Seoul Food - Korea
Jul 21, 2011, 10:23 pm
#121
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Being a bit (actually A LOT) picky, I like to cook my own food at home, and Home Plus/EMart make Whole Foods look like the bargain of the century. At Home Plus prices I could probably buy all my groceries at the Union Square Farmer's Market, eat only the finest grass-fed beef from Whole Foods and only drink Evian and Canadian ice wine. Oh, and cheeses and wines are insanely expensive here.
Oh, and I have yet to find goat cheese and half (actually any) the fresh herbs I had access to in NY.
Eating out is cheaper but some don-katsu or kimbap franchises are revolting. Not to mention if I saw the way Chinese food is made in Korea (well America too) I'd probably be scarred for life. And after a while, almost everything tastes the same. Nothing remarkably good. There's supposedly a lot of variety in Korean cuisine but I have yet to see it-it all tastes the same to me (note, I don't cook Korean food at home, too much time and too many dishes to wash afterwards).
Certain items cost more in Korea. Well maybe not if you include tax+tip. Pho for example costs $6.50 for a large in the US and 9,000 won in Korea. Since the portions you get in Korea are more equivalent to a small which can be had for $5.75-ish it def costs more here.
Oh, and I have to go to Costco for proper bagels (if you can even call it that). There was a bagel place on University Place in NY that had bagels for 45 cents a piece between 4pm and 7pm.
Oh, and I have yet to find goat cheese and half (actually any) the fresh herbs I had access to in NY.
Eating out is cheaper but some don-katsu or kimbap franchises are revolting. Not to mention if I saw the way Chinese food is made in Korea (well America too) I'd probably be scarred for life. And after a while, almost everything tastes the same. Nothing remarkably good. There's supposedly a lot of variety in Korean cuisine but I have yet to see it-it all tastes the same to me (note, I don't cook Korean food at home, too much time and too many dishes to wash afterwards).
Certain items cost more in Korea. Well maybe not if you include tax+tip. Pho for example costs $6.50 for a large in the US and 9,000 won in Korea. Since the portions you get in Korea are more equivalent to a small which can be had for $5.75-ish it def costs more here.
Oh, and I have to go to Costco for proper bagels (if you can even call it that). There was a bagel place on University Place in NY that had bagels for 45 cents a piece between 4pm and 7pm.
That's fantastic that NYC has all of these great herbs, bagels, and etc. When I walk down Third Ave, I ..... and moan about the fact that there are no street carts with oh-deng or kimbap... when I go to a Gristedes, they don't sell SamYang Ramen, and oh, anytime I need Korean groceries, I need to freaking trek all the way the 32nd and 5th ave just to go to an H-Mart.
My question to you is, why are you living in Korea if you hate it so much?
Plus, Koreans don't eat bagels for breakfast, they don't use numerous Western herbs for their foods, and they don't really make that many foods that need cheese. Have you also seen any vineyards in Korea? Maybe that's why wine is expensive...
Also, portion sizes in America are overblown... I'd say that most countries I've gone to elsewhere in the world are more along what a portion size should be... pretty much sums up why so many Americans are obese.
Jul 21, 2011, 10:32 pm
#122
Join Date: Jul 2010
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The cost of ALL food went up. Like doubled. Even the meats the the locals eat doubled in cost (I read at least a half dozen articles in the past two months on the cost of pork bellies, which I hate and everyone seems to like-now a whopping $13 a pound). They were expensive in the first place, now the cost of food is somewhere between absurd and insane. Next you'll tell me to starve 
Btw, they don't prefer thin sliced and marinated beef, none of the beef restaurants sell the stuff anymore. And btw, the thin sliced stuff at the megamart is sold thin sliced and marinated because it's usually the lowest quality beef. Don't even get me started on the restaurants that sell imported beef/pork/whatever as domestic and charge twice as much.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...al)_per_capita US GDP per capita varies between $45k and $47k depending on the source. Either way, the cost of fresh food should be cheaper in Korea given that people make less money here, but it's more expensive.
Btw, they don't prefer thin sliced and marinated beef, none of the beef restaurants sell the stuff anymore. And btw, the thin sliced stuff at the megamart is sold thin sliced and marinated because it's usually the lowest quality beef. Don't even get me started on the restaurants that sell imported beef/pork/whatever as domestic and charge twice as much.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...al)_per_capita US GDP per capita varies between $45k and $47k depending on the source. Either way, the cost of fresh food should be cheaper in Korea given that people make less money here, but it's more expensive.
People make less money in Korea, but they also pay a lot less for housing meaning there is more disposable income. A lot of people just put down a huge deposit (at least USD 20,000 or more) and don't have to pay rent, meaning more disposable income. Contrast that to someone living in NYC, making 60K a year, paying 1500 for a studio in the East Village...
Also food in the U.S. is cheap because of geography... ever hear of the Great Plains? Have you seen the geography of South Korea? Basically think of South Korea as Hawaii on a much larger scale. They're essentially an island (if N.Korea was open then it would be a peninsula) and if they can't grow it, everything gets imported.
You seem to complain about everything without giving any thought as to why something is the way it is. If you're going to quote US GDP, then also look into how much agricultural products the U.S. produces compared to South Korea. It's not rocket science. I think you already hate living there so you'll only look at things that reinforces your thoughts.
Jul 21, 2011, 11:05 pm
#123
Join Date: Jul 2010
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So one other thing that people might wanna check out when it becomes Oktoberfest time... there is a German "beer garden" in Gangnam to the west of the station that has 10,000 won all you can drink on Fridays and/or Saturdays...
The beer is pretty good, especially after you've only been drinking Hite, OB, or Cass all the time... but in all seriousness, I have friends who brew here in the States and I love good beer and I thought the beer there was good. Come fall, check it out =)
The beer is pretty good, especially after you've only been drinking Hite, OB, or Cass all the time... but in all seriousness, I have friends who brew here in the States and I love good beer and I thought the beer there was good. Come fall, check it out =)
Jul 22, 2011, 4:59 am
#124
Join Date: Oct 2004
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Aug 1, 2011, 8:29 am
#125
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: BKK/SEL/YQG
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People make less money in Korea, but they also pay a lot less for housing meaning there is more disposable income. A lot of people just put down a huge deposit (at least USD 20,000 or more) and don't have to pay rent, meaning more disposable income. Contrast that to someone living in NYC, making 60K a year, paying 1500 for a studio in the East Village...
But I live in Seoul, I have 40,000$ in deposit, pay 500$ a month, and have a crummy tiny one-room flat.
If you are looking at the name brand flats in Seoul, you need about 90,000$+ in deposit and about 1,100$ a month in rent + a few hundred in 'security' fees
Aug 2, 2011, 9:04 am
#126
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1) Damyang - Small town next to Gwangju (Jeollanam-Do) that has great beef restaurants, a Korean noodles (kuksu) alley with excellent al fresco riverside dining and also some first rate more formal places. As for produce, I'd say they are second to none in Korea.
2) Gwangju - Really astonishing variety of Korean dishes. From country style bibimbap to blowfish restaurants and everything between. High quality and prices are still reasonable compared to Gangnam. Also home of OB and Cass, the two premium Korean beers.
3) Jinju - One of the few cities outside of the historical Pekche kingdom that serves first rate food. Bibimbap, eel, Korean sashimi, you name it. Always quality produce. I personally think Jinju is the most beautiful city in Korea, amazing scenery at times which contributes to the dining experience.
Btw, strangely enough the best wine bar I've stumbled across in Korea is located in Jinju. The lady who owns it can recite German poetry in the original language and stocks a respectable variety of cheeses.
Last edited by mosburger; Aug 2, 2011 at 6:04 pm
Aug 10, 2011, 4:27 am
#127
Join Date: Dec 2009
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Royal cuisine at Korea House
Two of us went to Korea House in Seoul for "royal cuisine" and both thought it was excellent. Korea House seems to be an old building operated as a cultural centre for some things, and which also does traditional Korean food. The style is of several, possibly many, courses of varying dishes. Service in traditional style, shoes off and sitting on a chair/backrest which has no legs, at a low table, while the staff wear traditional Korean dress.
Depending how many courses you want, you can pay from about W60000 to W250000 each, with drinks (other than water and tea) extra. We paid for the W88000 menu which was about a dozen courses. One of us is allergic to shrimp and similar shellfish, and kitchen staff handled this very well and prepared equally good alternatives to the menu items which were heavy on the shellfish. We definitely had a full meal by the end of it with many interesting dishes, I felt no need to get the very expensive version.
I would recommend it as an interesting place to eat in Seoul. The staff spoke reasonable English and took credit cards. You can make a reservation but we simply turned up. Service does begin at fixed times, we ate from 19:20 so we sat down about 19:10. Since we arrived about 18:30, we just waited on some seats in the reception area. It is also possible to combine the food with seeing a traditional Korean entertainment show beforehand, but we decided not to do that. It cost, if I remember correctly, about W55000 extra for the show.
Depending how many courses you want, you can pay from about W60000 to W250000 each, with drinks (other than water and tea) extra. We paid for the W88000 menu which was about a dozen courses. One of us is allergic to shrimp and similar shellfish, and kitchen staff handled this very well and prepared equally good alternatives to the menu items which were heavy on the shellfish. We definitely had a full meal by the end of it with many interesting dishes, I felt no need to get the very expensive version.
I would recommend it as an interesting place to eat in Seoul. The staff spoke reasonable English and took credit cards. You can make a reservation but we simply turned up. Service does begin at fixed times, we ate from 19:20 so we sat down about 19:10. Since we arrived about 18:30, we just waited on some seats in the reception area. It is also possible to combine the food with seeing a traditional Korean entertainment show beforehand, but we decided not to do that. It cost, if I remember correctly, about W55000 extra for the show.
Aug 12, 2012, 8:02 pm
#129
Moderator: American AAdvantage
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FTer giblet has some good information on street grunting and other food items in Korea. Try here and here for several bits. Older, but interestingly written, and Lina is a connoisseur of Asian foods found in markets or street kiosks.
She has some fun Asia and other food articles on CNNGo as well.
She has some fun Asia and other food articles on CNNGo as well.
Last edited by JDiver; Aug 12, 2012 at 8:07 pm
Sep 15, 2012, 6:59 pm
#131
formerly known as Tad's Broiled Steaks
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 6,412
Which market (s) in Seoul would be most similar (in terms of what is stocked, not land area) to Jagalchi in Busan? I relished the ability to pick a couple of shellfish from the stall and have them served immediately, as opposed to the militant ways of Tsukiji these days. Sure, the former doesn't get quite as much traffic as the latter, but they both have employees hastening their pace all throughout the respective markets.
Sep 15, 2012, 7:52 pm
#132
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Seattle & Seoul.... and now, Maastricht....
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Which market (s) in Seoul would be most similar (in terms of what is stocked, not land area) to Jagalchi in Busan? I relished the ability to pick a couple of shellfish from the stall and have them served immediately, as opposed to the militant ways of Tsukiji these days. Sure, the former doesn't get quite as much traffic as the latter, but they both have employees hastening their pace all throughout the respective markets.
Yummy!
Sep 26, 2012, 11:42 pm
#134
Join Date: Oct 2004
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Been to Noryangjin quite a few times for both lunch and dinner: My advice would be to reserve a lot of time, gather as big a group as possible, indulge in a variety of fish and seafood if funds permit (including lobster) and hit on the soju hard. 
A perfect Saturday outing, it would seem...Just make sure you have enough time to recover the following day.
A perfect Saturday outing, it would seem...Just make sure you have enough time to recover the following day.
Sep 27, 2012, 4:26 am
#135
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Seattle & Seoul.... and now, Maastricht....
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Been to Noryangjin quite a few times for both lunch and dinner: My advice would be to reserve a lot of time, gather as big a group as possible, indulge in a variety of fish and seafood if funds permit (including lobster) and hit on the soju hard.
A perfect Saturday outing, it would seem...Just make sure you have enough time to recover the following day.
A perfect Saturday outing, it would seem...Just make sure you have enough time to recover the following day.
(but I also find it fun with just one or two friends as well!)
That soju and hwae (sashimi) go sooooooooo well together!!!
.....and I'm not even a soju fan......