What to See, Eat and Do in Korea (and Beyond)
For my money, Mangwon Traditional Market (망원시장) has been a long time favorite of mine. It’s not massive compared to some markets, but that’s part of the charm. It’s smaller, more manageable, packed with personality and it’s been around for over 40 years. You’ll find fresh produce, dried goods, snacks, street-food stalls and even hole-in-the-wall restaurants.
Oido (오이도) is a coastal area located in Siheung City just southwest of Seoul. For those of us who live in Seoul, it’s a pretty popular destination for day trips and weekend getaways, particularly during the warmer months. Since it’s a pretty easy one and a half hour trip there by subway, it’s a great way to enjoy those costal city vibes without having to go all the way east to Gangneung or down south to Busan.
The Yeosu Nangman Pocha is everything that you could hope for from a Korean pocha night market. The signature red tents are lit up every night from 6 PM until 1 AM. That means the tents are filled with patrons enjoying everything from sushi and fried tempura to octopus and pork stir-fry well into the night.
While Tokyo is the crown jewel of travel to Japan, there’s plenty of places to travel outside the capital. And while we’ve enjoyed the sights and sounds of Osaka and Kyoto a few times, I finally had the chance to enjoy the warmer climates of Okinawa.
Of course, I did my research before my trip so that I’d have a list of places to go, food to eat, and things to buy. And, thanks to an abundance of time and a loose grasp of “traveling cheap”, I have a shortlist of things that everyone should buy in Okinawa.
Seoul has gone on a bagel-craze off and on over the years. While there are always a few trendy and viral spots floating around social media, Everything Bagel is the only spot you really need to know about. No hate to other shops, but if you want an authentic New York-style bagel, no place in Seoul hits quite like this.
There’s something about mythical creatures from Asian cultures that has be obsessed. From Bali’s barong to Okinawa’s shisa, I have a small army of handcrafted creatures adorning my shelves at home. And while there are a lot of interesting mythical creatures in Korean folklore, the haechi has always been my favorite and that’s kind of why I feel this cafe was made for me.
Whether I travel alone or with a companion, I always plan my itinerary in a very food centric way. In other words, I go where the food is. It is, in my humble opinion, the best way to take in the culture of any given place.
Recently I had the opportunity to spend a full day in Okinawa, a place rich in culture and I was determined to eat it all! So here’s everything I ate in a day in Osaka and why you should too.
Bibimbap (비빔밥) is essentially a simple, albeit colorful, Korean rice bowl topped with all sorts of seasoned sautéed vegetables and gochujang (chili pepper paste). A lot of times it can come with additional mix-ins like marinated beef, seafood, a fried egg… truly the possibilities are endless. It’s probably one of the most well known Korean dishes and one of the most popular among foreigners and tourists due to it’s versatility. It is a deliciously satisfying meal option for those with dietary restrictions who want to eat authentic Korean cuisine.
You could visit Seongsu-dong every day for a year and spend each day doing something different. So, for all you first-timers out there, here’s my itinerary of Seongsu-dong to cover cafes, fashion, K-beauty and more.
There are three Christmas markets in Seoul that run the full length of December, but the most popular one is definitely the Lotte Christmas Market at the Lotte World Mall.
There’s nothing quite like digging into cuts of smoked turkey while the Christmas tree lights sparkle and your family struggles…
Back when they were still trainees in Sinsadong, BTS was known for visiting one restaurant above all others. Fast forward to today and Yoojung Sikdang (유정식당) is one of the most famous hole-in-the-wall restaurants in Seoul. Located just a few blocks away from the old Big Hit Entertainment building, this is where the members of BTS used to frequently eat during their trainee and rookie days, sometimes up to 3 times a day.
