Kimchi:
fermented vegetables
Bibimbap: A bowl of rice mixed with vegetables, beef, chili paste and a fried egg. Bulgogi: Grilled marinated Naengmyeon: Cold buckwheat noodles Seolleongtang: Ox bone soup
Samgyetang: A colourful street market in Myeong-dong. point of the day’s trip that kicked off with a tour of the lotus-filled Jogyesa Buddhist Temple. The hot, muggy summer day sapped our energy. So, a trip to the Unesco World Heritage site of Changdeokgung Palace was struck off the tour.
It gave us the chance to enjoy some local delicacies. Our first attempt was great. Bulgogi was an inspired choice. Lots of salad and kimchi to go with the shredded grilled marinated beef. I steered clear of Bibimpap; the sticky glutinous rice is not for me. Instead, I opted for beef noodle soup and soft tofu stew. But I couldn’t try dishes I had in my mind — Ginseng chicken soup and double fried chicken. Maybe, some other time. Right now, my taste buds are craving some Indian masalas.
Yes, we hit the K-Pop trail but decided to forgo an obligatory trip to SM Town Atrium at COEX. A trip to Star Avenue in Eljiro was followed by some BT21 souvenir hunt at Line Friends store in Itaewon. “These are original,” my daughter gushed as we hurried to catch the Metro.
Did I miss anything? Yes, the cherry blossoms.