Saw this tiny Japanese ramen shop along one of the main roads of Hongdae. Since it was one of the only restaurants that wasn’t a Korean BBQ joint open at 1am, my buddy and I decided to give it a shot. It was pretty satisfying, but had its own unique quirks that could be a deal breaker for some. I was just happy to find something that wasn’t going to clog my poor arteries that late at night. Continue reading “Japanese Ramen Restaurants in Seoul: 가도야 (Kadoya)”
Seoul Cheap Eats: 마루가메 제면 (Marukame Japanese Udon)
Marukame Udon has been my go-to Japanese noodle house for quite a while now. I’ve been going to 3 of their chains across Seoul and have been more than satisfied with all of them (less so the Hongdae location). They make all their noodles from scratch, giving them a distinct chewiness, while still being extremely affordable. They appear to be quite an international chain with even a store in Hawaii!
If you’ve read my blog for a while now, you’ll probably know that I’m quite passionate about Japanese noodles. While the anchovy-based Korean udon broth is all fine and dandy, I’m more accustomed to the katsuo-based Japanese broth. To me, it’s much bolder and cleaner (read as “not fishy”) tasting and also compliments the noodles much better. Places I’ve tried have been more or less satisfactory, but with Marukame I finally found what I’ve been looking for.
Continue reading “Seoul Cheap Eats: 마루가메 제면 (Marukame Japanese Udon)”
Restaurants in Seoul: 옹다래찜닭 (Ongdarae Braised Chicken)
One of my favorite Korean meals is a sweet soy sauce braised chicken dish called Jjimdak. Jjimdak is perfect for those not keen on Korea’s ubiquitous spicy food, but still want to have a delicious Korean meal. The minimum order is quite large, so it’s best to eat with at least one friend. I was pretty excited when my friend treated me to a nice braised chicken(Jjimdak) dinner at Ongdare, as it looked like a good chain capable of serving it. Continue reading “Restaurants in Seoul: 옹다래찜닭 (Ongdarae Braised Chicken)”
Restaurants in Hongdae: N Thai (엔타이)
Looking around for something different to eat around the ubiquitous Hongdae (홍대) area, I stumbled across N Thai (엔타이), who enticed me with their lunch specials. I never tried Thai food in Korea, so I figured it was about time to see how it was served in another country. It’s usually fairly rare to see a Thai restaurant, but the lunch deal seemed too good to pass up. You can access it easily by going out of exit 9 of Hongdae Station (홍대입구역) and going into the building right on the left. Continue reading “Restaurants in Hongdae: N Thai (엔타이)”
Seoul Cheap Eats: 미정국수 0410 (Mijeong Guksu 0410)
Looking to grab a late night snack Korean style? Look no further than 미정국수(Mijeong Guksu)0410. Why the awkward name? Perhaps this place is so popular that there are at least 410 chains? I have no idea, but what I am sure about is that this place serves delicious noodles on the cheap 24 hours a day. This place is the go-to restaurant for everyone, anytime, unless you have a gluten allergy of course. I’ve always wanted to share these type of noodle shops as I’ve been a regular to a similar restaurant 5 years ago. There are TONS of chains, but I’ll be talking particularly about the Hongdae location (홍대점). Continue reading “Seoul Cheap Eats: 미정국수 0410 (Mijeong Guksu 0410)”
Restaurants in Hongdae: 벽돌집 (Byeok Dol Jib)
Those looking to treat themselves to some Korean bbq beef can check out 벽돌집 (Byeok Dol Jib), located near the famous Hongdae playground. Some of my friends were craving beef, so we decided to treat ourselves to the marbled variety of beef, similar to the ubiquitous Kobe beef. It’s quite rare to find this kind of beef, so i was definitely feeling hyped up for this delicacy. Continue reading “Restaurants in Hongdae: 벽돌집 (Byeok Dol Jib)”
Restaurants in Seoul: 궁 삼계탕 (Goong Samgyetang)
With this hot and humid weather in August, we decided to treat ourselves to some samgyetang (삼계탕), or ginseng chicken soup. I’ve never had it before and to be honest the sound of ginseng flavored soup was quite a turn off as I really hated herbs such as ginger or ginseng.
However, many Koreans swear by it and say it provides vitality during such extreme weather, so I decided to give it a try at a place called 궁 삼계탕 (Goong Samgyetang). The “goong” has a royal connotation, so it meant something to the extent of “Royal Samgyetang”. Continue reading “Restaurants in Seoul: 궁 삼계탕 (Goong Samgyetang)”
2015 Sinchon Water Gun Festival (물총축제)
Looking for some good summer fun? Check out the Sinchon Water Gun Festival taking over the main road! Just head out of exit 2 from Sinchon Station (신촌역)! Even if you don’t have a water gun, you can buy one easily from vendors at the station or on the street! Today is the last day of the festival, so don’t miss out if you have a free Sunday! Continue reading “2015 Sinchon Water Gun Festival (물총축제)”
Seoul Cheap Eats: 돈텐동식당 (Japanese Noodles and Rice Bowls)
I have a real weakness for Japanese soup noodles, so it’s not surprising that 돈텐동식당 (Dontendong Shikdang) caught my attention the moment I laid eyes on it. They have a pretty unpretentious looking storefront, resembling one of those locally owned noodle shops in Japan that I’ve always fantasized about going to since my high school days. Somewhat disappointingly, they’re actually a small franchise, but at least the price seemed reasonable and the pictures outside looked tempting. When I met my friend in Sinchon (신촌) to eat lunch, I knew I had to take the opportunity to finally check it out! Continue reading “Seoul Cheap Eats: 돈텐동식당 (Japanese Noodles and Rice Bowls)”
Seoul Cheap Eats: 자연밥상 (Korean Buffet Restaurant)
If you’re looking to chow down on unnecessarily large amounts of food on the cheap, try out this Korean buffet, “자연밥상”. 자연밥상 (pronounced “jayeon babsang”) translates something to the notion of “natural meal”, which is somewhat ironic as there’s nothing natural about consuming food to the point your stomach can burst! The main selling point is their 6000 won lunch special, with dinner costing 9000 won. This review is only covering their lunch offering. Continue reading “Seoul Cheap Eats: 자연밥상 (Korean Buffet Restaurant)”
Finding the Seoul 