South Korea: The Streetfood Experience

our good samaritans in Seoul when we were looking for food at the wee hours of the morning

Korean food has always been part of any Korean dramas and watching how the actors glorified the taste, the aroma and the savory everytime i heard them say"Mas-issneun" (but overhead as "Ah-Bast-a!"(ENG subtitle: "Delicious"), it was in our A-MUST list to taste Korean food where else but ONLY IN KOREA!

Embracing the 10 degrees celcius temperature past midnight along the streets of Hongdae, we took our jackets and conquered the cold to survive our grumbling stomach!

searching for food past 1AM

We saw an array of food stalls from both side of the streets, much more in the Hongik University area but we were settled with the one nestled near the hostel.  The shy but charming smile of ajjumma and humbling ajjussi trying to converse in his little English made us halt in their stall and took our first bite of Seoul's streetfood.

the first people we called Ajjussi and Ajjumma

We shared the boiled eggs (sold @KRW3,000 for 3 pcs), Tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), Gimbap (laver rice rolls), Eomuk Kkochi (fishcake skewers) and Twigim (korean fritters).  The free hot soup was soothing to our grumbling stomach at the midst of the chilly wind.

For only KRW 1,2oo (Php50) each, it was worth a welcome presents in Seoul.

boiled eggs to tasty not to try

Eomuk KKochi (Fishcake Skewers)
One of the popular street foods in Korea. Cooked in a clear broth made with dried anchovies, radish, onion and kelp.

Tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes)
Rice cake and fish cake are cooked in a sweet and spicy Korean chilli paste sauce

Twigim
Wide selection of fritters (squid, sweet potato, mixed vegies, laver wrapped potato noodles and various other ingredients lightly coated in a flour batter then deep fried.

Gimbap
White rice seasoned with sesami oil evenly spread on a sheet of laver.  Thin strips of pickled radish, seasoned spinach, ham and various other vegetables are lined on the layer of rice then rolled like sushi. 

our food for the next days in Seoul

my first decent meal in South Korea
lunch at COEX