Coffee Prince Jajangmyeon

[Kusi Bertoldo]

Thisis the continuation of my previous post. If the previous post was all about Korean Street Food guide, then this time I'm going to share the "restaurant" version. Although what I had back then when I was in Seoul were not exactly the BEST of the best in its category, at least you'll get a depiction on what kind of food to try when visiting Seoul.

I have been obsessed with Jjajangmyeon (Black Bean Noodles) ever since my college friend introduced me to Korean dramas. Back then I would search the recipes on YouTube, go to Korean grocery store in Mu Gung Hwa Jakarta to find the ingredients, then tweaked and cooked my own version of this scrumptious bowl of black bean noodles. That's why when I had the chance to visit its origin country, this was just on top of my must-eat list. And yes, it definitely didn't disappoint.

I found this restaurant called 'Yoogane' in Myeongdong, which looks very crowded especially on dinner time. Honestly I chose this place because they provide English menu, lol. We chose Dak-Galbi fried rice, and it tasted really nice, fulfilling, and kick the right amount of heat.

Jjimdak, literally means Korean steamed chicken, is a popular dish made of chicken, potatoes, various vegetables, tteokbokki and cellophane noodles marinated in soy sauce (ganjang). Although it is marinated in soy sauce, this dish has more heat than I thought, thanks to massive chili chunks in it - but in a way that really suits my liking :)

Tips #1: While you're in Hongdae, why not visit Hello Kitty Cafe as well? It's all within walking distance, so.. yeah, that makes a really nice photo spot! :) They serve almost every menu in the shape of Hello Kitty's head, so you'll get things like hello-kitty wall, waffle/pancake kitty, and hello-kitty latte art, etc.

Tips #2: While you're still wandering around Hongdae and you're a big K-drama fan, why not make a visit to an old coffee shop that is being remodeled for 'Coffee Prince' drama shooting? Too bad when I came there, it's closed due to private party.

And finally here comes your guide to 'survival food'. You know the problem with us travelers, the 4th or 5th day post-arrival is usually when we realized that we needed to start saving up some cash, or else we won't have any money left for shopping souvenirs. And this, this is my kind of solution:

To close this round-ups of Korean culinary, it would not be complete without the accompanying drinks. Have a sip of Soju, the distilled Korean liquor which taste is comparable to vodka, or if that's too strong for you, try Makgeolli (Korean rice wine) instead, with a much lower alcohol percentage.

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