Seoul food

(well…Busan as well, but that would’ve ruined my play on words)

I love Korean food but why oh why was I born with such embarrassingly weak taste buds!? Some of the kimchi even had me shedding a tear or two. It makes me a little nervous for any future Asian travels because I absolutely love trying new food but I just can’t handle the spice. Living in Japan hasn’t exactly helped…with the exception of wasabi I can’t think of a single food here that packs a punch. Better start on operation taste bud spicy bootcamp. I think a couple of Durban samoosas would be a good start.

Busan fish market

 

The first thing that struck me about Busan fish market was how clean it was…until I witnessed the most horrific sight of a woman skinning live eels in one quick serial killer sort movement. I think I’m still having nightmares about it. After some recovery time and leisurely meandering we headed upstairs to the open-plan restaurant section. We were led to a table and ordered (well we weren’t really sure what we had ordered) but ended up with a table full of seafood dishes, sidedishes and beer. We left full and happy, beaming at the success of our first Korean meal.

Korean barbeque (Gogigui)

The gogigui meal we had in Seoul was possibly one of the best meals I have EVER had!! I love food that involves experience…and sitting together at a grill, with plates of meat and a multitude of sidedishes, while cooking it up ourselves and chatting about the previous night’s antics all seems a sweet memory to me now.  Our looks of apprehension had the very pushy/disguisedly sweet Korean waitress picking up our food for us and showing us how to wrap the meat, rice and sidedishes in a perilla leaf and then gesturing to eat up with our hands.  It was glorious, and I even tried one with a whole clove of garlic in it, which no doubt led me to tears again. Gogigui places are everywhere, so just ask your hostel/hotel to recommend a good one. 

 

  Bibimbap

 

 A great meal in Myeondong before a shopping marathon! We were beckoned into a restaurant, which at first I was apprehensive about entering. I assumed if they were desperate for business their food wouldn’t be so great, but  we obliged, a little out of fear (I’d be scared to ever say no to a feisty Korean woman), and ended up having a perfect bibimbap meal. It’s a rice dish mixed up mainly with seaweed, vegetables and a fried/raw egg. They served up the gochujang (chilli pepper paste) on the side so my weak taste buds and I could add it in moderation.

I wish I’d had more time to taste all that Korea had to offer! The food there is a travel experience in itself and I hope I’ll be back someday to try more. Recommendations are most welcome!

Seoul and Busan: The good, the weird and the wonderful

Myeongdong Dog Cafe

 

It was my Seoul mission! Find a dog café: A place to drink hot chocolate and get my pet fix. I’d actually given up on the idea after reading a couple vague blogger directions, which I’m now, ironically, adding to. As fate would have it, a shopping stint in Myeondong led me to this giant snoopy dog that hangs around the general area of the Forever 21 and Zara building. We took a flyer and then asked a couple kind strangers to point us in the right direction. We found it pretty easily on the fourth floor of a narrow building in a busy shopping street (elusive much?). I snapped a picture of what I hope is the café’s name written in korean – though it seems the last letter has been cut out. If you get a chance check out the basement of the same building for this restaurant that’s completely covered in post -it notes. Unfortunately we arrived two minutes before their 3pm – 4pm closing so I didn’t get to catch a glimpse of the inside. Sad face. 

Miyajima, red pants and a stalker

I’m baaaack, with a slight tan and a holiday hangover to boot. So this is mission blog catch up! Taking you allll the way back to November 26^th 2011, when my inner Japanese conscience finally reprimanded me for not having checked out the autumn leaves. The internet told me that Miyajima was my closest, best option. Blue skies and grilled oysters were calling, so I threw on my red skinnies and headed for the island. The peak of autumn leaf viewing (yes, that’s an activity) meant that tourists and their cameras were out in droves. I cuffed an 80 year old couple snapping my pic and decided to strike up a conversation and make the most of their stalking. Ha! He and his wife ended up emailing me the pictures in five different file sizes with a cute Japanese message in each. Gotta love tech savvy oldies ;)

My top tips for Miyajima: 1) There are only a couple of things worth doing on the island but they’re all a real treat. You really could spend more than a day here. Head to Itsukushima shrine, the floating torii (unmissable), the five storey pagoda at the pavilion called Senjo-kaku and the cable way that takes you a fair distance up Mt. Misen (it’s still a 20min hike to the top after that). 2) Hang around at the island for the whole day so that you catch the torii during low and high tide. 3) Beware the deer: they eat anything from paper to the very clothes on your back. 4) Eat, eat, eat: deep fried momiji cakes all year round and seasonal oysters. Yes please!

48 hours in Osaka

6 hours – travelling (bus it)

23 hours – partying (risky risky - where dancing is illegal)

1 hour – karaoke ing (one song each)

5 hours – eating (oh dear)

3 hours – sightseeing (Umeda Sky building observatory – magic!)

2 hours – shopping (Topshop you warm my heart)

8 hours – sleeping (the bare minimum)

Ooooosaka… we love you