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31 Street Foods in Korea

April 22, 2014

1. Stir-fried Ricecakes - 떡볶이 (tteokbokki)

3. Korean Carp Bread - bungeoppang (붕어빵)

6. Long-coned Ice Cream. Enjoy even during chilly winter days!

8. Steamed Silkworm Larvae - 번데기 (beondegi)

9. Old-Fashioned Sugar Candy - 뽑기 (ppopgi)

9b. Woman waiting for customers at her ppopgi stand.

10. Dragon’s beard candy - 꿀타래 (kkultarae)

14b. Before the egg bread gets baked. Yolk swimming on the surface.

17. Fruit (i.e. strawberries) - 과일 (gwail)

18. Fresh Pomegranate Juice - 석류 주스 (sungryu juseu)

23. Smiley Face Fries - 스마일 감자 (seumail gamja)

26. Twister Potatoes - 회오리감자 (hwaeori gamja)

28. Dried Seafood (Squid & Octopus) - 건어물 (geoneomul)

For the walking tour of the street foods in Myeongdong, watch KWOW episode 142.

14 Memorable Photos from Bukchon Hanok Village

February 23, 2014

Walking in Bukchon Hanok Village is a relaxing and magical experience for both tourists and locals alike. The neighborhood contains an estimated 900 Korean traditional homes (called hanok). Come on a sunny day to enjoy a view of the Namsan Tower at the photo hotspot. Or visit on a snowy winter afternoon for an added layer of romance.

When skies are clear even on a cold winter day, you can see the famous Namsan Tower from Gahoe-dong Alley. The street is easily filled with a hundred tourists at any given time. On the snowy day I went, a maximum of ten people walked up the popular street.

It never ceases to amaze me that no matter how many people pass by this bike, it doesn't get stolen. Faith in humanity restored. Partially.

The electricity pole caught red-handed shaking its hip. It's not the first time to see many wires come together in the streets of Seoul.

The view of Namsan Tower from Gahoe-dong Alley at sunset.

The following photo looks like a car commercial. I cringe. But it proves that people inhabit these old traditional homes.

View standing from the edge of Bukchon-ro 5na-gil.

The building which houses the Glass Dish Museum and Silk Road Museum located on Bukchon-ro 5na-gil.

Couple rings, couple t-shirts, couple undies... and even a viewpoint just for couples. This country is made for lovebirds.

On the stroll to the famous Gahoe-dong Alley.

Hungry? Walk up from the Gahoe-dong Alley and turn to your left. You might get lucky and encounter the baked sweet potato man! He'll have his truck of other winter favorite produce ready for your taste buds.

Drool. If baked sweet potatoes were a person, I'd marry them. Unconditional love to the maximum. Well... as long as Mr. Sweet Potato remains sweet. Otherwise he'd be just a potato.

Another shot from Bukchon-ro 5na-gil. Looking towards Gyeongbokgung Palace.

On the walk back to Insadong. A tree admiring its naked self on the mirror. Dang girl, look at those curves!

Directions to Bukchon Hanok Village (the Information Box where you pick up a helpful map): Exit 2 at the Anguk Station. Walk one block and look to your right.

To walk through Bukchon Hanok Village, watch KWOW episode 134 below:

Hanbok Photoshoot at Goguan Studio in Seoul

February 10, 2014

Ladies and gentlemen, are you curious to try on hanbok? Head over to Goguan Studio in Insadong, a street home to Korea's traditional arts and crafts, cozy cafes, diverse street foods, restaurants that serve parades of colorful dishes and alleys that lead to smile-inducing surprises. Needless to say it's one of my top five favorite areas in Seoul. No matter how many times you visit, there's something new to discover.

Once you enter Goguan Studio, let the workers know. You'll then chill out in the Waiting Area on the third floor. The walls and ceilings are covered with writings left by customers.

To leave your own message, head over to the ink station. Paper and brushes are ready for action. On the right is a collection of eight traditional teas. However the particular day my friends and I went, the containers were empty.

I recommend arriving 30 minutes before your reservation. This will give you time to choose your preferred hanbok and to look at photos of previous customers.

Men can choose to be a king, warrior, yangban and many more. Pose with a sword or keep it simple and mighty with your fists on your thighs (see photo below for reference).

Didn't have time to grow your facial hair? No problem. The makeup artists will happily stick one on you.

The ladies can choose to wear the following types of hanbok: palace, marriage, basic and giseng (Korean entertainers). I had to go with the giseng hanbok. When else can you sport such a huge headpiece with so many ornaments?

For the full list of options, male and female, click here.

Getting your makeup and hair done is not mandatory and comes at an additional cost. My philosophy: wearing an outfit without the proper makeup and hair is like half-cooking a chicken.

The makeup costs 15,000 won (about $15 USD). According to your choice of hanbok, the artist will apply foundation, powder, eye-shadow, eyeliner, false eyelashes, blush and lip color. Doing your hair will cost 5,000 won.

Off to the Selfie Photo Area! There are themed rooms where you can shoot photos with your own camera and phone. The following photos are taken at the Selfie Area.

My friends and I. They both chose the royal hanbok. As a giseng I happily pour tea for them.

My friend readjusting her hairpiece. She makes such a pretty princess, doesn't she? :)

Our official hanbok photo taken by Goguan Studio. We're going to show this one to our grandchildren some day.

There are other hanbok studios scattered around Seoul. As much as I like to try new places, I'd come back to Goguan Studio for another round. Bring your family, friends or significant other to make some fun memories :)

Goguan Studio is near Tapgol Park, thus is located closer to Jongno 3-ga Station (exit 1) than Anguk Station (exit 6). Enter through the left corner of the building and walk up to the second floor. Here's the address: 2F, 143 Insadong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Korea.

Remember to make a reservation before you go! You can reserve a spot on their website or call them at 101-09-83326.

Blog

31 Street Foods in Korea

14 Memorable Photos from Bukchon Hanok Village

Hanbok Photoshoot at Goguan Studio in Seoul