Author: Ryan Mar

Just a guy simply making the most with life abroad. Love travel, photography, food, and just enjoying life. Currently blogging about beautiful places in Seoul, Korea, along with food, culture, and observations at findingtheseoul.com.

Restaurants in Seoul: 작은공간 (Small Space)

작은공간 translates roughly to “small space” which is a pretty accurate description for this hole in the wall. They serve “quick tteokbokki” (즉석떡볶이) like Hoya, but it feels a lot less commercialized. I’m not a big fan of this style of tteokbokki, but my 2nd time here eating the black bean sauce (짜장) flavor made me more open to it. It can get quite busy, Continue reading “Restaurants in Seoul: 작은공간 (Small Space)”

Seoul Cheap Eats: 봉주르정식(Bonjour)

봉주르정식 (Bonjour) was a consistent staple of mine when I used to live in Hongdae (홍대) and with good reason. This type of restaurant is called a 백반(Baek Ban) which roughly translates into a home-style restaurant. They serve a set menu that changes daily and the dishes have a very homemade feel to it. That isn’t to say it is bad; in fact, it appropriately falls into the category known as comfort food. The best part is it costs a measly 3500 won and you can virtually get unlimited refills on pretty much anything! Continue reading “Seoul Cheap Eats: 봉주르정식(Bonjour)”

Cafes in Seoul: Cafe Unplugged (A Cafe for Indie Lovers!)

Looking for that unique cafe to satisfy that inner indie musician? I just had to write about this cool cafe catering to indie musicians in Hongdae (홍대) after stopping by for a little bit! Most cafes are too commercialized and not really worth talking about, but Cafe Unplugged was an exception. They even have their own dog! It’s located a tad far from the Hongdae University Continue reading “Cafes in Seoul: Cafe Unplugged (A Cafe for Indie Lovers!)”

Cheap Eats: Hongdae Ice Cream Waffle Shack

As seen in my tour of Noryangjin, ice cream waffles are a pretty hot street food item. Especially during a nice day, I can’t resist getting one. The best ice cream waffles I know of are located in Hongdae, right next to the playground and the front of the campus.This place may be a tad hard to find as it doesn’t have a name, but if you go to the main entrance of Hongdae, it will be west of it. This place has by far the best ice cream waffles Continue reading “Cheap Eats: Hongdae Ice Cream Waffle Shack”

Noryangjin (노량진) Tour – A Haven for Street Food

Noryangjin is a rather special area in Seoul, home to the largest fish market in the city and full of cram schools (학원) where children go to study late at night. With so many students frequenting the area, it’s no wonder there is a plethora of cheap street stalls to make for one fun, food-filled excursion. When my friends invited me to visit the area, I was more than willing to oblige! Continue reading “Noryangjin (노량진) Tour – A Haven for Street Food”

Korean Foods Explained: What is Tteokbokki (떡볶이)?

Tteokbokki (떡볶이) is a spicy Korean “snack” food that uses thick rice noodles/cakes (떡) and a pepper sauced (고추장) as its base. Most tteokbokki is usually mixed with eomuk (어묵) which is a fish cake. The spiciness varies, but typically it is one of the spicier things you can eat in Korea. The type of rice cake also varies greatly with Seoul’s being typically skinny and other places have really thick ones. Continue reading “Korean Foods Explained: What is Tteokbokki (떡볶이)?”

Cheap Eats in Seoul: 삘꼬치네 (Chicken Skewers)

One common street food that’s not really talked about is chicken skewers (닭꼬치). The quality really varies with the place you go to, but one of the best is hands down 삘꼬치네 nestled in Hongdae’s streets that specializes in small food stalls. One walk down this street and you’ll usually see much more people lined up here than any other place and with good reason. 삘꼬치네 is kind of a play on words with Continue reading “Cheap Eats in Seoul: 삘꼬치네 (Chicken Skewers)”

Sushi Buffet Restaurants in Seoul: 쿠우쿠우 (Qoo Qoo)

As if I hadn’t had enough sushi this week, I went to Qoo Qoo (쿠우쿠우) sushi buffet in the popular Hyehwa area. It’s not as high-end as Todai, but it’s way more affordable. They have multiple chains throughout Korea as well. You can access this location by heading out of Hyehwa Station (혜화역) exit 4, bearing left where Starbucks is and reaching the end of the road. It will be on the second floor. Continue reading “Sushi Buffet Restaurants in Seoul: 쿠우쿠우 (Qoo Qoo)”

Japanese Sushi Restaurants in Seoul: 별스시 (Byeol Sushi)

If you’re looking for an amazing Japanese style sushi experience, I high recommend 별스시 (Byeol Sushi). Byeol means “star” and I was left with the impression that I was among the stars after eating here. I had the pleasure of going to this Japanese sushi restaurant after volunteering in Junggok area. It’s in a rather unpopular neighborhood, but it’s totally worth it. You can get there easily by going to Junggok Station (중곡역) and heading out of exit 1. Continue reading “Japanese Sushi Restaurants in Seoul: 별스시 (Byeol Sushi)”