In Seoul, we pressed pause on backpacking and spent a few luxurious days enjoying the Korean hospitality. We ate, drank, and indulged… and then ate some more! 

One of our favourite things about visiting a new place is sampling the local cuisine and in Seoul we were lucky to have our very own foodie tour guide, Hanse! This had meant that we ate a variety of delicious local foods which we otherwise may not have tried (in most restaurants we were the only foreigners). It also provided us the opportunity to learn more about Korean customs and traditions (for example, when pouring a drink for an elder as a sign of respect turn the label away from them and pour with 2 hands. If you are younger always use two hands when receiving the drink and never pour your own drink).

One of the highlights was a visit to Noryangjin fish market which is a huge wholesale and retail seafood market with rows upon rows of fish (swimming in fish tanks), crabs, prawns, oysters, squid and many other delicacies.  The idea is that you buy your food and then eat it in one of the little restaurants located right above the market. 

Our awesome Korean hosts (Hanse and parents) picked out fresh fish, squid and crab for us. One of the fish was filleted and cut into sashimi right in front of our eyes whilst the other was cooked in the restaurant upstairs. The Korean way of eating sashimi is dipping the fish in soy/wasabi and then wrapping it in lettuce or perilla leaves adding garlic, chilli and/or bean paste. Another Korean favourite is raw octopus. The octopus is cut into small pieces whilst still alive and served immediately with a side of sesame oil. The pieces are still squirming when the dish is served… a little scary especially when you try to pick up a piece and it has sucked onto your plate.  

The meal was of course accompanied by Soju, a local spirit which we consumed on quite a few occassions during our stay! Another usual meal accompaniment is kimchi, although it was not served with our seafood feast, it made an appearance with most of our other meals along with other cute little garnishes such as pickled radishes and vegetables! Delicious! 

Another special dinner was at Hanse’s friend’s place. Mina and her husband and children were very welcoming and we were treated to an amazing home cooked feast. Thank you! 

Enough about food! Seoul itself is a vast ultra modern city with skyscrapers, bright city lights, and many people. After a couple of weeks in small and secluded villages and beaches in the Philippines we enjoyed being back in the big smoke! As well as the cold crisp winter days with temperatures hitting minus 9 degrees Celsius!

Amongst the skyscrapers there remain historical buildings which include the city gates and a number of palaces.  In between eating, we managed to visit the beautiful Gyeongbokgung palace and catch the changing of the guards. While there we visited the National Folk Museum and learned a bit about Korea’s long, rich history including about some of the darker, more recent times.

Whilst in a big city we also took the opportunity to pretty ourselves us a bit and got haircuts (Gangnam style!) at Hanse’s long time hairdressers. Perfection is one way to describe it and we were both pleased with our new dos. 

Image/appearance is serious business in Korea and in Gangnam we passed many high rises solely dedicated to plastic surgery. But we decided this time to leave it at haircuts…

A big thank you to Hanse for planning our awesome Seoul itinerary, Mark, and Hanse’s parents and friends – we enjoyed meeting and spending time with you all and it has made our visit to Seoul very special! 

See ya later Seoul! We hope to be back soon to continue our gastronomical education.

Next: New Year’s celebration with Jen and Luke in Cambodia! Bring it on!