Walking around this area, I found it to be a little bit pricey compared to other areas.
Walking down the street, I stumbled upon Ssamziegil, an outdoor shopping area that has a spiral walkway all the way up to the top of the building. There are a lot of unique shops, galleries, and restaurants!
It was a very hot day so I needed a drink to cool down. I spotted a shot on the bottom floor selling Sikhye. Sikhye is a sweet traditional Korean drink.
Sikhye is made from rice and sugar water. It very delicious and refreshing! Very healthy for you too. Apparently good for digestion.
In the drink, you can see the little grains of rice on the bottom. If you are ever in Korea, you should try out this drink! It kinda reminded me of sugar cane. I got it for 2,000 won, but you can find it all around town for as little as 1,000 won.
As you walk down the stairs of Ssamziegil, you will see tons of graffiti lining the walls. Some are love messages and some are awesome drawings! Do you see the Michael Jackson image?
The Starbucks in Insadong is quite famous because they are required to write their name in Korean to keep the traditional-feel on this street.
All the other shops in the area are written in Korean too. There are lots to restaurants to eat at too! It’s definitely an awesome area to check out!
