Eating Korean

I know you’ve all been waiting with baited breath for the update of my Frommer’s South Korea guide. Ha ha.
It’s officially out (as of today!).

I tried to squeeze in more fun stuff — like the farm for dwenjang, herbal markets in the mountains, secret beaches, tasty restaurants (like the one where the chef makes [...]

Read the rest of Frommer’s South Korea (2nd Edition) is out!

One of my favorite holidays in Korea is the “Day the Buddha Came ” (or Buddha’s Birthday, for short), which is celebrated with the Lotus Lantern Festival.

All of the Buddhist temples throughout the country will be celebrating on Friday May 21st with a lantern-lighting ceremony when the sun goes down.
In Seoul, there will be [...]

Read the rest of The Day the Buddha Came

Just a couple of weeks ago, I made my way through the curvy mountain roads of Gangwondo, the most mountainous province in South Korea. Tucked in one of its hilly corners are the largest fields of napa cabbage in the country.

We rushed to get to the fields, but alas, they had farmed most of [...]

Read the rest of The Baechu Fields of Gangwondo

While elbowing my way through Namdaemun Shijang (market) this afternoon in Seoul, I saw a long line of people clutching won in their hands waiting. Since I can’t just walk by a group of people waiting for food. I joined the end of the line to get my share of the freshly steamed mandu (dumplings) [...]

Read the rest of Mandu Joint in Namdaemun

If you’ve never had hand-cut noodles, you’re in for a real treat. There are various different versions. Some made with clams, chicken, beef, seafood; some spicy, some not, but all delicious.
An inexpensive dish to have in restaurants (usually just 5,000 to 6,000 won), it’s really easy to make at home, too. You can get [...]

Read the rest of Kal Gooksu (Korean “Knife” Noodles)

After a long soak in an oncheon (hot spring), a dip in cold water and a long scrubby polish, nothing beats a traditional Korean meal (hanjeongshik). We wandered around the streets of Suanbo, a hot springs town, and chanced upon this cozy restaurant on a side street. Specializing in hanjeongshik and pheasant shabu shabu, we [...]

Read the rest of Hyang Namu Shikdang

Although this isn’t really food related, I thought you’d find this entertaining.
This tiny little “museum” is hidden on the second floor of an Insadong building. Small but full of a rambling assemblage of old toys, kitsch from Korean childhoods, old school stuff, piles of tiny figures and sensational movie posters. Here are some highlights [...]

Read the rest of Highlights from the Totoman Museum in Seoul

It’s finally here! You can get your very own copy of the travel guide, Frommer’s South Korea via amazon or through me. I’ve included all the gorgeous temples, national parks, wonderful little towns and, of course, recommendations for restaurants, regional foods and the like. I hope you use it to see my beautiful native country [...]

Read the rest of Announcing Frommer’s South Korea

One of the best experiences to have in Korea is just walking through the numerous open markets. Namdaemun Shijang in Seoul, the oldest and largest wholesale market in the country, is located right by the now burnt Namdaemun (the “Great South Gate”). Koreans say that if you can’t find it in Namdaemun, it probably doesn’t [...]

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Every year in early Spring the first pale green leaves from the tea plant peek their little heads, waking up from their winter sleep. The earliest leaves of the season are the most highly prized. Hand picked by sun-wizened local ladies, they are the most expensive. From early April through early September, the tea leaves [...]

Read the rest of The Green Tea Fields of Boseong