cockles The other night my friend Ben took me to a new hidden little Makgeolli place that I didn't know before. It is hidden in the basement along Insadong Street And it has Makgeolli (Korean Rice Wine) and well prepared Korean Anju (pub food).  The food and Makgeolli are not as good as my favorite Makgeolli places such as Pub of the Blue Star, H-Makgeolli or Chin Chin- but I feel that makgeolli food should be rustic. Also, the price is quite high for what you get (Jeons start at 15,000 and Makgeolli starts at 5,000 a bottle for Seoul Makgeolli). The service is alright but nothing to write home about so... why should you go there? The atmosphere of the place and the vibe is cool. The place has a hipster feel to it and even the name, Yeojaman is a play on words. Yeoja is girl and man is only, so..".Women Only." But it could also be seen as girl/man (Korean for girl plus Man). It's witty and funny and the place has a whole tongue-cheek feel to it. We want...

Omija Makgeolli Awesome Braised Pork and Octopus with Eggplant and Potatoes! So...again, this is another place that I love and I'll tell you about it, but you have to promise to behave if you go. This is a local Korean hotspot that is sort of a speakeasy. It's hidden and in such a nondescript place that you probably wouldn't even know it was there. Also, it's one of those places that it helps to know someone that knows the place (if not, you'll never get a table). You might have to wait for a while and you'll probably have to make a reservation. Now if I haven't scared you off yet, this place has amazing food. They are famous for their healthy (this is under debate) food and their use of fresh ingredients. The food here is flavorful and fresh. They make Makgeolli (Rice Wine) with Omija essence. Their jeon and acorn salad are wonderful as well. I really enjoyed their seasonal fresh oysters with vinegared red chili sauce. The oysters were well clean...

Helen's Kitchen Helen’s Kitchen : Korean Cloudy Rice Wine Bar Makgeolli is called farmer’s alcohol because it is a simple alcohol made from ground rice, water and yeast (nuruk). Served chilled, this drink has a crisp taste and it is slightly carbonated so it goes well with greasy dishes such as onion or potato pancake or spicy dishes as sauteed pork in chili paste or kimchi and tofu. Makgeolli can differ from city to city and the taste can be altered by the use of different rice or by adding bean, corn, herbs, and even fruit like raspberry. Helen’s Kitchen offers a wide range of artisan makgeollis served with traditional dishes such as savory seafood and onion pancakes, tofu with kimchi, acorn jelly with chive salad, and grilled garlic octopus that are a fine match with the drink. They have seasonal makgeolli's and specials on most nights. At Helen's Kitchen you can taste a wide range of different makgeolli's. They have makgeolli's at different price points...

                  When some friends that work in the restaurant industry asked me to show them around, I had was excited to do so. Although, I regularly do food tours, with people in the restaurant industry, I am able to go a bit more extreme and go to places where I really enjoy going. One of my favorite makgeolli places in Insadong is Yeojaman which is known for their excellent seafood and their rice wine. It is an old place that has been around for over 10 years and the first restaurant is in the basement along the main drag (sorry, I know where it is but I can't describe it because it would sound like gibberish. Let me say this: it is near the hotteok shop on the corner that also sells the walnut red bean desserts). The restaurant has another restaurant on the Insadong main drag as well, but I like the rustic feel of the first restaurant. The food here is not cheap, but it is expertly cooked. We had the 꼬막무침 which is a plate of  marinate...

Cockles at Yeojaman When some friends that work in the restaurant industry asked me to show them around, I had was excited to do so. Although, I regularly do food tours, with people in the restaurant industry, I am able to go a bit more extreme and go to places where I really enjoy going. One of my favorite makgeolli places in Insadong is Yeojaman which is known for their excellent seafood and their rice wine. It is an old place that has been around for over 10 years and the first restaurant is in the basement along the main drag (sorry, I know where it is but I can't describe it because it would sound like gibberish. Let me say this: it is near the hotteok shop on the corner that also sells the walnut red bean desserts). The restaurant has another restaurant on the Insadong main drag as well, but I like the rustic feel of the first restaurant. The food here is not cheap, but it is expertly cooked. We had the 꼬막무침 which is a plate of  marinated cockles. The soy-based marina...

So you might have seen my awful attempts at making videos . I don't have the gift for making videos. Luckily, the good people over a t PSeight do.  Director, producer, and cameraman, David Kim had asked me to introduce Korea on video and I was very happy to do this. Here is a video he took of me visiting one of my favorite little makgeolli places in Insadong. The place doesn't have a name and the roof looks like it is going to cave in, but that's the charm of this place. Here is some more information on the video: Daniel Gray of Ongo Foods Communication and Seoul Eats visits one of his favorite restaurants in Insadong, Seoul. This restaurant was started by an old lady and they basically serve only a couple of dishes like fried fish and makgeolli (Korea rice wine). For more info on how to reach this restaurant, contact us: fet@pseight.com Or tweet us, fb us, or tumblr us! Daniel’s food blog can be found here: seouleats Come take a cooking class or take a Culinary T...

H-Makgeolli in HBC I haven't been to this place in a long time and I don't know why.  The food is, as it always was, very good and the staff that is working there are very accommodating and kind. They still have a large variety of different makgeollis there. I was there about 1 week ago with friends and we had the Buckwheat Flower (Maemil kkot), Corn, and Blackbean. The corn was pretty good but the Black bean one was too sweet. Everyone's favorite was the Buckwheat Flower- very smooth and with a slight acidity. Another thing I really like about this place is the care they put into making the food. The Acorn jelly salad (totori muk) was very fresh and the jellied acorn with veggies is a fine combination. The crunchiness of the carrots really helped bring the dish together.  After this dish we had the Kimchi Pancake. This is really good. The batter is crisp and the kimchi is sour and a little spicy. Panfrying really brings the flavor out of the kimchi. ...

Crispy Fried Ginseng at Chin Chin Makgeolli Bar in Hongdae Sometimes you have to give a restaurant a second chance. Chin Chin in Hongdae had a reputation for having great food, however, I never understood the hype. My first experience at Chin Chin was...meh. The rice wine, makgeolli, was great-but the food wasn't anything spectacular. I ordered a grilled mackerel dish and I remember getting an tiny, almost spoiled fish- it didn't go well with the Makgeolli. The chef, a recent graduate of CIA, was bolting out the door as soon as it was served. I mentioned my problem with the dish and they told me the kitchen had closed. The second time I went, I stuck with just the Makgeolli. My last trip back, I noticed that the excellent makgeolli was still there, but there was a new chef. The food had traditional Korean flavor fused with modern techniques and plating. I was utterly amazed. My favorite dish was the very crispy, tempura ginseng. The battered, pan-seared fish was also ...

Reprinted with permission from the January 2011 Issue of Seoul Magazine. Pick up a copy around Seoul or at their bookstore.  Soon-il from: Story of the Blue Star in Seoul According to the Huffington Post, Choi Il-soon's rice wine bar: Story of the Blue Star, is "one of the coolest little bars in the whole wide world." That's because it is owned by one of the coolest guys in the whole world. Soon is a modest, optimistic man that looks like- and has the vibe- of Bob Marley. He was a stage actor for most of his career and he has also played in classic Korean movies such as “Tae Baek San Maek.” Mugwort Makgeolli at Story of the Blue Star in Seoul He loves acting, but his true passion is traveling. He has traveled to over 90 countries and has lived in Tibet, Nepal, and India to name a few. He has written several travel books about his journeys and he is currently organizing a group trip to Africa. Soon is also friends with many of Korea's most famous actors...

Crispy Fried Ginseng at Chin Chin Makgeolli Bar in Hongdae Sometimes you have to give a restaurant a second chance. Chin Chin in Hongdae had a reputation for having great food, however, I never understood the hype. My first experience at Chin Chin was...meh. The rice wine, makgeolli, was great-but the food wasn't anything spectacular. I ordered a grilled mackerel dish and I remember getting an tiny, almost spoiled fish- it didn't go well with the Makgeolli. The chef, a recent graduate of CIA, was bolting out the door as soon as it was served. I mentioned my problem with the dish and they told me the kitchen had closed. The second time I went, I stuck with just the Makgeolli. My last trip back, I noticed that the excellent makgeolli was still there, but there was a new chef. The food had traditional Korean flavor fused with modern techniques and plating. I was utterly amazed. My favorite dish was the very crispy, tempura ginseng. The battered, pan-seared fish was also exc...

The Tin Makgeolli Cup isn't the most flattering container for Korea's famous rice wine. The AT Center, the Agriculture and Trade Center has had a contest to see who could come up with the most exciting new design. Here's one that just takes my breath away. The cup reveals a cresent moon as you drink the white rice wine. Amazing design. Via Korea.net

O'ngo Food Communications has a special event for professional foreign expat chefs in Seoul. We are working with Kooksandang Makgeolli Company and Congdu Neo Korean Restaurant to teach foreign culinary professionals how to make Makgeolli and then cook different dishes using Korea's famous Rice Wine. The event is free for chefs that are currently working in Seoul or have a degree in culinary arts. The event will be on Thursday, March 13th from 2pm-5pm. Contact Daniel Gray for more details. There are only 10 spots available for the class and five are reserved for special guests. Deadline for reservations is May 8th. Makgeolli Test Kitchen for Culinary Professionals Facts on Makgeolli Makgeolli Test Kitchen Concept Available Ingredients Location: Congdu Restaurant at Seoul History Museum Date, Time, and Event

April 30, 2010 — In Jeonju, it's customary to give lots of food for free- "as service" when you buy a pitcher of makgeolli (unfiltered rice wine). They don't skimp on the food and often you'll get almost 20 different plates for about $11.00. Jeonju is known for its generosity, but also for its flavor. It's been called the best taste city in Korea. Join my Youtube Page at http://www.youtube.com/user/delawheresdan for more great videos on food in South Korea! Jeonju Makgeolli: 224-0808 Manun Sul: Filtered Makgeolli (Rice Wine) Jeonju Makgeolli: the place has a lot of character Jeonju Makgeolli: At 7pm the place was empty but the place filled up at 8. Jeonju Makgeolli: Green Onion Kimchi Jeonju Makgeolli: Snails Jeonju Makgeolli: Dolnamu (a type of green) with Spicy Chili Sauce Jeonju Makgeolli: Steamed Skate