Back from 21 Superb Days in Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai
Apr 18th, 2007, 09:30 AM
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Back from 21 Superb Days in Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai
My head is still a bit foggy so I will not go into details now, but just wanted to thank everyone (Shanghainese, KimJapan, PetitePois, John M, Rkkwan, Easytraveler, Paulchili, Koreaprincess, and everyone else including the very congenial local people I met....) who was so helpful in aswering my Endless questions and in allaying my fears of traveling alone in China. The trip was fantastic all around.... and incredibly free of any difficulties!
My trip comprised:
7 days/6 nights in Beijing; 5 nights/days in Shanghai; (train between the two) and the remaining time in Seoul. This proved to be an excellent time outlay which provided lots of time for taking it easy and schedule-free exploring.
Hotels were the Peninsula Beijing and Le Royal Meridien in Shanghai; both proved to be excellent choices. (I stayed with a relative in Seoul)
I will report more when I am a bit over the (not too bad) jet lag....
My trip comprised:
7 days/6 nights in Beijing; 5 nights/days in Shanghai; (train between the two) and the remaining time in Seoul. This proved to be an excellent time outlay which provided lots of time for taking it easy and schedule-free exploring.
Hotels were the Peninsula Beijing and Le Royal Meridien in Shanghai; both proved to be excellent choices. (I stayed with a relative in Seoul)
I will report more when I am a bit over the (not too bad) jet lag....
Apr 18th, 2007, 09:46 AM
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EK: Glad everything worked out so well for you! We all help each other and now you can offer your experience for these cities to others. Have a good rest and we'll wait for the TR. I couldn't remember, are you in NYC?
Apr 18th, 2007, 10:53 AM
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Yes, here in NYC...thanks again for all of your help and I will post more details within a few days...btw..food was amazing! Just amazing! And I had no trouble, even in the few places where there was no English on menus, such at Jia Jia Tang Bao in Shanghai....there were always people eager to help out, especially when it came to ordering food!!
Apr 18th, 2007, 10:59 PM
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Eks-
One of your earlier posts listed questions about what to buy where. When you get the chance -I am interested in finding out what you ended up with. I am heading to China in six weeks. I was following your posts since you asked similar questions to what I was wondering and gained already from all the help you received.
One of your earlier posts listed questions about what to buy where. When you get the chance -I am interested in finding out what you ended up with. I am heading to China in six weeks. I was following your posts since you asked similar questions to what I was wondering and gained already from all the help you received.
Apr 19th, 2007, 02:33 AM
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Bob I promise to post details of shopping. Jet lag has crept up on me but I will try to begin the report within a day or two. The most important thing I will tell you is that you need to leave lots of room in your suitcase! And the weight strictures are adhered to with different zeal depending on the airline; I found Asiana to be very accommodating about overlooking all of my extra "stuff." Korenair was less so..details to follow...
Probably the best shopping for me was at the Beijing Dirt Market..I will give all details. Overall this was one of the best and easiest trips I've taken in a long time..
Probably the best shopping for me was at the Beijing Dirt Market..I will give all details. Overall this was one of the best and easiest trips I've taken in a long time..
Apr 19th, 2007, 04:45 AM
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While details are still fresh in my somewhat foggy mind, I will begin this report now. If it trails off abruptly it will be because my head has hit the keyboard due to effects of jet lag!
My trip began on Monday March 26 and lasted for 3 weeks. The impetus for the trip was a visit with a relative based in Seoul; from there I flew to Beijing and on to Shanghai by train before flying back to Seoul and home to New York. I was less concerned with checking off a list of sights but, rather, wanted to explore aimlessly, eat great local food, and do some swimming (indoor hotel pools) and shopping.
While I have traveled extensively in Asia, most of my trips were in the 80s and I had not been back since 200O when I spent 2 weeks in Saigon. As soon as I hit the ground in Seoul, I wondered why I had waited so long to return to Asia! And as I write this, I am formulating a return trip for next winter, so please be prepared for a whole new round of questions about Laos and Northern Vietnam!
After endless deliberation, I decided to bite the bullet and book business class rt's from JFK-ICN on Koreanair. Although the price was VERY high, I was glad I had splurged; the 14-hour flight was comfortable, service was good, each seat had individual tv's, etc etc. Two full meals were served; the food, both western and Korean, was disappointing. We left JFK on time about 2pm on Monday afternoon.
On arrival in Seoul about 4pm Tuesday, and after changing a small amount of money at the currency exchange, I bought a bus ticket from the counter inside the terminal and was directed to Bus Stop 5A. After only a few minutes, the bus arrived and I was bound for the Capital Hotel in Itaewon where my cousin would pick me up. The ride took about 90 minutes; traffic was heavy.
I spent 5 days in Seoul before flying to Beijing (and would spend 3 more before heading home). Since I stayed with my cousin, I have no information about hotels and not too much details about restaurants because many of the places we ate had no name or menu in English so I just followed along and enjoyed!
Weather in Seoul in late March, and again in mid April, was cool with temperatures in the 50s most days, and cloudy most of the time. Although there were several days of "Yellow Wind," with advisories to stay indoors as much as possible, I was not bothered at all and had no respiratory, or any other health, problems in Korea or in China. Quite a few people wore masks but I donned mine only to get a few funny photos.
Here are a few of the highlights of my 5 days in Seoul at the begining of my trip:
Gyeongbokgung Palace. There are several English tours daily including one at 12 noon, which I took.
While the tour, which lasted just under an hour, was a good introduction, it provided just an overview; I would have liked more detail about the history and architecture and I think it would be worthwhile seeking out a private guide the next time. After the tour I spent some time in the Korean Folk Art Museum on the grounds.
Lunch that day was at a tofu restaurant nearby; excellent tofu soup with shrimp spiked with red pepper. No English spoken and no English name out front so I have no further details.
Dinner that night, also with no details, was at one of the many inexpensive chicken restaurants in Yongsan. Fantastic barbecued chicken; good fried chicken. This was the first time I had seen tables with doorbells attached, used by diners to summon the wait staff.
After lunch at a shabu-shabu restaurant, I walked to Insadong and strolled around, peeking into a few of the scads of small shops stocked with traditional Korean arts and crafts. Prices are high and I was, thankfully, not tempted to buy anything. One highlight was the ceramic showroom, Atelier Seoul, which showcases the works of Ceramist Park Young Sook, who counts Queen Elizabeth among her clients. Her work is a modern take on traditional Korean forms and I was enthralled by many of the pieces. Prices ranged into the thousands, in US dollars.
Atelier Seoul
7-2 Kwanhun-dong
Chongno-gu
http://www.longhouse.org/exhibitmain...7&exlink=9
My trip began on Monday March 26 and lasted for 3 weeks. The impetus for the trip was a visit with a relative based in Seoul; from there I flew to Beijing and on to Shanghai by train before flying back to Seoul and home to New York. I was less concerned with checking off a list of sights but, rather, wanted to explore aimlessly, eat great local food, and do some swimming (indoor hotel pools) and shopping.
While I have traveled extensively in Asia, most of my trips were in the 80s and I had not been back since 200O when I spent 2 weeks in Saigon. As soon as I hit the ground in Seoul, I wondered why I had waited so long to return to Asia! And as I write this, I am formulating a return trip for next winter, so please be prepared for a whole new round of questions about Laos and Northern Vietnam!
After endless deliberation, I decided to bite the bullet and book business class rt's from JFK-ICN on Koreanair. Although the price was VERY high, I was glad I had splurged; the 14-hour flight was comfortable, service was good, each seat had individual tv's, etc etc. Two full meals were served; the food, both western and Korean, was disappointing. We left JFK on time about 2pm on Monday afternoon.
On arrival in Seoul about 4pm Tuesday, and after changing a small amount of money at the currency exchange, I bought a bus ticket from the counter inside the terminal and was directed to Bus Stop 5A. After only a few minutes, the bus arrived and I was bound for the Capital Hotel in Itaewon where my cousin would pick me up. The ride took about 90 minutes; traffic was heavy.
I spent 5 days in Seoul before flying to Beijing (and would spend 3 more before heading home). Since I stayed with my cousin, I have no information about hotels and not too much details about restaurants because many of the places we ate had no name or menu in English so I just followed along and enjoyed!
Weather in Seoul in late March, and again in mid April, was cool with temperatures in the 50s most days, and cloudy most of the time. Although there were several days of "Yellow Wind," with advisories to stay indoors as much as possible, I was not bothered at all and had no respiratory, or any other health, problems in Korea or in China. Quite a few people wore masks but I donned mine only to get a few funny photos.
Here are a few of the highlights of my 5 days in Seoul at the begining of my trip:
Gyeongbokgung Palace. There are several English tours daily including one at 12 noon, which I took.
While the tour, which lasted just under an hour, was a good introduction, it provided just an overview; I would have liked more detail about the history and architecture and I think it would be worthwhile seeking out a private guide the next time. After the tour I spent some time in the Korean Folk Art Museum on the grounds.
Lunch that day was at a tofu restaurant nearby; excellent tofu soup with shrimp spiked with red pepper. No English spoken and no English name out front so I have no further details.
Dinner that night, also with no details, was at one of the many inexpensive chicken restaurants in Yongsan. Fantastic barbecued chicken; good fried chicken. This was the first time I had seen tables with doorbells attached, used by diners to summon the wait staff.
After lunch at a shabu-shabu restaurant, I walked to Insadong and strolled around, peeking into a few of the scads of small shops stocked with traditional Korean arts and crafts. Prices are high and I was, thankfully, not tempted to buy anything. One highlight was the ceramic showroom, Atelier Seoul, which showcases the works of Ceramist Park Young Sook, who counts Queen Elizabeth among her clients. Her work is a modern take on traditional Korean forms and I was enthralled by many of the pieces. Prices ranged into the thousands, in US dollars.
Atelier Seoul
7-2 Kwanhun-dong
Chongno-gu
http://www.longhouse.org/exhibitmain...7&exlink=9
Apr 19th, 2007, 05:20 AM
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Once again the "Edit" function is giving me a difficult time so here are a few more details which I tried to insert above and, after much frustration, willl insert here, out of context:
After my tour of the Palace, I spent some time watching the changing of the colorfully costumed guard which takes place every hour on the hour from 10am to 4pm; try to time your visit to see this if possible.
The English tours of the Palace are given at 9:30; 12noon; 1:30; and 3pm.
Although I was not too tempted by the shopping in Seoul, ceramic-a-philes with large budgets should visit both Atelier Seoul, mentioned above, and the showroom at the Restaurant Chil-ryang, where I would eat on my last night before leaving for China (details to follow).
Other items of possible interest were silks, the ubiquitous "fake" designer leather goods and watches; and very pretty, but not inexpensive, lacquer boxes and small items inlaid with mother-of-pearl.
Seoul has an excellent subway system which we used much of the time. I also took taxis which are easy to hail on the street. While drivers did not speak English, taxis had working meters; prices were less than in New York but much higher than in China. (The drive from the airport can run anywhere from $50 to $80 USD depending on traffic and destination within the city; local runs cost from $3. US to $10 US for long distances with heavy traffic.)
Food costs were moderate in the Korean restaurants where we ate most of our meals; English here is very limited so you should go with a spirit of adventure!
Next up...Noryangjin Fish Market and an afternoon at the Spa!
After my tour of the Palace, I spent some time watching the changing of the colorfully costumed guard which takes place every hour on the hour from 10am to 4pm; try to time your visit to see this if possible.
The English tours of the Palace are given at 9:30; 12noon; 1:30; and 3pm.
Although I was not too tempted by the shopping in Seoul, ceramic-a-philes with large budgets should visit both Atelier Seoul, mentioned above, and the showroom at the Restaurant Chil-ryang, where I would eat on my last night before leaving for China (details to follow).
Other items of possible interest were silks, the ubiquitous "fake" designer leather goods and watches; and very pretty, but not inexpensive, lacquer boxes and small items inlaid with mother-of-pearl.
Seoul has an excellent subway system which we used much of the time. I also took taxis which are easy to hail on the street. While drivers did not speak English, taxis had working meters; prices were less than in New York but much higher than in China. (The drive from the airport can run anywhere from $50 to $80 USD depending on traffic and destination within the city; local runs cost from $3. US to $10 US for long distances with heavy traffic.)
Food costs were moderate in the Korean restaurants where we ate most of our meals; English here is very limited so you should go with a spirit of adventure!
Next up...Noryangjin Fish Market and an afternoon at the Spa!
Apr 19th, 2007, 09:23 AM
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I will get to the rest soon, including the train ride Beijing/Shanghai. The train ride was 12 hours, although I read that a faster train will soon be put into use, shaving about 2 hours off the trip. Yes, I would take the train again..I almost wish the ride had been a bit longer to allow for more scenery viewing!
Apr 20th, 2007, 06:42 AM
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One of the most entertaining and interesting sights, for me, in Seoul was the Noryangjin Fish Market, easily accessible by subway. This hangar-like structure houses acres and acres of vendors, offering every sort of aquatic life imaginable from immense skate-like creatures to baby octopi to prawns, abalone, and hundreds of species that were foreign to me. After strolling the aisles taking photos, we turned our thoughts to lunch. From the vendors we bought one large flounder, which was immediately cut up into sashimi; a few abalone, which would be consumed raw; a half kilo of giant prawns; and a few oysters. Surrounding the market, both on the upper lever and a level below are strings of restaurants both Korean and Japanese. We selected one on the lower level, handed the cook our selections, and settled into a side room with a low table and floor seating. The oysters and prawns reappeared grilled, and the abalone and flounder were plated and presented to us as well. A wonderful lunch and a very good value for Seoul, which is quite an expensive city as compared to many others in Asia.
After lunch it was off to the Dragon Spa directly outside the Yangson subway stop. I had never visied a Korean Spa and this was quite an experience. After paying an entry fee of about 10,000 Won, about $10.US, you can roam around the multi-floored facility, taking in saunas, salt rooms, hot baths, scalding hot baths, cold baths, ginseng baths, seawater baths, cold rooms, "sleeping" rooms, a swimming pool, nail counter, Korean restaurant, barbecue restaurant, snack bar, etc etc.
For an extra fee you can have yourself scrubbed (22,000 Won) by a no-nonsense underwear-clad matron (in the women's area) who removes the top layer of your skin, leaving you baby soft if a bit reddened. Somewhere there are also massage rooms and exercise rooms but we did not see them. The emphasis here is on getting clean and relaxing. (There is a huge tv showing cartoons and animal programs in the main hot-floored room and people sprawled around on the floor reading, sleeping, and chatting). All I can say is that this was quite an experience for me and I am quite keen to seek out one of these spas here in the New York area as soon as I get over my jet lag!
Dragon Spa is one of the nicest and newest, I am told, but these facilities are scattered all over the city. I would consider a visit a must for any traveler to Seoul.
After lunch it was off to the Dragon Spa directly outside the Yangson subway stop. I had never visied a Korean Spa and this was quite an experience. After paying an entry fee of about 10,000 Won, about $10.US, you can roam around the multi-floored facility, taking in saunas, salt rooms, hot baths, scalding hot baths, cold baths, ginseng baths, seawater baths, cold rooms, "sleeping" rooms, a swimming pool, nail counter, Korean restaurant, barbecue restaurant, snack bar, etc etc.
For an extra fee you can have yourself scrubbed (22,000 Won) by a no-nonsense underwear-clad matron (in the women's area) who removes the top layer of your skin, leaving you baby soft if a bit reddened. Somewhere there are also massage rooms and exercise rooms but we did not see them. The emphasis here is on getting clean and relaxing. (There is a huge tv showing cartoons and animal programs in the main hot-floored room and people sprawled around on the floor reading, sleeping, and chatting). All I can say is that this was quite an experience for me and I am quite keen to seek out one of these spas here in the New York area as soon as I get over my jet lag!
Dragon Spa is one of the nicest and newest, I am told, but these facilities are scattered all over the city. I would consider a visit a must for any traveler to Seoul.
Apr 20th, 2007, 07:40 AM
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Another highlight of my 7 days in Seoul (split into two segments, before and after I visited China) was the tour of the DMZ organized by the USO.
www.uso.org/korea
The USO runs about 10 DMZ tours a month, leaving their Seoul office at 7:30am and returning at 3:30pm.
You need to book in advance and should get there early, as they often run several buses and the earlier you get there, the better chance you have of leaving on the first bus. A Korean guide (not always totally conversant in English) acompanies you until the DMZ where you change buses and are led by a member of the military. There is a stop for lunch (and several opportunities for shopping if you are looking for DMZ coffee mugs, caps and the like).
Lunch is not included in the tour but costs from $5US to $10US depending on your choice of main course (there are 2 choices..both Korean and both decent, if uninspiring). You can bring your own food and avail yourself of free ice water at the eating place.
I believe the USO tour cost $42US and it is well worth it. I won't go into the details here but suffice to say it was a surreal experience. Note that there is a loose dress code.
Included in the USO tour (and not some others) is a visit to one of the tunnels that North Korea dug under the DMZ and that was discovered in the 1990s. A descent into the tunnel requires some fairly strenuous uphill walking on the way out which might be of interest to anyone with physical impairment.
The USO runs other tours including tours to the Korean Folk Village, the I'Chon Pottery kilns, Kangwha Island, and several tours within Seoul including river cruises and Seoul by night tours.
www.uso.org/korea
The USO runs about 10 DMZ tours a month, leaving their Seoul office at 7:30am and returning at 3:30pm.
You need to book in advance and should get there early, as they often run several buses and the earlier you get there, the better chance you have of leaving on the first bus. A Korean guide (not always totally conversant in English) acompanies you until the DMZ where you change buses and are led by a member of the military. There is a stop for lunch (and several opportunities for shopping if you are looking for DMZ coffee mugs, caps and the like).
Lunch is not included in the tour but costs from $5US to $10US depending on your choice of main course (there are 2 choices..both Korean and both decent, if uninspiring). You can bring your own food and avail yourself of free ice water at the eating place.
I believe the USO tour cost $42US and it is well worth it. I won't go into the details here but suffice to say it was a surreal experience. Note that there is a loose dress code.
Included in the USO tour (and not some others) is a visit to one of the tunnels that North Korea dug under the DMZ and that was discovered in the 1990s. A descent into the tunnel requires some fairly strenuous uphill walking on the way out which might be of interest to anyone with physical impairment.
The USO runs other tours including tours to the Korean Folk Village, the I'Chon Pottery kilns, Kangwha Island, and several tours within Seoul including river cruises and Seoul by night tours.
Apr 20th, 2007, 09:03 AM
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After my day at the spa and fish market, I visited the highly touted (by locals) Dongdaemun neighborhood which was positively throbbing with shoppers about 6pm until at least 10pm. The area is a congolomeration of high rise buildings packed with both regular shops and small stalls selling all manner of trendy clothing and shoes and tons of designer "fakes." The fakes are usually not out on the shelves. Shoppers are ushered into the back of the stall and shown a book with copies of Vuitton, Gucci, Rolex, Panerai, Hermes, and on and on. You choose what you want and the shop owner sends for it and lo and behold.... Bargaining is the rule.
This is not my thing and even if it were, I was not imnpressed by the qualityof the merchandise that I saw. Apparently there are different grades of "fakes," with AA being the top grade. Apparently a lot of locals shop here because it seemed to me that there was an LV bag dangling off half the women between the ages of 16 and 40 in Seoul!
I was not enthralled by this neighborhood, although I did pick up some cute socks for 1,000 won a pair. I watched as a woman purchased a "Bottega Veneta" woven leather bag for $160 US, a price arrived at after some fierce bargaining with the calculator flying back and forth.
Outside there is break dancing and live music that draws large crowds of the under-30 set. And there are lots of places to eat along the side streets, where we ended up in a barbecue place and where I had my first taste of kalbi, beef grilled on a stove in the middle of the table and snipped into bite sized pieces by the scissor-bearing waitress who was summoned to the table by pressing the doorbell attached to the side. Like most other meals, this was accompanied by plates of pickled vegetables including kimchee. Little, if any, English is spoken.
This is not my thing and even if it were, I was not imnpressed by the qualityof the merchandise that I saw. Apparently there are different grades of "fakes," with AA being the top grade. Apparently a lot of locals shop here because it seemed to me that there was an LV bag dangling off half the women between the ages of 16 and 40 in Seoul!
I was not enthralled by this neighborhood, although I did pick up some cute socks for 1,000 won a pair. I watched as a woman purchased a "Bottega Veneta" woven leather bag for $160 US, a price arrived at after some fierce bargaining with the calculator flying back and forth.
Outside there is break dancing and live music that draws large crowds of the under-30 set. And there are lots of places to eat along the side streets, where we ended up in a barbecue place and where I had my first taste of kalbi, beef grilled on a stove in the middle of the table and snipped into bite sized pieces by the scissor-bearing waitress who was summoned to the table by pressing the doorbell attached to the side. Like most other meals, this was accompanied by plates of pickled vegetables including kimchee. Little, if any, English is spoken.
Apr 20th, 2007, 09:21 AM
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More on shopping: While "fakes" do not interest me, there are a number of shops across the street from the Galleria department store that sell gently used designer leather goods and clothing and watches. Fendi, LV, Hermes, Prada, Chloe, and on and on from recent seasons are in "like new" condition and are sold for prices that I imagine are about half of original retail. Several of these shops specialize in watches (Cartier, Panerai, Rolex, Tag, etc) but I am not sure as to how one would be certain that the offerings are, indeed, the "real" thing.
The spa I mentioned above is:
Dargonhill Spa and Sports 02-792-0001
If you face the Yongsan subway station, look to your left, to the left of the wedding palace, and you will see the entrance at the end of a bamboo-lined path paved with stones. Little English is spoken but that really does not matter. When you enter you are given a key to a locker for your shoes, and for another locker for your clothing, as well as a towel. You can buy individual packets of soap, shampoo, facial masks, conditioner, and whitening cream, as well as scrubbing gloves if you want to do the job yourself.
The spa I mentioned above is:
Dargonhill Spa and Sports 02-792-0001
If you face the Yongsan subway station, look to your left, to the left of the wedding palace, and you will see the entrance at the end of a bamboo-lined path paved with stones. Little English is spoken but that really does not matter. When you enter you are given a key to a locker for your shoes, and for another locker for your clothing, as well as a towel. You can buy individual packets of soap, shampoo, facial masks, conditioner, and whitening cream, as well as scrubbing gloves if you want to do the job yourself.
Apr 20th, 2007, 09:50 AM
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Just want to quickly comment about Beijing-Shanghai trains.
On 4/18/07, China updated its timetables, with increased speed on many routes.
The overnight "Z" trains received a minor speedup, cutting the travel time from 12 hours to 11.5. Really no big deal, and there's no big push to cut those times down as you get on, have a nice dinner, go to bed, wake up at your destination.
However, there IS a new highspeed train, D31 that takes 10 hours for the route. Departs Beijing 10:50am in the morning and arrive 8:49pm. Same time for the northbound D32.
On 4/18/07, China updated its timetables, with increased speed on many routes.
The overnight "Z" trains received a minor speedup, cutting the travel time from 12 hours to 11.5. Really no big deal, and there's no big push to cut those times down as you get on, have a nice dinner, go to bed, wake up at your destination.
However, there IS a new highspeed train, D31 that takes 10 hours for the route. Departs Beijing 10:50am in the morning and arrive 8:49pm. Same time for the northbound D32.
Apr 20th, 2007, 10:09 AM
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Thanks, Rkkwan. That last one must be the one I read about last week. If anything, I wish the overnight trip had been a bit longer to allow more daylight travel for scenery viewing. I agree, once you are on the train and eat dinner, the actual travel time means little.
Just to retiterate, the train trip was excellent; train personnel were very helpful; my compartment had its own bathroom, too! Doors lock when you leave the compartment. One of the highlights of my trip for certain!
Just to retiterate, the train trip was excellent; train personnel were very helpful; my compartment had its own bathroom, too! Doors lock when you leave the compartment. One of the highlights of my trip for certain!
Apr 21st, 2007, 10:22 AM
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In closing the segment of my report on my first visit to Seoul, I will discuss three restaurants in the city. One of the best eating experiences, at the Fish Market, is included above.
Most of the places we ate had no signage or menu in English so I am unable to incldue them here (my dining companion(s) were Korean-speaking and they took the lead both in selecting restaurants and in ordering the meal)
1. Chil-ryang.
www.kr7r.com
Chil-ryang B-2
shin-young Building (woori Bank)
chingdam-dong
Gangnam-gu
(200 meters soouth of southern ed of Young-dong Bridge)
Chungdam Station exit #13 on dark green line #7
Chil-ryang is an absolutely beautiful restaurant where a series of private dining rooms rings the ceramics showroom of Chung Yoon-Seok and his son, Young-Kim. The pottery is available for purchase and the dining table is set with the hand-crafted plates and cups. (I was seriouly tempted by a few of the wares here but in the end, the prices nixed my purchase (about $300 US for a pot about 9-inches tall)
Chil-ryang prides itself on natural ingredients with no additives. The food is traditional Korean and a succession of dishes from the set menu are served to diners in private rooms. The set menus range from 25,000 to 120,000 won; our dinner for 3 cost about 50,000 won per person.
Here is am going to fall totally short because I cannot describe most of what we ate; there was a series of plates brought to the room and plated by a lovely woman dressed in traditional clothing. In addition to the usual pickled vegetables, there was a skate dish that had been cured with an unusual brine; many vegetable dishes; a sweet potato soup; and about 8 other courses. Overall, the experience was great but I liked the ceramics better than the food. I am sure this is because of my ignorance of the local cuisine rather than any shortcoming on the part of the restaurant. I would recommend this place as a special occasion spot more for the ambiance than for any stand-out individual dish.
The pottery, again, is exceptional with a rustic spin on beautifully glazed traditional forms glazed in earth and water colors.
2. Much more satisfying was a lunch at DTF, a branch of the celebrated Taiwanese dumpling restaurant in central Seoul. I ate here after I returned from Shanghai and was very happy to have one last chance to gorge on baskets of soup dumplings, stuffed with pork, crab, and mushrooms, as well as vegetable-stuffed dumplings. We began the meal with a wonderful hot and sour soup. Apart from the soup dumplings, which had been the centerpiece of one of my favorite Shanghai eating experiences, my favorite dish was a beef noodle soup with the most exceptional braised beef..I wish I knew what part of the animal this came from because I would immediately go out and experiment with it at home! Maybe someone familiar with DTF can help here. If you are in Seoul, do not waste any time...make a beeline for DTF!! A multi-coursed lunch here cost about 15,000 won per person.
Shin Eun Jeong, where I ate my last night in Korea, will be covered as soon as I can get back to this report.
Most of the places we ate had no signage or menu in English so I am unable to incldue them here (my dining companion(s) were Korean-speaking and they took the lead both in selecting restaurants and in ordering the meal)
1. Chil-ryang.
www.kr7r.com
Chil-ryang B-2
shin-young Building (woori Bank)
chingdam-dong
Gangnam-gu
(200 meters soouth of southern ed of Young-dong Bridge)
Chungdam Station exit #13 on dark green line #7
Chil-ryang is an absolutely beautiful restaurant where a series of private dining rooms rings the ceramics showroom of Chung Yoon-Seok and his son, Young-Kim. The pottery is available for purchase and the dining table is set with the hand-crafted plates and cups. (I was seriouly tempted by a few of the wares here but in the end, the prices nixed my purchase (about $300 US for a pot about 9-inches tall)
Chil-ryang prides itself on natural ingredients with no additives. The food is traditional Korean and a succession of dishes from the set menu are served to diners in private rooms. The set menus range from 25,000 to 120,000 won; our dinner for 3 cost about 50,000 won per person.
Here is am going to fall totally short because I cannot describe most of what we ate; there was a series of plates brought to the room and plated by a lovely woman dressed in traditional clothing. In addition to the usual pickled vegetables, there was a skate dish that had been cured with an unusual brine; many vegetable dishes; a sweet potato soup; and about 8 other courses. Overall, the experience was great but I liked the ceramics better than the food. I am sure this is because of my ignorance of the local cuisine rather than any shortcoming on the part of the restaurant. I would recommend this place as a special occasion spot more for the ambiance than for any stand-out individual dish.
The pottery, again, is exceptional with a rustic spin on beautifully glazed traditional forms glazed in earth and water colors.
2. Much more satisfying was a lunch at DTF, a branch of the celebrated Taiwanese dumpling restaurant in central Seoul. I ate here after I returned from Shanghai and was very happy to have one last chance to gorge on baskets of soup dumplings, stuffed with pork, crab, and mushrooms, as well as vegetable-stuffed dumplings. We began the meal with a wonderful hot and sour soup. Apart from the soup dumplings, which had been the centerpiece of one of my favorite Shanghai eating experiences, my favorite dish was a beef noodle soup with the most exceptional braised beef..I wish I knew what part of the animal this came from because I would immediately go out and experiment with it at home! Maybe someone familiar with DTF can help here. If you are in Seoul, do not waste any time...make a beeline for DTF!! A multi-coursed lunch here cost about 15,000 won per person.
Shin Eun Jeong, where I ate my last night in Korea, will be covered as soon as I can get back to this report.
