Dining Snippets: South Korea 2016 (Part 2 of 2)
2pm/08.23.2016: Nam-i Garden
One of the best decisions my friends and I made in our trip would be to cap off our Nami Island day trip with a succulent lunch in Nam-I Garden. Situated conveniently right outside Nami Island’s ticketing office, this Korean restaurant doubles as a perfect resting stop while waiting for the tour buses to depart back to the city.
PAJEON (KRW 1000)
Though the banchan offerings were modest; attention was given to make sure that each small plate was well prepared. The Pajeon was plain; but well executed. Gone were the seafood pieces that Korean restaurants in the Philippines adorn the Pajeon with; but it was one of the best I’ve tasted.
CHUBCHEON-DAK GALBI (KRW 12000)
The restaurant has an extremely limited menu (less than 10 food items); and specializes in Dak Galbi (grilled chicken); which they offer in two varieties: the traditional Dak Galbi, and the Chubcheon-Dak Galbi (spicy) version. Interestingly, your choice would determine what type of seating you’d have. The traditional Dak Galbi diners were seated on chairs; while those who chose the Chubcheon-Dak Galbi (like us) were seated cross-legged on mats laid on the floor. Generous servings of cabbage and tteokbokki (rice cakes) are tossed in with chunks of chicken to make for a filling dish perfect for sharing.
BOKKEUMBAP (KRW 3000)
We ordered the Bokkeumbap, fried rice tossed in the same spicy and sweet sauce the Dak Galbi was served with, to pair with our viand. Both these dishes weren’t the easiest and fastest to cook; but their waiting staff were more than willing to assist us in each stage of our meal.
12pm/08.24.2016: Somewhere Near the Palaces
BEEF AND EGG OVER RICE (KRW 7000)
After visiting the majestic Gyeongbukgung Palace, we decided to find somewhere to eat on our way to Changdeokgung Palace. We stumbled upon a humble home which doubled as a no frills restaurant. We all opted for an order of their Beef and Egg Over Rice dish. This dish may be likened to an Oyakodon as it makes use of the same dashi stock as the base of the rice dish. It also makes use of mushrooms, scallions, and onions to lend flavor, color, and texture to the dish. The sole difference would be that they opted to use beef strips instead of chicken chunks.
11am/08.25.2016: Hollywood Restaurant, Gangnam
Prior to boarding the bus to Everland, we decided to have an early lunch in the city of Gangnam. Just a block away from the train station exit, we found ourselves in the Hollywood Restaurant, a modern Japanese restaurant which served reasonably priced meals which came in large servings.
COLD SOBA NOODLES (KRW 6000)
My friends all opted for the restaurant’s Tonkatsu meal, while I opted for their Cold Soba Noodles. The dish came with a large serving of buckwheat noodles in a light and tangy icy broth of mirin, dashi, and soy sauce. I’m pretty sure that this dish is meant for sharing, but I happily wiped my bowl clean. In true Korean fashion, the bowl was served with some spicy pickled vegetables.
11:30am/08.26.2016: Omuto Tomato, Incheon International Airport
FRIED SHRIMP OMURICE (KRW 11600)
Surprisingly, one of the best dishes I’ve had in this trip was the last one I had in Korea. My friends and I were just looking for a place to kill time and fill our tummies up before the flight back home. I’m not really a fan of omurice, so I gladly decided to split the dish with my friend, Dani. After my first bite though, I immediately regretted doing so. The tomato sauce was a perfect blend of tangy, sweet, and spicy; which paired well with the lightly battered perfectly crunchy fried shrimp pieces. This definitely changes my perception on this dish. A must try before leaving Korea!
A quick conversion would be KRW 10,000 = Php 450.
My lovely companions (L-R): Jabez Orara, Dani Dingcong, Marj Villacorte, Meka Carag, Julius Manolong, Me, and Norman Gatdula
