Sweet Willie

When I travel, I'm a big fan of dining local or at least regional. I find it refreshing the differences in cuisine and I run for the hills when I ask the concierge for a local/regional dining experience and they recommend the "local" Applebee's.

I'm heading to Seoul later this year and have compiled some FT quotes about food in Seoul Korea. They are as follows. Not too many actual restaurants mentioned so if anyone has a restaurant suggestion, please post them. Thanks,


Then it was time for dinner at Sadongmyenok, a famous little dumpling shop buried in the alleyways of Insadong, and I walked past it around three times before realizing that the Lonely Planet map was useless. I strained my hangul-recognition skills to the limit, spotted a sign pointing into an alley, and hit the jackpot with a soup of the three of the largest dumplings I've ever seen (these things are almost as big as my fist) and a vast spread of banchan (side dishes) served up for all of W5000 ($5). Lip-smacking good. Then, as my final assault before succumbing to jet lag, I set out to duplicate a gorgeous nighttime photo of Namdaemun Gate in my guidebook; turns out you need to clamber on some office building's door to get it, but with a tripod and some creativity you can still manage a decent shot or two. Good, cheap, local Korean food with an English menu: Sadongmyeonok in Insadong 5-gil

At lunch I opted for bibimbap, a bowl of rice topped with meat and all sorts of veggies, to which a dollop of spicy gochujang paste is added and then mixed up vigorously before eating. Sounds simple but can be excellent, particularly the dolsot variety served in a scalding-hot stone bowl that cooks the edges of the rice to a crisp as you eat.

Korea is one of the few countries where authentic ( mostly Fujian ) Chinese food is widely available outside of the Motherland

if you want a traditional Korean restaurant - albeit expensive, try Yongsusan, in the Chungdam area, tel 546-0647/8

If you are staying at Westin Chosun, there is a Korean restaurant right across the hotel (Lotte Dept. direction). I am not sure the name but I guess is "hansarang" or something like that.

In Gangnam near Shinsa-dong street there is an area of upscale crab restaurants. Not cheap but the taste is delicious and very fresh. Koreans like their crabs marinated in a salty soy based sauce but it's also possible to have them just steamed. One sign of quality is that HK Chinese businessmen who are among the most discriminating diners on Earth are seen in remarkable numbers wolfing down the crabs.

As far as Jumaleok is concerned, these restaurants are all over the city. High-end restaurants, those with linen tablecloths, will charge an arm and a leg for "kal-bi" (beef shortribs). I find "taeji-kogi" (pork) cheaper and more tender, but that's my personal taste. "Soju" is to Korea what Sake is to Japan. Koreans make excellent beers in my view ("Mekju") - main ones are Hite, Cass, and OB.

Forget the department stores, which are no different from other Asian department stores (although Lotte's basement food court is worth a visit),

Best Indian in Seoul
Initially, a bunch of us from Australia, Singapore and India felt that the Ashoka in Itaewon is the best, but later discovered the Ganga -- absolutely the best in the world as far as our experiences went.

One culinary thing that stuck out in my mind was eating at a couple of restaurants that specialized in Hwe (the Korean version of sashimi).

1. Try food courts at departments stores. No chains! All unique.

2. Try street carts to get the true local flavors and culture. Quality of food may vary but Soju is always consistent.

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