Hanbok Photoshoot at Goguan Studio in Seoul

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.

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Tteok Galbi: Beef Patties in Damyang, Korea

It is said that tteok galbi (Korean beef patties) originated from Damyang, Korea. To get a taste of this famous dish, my food crew and I headed over to Deokin Gwan (덕인관). After the popularity of its first establishment the restaurant opened up more locations. The particular one we went to happened to be the same spot where they shot "2 Days & 1 Night." Yup. Comedian and ex-wrestler Kang Hodong ate here.

You can't help but love the photo of the grandmother on the storefront. No doubt she's the owner. The restaurant name is in Chinese, so don't look for Korean letters and end up passing by it!

Our table was already prepared for us when we entered the room. The pan of tteok galbi was ready for action along with a colorful set of banchan (sidedishes). Expect stronger flavors in Jeollado cuisine compared to Seoul. As said by my native Korean friend, kimchi in the Jeollado Province contains more jeotgal than Seoul Kimchi. Generally speaking food in Seoul tastes sweeter than its southern counterparts. PS: Don't be too surprised about the bill placed on the table before even having your first bite.

Sizzle sizzle. The sound of tteok galbi heaven. Eat the outer parts, put the bone back on the pan, then chew off the final bits. I recommend going ssam style. Take a leaf of lettuce and place a piece of meat on top. Maybe even add in a slice of kimchi. Whatever makes your heart fly, put it all in. Wrap up the goodies and into the mouth!

The tteok galbi at the first Deokin Gwan location tastes even better I hear.

The chueotang (추어탕) looked more spicy than it actually was. The soup tasted healthy, which is a positive or negative connotation depending on your perspective on food. Being a lover of vegetables and herbal medicine, I thoroughly enjoyed the chueotang. This particular soup contained baby bamboo, which is not found in your average chueotang. Why? Many bamboo trees grow in Damyang, thus they end up using them in their cuisine.

Rice, gingko, mushroom and pumpkin seed steamed in a bamboo shoot. So magical. A vegan dream come true.

You can sit in the more open and public area or go into one of the rooms. Just remember to take your shoes off :)

Deokin Gwan
Phone: 061-381-7881
Website: http://www.deokinkwan.com
Address (in Korean): 전라남도 담양군 담양읍 죽향대로 1121 (담양읍)
Address: (in English): 408-5, Baekdong-ri, Damyang-eup, Damyang-gun, Jeollanam-do

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Delicious Beef Soup at Naju Gomtang Bongsungwan

First question: what is gomtang (곰탕)? Gomtang is a soup that contains various parts of beef simmered under low heat. Some people use just one portion of beef, such as oxtail or ox's head, while others combine various parts. Gomtang tends to have a white, cloudy look to it. But not always. Next question: Where do you get the softest gomtang in Korea? Let's get real. No one ever ate at every existing gomtang restaurant. However Naju Gomtang Bongsungwan (나주곰탕 봉선관) in Gwangju serves the some of the most memorable beef soup your taste buds will encounter.

During peak lunch hours, the place gets packed. My friends and I waited 10 minutes for our seats. You will most likely end up sharing a long table with strangers. Everyone minds their own business so no worries if you're introverted or in a hurry. Just remember to take off your shoes! :)

We ordered three bowls of suyuk gomtang (수육곰탕) by the recommendation of our friend, who is a resident of the neighborhood. Word is: the regular gomtang is likeable, but the suyuk gomtang far tastier.

The minute you have your first bite, you'll wish to rewind time and experience the moment all over again. The meat used in the suyuk gomtang is so soft that it melts in your mouth. The restaurant uses female cow head. They say it's softer than the male cow head. It may sound sexist, but biologically it works.

Another element to love about Naju Gomtang Bongsungwan: self-service kimchi. Eat as much as you want or as little. Saves the server's time from refilling your dishes and limits waste. Or at least that's the goal.

The napa cabbage kimchi was better than the average restaurant kimchi. The radish kimchi tasted sweet like candy.

Suzy from Miss A eats here. After all she's a native of Gwangju, Korea. The owner gave me a copy of this photo after seeing me film in his restaurant. Smart choice. You scored yourself some brownie points, Monsieur. I shall go to your restaurant every time I visit Gwangju. Actually you don't have to be a YouTuber to receive a photo. Simply ask the front desk for a copy.

The menu is simple. Soup and drinks. There's no need for anything else here. If you're known for one thing, why muddy it up with too many options?

The storefront of Naju Gomtang Bongsungwan. There are many restaurants with a similar name. Make sure you go to the one at the address below.

Naju Gomtang Bongsungwan
Address (in Korean): 광주 남구 봉선동 494 494
Address (in English): Bongseon-dong (127 Bongseon-ro)
Namgu, Gwangju, South Korea
Phone: 062-675-8250

Where did you try the tastiest gomtang in your life? Let us know in the comment section :)

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