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Gongcha is opening TOMORROW If you've been disappointed by the offerings by LiHo, your prayers have been answered because Gongcha is back! It's new flagship will be opening at the new SingPost Centre. So, go-ong and drink to your fill! And, good things must share!

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iPhone X - It's Screen that's all.

iPhone X – It’s Screen that’s all.

Alright world. Whatever rumour you’ve heard about the latest iPhone is true. Here’s the low down: What’s new? Screen (obviously) No more home button (swipe up to return to home) Side swipe to switch app Face ID (works in the dark, doesn’t work on photo) No more Touch ID I presume Portrait Mode – sharp face, blur background Portrait…

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Free stuff in Bristol

Bristol is a beautiful, bustling city. It’s got a river running through the city centre and is surrounded by hills and greens when you look at the right places.  Here’s what I did for free this weekend.  1. Bristol Italian AutoMoto Festival. I’ll be honest, I accidentally walked into it. I saw a crowd and got curious. Thank goodness it wasn’t some sort of a mob going on.  Unfortunately, Instagram…

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Is living in Singapore really more expensive than Bristol?

Is living in Singapore really more expensive than Bristol?

Moving to a new city is always not easy, let alone to a new city in a new country. To make things worse, since Singapore is consistently ranked as the most expensive city to live in, cost of living measurements shows that one will actually “spend less” while living in the UK if they moved from Singapore. Is that true? That’s what this series of blog is for. I am going to keep track of my monthly…

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Money saving eggtip: DIY Fruit Box! Here's a money saving eggtip: DIY fruit box! Here at splittingheadegg, we firmly believe that we should not pay for sown thing that we can do ourselves.

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Prep up for your June Holiday Trip!

Heading somewhere this June? Check out The Planet Traveller’s sale at Paragon basement 1 this weekend! Winter apparels (like Northface jackets) are at up to 30% off, and Crossing luggages are having a buy 1 get 1 free promo! Wait no longer! Sale ends 15 May 2016! While stocks lasts! Like us on Facebook or follow our blog for more wonderful deals like this! Did you buy something at a bargain?…

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Having a headache planning for a short getaway? Malacca is just 3 hours’ bus ride away and is very affordable. Most people think of Jonker Street when they hear Malacca, but there’s so much more to Malacca than just Jonker Street.  Thanks to Eugenie, we were able to seek out places unbeknownst to non-locals!

And oh, don’t shun those old, dirty looking shops, please. Chances are, the older the shop, the better the food. Why? Like a friend of mine once said, “If they’ve been around for so long looking like this (old and dirty), they must be doing something right.”

Egg Tip: “Take our advice and throw the whole damn thing into your mouth.”

Alright, let’s get down to business. There are a total of 8 items in this list. The addresses and business details are found of this page.

Satay celup – almost synonymous with Malacca, it’s one of those things you have to try when you’re in Malacca. The pretentious ones will go all “eww” and “disgusting”, because that pot of sauce in the middle never gets changed. But who are we kidding, here? Does that really bother you?

Crepe Cake at Nadeje. These were immensely popular amongst the school kids 10-15 years ago. Now they’ve all grown up, the franchise has also grown with them. Yet, the taste still remains largely the same.

The Ginger Dau Huey at Bukit China

Teochew Bak Kut Teh. Herbal and wonderfully delicious.

Ang Ku Kueh. They have the traditional red ones and the brown ones.

Cooked with charcoal fire this majestic, your plate of Hokkien Mee will have sufficient 火候！

Cheese Prawn Bee Hoon with fresh, large prawns.

The yellow rice signifies gold, and hence can be found at special events like weddings!

Kuih Lobak, or Carrot Cake (the Chinese version). Save your stomach for this if you’ve only got space for 1 item.

Remember to like us on Facebook or drop us some comments while you’re at it!

Address & Maps:

1. Donald & Lily No 16 (Ground Floor), Jalan KSB 1, Taman Kota Shahbandar, 75200 Melaka, Malaysia

Business Hours：- Open 9am-4pm except Mondays No reservations taken. Website: https://www.facebook.com/donaldandlily/info?tab=page_info

2. Teochew Bak Kut Teh Jalan Melaka Raya 4, Taman Melaka Raya, 75200 Melaka, Malaysia

Business Hours：- Unable to find business hours. To be safe, go before noon.

3. Baba Charlie 72, Jalan Tengkera, Kampung Tengkera Pantai 2c, 5200 Melaka, Malaysia

Business Hours: – 10.30am – 3.00pm Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Baba-Charlie-Nyonya-Cake-254730721245098/

4. Cheese Prawn Bee Hoon No. 377 & 378, Jalan Taman Melaka Raya 6, Taman Melaka Raya, 75000 Melaka

Tel : 06 – 286 7811 H/P : 017 – 631 7811 / 016 – 776 7811 Business Hours：- 5:30 pm – 11:00 pm Rest on every fortnight Mondays Open for business on Public Holidays Reservation Times：- 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm After 11:00 pm Website: http://www.tongsheng.com.my/index.php 

5. Carrot Jake on  Street Right on the opposite corner kerb of Geographer Cafe Jalan Hang Jebat, 75200 Melaka, Malaysia

Business Hours: – Sunday – Thursday 10:00 – 00:00 Friday & Saturday 10:00 – 01:00

6. Air Soya Tauhu Halia 30A, Lorong Bukit Cina, Kampung Banda Kaba, 75000 Melaka, Malaysia

Business Hours: – Tuesdays – Sundays 10:00 – 18:00 Closed on Mondays

7. No Signboard Charcoal Fire Hokkien Mee 277 Jalan Parameswara, Melaka Tengah, 75000 Melaka

Note that we are not covering the more common Satay Celup and Nadeje because it’s already all over the internet. You don’t need us for that. We have included a very short section on it on the last page, just in case we are your first stop.

1. Nasi Ketuk/Nasi Lemak (Blue Rice) @ Donald Lily’s

Hungry yet? Nasi Ketuk is blue rice cooked with Bunga Telang (Butterfly-Pea Flower). It’s the same flower used in those blue Nonya Kuehs. Therefore, that blue you see there is 100% natural with no artificial colouring!

The rice is fragrant and tasty, and a little salty that makes it palatable. Let’s just say, after putting one mouthful of rice into my mouth, I found it hard to stop myself from a second. The rendang sauce is superb and goes very well with the rice, and the chicken is nice and tender (not dry). The fried egg and papadum completes the set. This is one of those dishes that brightens your eyes and makes your taste buds jump for joy. Probably close to a 5/5 rating!

Note that they also call this dish Nasi Lemak (so it’s a Nasi Lemak special edition).

We also tried other dishes like Mee Siam and Laksa (see above). Unfortunately, in our opinion, both were mediocre. Give it a miss and stick to Nasi Ketuk. You will thank us for that.

Note that the Nasi Ketuk is only on Fridays! Also, go early (before 12, if possible) to avoid queuing! We went early and, thankfully, did not have to wait for a table. 

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2. Bak Kut Teh (潮州肉骨茶)

Teochew Bak Kut Teh. Herbal and wonderfully delicious.

Eggtip: Please take note of the business hours to avoid disappointment!

It’s so hard to find good, proper Bak Kut Teh in Singapore (read: non-pepper Bak Kut Teh with proper, herbal soup), so Bak Kut Teh is always one of those “must eat” for me when travelling to Malaysia (Klang has probably the best BKT and is one of my favourite places for BKT).

How nice, you ask? THIS nice. No, we didn’t clean the claypot for them.

The soup is fragrant and smooth. It’s herbal, but not the kind where you feel like you’re drinking traditional Chinese medicine. The meat is sweet and tender, and the portion is good enough for the 5 of us. My number 2 choice after the blue rice.

One has to note that BKT is actually considered a breakfast in Malacca (and KL, too). We were not able to find out what the business hours were for this wonderful find, but our source (read: local) told us to just go before noon to avoid disappointment, since it is primarily a breakfast thing.

You Tiao’s are a must have with the soup!

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3. Baba Charlie Nonya Kuehs

Baba Charlie is a shop that’s tucked away on the side of a small road. This is also another one of those “go early to avoid disappointment”. We’ve tried many items on the menu, so here’s our low down:

The Must Try Exploding Ondeh-Ondeh’s

Exploding Ondeh-ondeh’s are hard to come by. The filling are usually dry and too sweet. I’ve been searching for explosive ondeh-ondehs ever since I accidentally came across one many years back (at Old Airport Food Centre, in case you’re wondering. But their standard isn’t consistent and I don’t know if they’re still there). You can imagine my delight when I found out that we were holding onto not one, but TWO, packs of exploding Ondeh-ondeh’s!

The Suspect: Exploding Ondeh-ondeh

The amazing part is, these Ondeh-ondeh’s are still packed with the same explosive force even after 10 hours, and this is coming from 2 independent witnesses (we brought some back for friends who were joining us later that evening). So the threat of an Ondeh-Ondeh exploding in your mouth is still very real. Just take our advice and throw the whole damn thing into your mouth. Don’t blame us if you dirty your (partner’s) top, because it’s going to squirt if your mouth is open!

The Ondeh-ondeh’s are made fresh, right in front of you. You’ll need to queue to get yourself some.

Nasi Kunyit

The yellow rice signifies gold, and hence can be found at special events like weddings!

 Tumeric Glutinous Rice, or Nasi Kunyit, is good breakfast food – small on serving but big on taste. There’s sticky rice with a little bit of fried egg, salted fish and cucumber. The sweet-spicy chilli sauce compliments it well.

Apparently it is served at special events to signify good fortune because it’s yellow like gold!

Ang Ku Kueh (Red Tortoise Cake)

Ang Ku Kueh. They have the traditional red ones and the brown ones.

They’re usually red, but they have brown version.  The skin is brown because they grind coconut (and maybe brown sugar?) into powder and mix into the dough. However, the Ang Ku Kueh was voted unanimously by the group to be below average and not worth a try because of its thick skin and measly filling. 

Our breakfast (lunch) for the day. The Ondeh-ondeh are probably the best item in the shop.

 Note: You’ve got to queue for this (extremely popular), and they close by 1530h.

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4. Cheese Prawn Bee Hoon

Cheese Prawn Bee Hoon with fresh, large prawns.

There is a restaurant called Tong Sheng that sells Cheese Prawn Bee Hoon that is very popular. The chef learnt his trade in Hong Kong and decided to bring this wonderful dish back to Malaysia. Being extremely popular, please remember to call in advance to make reservations if you do not wish to queue and waste time. We queued to close to an hour.

The Prawn Bee Hoon is delicious – the soup is sweet and the prawns are huge (they look like mini lobsters) and fresh. A serving of medium was sufficient to feed the 5 of us (3 male, 2 ladies, reasonable eaters) and cost RM66.

As a tribute to my Swiss Cheese-Master, I, the young Padawan, must declare that this does not taste like cheese. The taste of the so-called “cheese” is more akin to condensed milk than cheese. Note that I have been trained by a Swiss on cheeses, so my standards are elevated. That being said, whether it tastes like cheese to you or not, it is still a pleasant dish.

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5. Fried Carrot Cake on Jonker Street

OK, we know the title says “beyond Jonker Street”, but would you forgive us if we left something worthy out?

Let’s first give you a brief on Jonker: There’s countless food to eat as you make your way down the long, crowded street. At the start of the street you’ll find skilled workers shaving coconut husks with extreme dexterity – they first remove just enough husk to expose the white  flesh, and the remove the ball of flesh completely from the husk with the juice still intact, like a balloon. You gain access to the juice by piercing a hole in the flesh with a straw. But this is not the point.

Before you open your wallet and start filling your stomach, please remember to save some space for the Fried Carrot Cake. If you’ve only got room for 1 thing, please, forgo everything else and just head straight to this stall! It is very near the National Geographic Cafe (you can find the cafe on Google Maps).

Carrot Cake on Jonker Street. This stall has been around for more than 10 years.

The cake is starchy and firm, hence giving a nice bite to it. They are also in pretty large chunks, making it so much more satisfying. Fried with dark sauce over high heat, the Carrot Cake is sweet (but not too sweet) and smells deliciously “dark-sauced”. Let’s not forget the egg – the egg seals the deal.

View from the front – Carrot Jake on Jonker Street.

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6. Ginger Dau Huay (aka Air Soya Tauhu Halia)

Teochew Bak Kut Teh. Herbal and wonderfully delicious.

Soya beancurd (aka Dau Huay) with a twist – ginger! Located within the market area, you would probably never ever find this Dau Huay place. Wake up early and get your butt out for some healthy breakfast, the Dau Huay with that hint of ginger spiciness is both refreshing and addictive. If you’re feeling greedy, go for the take away, because you get a lot more dau huay.

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7. No Signboard Charcoal Fire Hokkien Mee

Cooked with charcoal fire this majestic, your plate of Hokkien Mee will have sufficient 火候！

Note: The Malaysian Hokkien mee is different from the Singaporean Hokkien mee. It is fried with dark sauce (think fried kuay tiao or black fried carrot cake), and is more fragrant with the thick yellow noodles. Unfortunately ours came with more bee hoon than yellow noodles, so the taste wasn’t the best. But when you get a mouthful of yellow noodles, the flavour would jump right at you, filling your mouth with the aroma of the yellow noodles that has absorbed the essence of the other ingredients.

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Last Words

Before we end, I promised a little write up on Nadeje and Satay Celup. So here we go:

Nadeje

Crepe Cake at Nadeje. These were immensely popular amongst the school kids 10-15 years ago. Now they’ve all grown up, the franchise has also grown with them. Yet, the taste still remains largely the same.

It was immensely popular among school kids approximately 10-15 years ago. Today, these kids have grown up but still hold on dearly to the fond memories of their after-school hangouts at Nadeje. Of course, there was only 1 outlet then. The kids have since grown up, and so has Nadeje. Fortunately, despite that fact that it has since changed to a central kitchen business model, the taste and quality of it’s crepe cakes remain largely the same. I am not a big fan of crepe cakes, but I liked the one I had at Nadeje, so I guess that speaks some volume.

And oh, it’s also a good place to chill out for a while if the weather gets too hot!

Satay Celup

Satay celup – just try not to dip your eaten sticks into the pot.

Satay celup – almost synonymous with Malacca, it’s one of those things you have to try when you’re in Malacca. The pretentious ones will go all “eww” and “disgusting”, because that pot of sauce in the middle never gets changed. But who are we kidding, here? Does that really bother you when the food is that good? Here’s a tip from the local (who used to part-time at one of these outlets):

Eggti Remember to give the sauce a good stir every now and then. This will prevent the grounded peanuts that has settled at the bottom of the pot from burning. You get more peanut this way, too. A good stir means reaching all the way to the bottom of the pot and feeling a good amount of resistance from the peanuts beneath.

Summary

So, that’s it! We’ve come to the end of our Malacca food tour. Our verdict? I’d be willing to re-visit just for the Nasi Ketuk and exploding Ondeh-Ondeh. And since we’re already there, we can’t miss the Bak Kut Teh and Jonker Street Carrot Cake! This guide has also completely given the famous chicken rice ball a miss because, for what it’s worth, we heard it really isn’t that great and the queue is bad. So, make your own judgement call.

“If they’ve been around for so long looking like this (old and dirty), they must be doing something right.”

Malacca is a beautiful town (don’t think it’s really a city, yet) that is developing very quickly. Give it a few more years and I bet it’ll look radically different from today. As it is, it already looks different.

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  Malacca – beyond Jonker Street Having a headache planning for a short getaway? Malacca is just 3 hours' bus ride away and is very affordable. 

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The older the shop, the higher the chance of it being great. A Friend of mine once said, “if they’ve been around for so Long, and they look like this, they must be spin something right.”

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Starbucks 1-for-1 with Citibank Cards

Are you a Citibank card holder? Purchase a Chocolate Hazelnut Macchiato or Caramel Macchiato at any Starbucks to enjoy a 1:1 treat when you pay with your Citi Credit Card!   Note that you have to flash the mailer like the one shown above.  The follow terms and conditions were extracted from the mailer for your convenience.  Please refer to the respective merchant for full details. Whole every…

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1-for-1 A5 Miyazaki Wagyu Buffet You Can't Miss!

1-for-1 A5 Miyazaki Wagyu Buffet You Can’t Miss!

So we were out and about on a Friday night when we chanced upon the Emporium Shokuhin at the Marina Swuare new wing. Inside Emporium Shokuhin we chance upon grill shop Gyuu+’s 1-for-1 A5 Miyazaki Wagyu buffet for OCBC card members.   We mused on it for a while, before finally relenting. The rest, like they say, is history.  Let’s not waste time and get to the point: we picked one of each meat…

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London Budget Travel Tip!

London Budget Travel Tip!

The Sterling pound has weakened considerably due to fears of Brexit. But that is good news for everyone else – it means we get to travel to the UK for cheap! Skyscanner recently shared 5 ways you save when travelling in London. Check it out here! Here are some of our own tips: 1. Stick to the tube and buses! London is extremely well served by public transport. Most attractions or places of…

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Google is giving 2GB of free storage on Google Drive

Good news! Google is giving away 2GB worth of storage space on Google Drive because of Safer Internet Day! All you need to do is to do a security check for your account that you’re set! Google Drive. Keep all your documents and share your photos! The security check is very quick and easy: simply verify your backup email address, any recent changes to your personal particulars, permissions granted…

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All in one-way fare from $45 with tiger!

Look for a quick and affordable get away? Check out the all in one way fares from tiger! Conditions apply. Book by 31 Jan 2016.    

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TOP 10 Travel Tips from Mastercard We all look forward to that trip planned so many months in advance. But with so many things to look out for, we sometimes still miss out little details.

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Seoul day 4: Seo Seo Galbi

we woke up with only two goals in mind this morning: to eat and to shop our hearts out! first order of business - we headed off to lunch at Seo Seo Galbi in the Sinchon district. 

the reason why we were so eager was because we had been looking for a place that serves hanwoo (韩牛), which is beef from a breed of cows raised in Korea. it’s similar to Kobe beef in Japan in that it’s considered premium beef and favored by the locals. furthermore, it’s in such high demand in Korea, it’s not even sold outside of the country!

in our search for hanwoo, we discovered that Seo Seo Galbi serves it for one of the cheapest prices at $14 for 150g of galbi, or marinated beef short ribs. this picture below is two servings!

we read that Seo Seo Galbi was immensely popular and constantly had long lines, so we decided to beat the crowd and arrived at 11.30am when they opened for lunch. not too early to fill our stomachs with marinated meaty goodness!

take note that they serve nothing but galbi, not even banchan or rice. ordering is easy when it’s just one item though, you just indicate how many servings you want. the service here is quick and efficient, much like any other popular Korean establishment. the huge grills with charcoal were already heated, and the ajumma who spoke Chinese helped us to cut our galbi. there is also a sauce made with garlic, onions, and soy sauce on the side. don’t move it away from the grill.. it’s amazingly delicious when heated!

the name of the restaurant Seo Seo means standing.. because you stand while you grill your meat! not a big problem for us, because there are shelves on the side that you can put your bags on. also, if you are worried that your jackets or belongings will smell like BBQ the entire day, ask the ajummas for a plastic bag so you can wrap them up on the side.

the green chilies on the side can be eaten raw, they aren’t spicy at all. they were surprisingly crisp and fresh, and were pretty refreshing when eaten togther with the galbi.

the galbi is just so delicious! the cut of the meat was just the right balance of lean and fat, the marination gave it this amazing juicy flavor, and the smokiness of the charcoal grill just topped the perfection. SO GOOD. 

it’s never too early in the morning to order a bottle of soju (a liquor similar to vodka)! i have to admit we couldn’t finish it and WX ended up lugging the bottle around for the rest of the day. alcohol is also ridiculously cheap here, our bottle was only $3 for 400 ml. cheaper than coffee O.o

when you know this place is really delicious: WX, who used to not eat beef up to 10 years ago, was ferociously gnawing at the bone to get every last morsel. i was impressed.

the expected aftermath. our motto is eat everything and spare nothing!

how to get here: take the subway to Sinchon station, take exit 7 and walk straight for two blocks (approx 5 mins). then turn left at the traffic lights, and you should see a slight slope ahead. Seo Seo Galbi will be the first store on the right of the slope. you should be able to spot the store sign from the intersection, if not the long lines and the whiff of Korean BBQ will bring you there!

More on Seoul day 4: Palsaik Samgyeopsal

More on my Seoul 5-day itinerary

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A good write up on Seo Seo Galbi! Did you see ours (with videos) at http://splittingheadegg.com/2016/01/03/seoul-must-eats/3/ ?

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Alright! Enough with the “introduction”. Let’s get down to what’s important: FOOD. One of the things I love about Korea is the food, so without further ado, let me introduce you to some of my favourites.

egg-tip: Seo-seo Galbi, Gwangjang Market and Myeongdong Gyoja are our die-die must try places!

This page gives you an overview of all the places we’ve listed. Click on the individual titles for more details!

1. GWANGJANG MARKET

Closest Station: Jungno 5-ga Exit Number: 8

2. Yu-Hoe (육회) (Raw Beef)

Closest Station: Jungno 5-ga Exit Number: 8 Right outside Gwangjang Market, near Exit Number 8.

3. Seo-Seo Galbi (서서갈비)

Closest Station: Sinchon Exit Number: 7

4. Duksoojyung Korean Restaurant (덕수정)

Nearest Station: City Hall Exit Number: 2

5. Limburg Waffle

Nearest Station: City Hall Exit Number: 2 Address: Just outside the exit number 2. You should see it.

6. Myeongdong Gyoja

Nearest Station: Myeongdong Exit Number: 8

7. Ginseng Chicken Soup (Tosokchon Samgyetang)

Nearest Station: Gyeongbokgung Exit Number: 2

8. Dakgalbi (Pan Fried Chicken), Yogane

All over Seoul. Try Hongdae or Meyongdong.

9. Noryangjin Fish Market

Nearest Station: Noryangjin Exit Number: 1

10. “Night Snack”

Nearest Station: Nil Exit Number: N/A

We went skiing, and we ended late. Feeling a little hungry, we thought we’d buy some instant rameon to fill our tummies. We chanced upon this Yuel Ramen and really loved it (if you like spicy). It makes for an excellent night snack!

A good option to consider if you feel hungry in the middle of the night and there aren’t any night markets around.

P.S. After returning to Singapore, we noticed it was actually kind of common… but still, it’s definitely cheaper in Korea!

GWANGJANG MARKET

Closest Station: Jungno 5-ga Exit Number: 8

One of our favourite places the last time we came. This time we met our friend Saemyi and she introduced us to mug-bean pancake with pork, paired with a serving of quite spicy topoki.

Treat yourself to a serving of (from left to right): kimbab (korean sushi), japchae (korean dang hoon) and chicken feet. Make sure to order a couple of sticks of fish cake as well. Fret not – just point.

We returned again another another day to get our fix of Kimchi pancakes, japchae and fishcakes. Which stall to eat from? Both times we would just pick the one with available seats. Don’t worry, the ajumas will be happy to get you seated.

The orange pancake you see above is the Kimchi pancake.

Lastly, finish your meal with a cup of “rice water” (1000 won) at a small stall selling a variety of rice cakes. The rice water is normally kept in a ice tumbler that is placed on the ground. Look around for a bottle in a recycled mineral water at this stall.

  Mug Bean pancake with pork. Delicious!

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Yu-Hoe (육회) (Raw Beef)

Outside Gwangjang market there are a couple of “raw beef” outlets, with the newest one near exit 8. Grab yourself a plate (or 2) of Yu-Hoe (육회). The first time our friend asked if we had tried raw beef, we were like “what”? Although I am a fan of good steak tartare, raw beef with an raw egg was still pretty… well, raw to us. Nonetheless, we put away our fears and tried it. My, my, were we surprised. The beef is well marinated with sesame oil and is served with sweet pear at the bottom of plate. It comes with a bowl of beef soup, and I must it was very tasty! You can also choose to mix the egg into the dish for a little more flavour.

egg-tip: It’s sometimes difficult to resist good food, but always remember to leave lots of space! You never know when you will walk pass something that appeals to your tongue!

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Seo-Seo Galbi (서서갈비)

Closest Station: Sinchon Exit Number: 7

We visited in 2013, and once more in 2015. Was it worth the revisit? A resounding “YES”. The shop is so specialised that they only sell 1 thing: beef. You get to choose from 100g or 150g, although no one in the right mind would go for the 100g beef if you ask me. They served us 150g each without asking – can’t fault them for that.

Walk in and they will offer you a  large plastic bag to keep your bags and coats so that you don’t smell like barbecue when you leave. Once you’ve kept your stuff in the plastic bag, you’re ready to start!

Fret not, you don’t have to do much. The staff will help you cook the beef and cut it up when it’s ready. If you’re game, you can grill the green chilli and have a bite. A word of warning: avoid the seeds, or you’re going to order a lot of water/soju!

The price is 10,000 won for 100g and 15,000 for 150g.

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Duksoojyung Korean Restaurant (덕수정)

Nearest Station: City Hall Exit Number: 2

A recommendation by friend Koshic, our Korean friend, this traditional Korean Restaurant is tucked away in a quiet street behind the Deoksugung Palace.

You will probably not see many tourists around, but it is very popular among the locals. You may ask for an english menu, but it doesn’t come with the pictures. So, why don’t you just use the image below? You’re welcome.

Our personal favourites were the Octopus and the Grilled Pork with Vegetables. The Octopus served was very fresh – it’s not chewy like gum, but breaks as you bite into it. Stir-fry it with their chilli-sauce and the taste is almost heavenly. The Grilled Pork with Vegetables was also excellent, and goes very well with a bowl of white rice. They also serve Army Stew (which was pretty good, too), but there’s a minimum order for 2 pax. Most dishes cost 5000-6000 won, and each dish can easily feed 2-3 people. I would say 2 dish for 2 people is already pushing it!

And oh, remember to grab a bottle of Yakult-like drink on your way out.

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Limburg Waffle

Nearest Station: City Hall Exit Number: 2 Address: Just outside the exit number 2. You should see it.

Now that you’re done with your meal, it’s time for dessert! That is, assuming you still have space left in your tummy. You will see this waffle joint is on the way back from the Duksoojyung restaurant.

According to Koshic, this Belgium waffle joint is extremely popular. Expect to queue if you’re there at “normal hours”. They come in many flavours, including Plain/Original, Maple Cinnamon, Nutella, Cream Cheese and many more. You’ll be spoilt for choice. The plain one costs 2,200 won while the rest ranges from 2,700 to 3,800 won.

The waffles are fragrant, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. Just thinking of it makes me hungry! We liked the plain, cinnamon and nutella ones.

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Myeongdong Gyoja

Nearest Station: Myeongdong Exit Number: 8

Ar, probably the best dumpling I’ve eaten in the whole of Korea (OK, it’s probably the only place in Korea I’ve eaten dumplings). Nonetheless, the dumplings are really awesome. Each basket comes with 10, which I would say is just enough for 1 person. The filling is sweet and juicy, and each bite just makes you want to bite another. Their kimchi is very spicy, so be warned. The restaurant first opened in 1964, so you can imagine how long they’ve been around!

Delicious dumplings! One person can easily devour that whole basket.

I don’t know about you, but things usually taste wonderful the first time, and then the novelty wears off the second. Almost miraculously, I walked out of the restaurant loving this place more than before. That’s why I think it’s a  must go!

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Ginseng Chicken Soup (Tosokchon Samgyetang)

Nearest Station: Gyeongbokgung Exit Number: 2

If you are visiting Gyeongbokgung, you can make a small detour to this supposedly famous Ginseng Chicken Soup restaurant. YJ is a huge fan of this place. She also claims that the kimchi here is the best she’s ever had. What about me? The kimchi is nice, but I find it a tad too salty and not spicy enough. The soup was decent, but I disliked the fact that they force you to have a minimum order. Still, if you’re looking for good ol’ ginseng chicken soup, drop by this place.

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Dakgalbi (Pan Fried Chicken), Yoogane

Many Singaporeans who’ve been to Korea before recommend Yoogane as one of the must go-s. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of big franchises because I don’t believe they can maintain the same taste. Nonetheless, with the Yoogane costing 2 to 3 times more in Singapore, you might as well get a taste in the land of Kimchi. Many have also commented that the Singapore branches is no where near the quality of the Korean ones.

It’s not difficult to find Yogane. Just keep a look out for the red/yellow/orange logo. They can be found in areas like Hongdae, Myeongdong and probably more. Must try? Not really. Not in my opinion. There are better finds out there waiting to be discovered.

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Noryangjin Fish Market

Nearest Station: Noryangjin Exit Number: 1

This fish market is supposedly famous. I’m not sure for what. I guess it’s the live fish, fresh seafood and the experience. We’ve been to the Jagalchi Fish Market in Busan, and this is pretty much similar. As you walk down the rows of shops, you’ll notice that 90% of the shops are selling the same thing – flat fish, garoupas, abalones, clams, octopi, carbs and so on. Many vendors can actually speak mandarin, so communication isn’t a problem – but do not count on them for advice; they will just sell you whatever you are willing to buy (and sometimes even when you’re not).

egg-tip: Do not ever let anyone sell you flatfish for sashimi. Just get a piece of good salmon.

Things aren’t cheap here, and don’t expect them to be. In all we paid about USD 100 for a small-medium live sized garoupa, 1 small octopus, 1 big abalone, clams and scallops. And then a separately owned restaurant charged us about USD 60 to have them cooked (the cooking was honestly very bad). The only saving grace was the seafood were all fresh, so one doesn’t need to do much for them to taste good.

egg-tip: Garoupas or Groupers aren’t good for sashimi. Get the restaurant to steam it. Fresh Garoupas meat is sweet when steamed.

And oh, based on our experience (more than once), flatfish is not good for sashimi. The meat isn’t sweet and it’s a little mushy. The sales pitch will be along the lines of “get the flatfish, little bones and lots of meat”. Yeah, lots of bland tasting meat. Save yourself the money and go for salmon or tuna. You’ll thank me for it.

Also, if you’re picking a fish from the fish tank, make sure that the tank doesn’t have any fishes that look listless or are floating up-side-down (or vertically). This usually indicates that the fish is either dying or is sick, and it can spread and infect the other fishes in the tank. If you do get yourself a live garoupa, they will kill and gut it for you on the spot. Get them to steam it, because fresh garoupa meat is sweet and tasty. Never eat it as sashimi at all costs! It is tough and tasteless! It is amazing why no one advise you against it.

Lastly, a tip we picked up from a friend on our last trip: stay away from the Sea-Squirt/Sea Pineapple (멍게, Mongge, Mong-gay) on rainy days because the fishermen don’t go out to sea. As a result, the Mongge isn’t fresh and may be cause stomach upsets. We visited the fish market on a rainy day on our last trip (due to time constraints), and the fishmongers offered mongge for free, which we turned down immediately.

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Seoul must eats! Alright! Enough with the "introduction". Let's get down to what's important: FOOD. One of the things I love about Korea is the food, so without further ado, let me introduce you to some of my favourites.

[splittingheadegg]

travel: Seoul 1 - Introduction

travel: Seoul 1 – Introduction

My second trip to Seoul in 2 years; I don’t normally visit a holiday destination twice within such a short span. The good news is, having these 2 trips so close apart gives me an excellent chance to revisit what I did in the previous – and here’s what I have to say. P.S. This post is specially dedicated to you, GZ. Have fun in Korea! Where We Stayed (more…)

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