hi guyss, now i want to tell you about kwangjang market in korea. i want to repost some info that i get today so, let's read this !!! ^^


You will be greeted with a nice buzz as you enter the market, wonderful aromas lingers in the air emitting from small food stalls neatly placed in the center aisle of the market stretching from one end to the other.
The market is separated into sections, namely cooked food, raw and dried food (ingredients), clothes (Hanbok – traditional Korean attire), shoes, household wares, etc. You may enter from any of the entrances, depending on which areas you choose to begin your exploration.
I naturally went straight for the much raved-about Bindaetteok. It is a savory pancake made from freshly-grind mung beans, mixed with bean sprouts, scallions and ground pork. Mmmmm… crispy, savory and oh so delicious!

There are many many stalls selling the same signature Bindaetteok, so I made my choice based on my gut feel, sense of smell and the length of the queue… heh heh heh. I was totally not disappointed AT ALL. :)
The pancakes may be a tad unhealthy since they are pan fried in sizzling oil but they are so amazingly crispy, with bags of flavor. I recommend this stall with the unmistakable signboard of a cartoon girl with a frying ladle. This stall is very close to Exit 8 if I’m not wrong. I tried another stall in the middle of the market and it wasn’t as crispy.

Right in the middle of the food area, lies this stall specializing in Mayak Gimbap, which literally means “drug gimbap,” simply because they are absolutely addictive! It is like a sushi roll made with Korean seaweed, rice, pickled radish and carrot, drizzled with fragrant sesame oil (drools!). I can easily devour the entire packet of the bite-sized bundles of joy, even without using the dipping sauce made from mustard and soy sauce. This stall is recently featured in the popular variety show, Running Man episode 186 with CNBlue.

There are many other food vendors selling Bibimbap (rice mixed with meat, vegetables, an egg, and chili pepper paste, usually served in a stone bowl), Sundae (Korean-style black pudding), Japchae (stir-fried sweet potato cellophane noodles), Pat Jook (sweet dessert porridge), Jokbal (stewed pig trotters in soy sauce), Mandu (dumplings wrapped with veg/meat/kimchi), sashimi, and many more. You will have more than enough options to fill your stomach.

After leaving the cooked food section, it is good to walk off the full tummy by exploring the wet market. The vendors sell a variety of raw fish, meat and vegetables, as well as a huge selection of marinated items. Customized Hanbok and Ibaji food (traditional wedding foodstuff) can be found on the second floor above the wet market. There are many cute Hanbok dresses for little children!
You can get there via Subway:

• Jongno 5-ga station (line 1), exit 8, 9 or 10 (you can enter from either)
• Eujiro 5-ga station (line 2,4), exit 4

Operating Hours: 10am to 6pm except Sunday (shops), but the foodstalls should be open till late daily.
I prefer to start the day by having a meal at the market, then either make my way to Cheonggyecheon Stream or Dongdaemun.
Namdaemun
The Namdaemun Market is known for good bargains on local clothing, stationery and of cos food. It is the place to find those transparent food tents where the Ajummas (meaning Aunties) cook up a storm of spicy intestines, seafood pancakes, etc. The same Bindaetteok pancakes has an outlet here too, but the most amazing loot I found here is this street stall selling the famous Korean Hotteok!

I have tasted the much acclaimed Hotteok (brown sugar syrup filled pancake) at Insadong and found that while it’s tasty, it was a tad too sugary. But these ones here at Namdaemun, they offer 2 types of fillings – a vegetable + glass noodles one and a brown sugar version. The outer skin is not overly thick and not oily, while the fillings are oh-so-awesome! The brown sugar version is not sickly sweet and I could eat 2-3 of the savory one. It’s obvious that I’m not the only one who feels this way, as the queue for these hotteoks snaked all around the make-shift stall to the roadside and back again. Be prepared to queue for more than 30mins -_-

Don’t miss this stall if you are visiting Namdaemun in the day, the stall is beside the Gate 2 pillar.
Another popular and very common street food that you will see all over the city and suburbs are Odeng (Skewered Fish Cakes in hot soup), Kimbap (Seaweed rolls with pickled carrots and cucumber) and Ddeokbokki/Tteokbokki/Topokki (Spicy Rice Cakes). We had a good amount of Odeng in Seoul and tried at least one stick per location everyday… heh  :)


Hongdae
Hongdae is an area in front of the Hongik University, and as such, frequented by the young student crowds. There are loads of restaurants, quaint cafes as well as shops. I went to Hongdae in search of a Dog Cafe and 3 restaurants. :)
There are many cafes within Hongdae, I recommend an afternoon here, perhaps have an early lunch, then walking around and having a cuppa at whichever cafe that strikes your fancy, then do some shopping before settling for dinner. It’s a big area but you do not need to worry about being lost, look out for volunteers in red vests with the Information logo who speaks English, Japanese and Mandarin. There’s a Tourist Info booth in the centre of Hongdae as well as printed maps to help you get around. The popular Hello Kitty Cafe is here as well, but I went to the Sunnyne Dog Cafe instead. :P

From Hongik University Station, take Exit 8 or 9. The café is situated on the higher level of a building on your left so you’ll have to look up for their yellow signboard. A good marker will be to spot the red & white ‘Octopus’ restaurant signboard directly opposite the café (shown in pic above). When you reached the café, you will probably hear the loud barkings of the doggies inside as they know of your arrival :). Walk through the wooden door and take a seat at the chairs provided near the entrance, let the doggies sniff you while saying hello. Choose your table and let them sit with you.
If you love dogs, you have to come here. It’s especially nice for me as I couldn’t have a dog as a pet in my family. The hosts will pick and choose who they wanna sit with, at my table, we have two cute little ones, a sleepy but feisty Maltese who basically took over my friend’s jacket as his bed, and another darling who just sat by my side throughout my stay, without moving at all. The resident Golden Retriever enjoys bringing & collecting the tab from the patrons when they are ready to leave. He will swagger over with the bill holder in his mouth and sits impatiently for you to pay up. So adorable!
Do note that it is compulsory to order a drink (and it is on the high side for a non-alcoholic drink) but the money goes to caring for the dogs so it’s totally alright by me. We spent a few hours just holding, petting and being with the doggies, so so nice… Dogs are truly our best friends. :)
Opening hours: 10am – 10pm. If you can read Korean, you can find out more from their blogsite.

As you walk back towards the main Hongdae streets, you will pass the Tourist Information booth and you can grab a map there if you wish. But you can use my ugly make-shift one below LOLz.
The next thing I ate was the Se7en Yeolbong Chicken. There are many versions of the Korean Spicy Stewed Chicken known as the Andong Chicken or Andong Jjimdak, but the ingredients are mostly similar – chicken, potatoes, carrots, scallions, rice cakes and thick glass noodles fully infused with the sauce. I chose the Yeolbong version as it has a non-spicy variation for my betterment of my tummy. :p
Se7en is the stage-name of a popular Korean pop singer, Choi Dong-wook, and he owns a few branches of the Yeolbong Chicken in Seoul. You can easily spot the restaurant by the cartoon logo of a chicken hugging a chilli or the 3D chicken sitting atop the building. :)
Though I did not come here as his fan, I did enjoyed my meal becos the chicken was tender and well-seasoned, and the vegetables have soaked up all the goodness in the sauce. You can choose to add the bite-sized rice rolled in seaweed or rice to absorb all the sauce as your carbs intake, but I was satisfied with just the chicken. Yummy!

I am a big fan of the Korean variety programme – Running Man, hence since I’m at Hongdae, I must visit Haha’s Pal Ja Mak Chang Restaurant. :)
 There are several blogs with excellent directions to his restaurant and it is definitely easier to locate with the SangSangMadang building as a landmark (marked as SS in my map below and the grey building in the photo above on the right). Here’s my attempt to take photos of the SS building as well as the restaurant signboard with my shivering hands. Please pardon the lousy resolution of the photos ya?
From Se7en’s restaurant, simply walk down straight till you reach a cross-junction, you will be able to see SangSangMadang on your right, turn right and walk up along the building, at the traffic light you should be able to see Haha’s signboard across the road. 
Like Kang Gary’s restaurant in Gangnam, they specialize in Pal Ja Mak Chang (BBQ pig intestines). Rumor has it that Haha visits his restaurant more often and usually late at night so we had a coffee at a cafe opposite the restaurant (free wifi!!) before heading over after 10pm. Luck wasn’t on our side that night tho… heh.

You can ask for their oversized bag to keep your jackets to reduce the smell left on your clothes but to me, it doesn’t really help. For those who are icky about eating intestines, their versions are well-cleaned and has no smell at all. It may look a bit gross uncooked and uncut at first, but after a decent amount of time on the grill, the cut intestines are crispy with no squishy insides! I liked them very much, it’s just that I’m still full from the previous meals else I would try their famous lunch box. :)
Also, the pork rinds (square red pieces in the photo) were disappointing as they were not what I have expected. I was hoping for crispy cracklings instead of chewy bits. The staff are no longer wearing tee shirts with Running Man tags behind them :(
Here’s my scribbly map: Follow the highlighted paths :P

As you can see, I have indicated the locations of the Hello Kitty Cafe (short walk up a small path) and Charlie Brown Cafe for any fans out there. There are many quaint and interesting cafes within Hongdae so it is worth spending a day here if you like immersing yourself in the local atmosphere. You can also visit the Trickeye Museum, I will not elaborate on this as I’m waiting for my nephew/niece to write about their experiences in a guest blog post.
We visited Hongdae again on a different day, and this time for a meat-galore BBQ buffet, suitable for the budget-conscious! Lunch at 9,900won per person, and 10,900won after 5pm (drinks are at additional charge). However they are pretty strict about wastage of food so beware. You will be charged 2,000won per 100g of leftovers. 

Meat-ing is the name of the food chain, it’s a wordplay on friends enjoy ‘meeting’ socially for a good BBQ. There is a good selection of meats for grilling, with some cooked food as well. I couldn’t resist ordering a bottle of Korean Soju as it completes my meal *rubs tummy with a smile**
Jamsil – Handmade JaJang Myeon (Wheat noodles in dark meat sauce)
Jajangmyeon is one of the commonly known Korean food in addition to Bibimbap. When I was researching for a good restaurant around Jamsil Station since I will be at Lotte World, I chanced upon a review on this restaurant. We decided to try it out as the handmade version should differ vastly from the factory-processed ones.

The noodles are really good, it reminded me of a Chinese dish of chicken cooked in dark soya sauce with potatoes. This will be good for those who are still adjusting to Korean cuisine and yearns for some familiar tastes. We also ordered the soupy noodles with clams as we could tell that they are famous for the molluscs. Kimchi are free flow but other side dishes are chargeable.
If you want to visit this restaurant, take note of the following directions:

From Jamsil Subway Station, take Exit 3 and walk straight down towards the scenic lakes all the way to the end. You will pass a huge raccoon mascot statue of Lotte World along the way before you reach the lakes. Glance over to the right for a view of the outdoor Lotte Castle and amusement park. Cross the road at the end and the restaurant is right in front of you. Here’s an aerial view with my embedded arrows:


I went during winter so the lakes are semi-frozen… kinda romantic actually. Really pretty… especially when the air is crisp and cold on my face, good for a nice stroll before some hot food. Many people are walking or jogging around the lakes, and there are ducks and swans cruising in them too. :)

This is what the shop front looks like, give it a shot and I hope you like the noodles like I did. :)
Garosugil (Sinsa-dong)
This trendy tree-lined street is like a hip area with cafes, restaurants, ateliers, boutique shops (local designers) as well as large fashion chains in the likes of Forever 21 and Zara in large multi-storey shop space. There are a few eateries around Garosugil that I am recommending instead of the ones within.
Yum Thai (#01 on the map)

Yum Thai is a hidden gem with amazing deep-fried chicken wings! They also do a great job with the spicy beef salad and beef noodle soup. Sinsa Station Exit 1, walk straight down to directly opposite the Garosugil Street, before Yongdong Hotel.

Sannakji – Live Octopuses (#02 on the map)
This area has several restaurants with live baby octopuses in their tanks, served to their customers chopped up but still very much alive. I have not tried them personally but friends shared that it is an experience to have tentacles stuck to the roof of your mouth and throat…
Galbi-jjim (#03 on the map)
This restaurant known as Gangnam Myeonok that sells Spicy Braised Beef Ribs is really tough to locate. Even with a GPS, we had a hard time finding the store, so prep yourself and be eagle-eyed. Their full address is: 588-9, Sinsa-dong, Seoul, South Korea. Tel: 02-3446-5539.

The beef ribs are definitely tender and falling off the bones, however the sauce is a bit sweet. The portions for a small serving is enough for 2-4 people depending on whether you are adding rice to leftover sauce as a stir-fry. It is not cheap though, but because I’ve read several reviews on it, we were determined to search for the place. Thanks to my friend who was patient and sweet about the long walk. We ordered the small ribs and a Mandu (meat dumpling) soup.
Actually, we could have done without the soup given that a complimentary clear soup with green onions comes with the ribs. A pair of tongs and scissors were also provided with the ribs. We spied on the locals to check the correct way of using them – Hold the rib meat with the tongs and use the scissors to snip along the bone, then cut into smaller pieces. Once everything is chopped up and the bones are placed in another bowl, everyone can proceed to enjoy the meat in the sauce. After most of the meat are consumed, order a portion of white rice and the staff will mix the sauce with the rice and cook it over the stove to make the rice hot and crisp.
Raw Marinated Crabs in Soy or Spicy sauce (#04 on the map)
Sinsa-dong houses a ganjang gejang alley full for shop specializing in this local delicacy. Perhaps the most well-known is the Pro Soy Crab 프로간장게장.
Kkanbu Fried Chicken (#05 on the map)
Unfortunately I lost my photos for this awesome fried chicken but I had a really delicious Caesar Chicken Salad and Deep-fried Crispy Chicken here at Kkanbu. You can check out the mouth-watering pictures on their official website.
Korean Sweet Cakes as Souvenirs (#06 on the map)

This store is just next to the Krispy Kreme shop :). Their mini heart-shaped chocolate cake is soooo good!
Viet Pho and Mandu Store (#07 on the map)

These two shops are right next to each other and if you are looking for something simple, it’s not bad of a choice :). I personally think that the Pho is smoother and softer at the shop (2nd Floor) near the Garosugil street entrance, opposite Yum Thai.
Myeongdong 
I’ll begin the Myeongdong food recommendations with their tourist map. The places are marked with Green Stars but the streets are filled with vendors selling all kinds of goodness. :) My advice is to just go on an empty (but strong) stomach and share the street food with your friends. Trust me, they taste better this way. :p

You may have read about Myeongdong Kyoja and wonder if they are really as good as reviewed. Well, I can say they are decent when you are in need of a hot soup. It feels very much like a Hong Kong Cha Chan Teng in there, everything is rushed, you are being ushered into sharing tables and pressured into making your decisions quickly. Tourists usually order the same items – the steamed dumplings and the dunplings noodles in soup anyway. If you wanna try something different, take a photo of their picture menu outside and point to it when ordering.

There are 2 outlets within Myeongdong itself (#19 & 35 on the map).
If you are in the mood for some quality but expensive Abalone & Pine mushroom porridge (Korean Style), you can try Migabon (listed as #01 in green). It is located opposite Royal Hotel at the far end of the street after the #19 Myeongdong Kyoja shop. At the intersection, spot Bulbolgi Brothers, CitiBank and then look opposite. It’s on the 2nd Floor. To be fair, the portions are pretty big so 2 can probably share (approx. 15,000won per bowl).

The Korean BBQ restaurant that I always go to in Myeongdong (listed as #02 in green on the map) is both affordable and nice, they even serve a spicy ganjang gejang (marinated crabs) as banchan (appetizers). Pair your grilled meat with some Makgeolli (milky white rice wine served in a ceramic pot and ladle)! Ahhh…

I have marked out #03 in green on the map as a place for Korean Army Stew (Budae Jjigae). Nolboo is a chain of restaurants serving this popular dish. The one at Myeongdong is on the 2nd floor so look out for this signboard above.

The streets are filled with food vendors everywhere in Myeongdong, so here’s a collage of what you can find there:


Let me share a few of my favorite things while in Myeongdong – Manjoo Hana (hot custard-filled bite-sized donuts) and Grilled Chicken Skewers!

These little morsels of heaven are so comforting on a chilly winter day :). This Manjoo Hana store is located near the Exit 6 of Myeongdong Subway station.
I also like to buy instant noodles and snacks from their local convenience stalls.

If Korean Fried chicken with different flavors such as garlic, spicy, onions etc are your thing, I have heard good feedback about Two Two Chicken. But there are so many fried chicken stores in Myeongdong that will blow your mind and waistline. :)

To end this post off, we shall look at the popular franchises and what you can find at the airport.

Lotteria is the Korean fast food chain with mozzarella sticks as fries. It’s alright, cos with the abundance of food options, I’ll only eat this if I have to :P
KFC tastes much better than the ones in Singapore, but still nowhere as good as Australia and Malaysia. But they do serve thick hashbrowns which is a big +1 in my books. :)
In Seoul, you will see many a Paris Baguette, Twosome Cafes, Mango Six, Tom N Toms Coffee, Holly’s Coffee, Caffe Bene, just to name a few. They are worth a visit as their menu tailors to local tastebuds and you will find nice surprises like a Sweet Potato latte for example. :)

As you are departing Seoul, optimize your transit waiting time to check out the Charlie Brown Cafe or the Hello Kitty Cafe within Incheon International Airport. As for me, I will always crave for the Kraze Burgers chilli fries :)

I hope that this post can help you in making the most of your holiday experience in Seoul. Have fun eating!

Source : cellybelly.me