8/31 Lunch

(Gah! Didn't notice the finger...) This is at a really cheap place nearby my dorm - $4.50 for a really solid meal. Second time I've had this, forgot to take a picture of it earlier. Probably will be going here quite often. Bulgogi with egg and rice.

8/30 - fun filled day wandering around Seoul

 Nothing of note for lunch, but this milk soda stuff is really good. I swear.

A few friends and I (after wandering around and failing to find Seoul National University) met up in Gangnam (강남) for some eats and shopping... for our "first dinner" we went to this really busy waffle/breakfast place and we shared this tower of sweety goodness.

Korea is awesome.

Second dinner at a bar in Sinchon (신천) for some eats and drink to get the night started. Lots of soju, beer, good food and....

Silkworms! We all got the point where we tried one... it was kind of crunchy, with a good spicy flavor. That being said, that moment when you crunch down and you feel the small amount of guts squirt into your mouth... not the most appetizing thing. Not as bad as I expected, but never again.

Countryside! Day 3

This was breakfast at the resort we stayed at... a spicy fish soup reknown for curing hangovers. I hate to say it, but it was definitely a welcome meal.

Lunch in a restaurant near the national park we were walking. With a Korean pancake!

Back in the city at night... made a trip to Mr. Pizza! It was kind of expensive, but really solid for Korean pizza (most of the cheese here is terrible... the stuff on the pizza was actually alright). Also of note - Mr. Pizza's slogan is "Love for Women." My friend said that apparently eating here with a woman (or as a woman) may earn you a discount or something. Really weird stuff, the native Korean I asked about it the day after had no idea if that was true or if Mr. Pizza is just a really creepy dude.

Countryside! Day 2

Breakfast (pretty much everywhere in the country side you sit down to eat - no chairs!) was a very appetizing beef stew. Plus all the side dishes, which you get unlimited refills of.

Bibimbap... not the biggest fan, but still pretty good. Different place, but it all looks very similar.

Went to a ginseng market from what is apprently the world's #1 growing of quality ginseng... expensive, though! Had some tea.

More pork (and plenty of Makkeoli and Soju... officially sanctioned and all. Pretty weird.).

Better angle.

Back from the countryside! Day 1

So we left Seoul early in the morning on Wednesday... Those cookies in the first pictures are addictingly good. The whole bag was gone by night time. Our first stop was to Seobaeksan national park, which you can see more of from my photo album elsewhere. But we ate a slightly soggy subway sandwhich on the river, which was cool (although the food was meh).

Dinner at a traditional Korean restuarant in the country side... just lots and lots of chicken.

Woah, Soju! We had a good night chilling at some old Korean housing in an old village (it was pretty small, sleeping on the floor, etc).

8/27 oh god sugar rush

 So I met up with tutor (Gina) from Mt. Holyoke before she has to return to the States... we kinda walked around and chilled in Samcheong-dong, a neighborhood with a lot of old school Korean houses. Having not tried 빙수 (bingsu) yet, we went to a little cafe to try it out... turns out it was just a gateway to an afternoon of piling on sweet after sweet.

 Bingsu, some sort of nut pie thing, and rice cake with chocolate filling. It was all really good! Also, a shot of the front of the cafe...

 Stopped by a bakery that featured on a TV show Gina had seen before. Got some chocolate croissants... pretty good. The last time I had one was probably in Paris 7 or 8 years ago, so yeah.

 This is... uh... goddamnit. Another case of me forgetting what something is called (I need to be more cognizant and write this stuff down). It's Belgian waffle in the shape of a fish, filled with anything from red bean, blackberry, cream cheese or sweet potato. We got sweet potato... not a big fan of that back in the states, but here in Korea it's really sweet and I thought it wasn't too bad! I want to try the blueberry or cream cheese though - it was quite tasty.

The big finale... a whole Belgian waffle covered with chocolate ice cream, whipped cream, banana and what not. It took us like 3 seconds to decide on this from the many choices... and man, was it good. It hit the spot after walking around in the heat for a couple of hours. I really love this Koreans have with Belgian waffles. Dessert waffles like this are EVERYWHERE. And it's AMAZING.

Needless to say, no real dinner for me tonight.

8/27 Lunch

Bulgogi burrito. It was alright. I dunno, it was worth a try.

8/26 Dinner

Woah, American food? A burger?!? Here's my excuse: after eating a real light lunch, the friend I was eating out with asked me if I wanted something really substantial... I said yes, and he brought me here. I got a mozzarella burger... on the expensive side as far as food goes here, but actually really good. I would be satisfied if I had ordered this back in the the states, so no regrets. Also, a view from the window. Cool location.

8/24 Lunch/Dinner

 Man, it was really bright outside when I took these pictures... eating fried chicken outside alongside the Han River. You can see the pictures of the river in my sightseeing album! (also had to post the box - Sistar endorsed chicken! So obviously quality stuff).
 

This was at a small Japanese ramen place near campus... I decided to post a before and after because I want to get across how HOLY FUCKING SHIT satisfying it was. Amazing. Everything about this meal... I feel bad for saying this, but this Japanese food was definitely the best thing I've had here in Korea so far. Incredible... will have to come back again.

Another street waffle - this time with no ice cream, just whipped cream and caramel. Still hits the spot.

Missing food from 8/22

Turns out I did take pictures of food from that day and I'm just dumb. Breakfast, banana milk + muffin. Lunch at a Chinese restaurant... Fried rice, sweet and sour pork. Some people got a seafood soup - Greg Knowlton was sitting next to me and I ventured to eat his octopus head after he expressed hesitation... it was really chewy. Last picture is ice cream.

I did forget to take a picture of dinner - I had bulgogi over rice at some place near campus. Only $4.50 too! It was a good meal for the price.

8/23 Dinner part 2

So this was at a small 막걸리 (makkoeli - Korean rice wine) place... We first tried 5 different brands/flavors for about $2, then went on to 2 jugs of our favorites. This stuff is quite good! Real smooth, with a good taste. The last picture is of red bean 막걸리, which may have been the best. Also an interesting experience to be drinking with all the old dudes who had just gotten off work. Seriously, though. Quality stuff.

8/23 Dinner part 1!

So me and a couple of friends decided that before we went out drinking, we needed some cheap food... so here's the quite good 불고기 버거 (bulgogi burger). All the McDonald's here are super nice, and the staff actually all seem to give a shit about the service they're providing.

8/23 Lunch/Afternoon Snack

Yeah, I kinda missed some meals (as in picture taking)... nothing special though. The meal up top was ~$4. Good deal.