29th December. I woke up super hungry in Seoul.
Out of the hotel, we turned around the corner and found noodles. We pointed at pictures without any real idea of what we ordered.
While waiting, we had the kimchi. Out of all the restaurants, I enjoyed this version of the kimchi best. The cold soup of raw vegetables reminded me that I’ve had very few greens and fruit on my US trip.
The manager (or owner) of the restaurant pointed out the shrimp mix and indicated that I should mix it in my spicy soup. It gave it a fishy, rich taste. It was nice.
It was a good breakfast.
Being totally unprepared for Seoul, we decided to follow one of the Urban Walks suggested by Lonely Planet.
On this route, we passed Deosukgung, but we didn’t go in.
But we did go into Gyeonghuigung, a small palace with free entry (not that the rest were particularly expensive).
After the walk amongst theatres and museums, we headed for a Ginseng Chicken lunch.
Good, but there seemed to be too much glutinous rice for such a small chicken. And there was nothing added to the rice to make it a bit more special.
We also had porridge.
I found it too starchy for my liking. If this is what Korean porridge is like, I’d say you can give it a miss.
For me, what makes a Korean meal delightful is the stuff that is brought to the table before your meal starts: Kimchi, and at many places, a pitcher of cold water – instantly plonked on your table. You don’t have to ask for it, you don’t have to pay for it.
In this case, the meal came with free ginseng wine. It was strong. I only had one cup and I felt tipsy. Some people had three or four cups and walked even slower after that.
After being fortified with ginseng, we went to Cheonggyecheon, a stream that once was covered in concrete, with a highway running over it.
Now, it’s been revitalised and made into a park.
Imagine the flood canals along Bukit Timah Road, only nicer, cleaner.
You stroll along the stream and in summer it doesn’t stink. people can bask in the sunshine while musicians and street performers busk.
Even in winter, we saw many people strolling up and down what is essentially a big longkang in the middle of Seoul.
Oh, and did I mention, it was bloody cold?
So at night, we warmed ourselves with a BBQ.
The thing about Korean BBQ is that they do the cooking for you. If they are attentive, then it’s okay, if they’re not, you end up cooking yourself.
It’s a way of controlling how fast people eat. But I really hate the way they toss everything together. Uncooked, cooked meats, they’re all mixed. Pork, beef, chicken – it all becomes one. Just eat it.
After that, we walked around a bit.
