There's a great many ways to describe my first impressions of Korea and the city of Seoul...intrigue, disappointment, perspective, excitement...just a few adjectives that initially come to mind.
One thing I can say with conviction, at least as far as my very first glimpse of Seoul, is that it is not at all pretty. While most highway drives from an airport are less than aesthetically pleasing, my predictions of what the city of Seoul and its surrounding areas would look like were torn apart in mere moments. I had painted a picture of modern glass high rise buildings, distant peaks and the "magnificent beauty of the Han River"; my first mental photographs featured clusters of identical, half built buildings, brown grass, abandoned lots off the side of the highway, decrepit factories and shipping yards and an overwhelming abundance of beige-painted-everything.
Coming from Toronto, I though I had a pretty good idea of what constant and major constructions looked like, but was I ever naive. Seoul is a rapidly expanding city and on the way to the core (where I live) the amount of construction is something that I can only comprehend after seeing it in person. Cranes sprouted out of the tops of beige, characterless concrete buildings and towered over the sea of flat topped roofs. Small cities and communities that formerly featured nothing but small apartment buildings jammed together were now being dwarfed by gigantic 20 and 30 story housing complexes that looked like they were designed during the cold war era. While I had already been told that efficiency was more than a big deal around these parts and that large 'officetels' were the norm, I imagined it would come in the form of the ultra-modern. These housing projects, however, lacked both in beauty and grander (despite their size). I was actually a little disappointed that after so much anticipation I was greeted in my new city of residence to a most dreary scene.
I am, however, not one to pass judgement too quickly and as I drove deeper and deeper into the depths of the beast that is the Greater Seoul Area things began to take less uniform appearance. Once off the airport highway and into the thick of a 6PM traffic jam near downtown my perspective began to take a more refined form. I noticed a well developed river-front with small parks, basketball and badminton courts, bike paths and outdoor workout stations. There were a surprising number of people enjoying the 8°C weather, uncharacteristic of a Seoul day in early March. I even saw about 5 different golf courses on the drive over; each one of them packed with players teeing off on the brown grass! (This would not only be unheard of back in Toronto, but highly ridiculed)
As we crawled along and slowly took to the main roads I was all of a sudden slapped in the face with what Seoul was all about. The main roads had more lanes of traffic (6-8) than most of the biggest highways around Canada, each one in complete gridlock on a Saturday evening. The 401 at rush hour never seemed so appealing. One brave (or stupid) soul was legitimately selling rice cakes out of a hand-pulled kiosk in the middle of the lanes of traffic!! When you enter my part of Seoul called Apgujeong-dong (famous for its haute couture boutiques and plastic surgery clinics) in Gangnam-gu (the quintessential downtown metropolis) my predetermined painting began to become more realistic. The mega-roads are lined with giant office towers, movie theaters, restaurants, convenience stores and more cafe's and cell phone shops then should be legal. Once off the main roads the neighborhoods are comprised of an intricate labyrinth of tiny streets; small apartment buildings, businesses, boutiques, restaurants of all kinds, and of course...many more cafe's!
Seoul is a foodies wet dream! Even in Apgujeong, which is considered to be the most affluent in Korea, it is so easy to find delicious, fresh, filling and inexpensive food!
Standard Korean fare is always the most affordable option and is guaranteed to come along with unlimited refils of side dishes free of charge.
A dolsot bibimbap will run you a mere W3,500-W5,500 (under $3-$5). "Dolsot" means "stone bowl" and "bibimbap"--"mixed meal", is a combination of rice served in a scolding hot stone bowl with sliced fresh vegetables on top and garnished with a raw egg and occasionally sliced meat; when mixed together it cooks the egg and creates a delicious contrast of flavors and textures from crispy and soft pieces of rice, crunchy veggies and acts as the perfect excuse to indulge in copious amounts of gochujang (chili pepper paste, or Korean hot sauce).
Bulgogi: W5,000-W6,000 is one of the most popular dishes around and has most definitely found its way to everyone's local Korean restaurant. "Bulgogi" literally translates to "fire meat", but it is most commonly found served on a sizzling cast iron plate, or as I've found when ordering by name and expecting the former , a type of soup with some vegetables and glass noodles rather than grilled (the traditional preparation). Bulgogi is made from thinly sliced sirloin or other prime cuts of beef and is generally marinated for at least two hours in a variety of seasonings, including soy sauce, sesame oil, black pepper, garlic, onion, sugar, and ginger. The marinating process ensures a beautifully tender bite with a rich flavor that is both salty and sweet on the palate. Bulgogi is often served with rice and some sort of lettuce or sesame leaf for wraps. Don't forget your gochujang!
Another amazing thing about Korea is that so much of their eating is priced to serve at least two people. I was fortunate enough to be taken out for my first two meals in Seoul and each one was a cultural experience in itself. In many Korean restaurants it is typical to order just one main dish of meat or fish and the rest of the meal consists of an endless supply of delectable and diverse side dishes. My first meal (pictured below) cost W6,000 for all of the sides that also included a kimchi soup with tofu and what I believe was a mung bean and seaweed soup (my friend couldn't translate for me), and W12,000 for a hefty plate of bulgogi. The two of us didn't even come close to taking the whole thing down!
(gotta love the variety!)
My second lunch was at a very upscale Korean restaurant, beautifully decorated with giant clay urns and pots, and other traditionally Korean artifacts and was a meal for the ages! With a whopping 43 dishes (some couldn't fit in the photo) to choose from, this epic two hour mowing marathon featured a tender salty sliced pork belly, bulgogi, dolsot bibimbap rice with peanuts (no veggies), dolsot egg, two soups and a plethora of palatable delights; at least 6 different kinds of kimchi and kimchi'ed things, whole fried Yellow Corvina (fish on the left), sauteed king oyster mushrooms, sting ray, and stuffed green chillies. For W26,000 I will be sure to bring some friends along for this experience sometime soon!
(I was full for days)
So, after being dropped into Korea in what appeared to a dull and dreary atmosphere, it didn't take long before I was exposed to some of the culinary colours that this country can offer. From confused to confident, I am eager to dip into the many taste sensations and topographic wonders that this country has to offer.
With spring just around the corner, I will be budding along with the cherry blossoms and growing into my new surroundings. And while I don't expect it to, if all else fails, at least this food fiend will never go hungry!
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