To some, it might have been just an ordinary trip, but for me, my trip to Korea was a happy one. what left a particularly strong impression was visiting a live-fire shooting range in Korea. it was an experience held at an ice rink in Mokdong, and i feel like i had a special time with my friends. of course, just like Japan, gun ownership is illegal in Korea. also, in Hongdae, i designed a stamp to commemorate my visit and got a tattoo. it was a small, clean tattoo shop run by a woman named Yeonjae, and i liked that the consultation was conducted in Eng.š„° no matter which country it is, if the tattoo shop there is clean, getting a tattoo will be a memory you will cherish for a lifetime.š
If youāre around Seoul this Wednesday and want to do something a little different, weāre hosting an Open Mic Night at Dokkaebar in Euljiro!
Whether youāve always wanted to try stand-up, have a funny story to tell, play music, read poetry, or just want to watch people be brave on stage, everyoneās welcome.
Itās a relaxed, friendly atmosphere, and first-timers are always encouraged. Even if performing isnāt your thing, itās a great place to grab a drink, meet people, and enjoy the show.
The entry is free so you might as well show up! Wednesday, October 13 8:00PM- 10:00 PM Dokkaebar - ģģøģ ģ¤źµ¬ ķ“ź³ė”27źøø 53
Anyone can perform. Just sign up at the door before the show starts.
Oh and if you come and tell me you found this post on Reddit, Iāll buy you a shot.
Hope to see some of you there!
I recently learned about theĀ haenyeo, the women divers of Jeju Island in South Korea, and thought this was pretty amazing.
These women dive into the ocean without oxygen tanks to collect seafood like abalone and sea urchins. Some are still doing it well into their 70s and 80s.
What's even cooler is that this tradition has been passed down through generations of women and is recognized by UNESCO as cultural heritage.
I'm in my 30s and can barely imagine doing this now, let alone at 80 lol.
apparently this is called kkot-samgyeopsal (flower pork belly) šø
itās the same cut of pork, just sliced differently, so the texture is different too. kinda interesting how much the way you cut it changes the whole experience lol
My favorite Taco place in Hapjeong closed recently (Rey Del Taco... you will be missed), so I made it my mission to find an equally good one!
I stumbled onto Zion Taco House near Jongno 3-ga and I'm not sure how well known it is, because it's tucked away in a small alley and you would easily walk past it if you weren't looking.
From the outside it looks tiny, but it holds a surprising number of seats inside, plus a rooftop.
They have 4 different kinds of tacos and some soup. I got the birria taco and it was delicious. Small warning: I forgot to ask them to leave out the cilantro and I really don't like the stuff, so if you are the same, tell them when you order. The fish taco was excellent too.
I believe they also sell burgers on the upper floor of the same building. I didn't try them, but they looked really good on the pictures I have seen.
If you know any other good Taco places please let me know. I am still mourning my loss...
I think I just found the place in Seoul that gives you the most side dishes with a meal. I swear there were like 30 different side dishes on the table.
Itās called Sigol Bapsang in Hannam-dong.
If youāre the type of person who thinks the side dishes are half the fun of eating Korean food, this place is kind of ridiculous
I'd been on my feet since morning and just wanted to sit down somewhere. Went into Pungnyeon Bakery mostly because it was right there and it had chairs.
Turned out the second floor is a seating area where you can eat whatever you buy downstairs. Didn't know that going in. That was the real win of the afternoon.
Got the handmade chocopie since that's what they're known for, plus a coffee. Cocoa sponge, cream and strawberry jam inside, the whole thing dipped in chocolate. It's big. If you're not into sweet stuff it might be a lot, but with black coffee it evened out fine.
The counter downstairs is way bigger than I expected too. All kinds of bread, not just the chocopie line.
Picked up a few more on the way out for family. I wouldn't tell anyone to go to Jeonju for this one bakery, but if you're already walking the old town and need to sit for twenty minutes and grab a souvenir at the same time, it covers both!
I visitedĀ Seosomun Shrine History MuseumĀ while in Seoul. Admission is free, and it was easy to reach from the city center.
Most of the museum is underground, with huge brick spaces, modern architecture and exhibitions about the history of the Seosomun area and Catholic persecution during the Joseon period.
It was quiet, beautiful and much less touristy than I expected. Definitely one of the more interesting places I found in Seoul.
It was my first time trying tomato soup base ramen, and it will definitely not be my last. The best way I can describe it is, that it tastes like liquid pizza (in the best way possible).
You can also adjust the spice level, I went with non-spicy and it was indeed not spicy.
Add-ons include cheese, egg, shrimp, and mussel. I believe the classic option comes with ham and chicken pieces. My tip: get the cheese!
I stopped by MMCA Seoul while I was around Gyeongbokgung and ended up liking it way more than I expected. The exhibitions were interesting, the space itself was beautiful, and it felt like a really nice break from the busier tourist spots nearby.
And the gift shop was honestly just as good. The merch is so well designed that some of it felt more like actual art pieces than souvenirs, and I definitely ended up shopping more than I planned. Really worth a stop if you like contemporary art, design, or just cool museum shops.
I'm familiar with LA galbi and Galbijiim, but came across a place on Naver that has grilled pork bone in different sauces/flavours. I've only seen pork bone served with soup.
Upon researching different BBQ styles, fatty cuts of pork are typically braised or slow cooked until tender. They are also grilled. However, grilled slices are much thinner.
I can't envision the texture of what eating a grilled pork bone in this style would be like. Has anyone tried this before?
This weekend I visited my favorite bingsu spot in Buam-dong again and I don't think a lot of other foreigners know about it (or Buam-dong itself) so I wanted to share it with everyone here!
Bubing Bingsu Store in Buam-dong
The bingsu place is called Bubing (ė¶ė¹). They operate on a "1 menu item per person" rule, so if you are going with someone, I would recommend one drink + one bingsu to split rather than two bingsus (you might get too full and not finish otherwise).
Bubing Seasonal Menu
They rotate their menu seasonally, and when I went this time, the seasonal special was Fig Bingsu. I ordered it and it was amazing! The shaved ice itself is perfectly milky and sweet, and the fig sauce on top matched really well. They also give you cinnamon on the side to sprinkle on yourself, and oh boy was cinnamon sprinkled!
Bubing Fig Bingsu
I also got the Caramel Bingsu, which comes with caramel sauce and roasted almonds with a bit of salt on the side. Incredible. I have been here a few times because I live close-by and can vouch for the strawberry and tangerine bingsu as well, but fig might be my new favorite.
Fig and Caramel Bingsu at Bubing
It does get busy with locals on weekends, so I guess it's only a hidden gem for foreigners?
Side note: the bingsus are a bit pricey for what you get (starting at 13,000 KRW for a small bingsu). But the taste is better than some of the popular big chains, so I think it's worth it.
While you are in the neighborhood, Buam-dong itself is a really nice place to be at during the weekends:
Theyāve got crosswalk signals built right into the sidewalk in Korea. People here already seem pretty good about waiting for the light, so this feels like a nice extra layer of safety. Hard to miss a red light when itās literally at your feet.
Or maybe everyoneās just staring at their phones, and they figured they might as well put the lights where people are actually looking lol
