Korean Job Discussion Forums

[JFuller317]

I'll be in Seoul tomorrow with a friend who has never been to Korea before. I don't live in Seoul, so I don't know the area, but I want to take him somewhere good. Any recommendations?

[Yesterday]

Anchungsal barbeque at that 24-hr log restaurant in Shinsa-dong.


or try one of the many BBQ restaurants at Bangi-I-dong (behind Mongchontoseong station 813 exit 2)
surrounded by 100 bars and cafes - good for a nightlife amongst Korean people as the area doesn't have many foreigners hanging out...
also has 150 love hotels around the restaurants to choose from if you need somewhere to sleep

or

http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=14504&highlight=restaurant

or

http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=58470

[DCJames]

Just go to a place where you see lots of Koreans already dining in.

Restaurants that are very busy are busy because they are good.

[Fishead soup]

There is a specific style I like. I don't like the places that have a big mural of a Traditional Korean scene. Everytime I've been to one of those style places I get disappointed.

I like places that are really basic. Cooking directly on charcoal beats electric or gas range all the time. Save the gas range for cooking spam.

I like the makeshift places. Old garbage bins, or oil drums, have been converted into tables. There is also lots wierd looking ducking everywhere giving the place a retro Doctor Who look. The place should be packed and the soju should be flowing freely. If people aren't getting drunk it's either a family place or its too expensive.

Try to go to a place where the meat isn't served rock hard frozen. Or it's covered in a soy sauce marinade. They always put tons of maranaid on a crappy cut of meat. Try to order the meat without any maranaid.

This is what I usually order
for pork- Oge Gyup sal- Mok sal or Sam gyup sal.
for beef- Kalbi Sal ,Sam don shin

[ekul]

I like meat with marinade. I go to an all you can eat meat place and it's only 9,000 for 2 hours of gorging. If the meat wasn't marinaded it most likely wouldn't be so good ;p

[Robot_Teacher]

I like the leaner cuts of meat. What do you call that? I know samgyeopsal is fatty cuts of pork belly.

OP, you can go to Itaewon for a wide range of choices of places to eat and drink, but it's not as Korean as the rest of Korea though I seen plenty of Korean restaurants.

[definitely maybe]

do not, under any circumstances, go to itaewon for korean food. low quality and generally overpriced. just because places like don valley are there, it doesn't mean they're worth going to.

i agree with fishead soup. you want to find a place that is busy and full of character(s). everyone has their own favorites, and mine are probably a bit too far off the beaten path for you. i think you should be able to find something great around jongno though.

[roadwork]

[QbertP]

Not that I disagree with going to the divey places everyones reccomending, but if you want beef and are prepared to pay out the nose for it Byeok Jae Galbi in Songpa(near Bangi) is fantastic.

It is also very very very very expensive.

[Xuanzang]

There's a nice Jeju black pork place near Sadang exit 11. It's in the restaurant street behind the Bandi and Luni's.

[dean_burrito]

Try the Konkuk university area. Many good restaurants there and for a good price. And not meat but maybe you should go to Sindang as well and go to Doekbokki (spelling?) Town... just a short walk from exit 8.

[Hyeon Een]

For those not in the know the best cut of pork to western tastes is kal-mae-gi-sal (갈매기살). It means seagull and Koreans think it's hilarious when a westerner knows it for some reason. It can be found in about 50% of pork barbecue joints. I've never met a westerner who preferred a different cut of meat. So if you haven't tried it yet try it next time you're in a barbecue restaurant.

[lorenchristopher]

I know an AMAZING dwaeji galbi BBQ place in Cheonho if anyone is in the area and interested. I've taken lots of my Korean friends and they always rate it 11+ on a 10-point scale, lol.

PM me and I'll try to give you directions, or if you're not a psycho maybe we can go together for lunch....it's on the back streets kinda hard to find.

[Otherside]

[roadwork]