Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Doenjang Jjigae and Tteokbokki

I have been in Chicago for a year.
There, I have been to Mcdonald just one time because I can try Mcdonald's burgers in Korea and wanted to try traditional American food. So I tried some American food in many diners in Chicago.

After coming back to Korea, I found many foreigners were just getting a couple of famous items like Bulgogi and Samgyeopsal with soju in the restaurant. Well, these are definitely what you should try out in Korea. But, it is sad that many foreigners don't experience real Korean food, becasue there are tons of traditional food except Kimchi in Korea.


So, I would like to share my Korean local restaurant list as a Korean, who really wants many foreigners to taste Korean traditional food.
If you are looking for nice western food restaurants, click the back button on the left of your browser or the close button on the right. If you are ready to try real Korean food or willing to dive into Korean local diners, feel free to read this and ask me a question.



1. Doenjang Jjigae 된장찌개
Restaurant Name : 툇마루집 된장예술


If you didn't try Doenjang Jjigae in Korea, you should not say you ate Korean food. On the contrary, if you feel the depth of Doenjang, you know Korean food.
This Doenjang Jjigae is a little diffrent from normal Doenjang because of the various ingredients in it. Korean people call this Gang-Doenjang (강된장). If you travel in the country, you might have a chance to meet this type of Doenjang. So, it is a really good luck to meet this level of Gang-Doenjaang in Seoul. It reminds Korean people of their grandmothers.That's why they are crazy about this old-fashioned food.


This is provided with steamed barley and rice in a big bowl. Put some spoonful Doenjang JJigae in it with the offered vegetables and dried-seaweed pieces. Mix and eat them like a bibimbap. You will be surprised by how savory and appropriately salty it is. (order Doenjang bibimbap!)
It's definitely worthwhile for having a Korean country style meal.


(Insadong sageori)



The problem is the location of this restaurant. It's hard to find this in Insadong. First off, you have to find the insadong intersection(or insadong sageori). If you can see 차향기 or 낙원떡집 from Jongro bound, you would stand in the right place. Make a right there, walk 20-30 meters toward Nakwon-sanga, and make a left at the first corner. You will discover the signboard soon after walking on the narrow alley.



2. Tteokbokki (떡볶이)
Restaurant Name : 종로 분식


I'm not going to explain what Tteokbokki is.
Since this became a representative snack in korea, there have been lots of varieties, which I can't even count.
But I have to say Jongro Bunsik(종로분식) is one of the best tteokbokki restaurants in Seoul, specially for foreigners.
The reason I said "specially foreigner" is their speical menu "Tuigim+Tteokbokki.(튀김+떡볶이, or 튀김떡볶이)"
This tteokbokki includes some pieces of fried seaweed wraps(김말이 튀김), and these pieces make it more flavorful and little spicy. My American friends really loved it.

Location : about 100m from exit 6 of Jonggak station. (by Yung-poong bookstore)