Bar Trip Series: How to Eat and Drink Like a Korean in Seoul
Umbrella selfie at the Cheoggyecheon river
In our 4 days in Korea, we sought out the best versions of all the Korean food we are so lucky to enjoy in LA's Koreatown and tried all the most exotic/disgusting/weird foods served there too (silkworm cocoons, intestines, new animals, etc.). Oh yea, we also drank soju and Hite/OB beer with every meal (even breakfast) just like the locals! That said, we didn't do much, if any, sightseeing aside from walking along the Cheonggyecheon river (very cute and recommended!)
Here's a recap of some of our adventures in Seoul (pronounced suh-ool), Korea. Enjoy!
DRINKING: Streetside Drinking and Eating in Itaewon | How Koreans Hang Out in "Rounds" | Eating and Drinking in Pojangmachas (Tent Bars) | Korean Drinking Etiquette
EATING: Japchae Pancakes at Namdaemun Market | 4-Hour Clay Duck (Nolboo Yahwang Ori)
Streetside Drinking and Eating in Itaewon
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We practiced taking a lot of group selfies during our trip
Itaewon is a district in Seoul mostly known for its ex-pat population. What I saw of it was mostly gritty alleys full of random eateries where you are sitting in the street while cars and motorcycles drive by behind you. There were also a good number of "trans" bars, which some members of the group mistook for "trance" (the music) bars -- there was also a Trance Trans Bar, which confused us the most!
We visited Itaewon on our first night in Seoul, after having dinner at a restaurant near our AirBnb. Each roadside eatery seemed to specialize in certain dishes. At the first one pictured above, we ordered a mixed plate of veggies and other things fried in a batter similar to the typical seafood pancake we order at Korean restaurants in the US. Order a few liters of Hite, bottles of soju and add in a game, and you have a great first stop during a night out!
At our third stop of the night, we went to a place that specialized in braised pork feet. I've been having a Chinese version of this dish since I was a kid because it's one of my mom's favorite dishes, but for those unaccustomed it may seem a bit odd. The pig's feet is cut into slices, full of delicious pork fat and you use lettuce along with scallion, sesame oil, and picked veggies (similar to kimchi) to wrap the meat up and eat it.
Braised pig feet in Itaewon
Hanging Out in "Rounds"
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As you may have noticed from our visit to Itaewon, we visited THREE different establishments for food/drink in one night! This is typical of how Koreans tend to hang out in "rounds." Usually there is dinner, then a bar, then a karaoke place (noraebang) -- each of these rounds involve ordering lots of soju and beer. Or on a more chill night, perhaps dinner and then dessert at a cafe (the cafes in Korea are BEAUTIFUL!).
Traditionally, Koreans also switched off paying for the different rounds, although more modern/international Koreans split the bill and pay for their meals individually.
This hanging out in "rounds" generally leads to lots of (over)eating and perhaps (over)drinking as well!
Tent Bars: Pojangmachas
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Typical scene from a Korean TV drama or movie
In almost every Korean drama or movie, there's always a scene when the male protagonist drowns his sorrows with bottles of soju while sitting alone in a pojangmacha.
Our friend Jonathan had only one request during our visit to Korea: that we eat and drink in a pojangmacha just like in those Korean movies and TV dramas.
A pojangmacha is basically a tented food cart, where an ajumma (older/middle-aged "aunt") serves anju (foods that go with drinks) and beer/soju. They were popularized in Korea in the 1940's after Korea's liberation from Japan and catered to the working class. It's said that pojangmachas represent places where stressed out workers could unwind and relax after a hard day (like pubs in England). However, the government has been shutting them down recently for being an eyesore, unsanitary, and/or illegal.
Ducking out of a storm at a streetside pojangmacha
On our last night in Korea, we finally fulfilled Jonathan's wishlist and found a pojangmacha open during a huge storm. It was difficult to find (probably because the government has been closing them down) but eating and drinking there was the most authentic experience we had in Korea! We drank out of glasses that looked like they may have been washed, we used toilet paper as napkins (hung up from the top of the tent), and we had to make sure we kept our feet up so the rain water wouldn't soak our shoes. The food was delicious and hey, none of us got sick, so I'd say it was a win, especially since we also waited out the huge storm.
Korean Drinking Etiquette
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As you probably gathered, Koreans drink a lot. In Korea, establishments don't need licenses to sell alcohol, which is why even roadside stalls like pojangmachas can sell soju and beer. When we walked around Seoul, we even saw people gathered outside 7-11's eating lunch and drinking soju or makkeoli (a cloudy white rice liquor).
I'm also told that drinking in Korea has a lot to do with showing respect -- respect for elders and those in higher positions. Elders/seniors can also show they care for someone younger/junior to them by inviting the out for drinks. For example, if you're dating a Korean person and their dad invites you for a drink, you can almost never refuse (without offending them of course) or if your boss invites you out to drinks and keeps refilling your soju glass, it's a sign of respect/care.
Some things I learned about Korean drinking etiquette:
(1) You should always pour drinks for others and never pour your own drink -- I think it's linked to not being selfish and trying to make sure others are having a good time, while some sources say there's superstitions about being single for 3 years if you pour your own, who knows, just don't do it!
Note that Jerry is using BOTH hands to pour the soju. We purposely didn't receive with both hands to show Jerry that he was junior to us in the pics below =P
(2) The youngest person usually pours everyones drink (in our group, that was Jerry, pictured here)
(3) It's polite to turn to the side/away from elders when drinking
(4) You pour and receive drinks with both hands to show respect. When in doubt, use both hands!
For more Korean drinking rules (yes there are more!), Seoulistic.com has a great video!
I'm told that younger Koreans don't really follow these rules anymore, but we like to "play Korean" and follow them whenever we drink in Korean establishments, even in LA!
Here's Jerry, the youngest in the group, pouring us soju. Notice how he is using both hands to pour the soju.
Japchae Pancakes (Japchae Hoddeok) at Namdaemun Market
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Namdaemun Market is one of South Korea’s biggest wholesale markets. [Photo from Travel Blat]
Namdaemun market is almost always listed as a place to visit in Seoul. It's basically a huge outdoor market with lots of trinkets, household items and copycat designer bags. There's also some alleys dedicated to ALL kinds of food! Our group accidentally stumbled upon a food cart that had a horde of locals lining up behind it. We found out they were pancakes filled with japchae. With this many people lined up, we had to try it!
Each delicious rice flour dough pancake was filled with stir-fried glass noodles, and thin slices of onions, carrots, and chives. They are thrown in to a fryer quickly and then served piping hot for immediate consumption! Each cost only about $1!
Delicious japchae hoddeok being fried to perfection! Photo from Spontaneous Tomato
- Cost of Japchae Hoddeok (Vegetable Noodle Pancake): 1,000 Won (About $1 US Dollar)
- Time Available: Monday to Sunday – 6:00 am to 9:00 pm
- Where to Eat: Gate #2 at Namdaemun Market (Next to the Industrial Bank of Korea)
- Address: 49, Namchang-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Clay Duck (Nolboo Yahwang Ori)
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Eagerly awaiting our clay duck!
Almost everyone in the group agreed that this was hands down the BEST meal we had in Korea. It was a whole duck, stuffed with medicinal herbs, potatoes, and sticky rice, cooked in clay for 3-4 hours and then served with a ton of delicious side dishes. Jay made reservations for this place the morning we were going to dine there and when we got there the entire table was set up for us. Within 10 minutes, they brought out the AMAZING, steaming, duck, and cut it open for us on the table.
This was also the most foreigner friendly restaurants during our trip as our waitress was able to tell us what the side dishes were in English. Our favorite was the pickled burdock root -- yum!
The duck has arrived!
A close-up of the goodness inside
Descending into a food coma after scarfing down all that delicious duck!
- Cost: ~55,000-60,000 won per duck, our group of 7 ordered 2 ducks and were stuffed by the end
- Where: Nolboo Yahwang Ori - Jamsil Location
- Address: 450, Dogok-ro, Songpa-gu, Seoul, 서울특별시 송파구 도곡로 450 (잠실동)
- Phone: Korea Travel Phone +82-2-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese), for more info +82-2-425-5292 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)
- Visit Korea website with more information
- Remember to reserve at least 4-5 hours in advance to allow them to cook it for you!
I hope you all enjoyed this photo tour through Seoul. Next up will be Busan, which I actually enjoyed even more than Seoul!
Bar Trip Series: Busan's Jagalchi Fish Market and Korea's Most Outrageous Spa