This article feels unnecessary. There are dozens, hundreds perhaps, of articles dedicated to Korean singing rooms. As such I'll leave out all background information, and just talk about my experience last night. It was pretty typical... meaning, typically awesome. After my friends and I finished eating the best chicken in Korea we walked aimlessly for a while and eventually stumbled into this very typical noraebang. We smuggled some wine in but out of courtesy bought 2 cans of Hite for 4,000 (actually to be honest, moreso because we forgot to bring cups and they give some with the beers). The total for one hour and two beers came out to be 28,000. Actually it came out to be about an hour 20 minutes as noraebangs typically give you 10-15min free and another 10-15 if you beg nicely. After we paid, the older front-desk gentleman nonchalantly asked if we wanted some girls. We replied no thanks, to which he looked sincerely confused, raising one bushy grey eyebrow. I've always know...

Hi, my name is Dan and I am addicted to food. I think it started as a boy while growing up poor in Korea and I didn't have much food. When I was adopted to America, I began hoarding food. This wasn't so bad while I was growing and while I was more active. But as I got older, the weight started to accumulate. While by some people's standards, I am not fat but I feel unhealthy. In America,during my vacation, I exercised often and I lost a bit of weight. While back to my hectic life in Seoul, I have gained it all back with a few extra pounds. Yesterday, I joined a gym and I am planning on exercising regularly (I hate wasting money as well) and I plan on eating better. So...while the site will still focus on food, you might see stuff that is a tad healthier (that is after I post about all the bad stuff I ate before.) It must be spring because I want to feel lighter. My weight is 174 pounds (79 kilograms). My goal is 155 pounds (68 kilograms). Dan

Grandmother's Octopus (할머니 낚지) is a place that has been around for 60 years. It's one of the places that is hidden along the busy streets of Myeongdong in a pretty non-descript place. It's specialty is super spicy, stir-fried octopus or pork. The grandmother warns you when you order it is spicy and you have to let her know you can handle it, because it is spicy. It is "hurts in the morning" spicy and "torrents of sweats" spicy. It's just the way I like it. Not all the time, but when I just want that euphoric high that only a really a spicy dish can give you. The thing about this dish is that it is spicy but also delicious. The octopus pops in your mouth for it starts out fresh but then cooked quickly. The bean sprouts in the dish give a nice crunch. Sure, the pepper is the prominent flavor but there is also a nice mix of soy sauce, garlic and carrot. Now you can tell if the restaurant is run by a foodie that likes their customers by their rice. If th...

Ahhhhhh the smell of fresh cut grass, the sun tapping on my face as it pokes through the trees, the musk of a moist sand bunker, birds chirping in the trees. Unfortunately these are all things you won't get during screen golf, but I wouldn't be surprised if they introduced these soon. Screen golf has almost every other feature you can think of, all the way down to a rotating platform to mirror the slope of terrain. Screen Golf was started in 2001 by Golfzone and has grown to include more than 6,000 locations. While golf simulators can be found around the world, South Korea opens some 7 of every 10 new simulation room. With regular golf being about 2x-3x more expensive than in the States, at 200-300m won for a membership or 250,000 won for an 18 hole round, screen golf provides a convenient and affordable alternative at about 15,000-40,000won (depending on time). Its ubiquity places them in convenient locations all over Seoul, and games can be played in as short as 1hr. However,...

The Han River is, IMHO, the most beautiful outdoor area in Seoul. To be sure, Seoul can boast many gorgeous parks and lush mountains, but for me, the Han reigns supreme. Perhaps because I spent the good majority of my last 26 years on San Diego's beaches, I appreciate the sound of running water. Also as I watch the sunset over the Han I can pretend I'm watching the sunset over the Pacific. (What the hell am I doing in Korea?) We took the bus to Express Bus Terminal Station (line 2) (고속터미널역) and walked north until we hit the river. From there we walked west along the river for about 20 minutes and found some beat up looking bikes and rented 1 single for 3,000₩ /hr and 1 tandem for 6,000₩ /hr. Be sure to ride some around, check the air in the tires, and choose the best one. Also I couldn't fit my moderately lengthed legs on the rear seat (I'm 5"10', or for those of you who have been in Korea too long, 177cm"). The first tandem I chose was really a lemon and ...

St. Patrick's Day in Seoul is always a raucous affair- especially in Itaewon. Last night I went out with Dustin and we hit up quite a few bars. We started from Helios, went to Dillinger's, stopped at Proust (where we couldn't get a drink), tried to go to Luv (but I wasn't going to spend 20,000 won for a cover on St. Patrick's Day) and finally ended up at Sam Ryan's. I stuck to Guinness and Jameson for most of the night but also had a few Pilsner Urquels. It has been a while since I went on a bender like this but it was fitting it was on St. Patrick's Day. Dan  

Starbucks has introduced a new lighter roasted coffee called Blonde Willow Blend. This coffee is supposed to be lighter and more floral than the dark (some say overly roasted) brew they are famous for. Contrary to popular belief, lighter roasts do not mean that it will have less caffeine. Some even suggest it would have more. Out of the bag, the beans look more brown than black and it has a slightly chocolate aroma. Using my trusty hand grinder I prepared a batch. The beans do look a bit lighter and there is a bright, acidic scent. What I mean is that it doesn't have that heaviness of smoke and roast that I typically associate with Starbucks. The taste is subtle. It's not weak. It is like diner coffee in a posh environment. There are floral notes and a bit of a tea finish. It's an enjoyable cup and I think it might have slightly more caffeine than other brews. It's a good coffee to have around for company. Also, I read that this coffee is made drip. Apparently, it gets ...

Dear Readers of Seoul Eats, I hope you are liking all the changes to the site. I've been trying to get over my computer idiocy and try and create a better user experience for everyone. One of the things I would like is for you to comment and tell me what you think of the site. If you have recommendations, you can send them to me as well and I'll do my best to follow up on them. Starting today, you can log on using your different social networks such as facebook, twitter, google, Linkdin, Yahoo, and wordpress. This is being powered by One All (thanks guys!) I hope to hear from you and let's be courteous to other readers. Thanks, Daniel