How was the first part? 

Did it look tempting enough? :d

Bear a lil bit more, cause the part 2 is here! *YEEEEY *cheering sound effect : on

This time the recommendation comes in the "MEALS" category, which portions are big enough to make you full, usually served with rice or noodle (read: ramyeon), suitable for lunch or dinner and best eaten with friends. Yes, note plural form of "friends" here. 

We found that the servings of the meal in South Korea were quite big for us. And there's a common unspoken courtesy which is to order based on the number of people present. So, as an example, like for the four of us, it would be slightly impolite if we order only two meals (or at least one big meal with serving enough for only two people). The thing is, the portion itself is too big for us, that ordering one meal per person would be too much.

A lot of time, we were looking at each other whenever we were about to make an order in the restaurants, sneakingly asking one another (in foreign language) whether we would be able to finish them or not, yet we were also afraid that it would make bad impression to the waiter or waitress to order only a few. (I often wonder, how could the Korean eat so much, yet appear so slim most of the time??? Maybe I should live there, and see whether I can do it too? Hmmm) 

So the TIPS is, bring more friends so that they can help you finish the meal, haha, and when you have company, lunch and dinner won't feel that lonely anymore, 'ait? LOL

Attention: This tips only works for those who can't finish one portion of meal alone, but if you think you are capable of doing that, why not? :)

Should we get started?

or Korean Spicy Stir-Fried Chicken

As the name suggests, it's diced chicken marinated in gochujang (Korean chili pepper paste) sauce stir-fried in a large iron pan with sweet potatoes, cabbage, tteok (ricecake), onions, scallions and perilla leaves. I put it in the top of the list, cause I really don't want you to miss it out! This is definitely a must in Korea. 

A week before our flight to Seoul, I met an American foreigner, who happened to be in Medan, (thru my friend's Couchsurfing), and he was an English teacher in Seoul for a year. I asked him, "What is the very top "must-eat" in Korea?" His only answer was "Dak-Galbi!" He strongly recommended it to me, saying that I should really have a try, and that it's easy to find anywhere in Seoul. 

I was a bit skeptical at first, haha, since he's Western, and we're Eastern, we might not have the same preference after all. But turns out, it is indeed qualified for the title "DIE-DIE-MUST-EAT" !

The serving below was actually for two people, we thought we wouldn't finish it if we order too much, but it was so GOOD, that we wanted more and more, even ended it with stir-fried rice over the remaining sauce. It's lip-licking GOOD! 

If you notice from the photo above, there's an empty spot encircling the main pan, it is for mozzarella cheese, guys! Check the cut below taken from the day 3's vlog! We were so busy digging in that we didn't take photos of it anymore once it's ready to serve :D 

Price: Dakgalbi for two + fried rice, total KRW 22,500 

Where to find:

Yoogane (Busan) - the one we tried and highly recommend

10, Yongso-ro 13 beon-Gil, Busan, South Korea

It also has a lot of outlets all over Seoul, that it won't be difficult at all to find them. It even has two outlets in Myeongdong: 

a. 3-1 Myeong-dong 2-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul

Directions: Take Subway Line 4 to Myeong-dong Station (Exit 8). Make a left and continue for 250 meters to reach the restaurant on the right.

b. 13, Myeongdong 10-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul 04537, South Korea 

(which is said to be located just down the street from one another)

If you are a Korean drama or Korean variety show fans, I'm pretty sure you have ever heard at least two of the names below: 

Jajangmyeon or Black Bean Sauces Noodle, basically a noodle dish topped with a thick black sauce made of chunjang (춘장, a salty black soybean paste), seafood (the most common version is served with diced pork), and vegetables. This dish has a sweet salty taste, the kind that can make you feel full easily. So, if you are eating alone, make sure not to order too much. Price: KRW 7,000

Another tips: After eating, always wipe your mouth and check again in the mirror as the black sauce can mess up your face, especially when you ate with a lot of eagerness. XD
Jjampong or Korean Spicy Seafood Noodle Soup, is another noodle dish served with red spicy broth flavored with gochutgaru (chili powder) and squid, mussels, onions, garlic, cabbage, carrot and Korean zucchini. Honestly, I like this one better than Jajangmyeon, as Jajangmyeon can be too sweet after several bites, but Jjampong has this refreshing spicy kinda taste, and the soup is also not as thick as Jajangmyeon, which makes me keep scooping for more. Price : KRW 8,000

Dwaeji Tangsuyuk or Sweet Sour Pork, which is crispy fried pork (variations with beef or chicken is also available) coated with thick sweet and sour sauce, added with some slices of carrots, cucumber, pineapple, onions and some green beans. This is also another favorite of mine! In Indonesia, especially Medan, we have the same dish too, with the same name, also served in Chinese-themed restaurant, but served with fish. And turns out, the sauce goes well with simply anything. :d Price: KRW 18,000

Danmuji or (Yellow) Korean Pickled Radish, is a big favorite of us. This is a "must" side dish besides kimchi in almost all Korean restaurants. It has this addictive sweet, fresh, a bit sour taste and on top of it all, the crunchiness, hmmm so yummy!! Sometimes, when we had finished our meals, we could even stay in the restaurant just to have more danmuji for snacking to accompany our chitchat.
Where to find: Any Chinese restaurant in sight. Price: KRW 0 aka FREE! :D
The one we had was at the Chinese Restaurant next to the entrance of Haedong Yeonggu Temple, as mentioned in day 3's travel diary. 

Jjimdak or Korean Braised Chicken, as the name comes from Jjim 찜 (braised or steamed) and Dak  닭(chicken). It is bite-sized chicken marinated in a flavorful mixture of ganjang (Korean soy sauce), oyster sauce, rice wine with various of vegetables and glass noodle. There are several versions of Jjimdak depending on the region it comes from and the ingredients used, but the most famous one is the Andong Jjimdak.
We couldn't find the famous Yeolbong Jjimdak outlet in the Hongdae area, so we decided to look for "Wicked Jjimdak" which was recommended by the patrolling Tourist Information Assistant.
"Wicked Jjimdak" actually serves a more modern version of Jjimdak, that has thicker gravy with additional cheese and mayonnaise as modification, which in fact tasted quite good too. It has this tasteful combination of sweet, savory and a bit of spicy flavor to it, with the soft glass noodle and chicken, it easily became one of our favorites. :d

Just like Yoogane, we can also order a bowl of seasoned rice (with seaweed, some spices, and corn) which smells so good and tastes even better when mixed with the remaining gravy on the plate. :d:d *drooling 

Price: total KRW 35,000

1 portion of Jjimdak - KRW 31,000 (enough for four of us)

2 bowls of rice - @KRW 2,000

Where to find:

마녀찜닭  Wicked Jjimdak (Hongdae) 

364-16 Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea   +82 2-3144-3899

or maybe try some other recommendations from the internet as listed below:

봉추찜닭 Bongchu Jjimdak (Hongdae)

namely Korean dumpling, or Gyoza in Japanese or Jiaozi in Chinese, is minced meat and chopped green onion fillings wrapped into a thin rolled piece of dough. There are steamed, fried and grilled versions of Mandu. But the best one, (based on my personal opinion), is still the steamed one, especially the sensation when it pops in your mouth when you bite it, right at the moment when the scrumptious warm juicy ground meat melt onto your tongue, it's just like you are bombarded with a burst of flavors which are sooooo heartwarming. 

The best place to have the authentic taste of Korean dumpling in Seoul will be this very one place called Myeongdong Kyoja, also specializing in handmande Kalguksu or noodle soup. The Kalguksu itself is super delicious with the rich broth, and texture-perfect noodle. Both the soup and the mandu are killers! Must-try! 

Tips: The queue can be quite long, but the service is also fast, so you'll get a table pretty soon, but we're also expected to eat fast too as to give way to the next customers. 

Mandu (10 pcs) - KRW 10,000

Kalguksu - KRW 8,000

Well, I first planned to fit everything in one single post, but after some consideration, I think it would be too long for a blog entry, sooo I decided to divide the "Meals" category into another two parts. Really sorry guys, that it took quite a while now and I promise to finish the final part real soon. So, stay with me, for more recommendations? :)

And since it's still 31st October, HAPPEE HALLOWEEN GUYSSSSS! *pumpkin*
It's really spooky working on your own blog about all these foods in the middle of the night and you heard your stomach GROWLING! XD 

xoxo