South Korea: (just a little..) Street Food Culture!

South Korea is definitely a place that will always be in the good part of my memories.  It could be the good planning which the we had or perhaps because of how everything felt so foreign it actually became an adventure.  Food for sure is one of the many things that highlighted our visit to South Korea.  No doubt Kimchee is a staple around town, but so are many other types of food.  Street food is especially popular and admittedly, I had a feast whenever I was on my feet.  That explains all the long walks but still, a net gain of 5kgs which I have since lost.  So what is the Seoul Street food scene like?

 

ManduEssentially Korean dumplings which can be served fried or in a soup.  Filled with rice noodles, meat and vegetables, these bite size snacks make perfect accompaniment in the sub-zero weather!

 

TteokbokkiUnlike the skinny ones found in Australia, the ones on the streets of Seoul were plump and with a mild chewiness.  South Korea’s signature sauce which is a little spicy and sweet was just super yums.  Recommended with the dumplings shown above!

 

Pork buns!Not really a common snack, but in a particular market in Seoul called Namdaemun, hungry crowds often pack these home by the dozens! Hot, and more-ish with a textural wonder thanks to the vegetables in there.  (also available with red bean)

 

The dragon beard candyDespite looking so simple, these little delights are skillfully woven by an often charismatic chap.  Sticky honey with peanuts. Imagine the salty-sweet goodness these pack!  Could do with some now!  Often woven on the spot, ask for fresh ones and enjoy the show!

 

Assorted fried foodsAnything here can be fried.  Sausages, fish cakes and even the infamous rice called called the tteokbokki!  Grab one and be on the run ;)!

 

Jap JaeJust because you are in the markets does not mean you have to be on your feet. Kick back, call a Jap Jae and enjoy warm tea or if you prefer, some Korean wine; Soju.  The Jap Jae comes with a variety of ingredients.  Make your pick, be it vegetarian or meat.  If meat is preferred I would suggest the pork.  For an extra kick, ask for spicy.  Beats any ordinary pork stir fry your mom makes.

 

OdengGo up North, down South or simply into any 7 Eleven.  Odeng or fishcake is a Korea staple at home or in the stores.  Walk into any convenience store and a pot of Odeng cooked in turnip broth awaits.  If the –25 degrees weather does not kill you, the awesomeness of South Korea will.  Keep calm, have an Odeng.

 

Hott-teokIn Malaysia, they serve flakey and airy Roti.  In South Korea, they called it Hott-teok.  Served piping hot with a syrupy cinnamon sugar.  Prepare for food coma.  Because it hits faster than diabetes when its that awesome. Also, if you think your fancy shirt is rare, this pan cake beats that.  Only available during winter, make sure you enjoy one if you are lucky enough. 

 

Meat skewersSticky, tasty and tender with a hint of smokiness, these skewered meat basted with a sweet soy glaze was another simple food made great.  Best eaten with one hand.

 

Kelam Pan - Egg in bunNo idea what this is called but it is another food commonly found on the streets of Seoul.  A really nice cake with an egg cracked in the middle and left till cooked.  While I love the cake, the same cannot be said with the egg. 

 

KebabsKebabs!  Funny to find them so far away.  But do not underestimate the Koreans.  Freshly chopped cabbage, spicy bugolgi chicken and a generous amount of mayo makes a formidable team. I was sold.  Behold the roll!

 

These are some of the few food which kept one hand busy which I explored South Korea.  It was an awesome place with so much to offer.  The misconception that a trip to South Korea is an all out Kimchee expedition is clearly wrong.  In fact, the pictures I have taken is probably not even half of the street food I ate.  Definitely worth re-visiting!  South Korea 2013? Nawwwww… maybe 2014!

 

WenY

Bites: Shiro Izakaya @ Perth, CBD

My first time at Shiro Izakaya was back during my student days and I was totally wowed.  The food was decent, but so was the price.  When I saw it go on half-price a few weeks back, I knew I had to revisit this place and try their new menu which I was informed was done to give diners more options.  Truly so, I was very satisfied!

 

Some of the many things we ordered was the beef tataki. A very lovely salad with a well-seared steak that went perfectly with the yuzu soy! In fact, it was their yuzu soy that was absolutely delicious.  I pretty much finished everything on there except the lemon!Yummy!!

 

Another dish we ordered was the yellow fin Carpaccio.The slices of fish here was so smooth it just meddled with my palate in the most sublime manner.  The texture of the yuzu jelly, and crunchy vegetables added to the over all satisfaction.  It was a modern take on the conventional.  In my opinion, it was yummy though we joked earlier that we had ordered an empty plate haha. 

 

Other dish we ordered included the Teriyaki Chicken which was OK only.  The Salmon-GTR is always a highlight and even more so now that the Aburi Salmon Nigiri have been removed to my dismay.  I really enjoyed the Aburi the first time I went.  In fact, several staples like the catchy Rolls Royce were also absent from the menu.  See my previous post here!

 

Shiro Izakaya @ Perth City

 

Since then, things have definitely changed.  While they were missing a few of my favourite dishes, I still very much enjoyed the meal that night.  In fact, Shiro Izakaya is a place I would return to, nonetheless they still face stiff competition from my favorite places like Kanta, Ha-Lu, and Bonsai. Might be a case of eeny, meeny, miny, moe!

WenY

Bites: Mary St. Bakery @ Highgate

Following the lead of several bloggers such as the Queen of Bad Timing and Nini Foodielicious, my sister and I decided to go have our next sibling meet up here.  Coming in around 10.30am, it was relatively quiet and the quirky crew were prompt to have us seated.  I love hospitality like that.  No overcrowding or queues!  One thing for sure though, an empty restaurant can also be a bad signal.  Nonetheless, I was not discouraged to try out a few of their offerings. 

We started with a hot chocolate for me and a coffee for my sister.If you had your first great drink, and it was the best, then it will be a sensational drink you can brag about.  But when you had one too many, it becomes a norm.  And trust me, in Australia most places serve very decent coffee and this was one of it.   Definitely noteworthy.

 

As we had already eaten our breakfast, we only ordered a few pastries.  There were plenty on offer but I decided to start with a filled doughnut for both my sis and I.

Filled doughnuts.  What comes to mind is a fluffy, light, and sweet pastry.  When warm, an even more delectable treat.  The fillings here were nice but the doughnut itself leaves much to be desired.  It was not extremely horrible, but for something as bite size as this and for 3 bucks each, I expected a little more finesse.  Especially when it comes to the pastry! I wanted something light and fluffy instead of dense.

 

Chocolate ganache tartOnly two things to get right here, the ganache and the crust. Some things are not best when short but in this case, it was lovely.  The crust was short and crumbly despite appearing very dense at first.  The ganache was rich and really tasty.  However, my sis and I found that there was a slight cherry taste in the ganache which we did not really like. Or perhaps it was a strong cocoa flavor which one gets from a very good quality dark chocolate.  However, it was not stated dark chocolate ganache so? ? ?!  Not bad but not the best.  Bourke St. Bakery @ Surry Hills still wins hands down! In Perth, I go to Harvest Espresso in Victoria Park.  Their tarts are always a sell out!

 

Last but not the least was Mary Street Bakery’s Peanut Butter Cup.   For my sister and I, this was the sole reason we came here for coffee today.  In comparison with the original Reese peanut butter cups, this one was at least 3 times larger!But what is form without substance?  Fortunately, this was pretty damn yummy.  The top bit was a milk chocolate disk which was sweet followed by a peanut butter mousse filling.  The saltiness of the creamy peanut butter brought the best out of the chocolate.  To finish, a bitter base to ensure a complete experience that is not as cloying as what it could have been.  Over all, a yummy bite but I was not blown! In fact, it is the first time that I am eating a peanut butter cup in a non-Reese form. Happy :)!

 

Mary Street Bakery has been a very good host for my morning tea with sis.  The service was pretty good and we enjoyed a long chat for over an hour.  The pastries on offer is a bit of a hit and a miss depending on what you order, but none is too bad.  However, if expectations are high, you might be disappointed.  In my opinion, Mary St. Bakery is definitely a place worth visiting!  Would like to come back for their sandwiches next time.  The couple next to me ordered a sandwich each which made me salivate @@! Nom nom nom!

WenY

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