Hot Spots
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Very Special Korean Noodle for Summer Time, Mak-guksu!!
Mak-guksu means buckwheat noodle which is a Korean noodle dish served in a chilled broth and sometimes with sugar, mustard, sesame oil or vinegar. It is a local specialty of the Gangwon province of South Korea, and its capital city, Chuncheon. Makguksu is closely related to naengmyeon, another Korean cold noodle dish. The restaurant that we visited is located in the Gangwon area, and we had makguksu plus memil jeonbyeong (buckwheat dumplings).
It is difficult to generalize regarding makguksu's accompanying ingredients. Ingredients are traditionally determined by the customer rather than the restaurant owner, and many restaurants also carry their own unique flavoring recipes. Various types of kimchi can be added as well. In the Chuncheon area, the dish is frequently accompanied by boiled beef or pork and it may be served with bindaetteok (Korean bean pancakes) or gamjajeon (potato pancakes).
It’s located in Sokcho City, Gangwon Province and it’s also very close from the ocean. We headed to the beach after that.
We could see that they’ve been introduced to the TV show. It must be very popular.
Luckily, when we got there, it was past 3 so the restaurant wasn’t very busy. We could see only a few customers.
I would say that this one was such a good choice when we had makgusu. The combination made us enjoy the foods.
Does it look delicious to you? Trust me. It is very delicious and it’s definitely the delicacy of the season.
Besides, they’re not very expensive so when you want to go to the ocean to get fresh air, you might want to drop by here and try those foods.
Please check the information below if you’re interested in visiting the same restaurant that we visited for Mak-guksu and the buckwheat dumplings.
Address : 229, Tteokbatjae-ro, Sokcho-si, Gangwon-do
Subway : N/A
Phone Number : 033-638-0088
Operating Hours : 11:00 ~ 20:00
[Menu and Price]
Mak-guksu (Buckwheat Noodle) : KRW 8,000
Pyeon-yuk (Steamed Pork) : KRW 23,000
Gamja-jeon (Potato Pancake) : KRW 10,000
Memil Jeonbyeong (Buckwheat Dumpling) : KRW 7,000
* More..
Food
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When You Fall In Love With the Korean Broth, Sagol Kalguksu!!
Kal-guksu is a Korean noodle dish consisting of handmade, knife-cut wheat flour noodles served in a large bowl with broth and other ingredients. ‘Kal’ refers to knife and ‘guksu’ refers to noodle. There are so many different kinds of Kalguksu but the most popular one is Haemul Kalguksu and it refers to Seafood Kalguksu. Haemul Kalguksu is one of most loved and most common foods in Korea.
As every other Korean people do, I’ve always been eating Haemul Kalguksu most of the time but I recently found this restaurant and it changed my mind. It has also become my favorite food now and my wife has become obsessed with this Kalguksu. They serve Sagol Kalguksu. Sagol means beef leg bone and it’s often boiled to make a broth and there are many Korean traditional foods cooked with sagol, such as gomguk, galbitang, seolongtang, etc.
It’s located somewhere in Gapyeong near mountains. And I was told that this Kalguksu restaurant is very popular as a must-go restaurant in the area.
We actually went there around 3 pm which was way to past lunch hours so the whole restaurant was empty.
We sat right next to the windows but the view wasn’t very impressive. I could see only the traffic since it was Saturday.
Do you see the sign on my stomach? ‘I’m hungry.’ Haha. You have no idea how tasty it is. You’ll love it once you taste it.
They also serve the pork cutlet. It doesn’t seem to make sense for a Kalguksu restaurant but it’s funny that their cutlet is also very good. My wife ordered the pork cutlet and we shared some for each other.
This is the shot for the whole. I would say the prices are also very reasonable. It was actually the second time already that we visited there.
Please check the information below if you’re interested in visiting the same restaurant that we visited for Kalguksu and the port cutlet.
Address : 221-12, Gyeongchun-ro, Cheongpyeong-myeon, Gapyeong-gun, Kyeonggi
Subway : N/A
Phone Number : 031-584-3688
Operating Hours : 10:30 ~ 21:00
[Menu and Price]
Sagol Kalguksu : KRW 8,000
Handmade Pork Cutlet : KRW 8,000
Sagol Manduguk : KRW 8,000
Wang Mandu (King Dumpling) : KRW 6,000
Food
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Cheap and Delicious Makchang Restaurant! Samggi Makchang!!
I already introduced ‘Gopchang’ before and as you know now, it refers to beef small intestines and it’s quite expensive in Korea. I always thought ‘Makchang’ was almost the same as Gopchang but it’s not. Besides, I just found out ‘Makchang’ is not beef but it’s pork. It was actually shocking to me because I believed that it was beef for my whole life. Anyways, we recently visited this Makchang restaurant and it’s so strongly recommended. That’s the purposed of posting this blog.
We accidently found this place when we were taking a stroll in our neighborhood and saw so many people waiting in line. It was impressive and it was located only 3 minutes away from our home on foot. I didn’t know until we tried there that this place was one of the must-go restaurants in the Cheonho Station area. I can tell you only 2 words for this place. Cheap and delicious. No wonder they always have so many people waiting in line. And we are lucky to have this restaurant near our house.
This is the sign of the restaurant. As you can see, they always have many people.
When they serve for our table, we were so happy to see it. They look so appetizing
It was grilled already by them so it didn’t take that long before we could eat them. Yes, we cheered to ourselves.
We ordered some side menu. They were Bokkeumbap (fried rice) and Ramen. They were cooked by their recipe and they were so good too.
This is the menu for this place. Makchang usually costs much more expensive than this. You should know that.
Please check the information below if you’re interested in visiting the same restaurant that we visited for grilled Makchang.
Address : 10, Olympic-ro 77-gil, Gangdong-gu, Seoul
Location : Near exit 2 of Cheonho Station, Line 5 & 8
Phone Number : 02-470-2572
Operating Hours : 16:00 ~ 01:00
[Menu and Price]
Makchang Gui : KRW 10,000
Yangnyeom Makchang : KRW 11,000
Cheese Makchang : KRW 14,000
Spicy Ramyeon : KRW 3,000
Boggeumbab (Fried Rice) : KRW 2,000
and more..
Food
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Chicken is Always Right!! Yangnyeom Chicken!
Have you been to any countries that have such a fast and convenient chicken delivery service like Korea? Have you eaten any fried chicken better than Korea? Because I’ve been told that many foreigners love Korea’s chicken more than any other countries. Fried chicken menu and its delivery service in Korea have been really loved for a long time and there has always been competition so the quality has been getting better and better. It’s a shame that the prices have also gone up, too though. There are mainly two kinds of chicken. One is normal fried and the other one is yangnyeom fried.
Yangnyeom chicken is the sticky form of fried chicken including huge amounts of sauce and it’s like a heart attack for most people. It can be street food found in any shopping area or you can order one for delivery. There is also a type sold in cups with chopsticks so that you can walk around and have it on the go. This type is called Chicken Gangjeong. It can get a little messy with all the sauce, but don’t let that stop you. Trust me. You have never had chicken that tastes this good. I told you before. Chicken is always right!
There are many different kinds of chicken menu now in Korea but these two are the main types of fried chicken loved the most.
If you want two types at the same time but have difficulty choosing then you can order ‘Half and Half’ service. You’ll get served half normal fried and half yangnyeom fried.
This type is called Chicken Gangjeong and it’s more likely a street food. This type is cheaper than delivery service because of its size and it's takeout.
There are so many different fried chicken brands in Korea but this has been always my favorite. It’s called ‘ㅂㅂㅋ’. I changed it into the Korean letters so please find that out yourself, ha.
Below is some more information about the place that I order fried chickens most of the time. Chicken places are everywhere so you can find one near your place as well.
Address : 14, Jinhwangdo-ro 31-gil, Gangdong-gu, Seoul
Phone Number : 02-476-5582
Operating Hours : 12:00 ~ 23:00 (Delivery Service Hours)
Homepage (BBQ Official) : https://www.bbq.co.kr/main.asp
[Menu and Price]
Normal Friced Chicken : KRW 18,000
Yangnyeom Fried Chicken : KRW 19,500
Half & Half Fried Chicken : KRW 19,500
Food
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One of the Korean Top 3 Gamajatang Places!!
There must be a lot of Gamjatang restaurants in Korea because it is such a popular menu and it’s been loved by almost everyone in Korea for most of the time. Gamjatang is a spicy Korean soup made from the spine of a pig. It can be called ‘Pork backbone soup’ in English. Gamjatang and Ppyeohaejangguk are very similar soups with the main ingredient. I would say that the ppyeohaejangjuk is a dish for one person and it’s the only difference.
Gamjatang is originated in southern Korean province of Jeolla. It became popular because it is cheap and nutritious. It is served in a very salty broth with potatoes, sesame leaves, onions and other vegetables. Like most Korean meals, a bowl of rice makes it complete and it also can be such a great dish when you drink soju or beer. This restaurant has been introduced on the famous Korean cook show as one of the Top 3 Gamjatang restaurants. Luckily, I had a lot of chances to try this restaurant earlier because I used to work at the company near this restaurant.
Maybe I’m not supposed to show this photo to you because it has the name of the restaurant. But I would open it for you so you can find this place easily.
As I mentioned already, this place has been introduced on a TV show and it became more popular. You’re going to have to wait in line during lunch hours.
Look at the size of the bones. And they have lots of meat and it’s so tasty.
You can separate the meat from the bones and dip it in the sauce they provide. It’ll be melting in your mouth. The meat is so soft and very delicious.
They will also provide you the stirred rice service so you can just order your rice for that. It is so satisfying.
Ppyeohaejangguk looks like this. It’s served in a small earthenware bowl of gamjatang with a bowl of rice and it’s a set for one person usually. So you can visit here even if you want to find a place alone for a meal
It’s not very expensive and that’s why it’s been so popular for such a long time. I have known this place for more than 10 years and this place is even more popular now.
Below is some more information about this restaurant if you’re interested in visiting here.
Address : 45, Yeonmujang-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul
Phone Number : 02-465-6580
Operating Hours : 00:00 ~ 24:00 (24 Hours)
[Menu and Price]
Gamjatang : KRW 38,000 (Big) / KRW 28,000 (Mid) / KRW 25,000 (Small)
Ppyeohaejangguk : KRW 7,500 / KRW 9,000 (Big)
Food
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Fantastic Sushi Buffet Restaurant! Qoo Qoo!!
I’ve always loved Sushi and all kinds of raw fish. We had a chance to celebrate something (I don’t remember what it was about, ha.) and found this restaurant near our home. It is called ‘Qoo Qoo’ and I was told that it’s been a popular Sushi Roll & Salad Bar already so there are many Qoo Qoo branches in different cities, even in Jejudo. They serve mainly Sushi and various kinds of raw fish but they have many other types of dishes as well like chicken and pizza.
Considering that it’s a buffet restaurant, I would say that it’s affordable but it’s still expensive if you go there often. This restaurant is a typical salad bar and most dishes are very fresh. As you know, Sushi is expensive in Korea so if you’re a big fan of Sushi and raw fish then this restaurant could be a great suggestion because you can eat Sushi as much as you like. Also the price for the lunch hours during the weekdays is the lowest so you can take advantage of it if you have time.
Those cute sushi dolls were welcoming us.
When you get here before 5 pm for your lunch on weekdays, you can use it at the lowest price. Oh, I almost forgot. They have a time limit, 90 minutes. That’s not cool though.
They must be the main chefs and seem like they’re really busy now.
They’re serving various sushi and other seafood on each plate and I can choose as I want.
I know it’s a sushi restaurant but who could skip the pizza if they serve it?
This was my first round. It should be the sushi and raw fish. I could only tell a few of them, ha.
These were my second and third rounds. I love salmon. I always love salmon no matter what.
But it wasn’t easy to ignore those fried foods. If you ignore them, you’re being rude.
And then we had a desert. It was ice cream and waffles. So sweet.
Below is some more information about this restaurant. If you’re a fan of sushi and seafood then go for it! It can be strongly recommended.
Address : 18, Cheonhodae-ro 157-gil, Gangdong-gu, Seoul
Location : Near the exit 5 of Cheonho station, line 5 and 8
Phone Number : 02-477-6274
Operating Hours : 11:00 ~ 22:00
Homepage (Korean) : http://www.qooqoo.co.kr/
[Price]
Weekday Lunch : KRW 15,900
Weekday Dinner : KRW 19,900
Weekends, Holidays : KRW 19,900
Children : KRW 12,900
Preschool Kids : KRW 8,000
Food
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The Most Common Street Food in Korea! Gimbap!!
I’ve seen many foreigners that already know about gimbap even if it’s their first visit to Korea. I guess Korean gimbap must be globally known to the world. Gimbap is a Korean dish made from cooked rice and other ingredients that are rolled in gim (dried laver). My mom used to pack me gimbap lunchbox whenever I had a picnic at the school. Gimbap is such a common and popular dish in Korea so it is very easy to find a gimbap place here in Korea.
There are so many kinds of gimbap based on the main ingredients. There should be rice rolled in gim sheet and I would say there are basic components that must be included such as yellow pickled radish, carrots, ham, spinach and egg strips. Those are for the normal kind of gimbap but if you have extra important ingredients and then it’s called based on the name of extra one. If it has canned tuna then it’s tuna gimbap, bulgoigi then bulgogi gimabap, cheese then cheese gimbap and it keeps going that way.
This one must be the normal one that everyone would enjoy. It’s the cheapest but still it’s very tasty.
Can you guess what this is? It is the tuna gimbap. They put canned tuna mixed with mayonnaise inside the gimbap. It’s usually more expensive than the normal one.
Do you know bulgogi? It is a Korean dish made of beef or pork in a Korean recipe. And if you have bulgoigi inside the gimbap then it’s bulgogi gimbap. Yes, it’s more expensive than other kinds for sure.
This kind of gimbap is not my type but many other Koreans like it. It’s called cheese gimbap and they put some slices of cheese inside. Do you think you would like it? Then you can try.
These kinds are from a convenient store. Samgyupsal gimbap? Really? So now they have samgyupsal inside the gimbap? I guess they could possibly put all kinds of food inside the gimbap.
There are so many gimbap places and many of them are also franchise gimbap restaurants. I found out a very popular one near my place. This gimbap restaurant has been introduced on a TV show once already so it’s very popular now. They’re very popular for their special kinds of gimbap. Look at the menu list below.
Address : 1005, Cheonhodae-ro, Gangdong-gu, Seoul
Location : Near the exit 4 of Cheonho station, line 5 and 8
Phone Number : N/A
Operating Hours : N/A
[Menu and Price]
Fried-fish Gimbap : KRW 5,500
Sea Squirt Gimbap : KRW 5,500
Raw Fish Gimbap : KRW 5,500
Octopus Gimbap : KRW 5,500
Food
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I Forgot the Value of this Food. Mandu!!
This Korean food is such a common street food and you can see it everywhere so I totally forgot to introduce it to you. This is one of my favorite Korean foods and you can eat it anytime as long as you want. You can find it in restaurants, supermarkets, even in convenient stores or snack places. It is Mandu, Korean dumplings. It is considered as fast food now since you can get frozen ones and cook it in your own way, steamed, boiled, fried, etc.
If the mandu is griiled or fried, it is called gun-mandu, when steamed, jjin-mandu, when boiled, mul-mandu. You can add some when you cook something like ramyeons, tteokguk and many other Korean soup kinds. It can be served free when you order packages at a Chinese restaurant in Korea. There is one kind that I don’t like about mandu. It is kimch-mandu. I don’t understand why they love this kind because it tastes spicy and strong. Sadly, my wife loves it so sometimes I have to accept my fate.
This is Jjin-mandu, steamed one. It is very easy to cook. They look so delicious and lovely, don’t’ they? Jjin-mandu is also juicy since it’s steamed by water. You also need soy sauce so you can slightly dip it in.
This is Gun-mandu, grilled one on a pan. It tastes crispy since it’s fried. Many Chinese restaurants serve gun-mandu when you order packages but its quality is not very good.
These are Mandu-guks and when they put some tteoks (slices of rice cake) in it then it’s called tteok-mandu-guk. I’d prefer the normal one without tteoks.
They look good but it’s red. Be careful!! It is RED!!
As I said, you can get those frozen packs in supermarkets. (Sorry, I had to hide the brand name.) And you when you cook ramyeon and put some of it, you’re going to love it.
There are many recommendable mandu restaurants and I found one near my place. Most of them serve Mandu-guk kinds and steamed one. If you’re interested in visiting this restaurant for mandu-guk then please check out the information below. This restaurant has been introduced on a TV show 3 times already and it’s very popular now.
Address : 683, Olympic-ro, Gangdong-gu, Seoul
Phone Number : 02-471-4436
Operating Hours : 11:30 ~ 19:00
[Menu and Price]
Tteok-Mandu-guk : KRW 7,000
Jjin-Mandu : KRW 7,000
Food
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Such a Popular Korean Fish Stew, Dongtae Jjigae!!
There was a Dongtae Jjigae restaurant that we used to love to go but it’s gone now. I don’t know why but this restaurant is not available anymore. It’s a shame. But the purpose of blogging here is to introduce Korean foods, not to recommend restaurants in Korea. So I’m still writing this so please understand. Dongtae Jigae is such a popular Korean stew made from frozen pollocks. They’re very cheap in Korea and very delicious.
Dongtae Jjigae is a very common and popular Korean cuisine but it’s still hard to find a professional Dongtae Jjigae restaurant. Most of them serve just average quality but you can still taste the same when a Korean housewife cooks it for you. Once you find the better one then you’re going to fall in love with it immediately. Especially during the winter, it’s so cool when you have a bite. That’s how Korean people say, ‘cool’. Of course it’s hot and spicy but they still say ‘It’s cool!’ You better find out yourself why.
This is when they set our table for Dongtae Jjigae. We didn’t have many side dishes but they were all good.
It’s very important how they make their broth for the Jjigae. And radish, green onions, tofu, anchovies are added.
This is so tempting, isn’t it? My mouth is watering again, ha.
When you take a bite of the stew in a freezing day, you’re going to feel like your whole body is melting with the warmth inside.
I can see some mysterious ingredient inside the stew that looks like a brain shape but it’s also chewy and good to taste. Someone told me that it’s a fish organ.
I can’t give you the address of the restaurant that we visited since it’s gone now but I have a place to recommend which is known as a must-go restaurant. It is located not too far from my house so we might want to be there sometime soon. Here is the information.
Address : 96, Sangam-ro, Gangdong-gu, Seoul
Phone Number : 02-477-8858
Operating Hours : 11:00 ~ 22:00
[Menu and Price]
Dongtae Tang : KRW 7,000 (for each)
Agu Tang : KRW 8,000 (for each)
Agu Jjim (small) : KRW 28,000
Food