a chat with a friend today inspired me to look back on my old photos of a trip i made to seoul in june 2010. 🙂

it was a reward for myself after completing sundown on 29.5.2010, my first 1/2marathon. i only did 2, the other being standard chartered 2010, and i am not planning to do any more.

i was quite surprised actually that i could still see the race results on sundown 2010 website. 🙂

i cannot recall now but i stayed somewhere near jangsa-dong. i went to the nearby kwangjang market & sat down at the stall above & tried meoli yogi 猪头皮 or head cheese. at the time i did not know that head cheese was also a european cold cut terrine or meat jelly made with flesh from the head of a calf or pig, but it was certainly not an uncommon dish in singapore.

and jokbal (pig knuckles) was a popular street food. 🙂

i also went to the noryangjin fisheries wholesale market. 🙂

and did an extremely unwise thing. i took the sannakji – live octopus sashimi. only later did i read that “the suction cups can get stuck to your throat if you don’t chew thoroughly, potentially leading to asphyxiation”.

of course i had the live snow crab, 1.3kg costing 22500 won (or about US$22.50) at the time inclusive cooking charges.

the market was really exciting with all kinds of fishes, shellfish etc.

i had a really wonderful fish hotpot along a street leading to kwangjang market. it was an awesome kimchi hotpot with tofu & fish & what looked like shirako or fish sperm sacs, which was delicious. 🙂

it cost only 7000won (US$7) at the time.

another quite incredible meal i had was on a side lane at insadong. it had 13 dishes including 1 main dish of chilli (probably gojuchang) pork with 12 side dishes or banchans, except several of these banchans were really substantial, quite large dishes.

the meal was most incredible, just 5000won (or US$5) at the time! 🙂

& i went to try seoul’s “most famous vegan temple food restaurant”, sanchon – a super 20-course meal. it was just 22000won (US$22). food was very good, but service was bad. i waited more than 1 hr for my food to be served. a korean woman who sat at the next table (i think she was staying in japan but visiting seoul) was actually uncomfortable enough to intervene on my behalf to get the servers to start serving me. i spoke to the servers in english to no effect & she kind of “told them off” in korean & i got my food immediately! & she apologised to me on their behalf. that’s how people should treat each other! 🙂

i had a 5000won (US$5) naengmyeon cold noodle that came with bulgogi. it was as good as the bibimen at aburiya.

& when in korea, eat jjajangmyeon 炸酱面. it was pretty good actually, but really, never quite my cup of noodles. 🙂

i did some touring too, not just eating, haha! 🙂

c.h.e.f andy