Asia Adventure 2016: Our Favorite Seoul Foods
While we were in Seoul, we ate. A lot. I think we did more eating than anything else. The one thing we went back to time and time again was definitely the street food. So, I thought I would share some of our favorite things we tried while in Korea. And here it is, in no particular order:
1. Egg Bread: Our first introduction to street food. And it quickly became our go-to morning snack. It is basically cornbread with an egg on top. If you'd like to try it, there are a few street vendors around in the morning selling them.
2. Chicken Galbi: Also known as dak galbi. This dish is usually cooked in front of you and consists of stir-fried chicken with cabbage, onions, and rice cakes. There are a lot of different options and things you can add to it. We liked it with cheese and garlic. We liked it so much, we ended up eating it twice (at two different restaurants), and both times it was delicious. Though, if you are sensitive to spicy food, this may not be a dish for you, because the chicken and veggies are marinated in a chili paste.
3. Poop-Shaped Pancakes: We found these in Insa-dong. And they taste exactly how you might imagine. But, they made a great little treat while we walked around. They came in two flavors: chocolate chip and red bean.
4. Fried Meatballs: Another of our street food discoveries. Really delicious, juicy meatballs with some kind of cream sauce. It just melted in your mouth. So goooooooood. Anywhere there is street food, I'm sure you can find a kiosk with some of these.
5. Sweet Korean Pancake or Hotteok: These are fried dough pancakes that come in a variety of different fillings. The one we went to, in Insa-dong, was filled with honey crystals.
6. Chinese Quince Tea: We happened upon this at the gift shop inside Gyeongbokgung Palace. It was freezing that day, so I wanted some tea. Randomly decided to order the quince tea, and I am so happy I did. Probably one of my favorite cups of tea ever. So sweet. So delicious. And there were even chunks of quince in it.
7. Croquettes: Another beautiful food made with some sort of fried, stuffed dough. And much different from the ones we ate in Spain. We ate these at several different places and they come in endless flavors. Some of our favorites were cream cheese, potato, and curry.
8. Red Bean Pancakes: Another little treat if you are in the mood for something sweet. Very similar to the poop-shaped ones, but these were smaller bite-sized ones.
9. Convenience Store Rice Balls: When you are need of a quick snack, these are definitely the way to go. I bought these ones at 7/11 on our way out of the airport (because I was starving and we still had a long train ride before getting to the hotel). But these were even better than the ones I've gotten from the Asian marketplace by my apartment here in Seattle. Mostly because the stuffing was mixed into the rice, so every bite was flavorful.
10. Pastries at Paris Baguette: I know, its not super Korean, its French. But, like getting Asian food in America, its tailored to the tastes of the people there. Our hotel the last leg of the trip didn't have a very good breakfast option, so we opted for the bakery. And OH MAN, those pastries were so good. Especially that banana tart.
We tried some other things too, but these were the more memorable meals/snacks. Some of them I wish I could get here in America, because I miss them already. If anyone knows where I can get some galbi here in Seattle, please let me know!! And if you ever find yourself in Seoul, I hope you are able to try one or two of these things.
Also, shout out to Dunkin Donuts and Paris Baguette for having the cutest cups for my milk tea. America needs to step up there cafe game.
