Snacking in Seoul

In addition to all the great restaurants we dined at during our travels to Seoul, Korea, I also had a chance to grab snacks along the way.  Check out what I ate!

Travels to Seoul, Korea

Seoul, the capital and largest city in South Korea, is often described as a historical city of contrasts primarily due to the abundance of ancient palaces juxtaposed with modern skyscrapers. Located on the Han River in the center of the Korean Peninsula, the city was settled in 18 B.C. and has grown into a prominent global city with influence in business, international trade, politics, technology, education and entertainment.

Good 2 Chicken

For our last night in Seoul, Korea we ventured out to the bustling area of Sinchon. Popular with college students as it is located in the middle of three universities, this area is known to 1) have many value priced shops 2) cheap eats and 3) stay open late.  The closest university has a large art school program so the streets are filled with various art projects and student performers. It was quite entertaining to walk around and we quickly spotted several fried chicken places.  Being huge fans of BonChon, Keith insisted we try one and so we settled upon Good 2 Chicken.

O Jung Sam Mi

For our last lunch in Seoul, Korea we ventured out to southern part of the city to the ritzy Gangnam district (yes - that Gangnam, sexy lady!) as we had reservations at an organic restaurant called O Jung Sam Mi.  The chef/owner has several advanced degrees in organic medicine and is quite renown in the Korean food industry for her healthier approaches to traditional Korean cuisine.  The lunch special served is bibimbap. Not just regular bibimbap - but all out fancy, eaten from brass serve ware, with the highest quality organic ingredients, and full blown Gangnam-style.

Woo Mi Jae

About 45 minutes south of downtown Seoul, Korea is Yongin.  We took a detour there to visit the Korean Folk Village and afterwards had another nice traditional dinner at Woo Mi Jae. Again you take off your shoes before entering and we were escorted to a private room with low tables where you sit on the floor.

Ssambabgip

On our second full day of site-seeing in Seoul, Korea we went to the Insadong area for a little souvenir shopping.  There are many shops and vendors here and we decided to have lunch at a casual restaurant called Ssambabgip.  It is sort of tucked away in an alley offshoot from the main street.  They had a lunch special of ssanbabjungsik - which is a full spread of meat with rice, banchan, and various greens as well as other soups and dishes.

Jaella-Do

For our second dinner in Seoul, Korea we ate at another traditional restaurant (shoes off and sit on the floor please!) called Jaella-Do. The cuisine here is inspired by the Southeastern part of Korea with lots of seafood and more curious fermented delicacies.

Ho Dong Oak

Ho Dong Oak in the Gaedon area of Seoul, Korea is a casual restaurant that serves naengmyun, a traditional cold buckwheat noodle dish served in a large stainless bowl with a tangy iced broth, julienned cucumbers, slices of Korean pear, and either a boiled egg or slices of cold boiled beef or both. Spicy mustard sauce and vinegar are often added before consumption. Traditionally, the long noodles would be eaten without cutting, as they symbolized longevity of life and good health, but servers at restaurants usually ask if the noodles should be cut prior to eating, and use scissors to cut the noodles.

Si Wha Dam (시화담)

Serving up works of art disguised as food, Si Wha Dam provides a sensory experience unlike any other in Korea. The restaurant’s name translates to "poetry, painting and conversation", and this theme influences everything, from the restaurant's interior design (cabinets filled with antiques, wooden tables, abundant natural light) to the poetic menus and the individual dishes, which seem to be 3D renderings of scenes from nature. With two locations in Seoul, Korea - one in the Itaewon area and the other in Insadong - "there are things here that you can only see at a museum," says owner Oh Chung.