Dining Snippets in Seoul: Kyekyong x Bukchon Son Mandu Restaurant x Coffee and Walnut Cookie
KYEKYONG
My friends would know that I’m really not a spontaneous person; but when I’m traveling; I actually prefer not having a food itinerary. At most, I’d have a list of must-try restaurants on hand; but I’d rather discover hidden gems or getting recommendations from the locals.
GRILLED PORK BELLY (KRW10,000)
We ended up in Kyekyong right after our visit to the Gyeongbukgung Palace. My family got a bit carried away with their photo op sessions that we lost track of time. We exited the palace complex way past lunch time so we were all tired and hungry. I suggested that we just find an interesting restaurant on our way back. Kyekyong was the first restaurant that we saw which had enough seats for us, was entertaining a decent lunch crowd, and served a variety of dishes.
DUCK ROAST (KRW12,000)
The restaurant serves a variety of grilled meats so we helped ourselves to an order each of their Grilled Pork Belly (or the quintessential samgyeupsal), Marinated Beef (KRW15,000), Duck Roast, and Beef Ribs(KRW15,000). Each came with large slices of fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced potatoes, squash and onions. The quality of the protein is undeniable. Sprinkle a bit of salt and dip it in some gochujang and you’re guaranteed to be a happy camper. Of the four, I would have to say that I like the duck roast the least (despite it being the first time I'm having it barbecued Korean style since it came with its own distinct smoky flavor that doesn’t really blend well together with the other Korean elements of the dish.
SPICY STIR-FRIED SQUID AND BULGOGI (Large – KRW30,000)
The Spicy Stir-Fried Squid and Bulgogi would have to be the most interesting thing we had during the meal. It featured thinly sliced marinated bulgogi and tenderly cooked squid in a fiery red-orange sauce. The sweetness of the bulgogi sauce is evident; but is defnitely not enough to counter the heat. Even if my heat tolerance is quite high, I’d have to chase each bite of this dish with a scoop of rice and a gulp of cold water. Despite the extreme heat though, its balance of flavor was undeniable. Even my spice-averse family members had to attest that the dish was delicious; unfortunately it was too hot to handle.
Its Banchan was limited to pickled chilis, pickled turnips, kimchi and a steamed egg casserole; however what it lacked in variety was more than compensated by how good each of these small plates were. The turnip and the egg casserole proved to be my trusted aides in quenching the heat as I helped myself to endless bowls of their fiery Kimchi Stew (KRW7000). Their ‘mild’ version is still doubly as fiery as the regular Kimchi Stews served in Manila; but the perfect balance of flavors exuded by the thick kimchi stew was worth the burning sensation.
A bonus to our dining experience was that the proprietress had the sweetest smile plastered on her face the whole time that made you feel instantly welcome; especially since the Kyekyong was frequented by the locals, with no tourists in sight. She made us feel right at home.
Kyekyong
Jahamun-ro 10-gil (13-1)
Date of Visit: March 25, 2019 with Lily Chua, Beth Chua, Susan Tan, Tini Tan and Jem Chua
BUKCHON SON MANDU RESTAURANT
After our visit to the UNESCO Heritage Site Chongmyo/Jongmyo Shrine, we headed over to the busy streets of Insadong. After spending some time checking out their small specialty shops, our stomachs started growling for food. Exactly at that moment, we were greeted with a poster which featured photos of deep fried mandu; which seemed like the perfect idea for merienda. We followed the arrows of the signage and ended up in this narrow (slightly sketchy) backside alley.
At around 5PM, the dining area was jampacked with hungry customers. Seating was communal and the menu solely consisted of mandu. We opted to share two Special Assorted Mandu sets which featured two to three pieces of a particular mandu variety.
SPECIAL ASSORTED MANDU (KRW 13,000)
Our set came with the Shrimp Mandu, which boasted of a full shrimp covered in their famed ground pork filling delicately clothed in the dumpling wrapper. We were also served with the traditional Steamed and Deep Fried Mandu. The Kimchi Mandu variant brings color to the generally bleakly-colored assortment as its fiery red color can be seen through the translucent dumpling wrapper. The Ball Mandu is essentially the ground pork dumpling filling without the wrapper; while the Fish Fillet Dumpling trades in the ground pork for some ground fish for its filling.
Sauces, chilis, and pickled vegetables are scattered around the communal dining area to complement your dumplings. To be honest, the taste got a bit too one-dimensional once you hit your third or fourth dumpling. The Deep-Fried Mandu was the sole standout; primarily because of the savory crunch which help lend a break in flavor from the others. Overall, it was filling; but it wasn’t mind-blowingly good.
Bukchon Son Mandu Restaurant
153-1 Insadong, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Date of Visit: March 25, 2019 with Lily Chua, Beth Chua, Susan Tan, Tini Tan and Jem Chua
COFFEE AND WALNUT COOKIE
I stayed in Myeongdong Guesthouse Como during my past two trips to Seoul; primarily because of its extremely accessible location (a minute’s walk to Myeongdong Station abd a five minute walk to the heart of Myeongdong’s shopping center). It’s cozy, comes with complimentary toast and jam, coffee and water, and has family-run restaurants and cafes as its neighbors.
One such neighbor is Coffee and Walnut Cookie, which finds itself in a perfect location as it’s located directly outside the Exit 1 of Myeongdong Station. It’s a cozy café with modern interiors and an exhaustive list of coffees, coolers, and juices. Unfortunately, its food menu was limited to just bagel, honey butter bread, croque monsieur, cookies, and brownies.
CREAM CHEESE BAGEL (KRW 3500 – ala carte; KRW5500 – with Americano)
What it lacks in variety, it makes up in value for money as a complete breakfast set comes at an affordable price of KRW 5500. There’s nothing strikingly spectacular about their Breakfast Bagel; but it’s undoubtedly freshly baked; while the Americano, wonderfully robust. I actually wouldn’t mind being cooped up in this café with a good book for hours.
Coffee and Walnut Cookie
Toegye-ro Gil (outside Myeongdong Station Exit 1), Myeongdong, Seoul
Date of Visit: March 29, 2019 with Lily Chua, Beth Chua, Susan Tan, Tini Tan and Jem Chua
