South Korea - Chapter 4: Living and shopping in Seoul
Itaewon and Namdaemun Market
We are now staying in Itaewon, one of the many neighborhoods of Seoul. It’s more densely populated and urban than Incheon.
It’s quite a bit older than Incheon with all that implies. There is for example graffiti here in some places. But this does not appear to indicate much in the way of crime though certainly Incheon is a level up when it comes to safety. Itaewon is also where you will find most foreigners living. This was made even more clear when a teacher with a group of young students walked by us. The teacher replied to a question we did not hear from a student by saying, “That’s because there are so many foreigners here.”
We were looking for a place to have lunch. A local made a recommendation which involved heading down an alley off the main road. As we walked, I joked that he’s probably the owner of the place we are headed or married to the owner perhaps.
The restaurant was small with about 10 tables and an open kitchen at the back. Two women made up the entire staff. They waited on tables, cooked the food, handled payment and bused afterwards.
We were early and were the only customers when we arrived but by the time we left, the restaurant was nearly full.
My dish was spicy pork with rice. Shredded seaweed was sprinkled on top and it came with a lite soup. Koreans like having soup or stew with every meal. Side dishes (called bonchon) are common though what you get varies. This is another difference between South Korea and the US. Here there are no specific foods or a particular time of day. What you eat for dinner could just as easily be breakfast. I enjoyed my meal though Jeannie and my in-laws thought the food was very average.
Itaewon is also the place to go for night life because every restaurant is open late and the streets are filled with young people.
This picture really does not do it justice in terms of how packed the streets were.
Today’s destination was Namdaemun Market. This is a huge area made up of countless streets and alleyways filled to the brim with shops, restaurants and my favorite: street food. Along the edges of the market are numbered towers (referred to as gates) which act as landmarks for meeting friends or being picked up or dropped off by a taxi.
Off each busy street are even more densely-packed alleyways with restaurants where you just sit down, shoulder-to-shoulder at a counter and are served while the masses pass by behind you.
Fortunately, I am not claustrophobic. I don’t think you could live in Seoul if you were. While Seoul is considered expensive by the locals, it’s not by US standards. The exchange rate is 1350 or so Korean Won to the US dollar. Everything seems like a bargain to me.
While it feels like you can buy almost anything you can imagine in Namdaemun, it’s the street food that I like best. My all-time favorite is called Hokdoh. It’s a fried Korean pancake filled with caramelized cinnamon and sugar.
They are made hot and fresh. You can get one right off the grill for about 1500 won or about $1.10USD. They are folded in half and delivered in a paper cup so you have something to hold. This is important because for at least 10 to 15 minutes afterwards, the caramelized contents are indistinguishable from molten lava. Bite into one too fast and I can assure you that it’s a mistake you won’t make twice.
Most Korean food is spicy. If there’s any doubt about that, this store will put that to rest.
Koreans use a lot of crushed red pepper. If you don’t like spicy food, Korean food is probably not for you.
As we strolled the streets, I had fish cake on a stick (called Ohdang), another type of Hokdoh, fresh pineapple, and more. I really only sampled a tiny bit of the street food available there as we were planning to have dinner later. The last time we were here in 2017, I made an effort to try nearly everything.
Food and shopping are an important part of the experience of visiting Seoul, South Korea. To not visit Namdaemun Market while here would be most unfortunate.