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Seoul food experiences of a spiritual nature
About Travel Like A Local
Travel for me is an opportunity to get a glimpse into another culture's day-to-day.
I'm no professional traveller, but I have picked up a few tips and tricks along the way.
I recommend Seoul to just about everyone. As someone that doesn’t exactly like overcrowded major cities, Seoul made up for the crowds with some seriously cool culture, the nicest locals, beautiful neighbourhoods and delicious food.
And I mean delicious! Here are the top five things to try in the city, as decided by myself and confirmed by my favourite Seoul local, Hye Jin!
Read more: Six local foods you must try in Europe
Kimchi pancakes
You just can’t go to South Korea without trying kimchi. It’s the ultimate side dish to any meal.
Hit up the Gwangjang markets for some amazing street food, including kimchi pancakes, whipped up by the pros. We shared ours between the three of us so we could save room for all the other delicious treats scattered throughout the mall!
Gimbap
When we walked into our first Korean restaurant, we had absolutely no clue what they were selling. Embarrassed about being ignorant Western tourists, we pointed at the picture of some noodles and signalled for two bowls.
As we sat down, a local sitting at the table next to us said that the restaurant was famous for Gimbap, which we hadn’t ordered. He yelled over to the waiter to add one to our table, and explained we couldn’t come to this restaurant and not have it.
Turns out, it’s basically like Japanese sushi, but with different rice - and cooked fillings instead of raw.
That lovely local also paid for our meals as he left! I’m telling you, these people are the nicest!
Korean BBQ
Delicious and fun! Ok, it is a little bit daunting if you don’t know the process, but if you just sneak a peek at the other diners and the way they wrap up their fresh-off-the-grill goodies, you should be fine.
And remember, the waitstaff are professionals, so they’re not going to let you mess this up. They’ll be close by with some tongs and meat scissors to jump in if your meat is in jeopardy.
We went to a restaurant that specialised in pork, and we tried a tasting menu with 8 different marinated porks!
My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
Bingsu
It’s a bowl of flavoured ice shavings with cream, fresh fruit and syrups on top. Need I say more?
Dakgalbi
Spicy stir-fried chicken that will easily serve a whole table. It’s massive, it’s spicy and it’s gosh-darn delicious. Pairs perfectly with a Soju (local rice spirit) and beer.
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