Gun-bae to Seoul!

 We’ve survived the hustle & bustle of Seoul, Korea & here is what I have learned about Seoul & of Koreans in general thus far:

• Korean BBQ is probably one of the best dishes I have ever tried- its phenomenal.
• Korean sushi rivals Japanese sushi, no joke.
• Koreans are very good at drinking and love to share in their “sport” with Soju (korean wine similar to sake) & Makgeolli (milky in color but oddly light & refreshing as it is slightly carbonated).
• Always remember to “Gun-bae” with your company!! (Thats cheers in Korean).
• Koreans LOVE their coffee shops! I was born and raised in Seattle, WA but I have never in my life seen so many coffee shops. They have everything from the local establishments to international chains like Starbucks, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Dunkin Donuts…the list & the shops go on & on.
• Koreans eat Kimchi all day every day. Its actually quite good…in moderation!
• Koreans swear by the good medicinal uses of Ginseng tea, as well as of other varieties.
• Seoul is a thriving metropolis chock full of culture, tradition, business, shopping, & restaurants.
• Koreans actually know quite a bit of English yet they are hesitant to use it for fear of making a mistake- that plus the street signs in Korean characters makes for some frustrating times on my end.
• Koreans love to barter & haggle….which is not my forte. Its seriously a sport here in Seoul & there is ALWAYS a deal to be made!
• The fashion in Seoul is beyond anything I have ever seen- such a wide range & so eclectic, hint  hint;-).
• The old and young cultures are so very different but seem to work in harmony and is lovely to watch.

Anyway, here’s what we did for the 3 days we were in Seoul:

We arrived late afternoon on Monday and headed to our hotel- the Grand Hilton. Due to some confusion, we ended up on the complete opposite side of town from where we needed to be so we only stayed here 1 night, then moved. That being said, the Grand Hilton was a very nice hotel. Its going through some renovation but the updated rooms are lovely- spacious, clean, and comfortable beds. The negative aspect of the rooms is a lack of Wifi….odd for a Hilton property. Its also far from downtown Seoul. Its in an outlying neighborhood so not convenient if you plan on spending most of your time downtown Seoul.

The remainder of our time was at the Imperial Palace Hotel. This hotel was the exact opposite direction of the Grand Hilton. Its not downtown, but its a quick taxi ride away & still situated in a thriving business area with numerous restaurants and an uber posh area for shopping, clubs, etc.  The hotel is very opulent, but there is no air conditioning in the rooms until April of each year, and the rooms need serious updating. The rest of the hotel is very nice- has a very cultural vibe to it and the staff is very nice.

OK, now on to the good stuff…..

Day 1-

The first night we walked about 10 minutes from our hotel (the Grand Hilton) to a neighborhood joint called Suramyunok Korean BBQ. It was seriously unreal, so tasty! The decor was so traditional (we sat on the floor!), the service top notch, and the food incredible! All that and affordable to boot:). Oddly enough, the server lived in Tacoma, WA for 13 years before relocating back to Seoul!

Day 2-

We had to change hotels so the morning was shot. The afternoon was spent seeing a highly touted show called Nanta in the Myeong-dong neighborhood which we heard about it via TripAdvisor. Nanta is a non verbal show about 3 cooks preparing for a wedding. They dance, they chop (with real knives and real food) and they joke. Its a great way to get an insight on Korean humor….a bit elementary (great for kids!) but a fun way to spend a couple hours.

Later that evening  our concierge recommended we dine at Sushi Hyo in the close-by uber upscale & trendy Apgujeong/Chengdam neighborhood. WOW…..what an experience. The quality here was unreal. We sat at the bar and did not even get a menu!! We just told the sushi chef what was absolutely off limits (I am not a fan of octopus) and beyond that, we were at his mercy. He delivered the most mouth watering, fresh, and tasty sushi I have seriously ever eaten….oh my goodness was it ever amazing. What a treat! Just do yourself a favor and do NOT look at the bill….a huge indulgence but completely worth the splurge.

Day 3-

My husband was actually on a business trip while in Seoul so I was on my own. I started out in the Gwanhwamun neighborhood in order to check out the numerous palaces. The famed Gyeongbokgung Palace was first on the
list. What a breathtaking sight! It was such a juxtaposition to see this old palace situated right next to the modern skyrises of downtown Seoul…beautiful contrasts. The grounds were so old, ornate, and filled with traditional Korean charm. I couldn’t snap enough pictures and as luck would have it- happened upon the guard changing! I then walked a few blocks over to the Changdeokgung Palace, although I did not go into this one due to the fact that they wanted to charge WAY too much…so I snapped a few photos from the outside.

After these 2 palaces I found myself wandering through the streets of nearby Bukchon Hanok Village on my way to have lunch in the Samcheong-dong area. Both were so adorable they almost reminded me of Europe with their narrow winding roads and hilly terrain filled with traditional style Korean homes, little boutiques, quaint coffee shops, and eclectic restaurants. I ended up choosing an Asian Noodle house for lunch and had some delicious spicy beef & noodles (mostly because they had pictures so I just pointed- haha). I then hoofed it to the nearby quaint and adorable neighborhood of Insa-dong. This is a charming little street in the middle of DT Seoul filled

with traditional tea shops and vendors selling ceramics, paper goods & Korean folk crafts…..such a leisurely way to spend an afternoon. I happened upon a tea shop called Tea Time and had some delicious Korean cookies & fresh Jujube tea (supposedly great for your joints)- it was very relaxing.

That evening we had reservations for a 4 hour Korean Food Tour with O’ngo Food Communications. What a fun way to see, taste, and experience Korean food & culture!! Our guide Ara lead our intimate group of 7 on a wild tour of Seoul! Our first stop was of course Korean BBQ and as always, I loved it. Here

our guide Ara taught us about a local shot: In a tall glass place 1 shot (with shot glass) of coke, 1 shot of soju, then pour beer to the top. Shoot the whole thing at once- DELICIOUS…and Dangerous!! Soju has a VERY high alcohol content to watch out:). We then headed to an old school Korean pub for some tofu & kimchi, paired with the other traditional beverage of Korea: Makgeolli- its absolutely amazing. They served it in beautiful old tin teapots & bowls….Itruly felt like I took a trip back in time to older Korean times. After we headed to another

restaurant to try Boiled Chicken (yummy) and then finished the night at a Korean Night Market for Korean pancakes (not sweet, similar to the spanish

version of Tortilla de Patata). The market smelled so foul but was bustling with people eating and shopping. We stopped at a few places and we were brave enough to try some local delicacies that were horrendously disgusting. I highly recommend this tour if you ever find yourself in Seoul.

Day 4-

Another day on my own….this time I started off at the Namdaemun Market, one of Seoul’s 2 largest traditional markets. What sensory overload!! They sell (read barter & haggle) everything here…I mean everything: clothes (even bras & socks), food, glasses, paper goods, tea, electronics, and on and on. I wandered for a couple hours and left with some good Ginseng tea:). This is an absolute MUST in Seoul. I then wandered back to the Myeong-dong area for moreshopping.  Myeong-dong is one of Seoul’s premier shopping areas-

housing everything from local brands to high end designers & department stores. Lotte is THE department store and is famous in Seoul for housing every brand you canimagine….think of Nordstrom & Saks combined multiplied by 100- seriously amazingly huge & vast. The streets outside are constantly packed and in between the H&M’s & Zara, you will find street vendors for food & cheap knock-offs.

I can’t wait to visit again with an EMPTY suitcase to fill….Next up: Hong Kong!!

Happy & Safe Travels,

Kimbra