I’ve tried new foods every single day I’ve been here, so it’s hard to pinpoint just a couple, but I will try my best!
First up is spicy stir-fried octopus – its Korean name is nakji-bokkeum (낙지볶음). Served with sides (called Banchan) such as Gyeranjjim (Korean Steamed Eggs), rice, bean sprouts and fried beef, spicy tofu stew, kimchi, and macaroni salad.
Bulgogi – thinly cut marinated beef with a sweeter savory taste cooked on a stove top griddle in front of you. A very traditional Korean dish with delicious sides such as sashimi, fish cakes, yukhoe, noodles, and more.
Japchae Hotteok – hotteok is supposed to be a sweet dessert snack, but this take, usually found in the Namdaemun market, is a deep-fried dough pancake filled with noodles and stir-fried vegetables . The traditional hotteok is filled with honey, sugar, and cinnamon. Both are delicious!
Cafeteria Food!
Hanyang University’s cafeteria was inexpensive and tasty! My favorites include cheese-pork cutlets with cold noodles and their breakfast gimbap with seawood soup with fresh watermelon juice.
Subway stations have a multitude of bakeries and small food stops that commuters stop by to have a meal in-between destinations (including me). One of my favorites was the Inari Sushi, each one filled with rice and different fillings within a deep-fried tofu pocket (such as imitation crab, kimchi, salmon, shrimp, egg, cheese, octopus, vegetables, etc.)
Last but not least – bingsu (빙수;), a Korean dessert made of shaved milk ice and customized with many toppings. A famous dessert chain called Sulbing has been my go-to place (but is served at other cafes as well!). I had many different types of bingu, so below is a photo-dump of a couple of different flavors I got to try.
There is a lot of tasty food in South Korea, and this post only scratches the surface! I failed to write about the many different flavors Baskin Robbins has (with a warm cheesy waffle cone!), the different types of milk tea at Gongcha and other bubble tea chains, stir-fried pork, pajeon (Korean savory pancake), and more. Writing about all this food has me hungry, so I’m off to go eat – thanks for reading! 🙂
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