I might have entered my golden age of traveling. I’m 48 years old and in good health. I can handle a 17 hour flight, my wife plays the credit card points game HARD and my son is 13 and a good traveler.
Sure, any family vacation can have its moments of stress but we are pretty fortunate. We don’t have all the money in the world. But you don’t need a lot of money to eat well in Seoul either.
But how good is the food in Seoul? Take in this quote from a Pastry Chef from France who now works in Seoul:
Bold talk right? Even from a professional chef, take one man’s opinion with a grain of salt, like mine for example. With that disclaimer out of the way let share where I ate on my Seoul Korea food tour and why I absolutely think Seoul is an elite global foodie city.
The Vitals:
the spot: Myeong Dong Kyoja 29 Myeongdong 10-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul, 04537, South Korea
the eats: Mandu(dumplings) Kalguksu(noodle soup)
the bucks: $
the full nelson: Michelin Bib Gourmand noodle and dumpling spot + Cheap Eats certified
As an American dining in Korean restaurants in the States, I was skeptical about menus with pictures. As an American tourist on a Seoul Korea Food tour, I am eternally grateful. Based off pics I ordered the The Kalguksu(noodle dish) and Mandu(steamed dumplings) which as I noticed later, popped up on most of the tables at this Michelin Guide recognized restaurant.
The herb laced meat filling of the Mandu would be the dish I would go back for again and again. But do try the Kalguksu. Soups are essential to Korean food culture as the country spent many years dealing with drastic food shortages which enterprising cooks turned into delicious opportunities. Like creating dishes that leverage minimal amounts of proteins into savory noodle soups.
The Vitals:
the spot: BBQ Chicken Myeong Dong Seoul Korea 2 Myeongdong 4-gil, Jung District, Seoul, South Korea, Seoul South Korea
the eats: Olive Fried Chicken + Beer
the bucks: $-$$
the full nelson: The Global Korean Fried Chicken chain hits hard in Korea
I suppose there is an unwritten rule when traveling abroad that when you dine out, you dine locally. Yes, BBQ Chicken is a global Korean Fried Chicken chain with a location that apparently my wife and son visited back home but it didn’t make our experience any less enjoyable. Except for the fact that when we ordered a side of sauce, we failed to ask about allergy information.
My son has a severe peanut and tree nut allergies so we always bring a card with translation in the local language. While we asked about the chicken, when we ordered the sauce from a different server, we failed to follow up. Luckily he only experienced some nausea(ok a lot) but we didn’t need the epi pen, thank God.
His reaction came well after our meal so I can say we enjoyed it. Chimaek is the word for fried chicken and beer in Korean and it is a winning combo. I loved it but it was also for the vibe.
A man came up to us, brought a plate of french fries and struck up a conversation, all in the name of being welcoming. It was the definition of why global traveling is nourishing to the soul. You connect with people in such a meaningful way because when you fight through a language barrier, you cut through so much BS and look into the soul of a person.
The Vitals:
the spot: Hanwoo Beef Market experience from Airbnb
the eats: Korean BBQ featuring Hanwoo Beef aka the “Kobe beef of Korea
the bucks: $$
the full nelson: The ultimate beef lover experience featuring Korean BBQ
First off I will have a video about this excellent Airbnb experience soon. For now I’ll say this: it is the ultimate beef lover experience when it comes to Korean BBQ. And it’s worth every penny of the of the $90 it costs.
Our guide, Hyeung was a real gem: a true food lover, knowledgeable and friendly. My tour had people from France, Israel, Germany and the US. We even had a pastry chef from France who happens to be now working in Seoul. He sang the praises of the food in Seoul, even going so far as to say the French food there was better than Paris.
Better than Paris. Ok, on to the beef.
Imagine Toro, the fatty belly of bluefin tuna but beef. A little goes a long way. It’s expensive but a fraction of what premium beef costs elsewhere. Our guide gave us a tour of this massive industrial food market and handpicked his favorite butcher stall. I’ve never experienced a meat market of that size and quality level.
The beef melts in your mouth. The seasoning is bare bones. All you really need is some finishing salt, which Hyeung provided including Maldon, Korea sea salt and a Texas Smoked Pecan salt.
I landed on a little Korean salt, wasabi and sesame oil. It was pure beef bliss. One of the highlights of the trip and all of my food adventures.
Period.
The Vitals:
the spot: Art Monster
the eats: Korean Fried Chicken + craft beer
the bucks: $$
the full nelson: The craft beer scene has come to Korea. And they serve fried chicken too.
The craft beer revolution has gone global and Korea is a part of the revolution too. My wife picked this place out which was right in our neighborhood of Myeung Dong. The craft beer here is the main draw but they have fried chicken because in Korea, beer and chicken go hand in hand.
I recommend taking a beer flight. This landmark pioneering craft brewery in Korea does more than just hoppy IPA’s. The dark German beer was quite nice.
The Vitals:
the spot: Wangbijip Six locations in Seoul, tested at Myeongdong location
the eats: Korean BBQ
the bucks: $$
the full nelson: Premium Korean BBQ spot
Wangbijip might be a Korean BBQ chain(albeit a small one) but it’s a premium one. What gives them high marks beyond decor, service and excellent banchan was the fact that they cook over live coals. Unlike some Korean BBQ joints where live coals means a case of black lung from the fumes, the exhaust system which at Wangbijip is a beautiful copper colored piping resolves the coal miner’s affliction.
You can get Hanwoo beef here aka the Kobe beef of Japan but we opted to spend less and eat the reasonably lucious pork. It ain’t Hanwoo beef but it didn’t miss it either. We also got this Korean kimchi stew that was pretty damn good too.
I’m typing this in a hotel in Kyoto, kind of burnt out on eating but also missing Seoul. I can’t wait to go back. It’s right up there with Tokyo as an elite Asian dining city that frankly makes me question my US residency.
They do it damn right here and we could learn a lot from their quality standards and service. While American restaurants seem to find new ways of charging more, in Korea they work harder, cook better and do it all for less.
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