Seoul Eats Seoul Food - Chef Laura in Korea Part 4

The last leg of our South Korea trip took us back to Seoul. The Westin Chosun is right in the heart of the city, bordering Myeong Dong and Namdaemun. (My inner shopaholic defines those two locations by Lotte and Shinsegae departmental stores). This made it very convenient for us to visit Seoul's gems, from their old Palaces to the bustling street markets - although we cabbed anyway!

We asked for recommendations from the concierge, and she sent us to Han-Miri, a traditional hanjeongsik place in Samsung-dong (Yes, Samsung). Hanjeongsik is also known as "Royal Cuisine" as it was served in the royal palaces to Kings. Hanjeongsik puts any 9-course tasting menu to shame, with multiple course, and a plethora of side dishes. It seemed like every time we thought it was the end of the meal, a new course came out of the kitchen on a trolley. Similar to Omakase, the menu is seasonal and the meals you get are vastly different according to the time of year or region.





The food was absolutely delicious, and very finely prepared. Not only did the flavor appease my palate, but the colors and presentation were so delicate that we feasted with our eyes also.






I can't believe how ignorant I was about the cuisine, especially since I've had Korean food on numerous occasions here in the US. I guess that's just like saying I tried McDonald's in Singapore and so that what I think American food tastes like. I can't say that I truly experienced Korean cuisine until that meal, and I will never again say that Korean food is about soy, sugar and kimchee.




You can't think Korean food without barbeque of course, and I had already satisfied my craving for in when we first arrived. However on this occasion, we visited Woori Garden, a Korean barbeque restaurant in the middle of Itaewon. We asked the owner to recommend the best beef he had, and it turned out to be the Korean beef, Hanu. Hanu is a breed of cattle native to Korea and is as equally prized to the Koreans as Kobe is to the Japanese. Frankly, it was delicious, and half the price of Kobe. So, if I could choose, I would buy Hanu - except that it's so rare, there's not enough for export. The owner personally helped us to grill the Hanu slices, and when he stepped away for just a moment, he made sure that his assistant was close by to make sure that the prized beef was cooked to perfection, and not left to our own amateur grilling devices :D




So far my quest for Seoul food was going very well, but stay tuned for more on the Korea trip. Pictures coming soon!