Seoul, S. Korea

Time of Travel: July. If I were to return I would probably visit in either Fall or Spring. It’s no secret that I largely travel to eat and many Korean dishes revolve around spicy broths and stews – personally would have loved to have this during a crisp day (there was no room for adding any heat to my body temp this past summer)!

Things to Know – love how this section is longer than usual because Korea is so culturally distinct. Going to unfamiliar places makes the long journeys worth while!

Seoul is large and you’ll want to see things in all opposite corners of the city. The subway systems are clean and very operational and if you don’t want to sit around in stop and go traffic you’ll want to use them. Major note – Google Maps is not fully functional here. I live and breathe by my maps so this was an adjustment. You can search places on google maps but the navigation feature is disabled. When we did use cabs that wanted directions, we used Waze to help explain/show drivers where we’re going. You can still see where you are located on the map but you wont be given a breakdown of which turns to make where. South Korea keeps their coordinates under wraps.

We stayed in an Airbnb in Hongdae . This area is very young, with tons of shops, bars, vendors and restaurants. It’s described as the hipster part of town and I’d have to agree. We went out in Itaewon and did some dining there as well – this is where many expats live so it caters to tourists more than other areas. We did dinner and a night out in Gangham, there’s more high end shopping here and it seems to be where a lot of people work.

If you do stay in an Airbnb, don’t be surprised to find that the bathroom toilet and showers are all in one room without shower or tub definition. If it’s behind the bathroom door, it’s fair game to get wet – most places will provide waterproof slippers to wear.

My extent of Korean language is counting to 20 (learned that in my years of taking Taekwondo, yaaaa i’m a black belt NBD) and now, thank you – “Gham-Sah-Ni-Da” – I used this all the time, and I think the effort was appreciated.

Seoul is a hive of activity that preserves it’s ancient buildings and traditions while celebrating modern architecture and unique cultural phenomenons (i.e., K Pop, fashion and beauty trends). Seoul feels like organized chaos, much like the inside of my brain. The dichotomy of the old and the new has kind of exploded all over the city and melded into one. The four days I spent in Seoul feels like a sped up montage of bright neon lights, spicy food, sochu, temples, beer, sochu, vendors, laughter, sweat and finally more beer and sochu. Here’s my list:

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B.A.LOCAL with ESKIMOVES

Gwangjang Market – My favorite eating experience in Seoul that brought out my complete inability to focus on one thing at one time with all the delicious options around me! The Netflix noodle lady aka stall #70 lived up to it’s hype and were the best noodles I have EVER had. Yukhoe is Korean style beef tar tar. Ours was served up with egg and sliced pear. These are located at restaurants behind the stalls down the “Yukhoe Alley”.

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Maple Tree House – Some say this is a bit of a tourist trap but I thought they had very high quality Korean BBQ and their smoke ventilation was great which helped us not smell so meaty when going out afterwards. The vibe is very busy and fun inside. Good dinner option before you hit the bars/clubs in itaewon.

Hongdae Dakgalbi – This is a popular local spot serving up a rice cake, meat, onion, scallion medley on a hot plate at your table. You can make your own mix of what you want to put into your Dakgalbi – I saw a lot of people adding cheese. Next time:)

Ah Ganjang Gejang – During my research of what I want to try in Seoul that I could not get a version of in any Ktown in the US, I came across Ganjang Gejan. The dish is fresh raw crab marinated in a mild soy sauce brine. This dish is very authentic and I had never heard of it before, maybe because it’s tough to make. Let’s put it this way, if you fall into the uni lover category you will love this dish. The owner of Ah Ganjang Gejang was surprised to see us come and sit cross legged on the ground and made sure we tried all three different crab varieties and ate it the correct way. Don’t miss out on the rice dish you’re supposed to make with the juice left in the shell!

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Noryangjin Fisheries – The fish market! Always a stinky treat where one can obviously get great wholesale prices and try some fresh fish dishes.

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Gaesung Mandu Koo – I heard this spot has some of the best dumplings in Seoul. It was randomly closed the day I went unfortunately. It’s conveniently located between the two palaces in the North.

Korean Kimchi Class – I grew up with a “stinky fridge” in my house which is the home to a variety of Kimchis. Kimchi is fermented versions of all types of vegetables, meats or fishes, and often times cabbage and radish – hence the funky smell. Making Kimchi through Airbnb Experiences was a really fun break to the touristy stuff and eating out at restaurants.

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Woolaeoak – Although I was in Seoul during a heat wave I didn’t manage to try cold noodles. This is a Korean speciality and apparently Woolaekoak is the best at it. This blog has a pretty good breakdown of why it’s so great.

Casa Corona Seoul Rooftop – A friend of a friend of a friend who’s a local told me this is a really fun spot for drinks!

Faust – Club where you can experience Seouls’ underground electronic scene.

Fountain -3 story club/bar with dancing and all kinds of games. We discovered a game we called “slappy slap” here that is the most fun ever and needs to be brought to America.

B.A.TOURIST with ESKIMOVES

Korean Baseball Game – A friend of mine who lived in Seoul told me that this is something I must experience. I didn’t know that baseball was so big in Korea! It was such a blast. Buy tickets and see each team do their designated cheers for all the players and get some stadium food. We arbitrarily chose the Twins and indulged in massive beers and fried chicken.

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Changdeokgung Palace – UNESCO world heritage site and home to the secret garden. Make sure if you want to see the secret garden to go get tickets as there is often a time slot that would allow for you to see the rest of the palace while you wait. The secret garden can only be accessed via a 90 minute guided walking tour. One of the many draws of this palace is that the architecture is built to blend in with the nature surrounding it.

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Bukchon Hanok Village – Nestled in between the two main palaces, this historical village dates back 600 years and showcases traditional Korean housing.

Gyeongbokgung Palace – The main and largest palaces of the 5 Grand Palaces. I didn’t have time to visit this but I would suggest seeing it during the changing of the guards, happening every hour 11-3. Palace is closed Tuesdays. This palace is considered to be the grandest and most beautiful but has more new buildings.

Dragon Hill Spa – If you are looking for a Korean Spa day I heard this one is very good!

Gyeongui Line Forest Park – This was one of my favorite activities in Seoul. Take a stroll starting in Hongdae down the line which was once a railroad track. Along the track there are charming reading nooks, remnants of the railroad track turned into art and outdoor exercise parks. Great way to get a sense for local culture!

GIFT IDEAS by ESKIMOVES

Masks, mask and more MASKS. I am forever grateful for finding the company Nature’s Republic which is located in most of the subway shopping centers. I came back with snail face cream for all my friends which has now resulted in an issue because we want more and they’re sold out everywhere! They also sell this brand in the airport in the duty free section. In addition I bought snail masks, feet masks, hand masks – all the things! No one will complain about receiving Korean beauty products. There’s also a store called Iamjoy in Hongdae that sells a ton of adorable cheap jewelry!