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Showing posts from February, 2023

[Food Map] Korean Foodie-Ulsan, 'Nice fish Grilled fish(Chakhanmulgogi)' : Grilled fish and Rice Restaurant

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This is a grilled fish restaurant 'Nice fish Grilled fish'. I visited unexpectedly while traveling in Ulsan, South Korea.  When you're traveling, you're probably tired of flour and meat, feeling bloated or gassy, and you're looking for food that's easy to digest.  But you don't want to spend your precious travel time eating just anything.  I stumbled upon this restaurant when I was having the same problem.  It was so satisfying that it stuck with me.  There's a huge grilled mackerel with tons of fish fillets.  And there are tons of rice cookers lined up and freshly cooked rice is served there.  There's also miso stew, which is salty and delicious.  And then there are all sorts of neat, clean side dishes.  It was a visual that instantly brought back my taste buds after being tired of floury food.  What also surprised me was the fire-pot in the kitchen.  The fire-pot, which is rarely seen even in pizzerias, was in the fish kitchen.  The grilled mackere

[Food Map] Korean Foodie-Gyeongju, 'Hwangnidan-gil': Street Snacks

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The most popular place in Gyeongju, South Korea is 'Hwanglidan-gil'.  It's a place that's so hip and trendy, yet has a unique Gyeongju vibe that makes you feel good just walking down the street.  The first thing that caught my eye as soon as I entered Hwangridan-gil was this stationery store.  If you have any memories of your school days in the 90s, it's a very welcoming place, and the moment you step inside, you feel like you've stepped back in time and are reminded of your childhood, when you were busy laughing and talking.  It's so cute to see all the snacks and toys that you thought were long gone. Walking down 'Hwanglidan-gil', I saw an ice cream shop with people lined up.  I wondered what was so special about it, so I went in and found a very cute corn ice cream. It's called 'Oksusu', which is a cute name.  I didn't think it was anything special, but I ate it out of curiosity. It tasted like a regular soft-serve ice cream, but t

[Food Map] Korean Foodie-Busan, 'Go-Ok': Eel Bowl Hitsumabushi Restaurant

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Today's restaurant recommendation is "Go-Ok", located in "Busan, South Korea".  It's a must-visit for anyone who loves Japanese eel rice bowls, also known as hitsumabushi.  The restaurant is located in the city center, not in a touristy area, and is more popular with locals than tourists.  The salad that comes with the meal is refreshing and appetizing.  The salad had an old-fashioned feel to it, so I was secretly hoping that the main dish would also have a strong traditional flavor.   The eel rice bowl was served after a long wait.  It's neat but also has an old-fashioned flavor.  The way to eat is the same as other eel restaurants.  First of all, the eel is thick, tender, and flavorful. I would say it's excellent no matter which eel bowl you compare it to.  What I also like is that it's not overly seasoned, so it's not salty, and you can really taste the light, savory flavor of the eel.  Very balanced and flavorful, I felt like I was eating

[Food Map] Korean Foodie-Gyeongju, 'Ryomi': Futomaki and Komasoba Restaurant

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  This is a sentimental restaurant located on Hwangridan-gil in Gyeongju, a hot spot in Korea.  It was crowded even on a weekday, and it was often mentioned on social media, so I thought it was just an advertisement, but I was drawn in by the neat interior.  Within 0.1 seconds of tasting the food, I realized that my preconceptions were wrong.  The food, called "futomaki," tasted exactly like Korean gimbap, but the "colorful flavors" were beyond my imagination. (A Japanese dish called 'futomaki' is said to be the origin of Korean kimbap.) It had the same style as kimbap, but with the texture of soft sushi and the intense flavor of tiny tempura, so it tasted completely different than it looked.  The flavors are packed into your mouth and melt in your mouth in an instant, and the various flavors and textures are so harmonious that none of them stand out.  The "goma soba" was also new to me, and I was curious to see what it would taste like.  The white

[Food Map] Korean Foodie-Daegu, 'Tteokbokki': Old Market Tteokbokki Restaurant

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Jungang-tteokbokki is a tteokbokki restaurant in Daegu, South Korea that you can't miss if you're traveling for tteokbokki.  It has a very long history, and most Daegu, South Korea people remember eating it at least once when they went out to Dongseong-ro as a child. One of the most famous chefs in Korea, Baek Jong-won, visited this famous tteokbokki restaurant and it became even more famous nationwide.  As a result, there are always a lot of people on weekdays, and there are still lines on weekends. In fact, tteokbokki is a much-loved food in Korea, and its unique spicy-sweet flavor is so addictive that no one can resist.  As a result of its popularity, many franchises have sprung up over the years, and the flavors have become stronger and more stimulating. But even among these modern versions of Tteokbokki, we took the time to savor the flavors to find out what makes Jungang-Tteokbokki so appealing and popular. The flavor of Jungang-Tteokbokki is just as it looks: 'old ma