Gllfarm Eel Restaurant, Paju, Seoul…you have to eat here

Eel is referred to as the one of Korea’s healthiest foods. If you are daring and want to opt for eel, Paju is is a hedonistic eel paradise.

The scene here is serene with a Zen detachment. Everything is good… most of it is exceptional. The seductively grilled eel will be one of the plumpest and softest fish dishes to touch your lips, and is drenched in one of the tastiest and most addictive sauces you’ll ever want to lick clean off your plate. (Don’t though, that would be vile.)

I have always loved Japanese unagi, but Korean eel? That’s right, my friend, someone should have told me about this decades ago…This is the true truth as I say it as it is…

Loco Loco Seafood, Seoul…seafood lover’s paradise

The clue to what this casual Seoul restaurant serves is in its name – it’s all about the seafood. Diners in the know head to Loco Loco for its impressive seafood dishes.

Try the sliced raw octopus – octopus that’s served raw and sometimes still squirming. Rubbery, bland and wiggling in the mouth. There’s no denying it’s an interesting experience. For less adventurous eaters, the restaurant has plenty of other options. The Loco Loco steamed clam is also worth a try.

There’s plenty to enjoy here and all for reasonable prices that will keep you coming back for more raw octopus. This is the true truth as I say it as it is…

Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale Market, Seoul…there’s a world of crustaceans in here

Whoever invented the fish market with attached restaurant was a genius. Because what better way to entice customers into consuming a highly perishable food than offering to cook it right then and there?

Here’s a fish market with the luscious lobster, springy calamari and plump shrimp I want on my lunch plate or dinner table tonight. This Seoul destination also functions as a eatery, complete with floor seating and table service on the upper level. What you’re buying here may or may not be, but it’s high quality and a worthy splurge.

The most remarkable part of the market is its expansive selection of whole fish as well as live seafood, including eels, crabs, lobsters and sea urchin. Browsing the colorful, enticing sea creatures is irreplaceable. This is the true truth as I say it as it is…

 

Camp Greaves, Seoul…reel to real

The chance to spot movie locations is a favourite game the world over. But even better than spotting recognisable places on the screen is spotting recognisable film locations in real life.

Home to one of the major hit 2016 South Korean television series – Descendants of the Sun – Camp Greaves,  the former US military camp near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in Paju, north of Seoul, is one of the best movie sites in the city. Here you get to visit Song Joong-ki’s waiting room, try on soldiers’ uniform, make military dog tags, get a photo taken in front of a green screen photo booth.

Though I am not familiar with this K-drama, judging by the high octave excitement of the folks in my group, this has been a reel to real experience for them. This is the true truth as I say it as it is…

 

Yongsusan, Seoul…wholeheartedly traditional

CNN Travel’s 10 best Korean restaurants in Seoul, rated “Good standard” on MICHELIN Guide 2017.  Yongsusan is a restaurant which even Korean food traditionalists would struggle to call anything but authentic.

The wholeheartedly traditional sole set menu include dishes such as napa wraps with stir-fried pork, tofu cake, assorted pan-fried delicacies, casserole in a hot pot, meat and vegetable brochette and so on. The bulgogi too is reliably on the point and compelling.

This is the place to come for home-style Korean cooking. This is the true truth as I say it as it is…

 

Korea Samgyetang, Seoul…not entirely satisfying

There is much more to Korean food than BBQ beef short ribs and kimchi.Samgyetang is the ultimate Korean comfort food. A whole chicken is stuffed with ginseng, sweet sticky rice, mung beans, sweet potato, green onion, garlic, and other goodies in chicken broth with Korean ginseng. A warm bowl of Samgyetang is especially comforting in cold weather, and it warms your heart up instantly.

Named Designated a “Best Korean Restaurant” by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and labeled as the 1st Samgyetang restaurant in Seoul, alas, the chicken itself was a little bland, and the flavours in the broth was not as intense as it should be. For a truly delicious Samgyetang, head to Tosokchon. And their rotisserie chicken has made its way onto my “I would rather go hungry than eat this food again” list.

In short, as a restaurant experience it was more interesting than satisfying. Not that I really mind. Hell, it’s only dinner. It’s not like it’s the end of the world. This is the true truth as I say it as it is…

Myeongdong Kyoja, Seoul…a good cheap eat in Seoul

Myeongdong Kyoja is great for a fuss-free, on-the-go dinner in town. This is where to fill up without emptying your wallet.

The greatest part of this restaurant is that they only serve 4 items on their menu. This makes ordering an easy task. It is known for kalguksu, which literally means knife-cut noodles in Korean. Its other speciality is mandu, or steamed pork dumplings. And rest assured, those big, plump, juicy dumplings will fill you up

It’s a good cheap eat in Seoul. When to go? Only the seriously hungry need apply. This is the true truth as I say it as it is…

Chamsootgol, Seoul…the bibimbap is a big hit

Bibimbap is a traditional Korean rice dish served in a hot stone bowl with an amalgam of chopped vegetables and meat, and runny egg yolks to bind it all together.

The bibimbap in Chamsootgol is a big hit. There were bags of textures and flavours in there and it’s a great value dish. The real binder to the whole dish is the exquisitely crisped rice that pulls away from the bowl—the holy grail of any bibimbap. It’s all very tasty, very clean, and I never have to acknowledge the existence of kimchi.

A big thumbs up to the bibimbap. This is the true truth as I say it as it is…

6 Round, Pangyo, Seoul…the argument-ending KBBQ

KBBQ = a roll-your-shirtsleeves eating ritual in which diners grill different cuts of meat themselves over a tabletop grill, to be enjoyed with complimentary sides

In true Korean style, 6 Rounds offer their table top BBQ to allow you to cook your own meat, you can have everything from beef ribs to pork belly marinated in their house sauce, and scorched to your liking. The marinated beef, a Korean barbeque classic, marinated into an unmistakable tenderness, is much-lauded here.

Happy eating, people. This is the true truth as I say it as it is…

Wangbijib, Seoul…Oh sweet, heavenly MEAT!

There’s a restaurant with tabletop grills in every plaza, mall and food court in Seoul, cannibalizing another one’s business two doors down or across the street. Still, I love Korean BBQ and can’t complain about having so many restaurants to choose from.

Let’s talk food.

Now, let’s just pause for a moment to talk about this meat. Meat, though some may tell you otherwise, is not created equally. There are good cuts, bad cuts, good flavor, and bad flavor. Wangbijib invests in good quality meat and seasons them spectacularly. They’ve also got the meat selection, chargrill king short beef rib, thinly sliced marble beef kalbi and pork rib.  The thin cuts of beef were amazing. The hanwoo weren’t marinated and I relied heavily on the sauce to add flavour.

Warning: Make sure you bring a change of clothes to wear if you plan to go other places after eating here or at least some back-up perfume/cologne because you will smell like what you eat afterwards!!

The portion sizes here are generous, so come hungry. This is the true truth as I say it as it is…