Hongdae (Hongik Station) is youthful energy that is like a shaken bottle of champagne. Any second it could explode. When it does it just explodes into fun and excitement. This is the area where the wacky and the edgy trends start. They take a risk here and they could make it or not. Some of my favorite recent finds include the Hello Kitty Cafe. I know it is cheesy and weird but everyone I have taken there has a blast. Just go there for kicks. The coffee isn't terrible nor are the desserts.
There is also Cat's Living which is like. Cafe but with 10 or so cats running around. It is gimmicky and cute but the place smells like kitty litter (gross). It is 8,000 won for entrance and this includes a free drink.
If you want real coffee head over to Coffee Lab. They roast some magic beans there.
Food there is Monster Pizza which sells pizza by the slice. The slices are big and are foldable. The sauce is good and the cheese is baked brown good. The only problem is that the crust is a bit doughy and dense. If this is improved this could be a very decent slice. (I am thinking maybe I should start a place to show others how it could be done.)
Dan
(Click images for sources)
Stop by seoulistic.com for more Korea travel tips!
Seoul is home to a number of food towns and streets, clusters of specific types of Korean foods all found in one specific place. If you're a fan of Korean foods, be sure to check out these awesome food towns in Seoul!
Note: Most of these dishes (besides galbi) will cost approximately less than 10,000 won a person (that is if you take it easy on the alcohol! ;)).
Where to Eat Tteokbokki in Seoul: Tteokbokki Town in Sindang
Tteokbokki (떡볶이): spicy rice cakes (Korean street food)Tteokbokki (spicy rice cake) is Korea's representative street food. And although Korean street food is quite popular with tourists, it's also a local favorite for Koreans. And that's why there's a tteokbokki town in Sindang-dong. Sindang's Tteokbokki Town has represented street food in Korea since the 90's. The tteokbokki restaurants here are famous for a so-called "secret recipe." But even if it is just a marketing ploy, at the least you can get tteokbokki made fresh with each order right at your table instead of just getting a scoop of premade tteokbokki from a food truck in Seoul. Also, there are uber delicious extras you can add to your order of tteokbokki (i.e. eggs, ramyeon noodles, dumplings, etc.). And with over 15 tteokbokki restaurants to choose from, this is the place to go if you're wondering where to eat tteokbokki in Seoul!
See reviews here: yeinjee.com, Korea Tourism Organization, rlarud001 (video)
How to get here by Subway: Get out of exit 8 of Sindang Station (신당역), line 2, line 6, and immediately turn left. Go straight approximately 5 minutes.
Where to Eat Naengmyun in Seoul: Ojang-dong
Naengmyun (냉면): cold buckwheat noodles (also spelled naengmyeon)If you're looking for famous naengmyun restaurants in Seoul, head over to Ojang-dong. Naengmyun is a North Korean dish that originated in North Korea, and when the Korean War ended, a few smart North Koreans were able to sneak in their North Korean naengmyun recipes to Seoul, and for whatever reason, a number of them gathered at Ojang-dong, Seoul. This naengmyun street has both varieties of delicious Korean cold noodles: the cold broth variety, mul naengmyun (물냉면) and the spicy, broth-less variety, bibim naengmyun (비빔냉면). The restaurants here can get pretty crowded (especially during summer months), so plan on waiting on line and also getting up right after your meal.
See reviews here: seouleats, discoveringkorea (video), 10mag (see #10 & #5), eekim.com,
How to get here by Subway: Leave exit 8 of Euljiro 4-ga Station (을지로 4-가역), line 2, line 5, and go straight till the next light. Make left at the light and go straight for naengmyeon street.
Where to Eat Galbi or Samgyupsal in Seoul: Majang Korean BBQ Street
Galbi (갈비): Korean style bbq (beef)Samgyupsal (삼겹살): Korean style bbq (pork)
This might be the number 1 place to go if you're wondering where to eat galbi or samgyupsal in Seoul. Majang Meat Market has tons of butcher shops selling the freshest meat in Seoul. These butcher shops supply many of the galbi restaurants in Seoul. But right next to the butcher shops, you can head over a little bit away to find a Seoul mecca for Korean galbi restaurants. When you head over there, be prepared to deal with pushy ajummas and ajeoshis that will be vying for your business. But that may not even be a bad thing; some will offer free drinks or food as "service" for your business. Some places will even let you bring meat you buy at the butcher shops and eat it at their restaurant (with a service fee, of course). Why go to any other galbi restaurant in Seoul when the meat comes straight from here anyway? It's cheaper and fresher. Double whammy!
See reviews here: 10mag, visitseoul.net
How to get here by Subway: [Warning, approximately 15 minute walk - taxi may be appropriate for some] Exit 2 of Majang Station. Walk straight (past the gas station) until you see an overpass (do not go under the overpass). Make a left before the overpass and walk past the school and all the apartment buildings. Food street will show after the apartment complex.
Where to Eat Sundae in Seoul: Sundae Town in Sillim
Sundae (순대): blood sausage (Korean street food)Another Korean street food favorite for foreigners and Koreans alike is sundae (blood sausage). On any given night you can see hordes of people eating sundae at truck stands across Korea. But don't waste your energy looking for the best sundae in Seoul, just make your way over to Sillim-dong's Sundae Town. This sundae town is actually located in buildings filled to the brim with sundae restaurants. Here you can get the standard sundae, or you can also get sundae varieties such as sundae soup (순대국/sundaeguk) or Sundae Town's specialty, white sundae (백순대/baeksundae), which is sundae stir fried with noodles, vegetables, and other ingredients. Don't forget to kick back a few shots of soju along with your sundae to eat like an ajoeshi!
See reviews here: 10mag, visitseoul.net, ROK On (video)
How to get here by Subway: Leave exit 3 of Sillim Station (신림역), line 2, and make the 2nd right (small alleyway). Go straight and Sundae Town is on your right.
Jokbal, Jeon & Twigim Street in Gongdeok
Jokbal (족발): pigs feet (aka trotter)Jokbal (pigs feet) is wildly popular in Korea. And if you want to eat jokbal like a local Korean, head over to jokbal street in Gongdeok. Practically unheard of by foreigners, go to this place if you want an ultra local Korean feel. Although there are only a few restaurants to choose from, these are some of the most famous jokbal restaurants in Seoul. They've been around for decades, and that equates to getting served by a few rough-around-the-edges ajummas that serve some awesome jokbal. But more than going for the local feel or the ajummas with character, one of the main attractions of this popular jokbal street is the awesome serving portions of... all you can eat! Although not all of these jokbal restaurants will offer this, there are a number of restaurants that do. Sweet! Now you can eat pig feet like... a pig! :X
Think pigs feet is gross? Read Seoulistic.com's list of 5 Crazy, Weird, Bizzare Korean Foods for the Brave!
Tip: Many of these restaurants will offer a free serving of sundae soup (순대국/sundaeguk) with any order of jokbal.
Jeon (전) aka bindaetteok (빈대떡): Korean style pancakeTwigim (튀김): fried snacks (Korean street food)
If you're looking for places to eat jeon in Seoul, head a few stores down from the jokbal (pigs feet) restaurants. There you'll find a number of famous restaurants that serve jeon (Korean pancake) and twigim (fried snacks). On a busy night, you'll most definitely have to wait in line to get some of their delicious jeon and twigim. But that might be because these foods are perfect to pick at while kicking back a few drinks and talking smack about the ex. But before you pick at your food, you also get to pick out your own food as well. When it's your turn to be seated, grab a basket and start picking all the jeon and twigim you want. Hand the basket to the ajumma and receive your fried goods minutes later!
See reviews here: gogimandu.com, seoulselection
How to get here by Subway: Leave exit 5 of Gongdeok Station (공덕역), line 5, line 6, AREX and go straight. Jokbal restaurants will appear first, and the jeon restaurants a few meters down.
Jjukkumi Street in Cheonho-dong
Jjukkumi (쭈꾸미): baby octopus in spicy sauceJjukkumi is a Korean food that is unfamiliar to many non-Koreans who have never been t0 Korea. But be careful. Have jjukkumi once, and it can quickly turn into one of your favorite Korean dishes. That is... if you like spicy Korean food! Jjukkumi is baby octopus (actually a small species of octopus) stir-fried in a spicy Korean gochuhang (red pepper paste) sauce. The ultra red color of this dish should be warning enough of how spicy this food can be. But many Korean ajoeshis like to wash the spice with a shot of soju. And there's no place better to get red faced from alcohol and spicy Korean food than Cheonho-dong. If you do end up going here, don't forget to eat jjukkumi like a Cheongo-dong local, by getting fried rice in your left over jjukkumi. Also, this is spicy for local Koreans as well, so do as they do and cool down your mouth with gyeranjjim (계란찜/steamed eggs) or kulpis (쿨피스), a fruit drink. Oh yea, and feel lucky... you just read this entire post and became an insider Seoulite! ;)
See reviews/food porn here (only Korean available): Korean Blogger 1, Korean Blogger 2
How to get here by Subway: Leave exit 6 of Cheonho Station (천호역), line 5, line 8, and go straight approximately 5 minutes and make the first right (don't veer after getting out of the station). After making the right, take the fork to the left.
Which food town/street are you going to? :D
Like seoulistic on facebook and follow @seoulistic.
Remember to stop by seoulistic.com for more Korea travel tips!
This was one of the better meals that I have had in awhile. The food is creative, beautiful and tasty. Everything has a Japanese flair from the styling to the bento boxes. This place is known for their desserts but their savory dishes are quite good as well. Their spicy tuna rolls are the best I have had in the city and have a good balance of rice to spicy tuna. I am always a sucker for sliders and their shrimp one is poppy and doesn't skimp on shrimp.
For dessert I recommend their warm miso chocolate cake. It is sophisticated and surprising especially with their ice creams.
Kyotofu
Yongsan-gu, Hannam-dong 682-1 02-749-1488
Go out Hanganjin Station (Line 6) exit 3.
Price Range: 10,000-30,000 per person
I wanted to thank all the people that have pledged money to the Say Kimchi! Korean Food Comic. With 26 days to go we have already raised 175 dollars. The t-shirts seem to be a big hit and many people have pledged in order to get it. I wanted to show you some sample images of the comic that we have done so far. These are the images that Heejeong has drawn. The final version will have color and I think they will turn out quite nice. The purpose of this project is to define, show the process and go into the storytelling of the food. We feel that for some that would just like to browse the pictures they can, but the main idea is for those that would like in-depth knowledge, this will people new to Korean food how to eat it.When we started to approach this project, we chose foods that were quite fun but experience it from a foreign perspective. Many people that visit Korea they truly want to try Korean food, but they don't know the etiquette and the process behind it. We are not trying to make the food seem too difficult. We don't want to focus on the healthy aspects of it. We want to make the food seem fun to eat and approachable.
Support our program at Kickstarter here.
“Discovering the Specialty foods of Andong City: Yam, Korean Omija and Sang Hwang Mushroom...”
- Date: September 1st, Saturday, 2012
- Place: Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do
- Tour contents:
We’ll journey to beautiful Andong city, which is home to many Korean famous crops such as omija (5-spice berry), Ma (a Korean root vegetable), Sang Hwang Mushroom, and Andong Soju (a homebrewed distilled rice liquor). We’ll see the land, the crops, and the villages that the people live in and learn about the food history of Korea’s medicinal crops and how they can be utilized in the food. Omija, Ma, and Sang-hwang mushroom have deep importance in Korean food culture and they are considered more than just ingredients: they are medicine.
In Andong, you’ll travel by bus led by your English speaking guide from the culinary tourism company, O’ngo Food Communications. After your long ride there, you’ll also get a full-course Andong-style Korean lunch made with local ingredients. You’ll also visit a farm to see the harvesting of Ma by local farmers. We’ll visit Hahoe: Korean folk village and Boo Yong dong. We’ll also visit a local market and try some local Andong specialties like mackerel and liquors.
- Tour schedule:
7:00 1st assemble at Itaewon in front of McDonalds (Down from Itaewon Station exit 4)
10:10 Arrive at Andong expressway rest area. You can choose to get a snack here.
11:00 Arrive at Gyeongsangbuk-do Farm that specializes in Medicinal Crops
12:00 Arrive at Andong bazar -five day market. (Lunch – Full Course Andong Style Lunch with rice and side dishes.
14:00 Move to Hahoe Hanok village (Korean Traditional Village
14:30 Tour of Hahoe village
15:30 Move to Boo Yong Dae
16:30 Move to the Ma field
17:00 Experience the harvesting of Yams
18:00 Try Korean Traditional Alcohols with Korean Food
19:00 Leave for Seoul
22:00 Arrive at Seoul
Tour fee is 30,000 won (25 USD) All inclusive (Bus, lunch and dinner, snacks, English-guide). Sign up below. Due to limited spaces, we'll only be choosing 12 people. You will be notified by Tuesday. Please fill out this form below.
This illustrated comic will tell in fun comics the story behind
and the process to eat many different types of Korean food.
There is more to Korean food than just kimchi and that is what this comic will try to show through fun and informative storytelling in a comic format. The Say Kimchi! Korean Food Comic will go in depth into the food history, the process for eating, and give tips on Korean eating etiquette. The comic will talk about common Korean foods like kimchi and bulgogi but also explore some of Korea’s more bizarre foods such as various Korean street foods, live octopus, and even military stew (budae chiggae).
The story will be told by Jia, a young Korean foodie, who will try the various foods while explaining the food in a way that is relatable for those unfamiliar and familiar with Korean food. She’ll offer fun insight into the food and give important tips for eating it such as how to properly cut food with scissors, the drinking culture, and more.
Our goal is to draw 30 different dishes in color so this will be a 120 page book that will be in an electronic book format for Kindle, iBooks, and more. If this is successful, we’ll also produce a print version of this book which will feature maybe 4 panels per page.
The target demographic for the book are for young and old. We feel that the topic of Korean food is appealing for all age groups. We feel children would like this book for the fun illustrations and that it would be educational as well. We also think that people such as overseas Korean parents will also find this a fun book to share with their children for it will be fun for them to explain the food via comic instead of at a hectic restaurant. Also, we think all foodies will like this comic for it will let then quickly and enjoyably get familiar with this type of cuisine.
[caption id="attachment_10571" align="aligncenter" width="600"]
The Illustrated "How to Eat" Korean Food Comic from 2009[/caption]This is not our first comic on Korean food. In 2009, we worked with the Korean Food Foundation (Hansik Jaedang) to create a series of fun comics that explained how to eat the food. This comic had an initial print run of 16,000 copies and they were distributed at tourist booths and food fairs around the world. Within a year all copies of the book were gone and they didn't do any further printings. The initial concept of the book was to make the book available to Korean food restauranteurs that had difficulty explaining the food to those unfamiliar with Korean food. This comic unfortunately was not distributed to those that could have best used the book. Also, since this was a government project, we lost the rights to the drawings so we were not able to reprint or redistribute this comic for those that wanted it. Our plan is to redraw and further elaborate on the content of the book.
If the first print run is successful, we would like to translate the book into Japanese, Chinese, Spanish, and other languages.
Go here to help fund this project!
Last week I was invited to check out a new Italian Restaurant and Lounge in the heart of Hongdae. Bonbon was first started in Daejeon several years back where it quickly expanded to two locations. Building on the success enjoyed in Daejon, Bonbon Hongdae was opened in May of this year.
First of all, the location is great. Located directly next to the infamous music park, it's not hard to find. In fact, it's hard to miss if you're heading over to NB, Club Naked, or many of the other clubs located near by.
As you can see from the pictures the interior decorations are bright, modern, and tasteful. High ceilings, plenty of floor space, ample room between tables, and an open patio all help to open up the interior and make it feel very spacious. Have no fear though, the AC is blasting on the inside and kept us at a nice temperature.
DJ Spencer was spinning tracks all night, and during the two hours I was there from 6-8 on a Friday night I noticed the rhythm distinctly quicken. During a brief chat I found out that he is Bonbon's in house DJ and rotates his week playing between all the Bonbon's in Daejeon and Seoul. He is usually in Seoul on weekends. It's an interesting and unique idea to have a DJ in an Italian restaurant; I don't think I've seen it before. The music is well put together, and fits the ambiance.
What's that ambiance? Bonbon is going for an Italian restaurant without the pomp. The prices are reasonable, the wine menu is short, the drinks are strong, and the food is simple and delicious. I want to guess that their past restaurants emphasize the restaurant more than bar. But in my opinion, I'd prefer if they dimmed the lights, upped the bass, pushed the drinks, and emphasized the lounge side. The neighborhood is loud, raucous, and drunk more often than not.
On to the Food!
Mediterranean Salad
15,000Won | Assorted Cheese, Chicken Breast, Onion and bonbon house dressing
Margerita Pizza
11,500KRW - Mozzarella, Ricotta, Onion
The pizza is interesting. The bread is very French pastry-ish. My buddy Mike called it a croissant. Overall very good.
Risotto Mare
11,500KRW - Assorted Sea Food, Tomato Cream Sauce
Very nice as well. Good flavor, nicely cooked, fresh seafood. The only unfortunate part is the presentation. Risotto outside of a bowl almost looks pre digested.
Linguine Capitano
10,000KRW - Cherry Tomato, Bacon, Spinach, Basil, Onion
Awesome. Pure heaven. Bacon just makes everything better.
Linguine Chicken Alfredo
11,500KRW - Chicken Breast, Onion, Cream Sauce
Suntory Beer
I loved this beer! I've never heard of it before. It reminds me of a nice strong IPA from the States. It's a real beer that kicks you in the throat and makes you bite back a bitter beer snarl. Love
I forget what that third drink was, but the house red wasn't bad. Not bad at all.
Overall I'm a big fan. The food is good, the prices are reasonable, and the ambiance is nice. Seems like a nice place to have a birthday or going away party.
Follow them on facebook.
Info:
Pictures and Menus
02-322-3344
bonbon.lounge@gmail.com
Mon-Thu: 12:00 pm - 2:00 am
Fri-Sat: 12:00 pm - 3:00 am
Sun: 12:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Address:
마포구 서교동 364-2, Seoul, Korea 121-893
Mapo-gu Seogyo-dong 364-2, Seoul, Korea 121-893
<
View Seoul Eats Favorites Map in a larger map
First of all, the location is great. Located directly next to the infamous music park, it's not hard to find. In fact, it's hard to miss if you're heading over to NB, Club Naked, or many of the other clubs located near by.
As you can see from the pictures the interior decorations are bright, modern, and tasteful. High ceilings, plenty of floor space, ample room between tables, and an open patio all help to open up the interior and make it feel very spacious. Have no fear though, the AC is blasting on the inside and kept us at a nice temperature.
DJ Spencer was spinning tracks all night, and during the two hours I was there from 6-8 on a Friday night I noticed the rhythm distinctly quicken. During a brief chat I found out that he is Bonbon's in house DJ and rotates his week playing between all the Bonbon's in Daejeon and Seoul. He is usually in Seoul on weekends. It's an interesting and unique idea to have a DJ in an Italian restaurant; I don't think I've seen it before. The music is well put together, and fits the ambiance.
What's that ambiance? Bonbon is going for an Italian restaurant without the pomp. The prices are reasonable, the wine menu is short, the drinks are strong, and the food is simple and delicious. I want to guess that their past restaurants emphasize the restaurant more than bar. But in my opinion, I'd prefer if they dimmed the lights, upped the bass, pushed the drinks, and emphasized the lounge side. The neighborhood is loud, raucous, and drunk more often than not.
On to the Food!
Mediterranean Salad
15,000Won | Assorted Cheese, Chicken Breast, Onion and bonbon house dressing
Margerita Pizza
11,500KRW - Mozzarella, Ricotta, Onion
The pizza is interesting. The bread is very French pastry-ish. My buddy Mike called it a croissant. Overall very good.
Risotto Mare
11,500KRW - Assorted Sea Food, Tomato Cream Sauce
Very nice as well. Good flavor, nicely cooked, fresh seafood. The only unfortunate part is the presentation. Risotto outside of a bowl almost looks pre digested.
Linguine Capitano
10,000KRW - Cherry Tomato, Bacon, Spinach, Basil, Onion
Awesome. Pure heaven. Bacon just makes everything better.
Linguine Chicken Alfredo
11,500KRW - Chicken Breast, Onion, Cream Sauce
Suntory Beer
I loved this beer! I've never heard of it before. It reminds me of a nice strong IPA from the States. It's a real beer that kicks you in the throat and makes you bite back a bitter beer snarl. Love
I forget what that third drink was, but the house red wasn't bad. Not bad at all.
Overall I'm a big fan. The food is good, the prices are reasonable, and the ambiance is nice. Seems like a nice place to have a birthday or going away party.
Follow them on facebook.
Info:
Pictures and Menus
02-322-3344
bonbon.lounge@gmail.com
Mon-Thu: 12:00 pm - 2:00 am
Fri-Sat: 12:00 pm - 3:00 am
Sun: 12:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Address:
마포구 서교동 364-2, Seoul, Korea 121-893
Mapo-gu Seogyo-dong 364-2, Seoul, Korea 121-893
<
View Seoul Eats Favorites Map in a larger map
