FOOD
First of all you must know that Gimchi is a traditional Korean kind of food: it’s spicy, fermented cabbage and it is always served as a side dish. It can be fried too, and it’s often integrated in many meals (fried rice, soups, etc.)
In Korea, eating out is cheaper than cooking at home.
On every corner, you'll find some snack shop that offers a decent meal for less than 5$ (usually a broth, meat, rice and vegetables). There's also gimbap for a dollar or more (it's Korean sushi but without fish; the typical one is rice, vegetables, eggs and ham rolled in seaweed, but there are many other kinds with, for instance, cheese, ground beef, tuna, and so on.) It’s good and it’s cheap.
There's also other great and nutritious meals such as bibimbap - a mix of vegetables, rice, red pepper sauce and ground beef. Also delicious and unexpensive.
Average restaurants, as well as hofs (where they serve beer) offer communal meals – meaning they bring a portable stove to your table, where the meal you chose cooks in a giant pot and people help themselves. That’s usually for kimchi jiggae (kimchi soup with beef and tofu), and every other meat (chicken, pork, etc.) in a stew (usually quite spicy). It’s cheap when there’s at least four people, like 3$ per person.
While table and chairs is getting more popular, most restaurants usually give you the option of either sitting on the (heated!) floor, or at a table with chairs. I prefer sitting on the floor… this way you feel it instantly when you’re full (even before starting to eat ;) Just know that there will be tons of side dishes and it's not unusual - sauces, marinated vegetables, all sorts of gimchi, eggs, fish, broth, garlic, etc.
Average restaurants, as well as hofs (where they serve beer) offer communal meals – meaning they bring a portable stove to your table, where the meal you chose cooks in a giant pot and people help themselves. That’s usually for kimchi jiggae (kimchi soup with beef and tofu), and every other meat (chicken, pork, etc.) in a stew (usually quite spicy). It’s cheap when there’s at least four people, like 3$ per person.
While table and chairs is getting more popular, most restaurants usually give you the option of either sitting on the (heated!) floor, or at a table with chairs. I prefer sitting on the floor… this way you feel it instantly when you’re full (even before starting to eat ;) Just know that there will be tons of side dishes and it's not unusual - sauces, marinated vegetables, all sorts of gimchi, eggs, fish, broth, garlic, etc.
The thing I find genius in Korea is the BBQ at your table. That’s awesome! Many restaurants have a big hole at the center of the table, where the grill is set. They bring you meat and vegetables on a plate, and cook it for you. It’s your own BBQ, and you have something to do while waiting for your food to be ready!
The way to eat meat is also very special here. Beef and pork are the most popular and they are often marinated (I personally love samgyeopsal (fat pork!). So you grill the meat, then with scissors cut it into small pieces. You pick one piece with your chopsticks, dip it in sauce (bean paste or whatever), put it in a salad leaf, top it with fried kimchi or marinated onions, and eat it! It’s delicious and healthy.
There are also street vendors, who offer Korean junk food for as cheap as 50 cents - deep fried sausage on a stick, deep fried noodles and seaweed, deep-fried fish crap on a stick (it's like a fish sausage... don't ask what's in it), fries in a cup, some boiled rice pasta in spicy sauce, etc.
Finally, Jeju is an island. It’s by the sea. So of course, seafood is a specialty. Take a walk along any beach and you will come across countless seafood restaurants. There are usually a few fish tanks at the front, where you chose one. They kill it and prepare it in front of you. It’s cruel and delicious. It’s called sashimi.
In Jeju in the summer you get to see many women sun drying squid.
DRINKS
Like everywhere, there’s beer and sodas. What’s specific to Korea, however, is how cheap alcoholic drinks (and cigarettes) are! You can get a big bottle of Macally (cold rice liquor) for 2 dollars, and for 3$ you get a bottle of Soju (sweet potatoe liquor about 20% alcohol).
Soju is to Korean culture what Sake is to the Japanese, or wine is to the French. Macally is more the countryside drink – it’s cheap and refreshing. Both give you the WORST hangover ever. Yet most Korean men get drunk on it at least once a week and they seem perfectly fine the next day (a mystery…) You can get a liter bottle of soju (looks like bottled water!) for 7 bucks…
That's Wookyung and Stacey when we had dinner before I left Seoul... we had over 7 bottles of soju and headed to a noreabong (singing room). Needless to say it was a rather fun night, especially since a friend was visiting from China too!
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There’s wine in Korea but it’s sweet. The first time I’ve ever tasted it I really liked it – especially the raspberry one and the plum wine too. But with a heavy meal such as galbi (marinated BBQ meat), it just sickened me so bad that I can’t handle it anymore.
There’s Australian, French and African wine at most convenience stores but they’re either cheap and bad, or decent and incredibly expensive.
As for beer, the main choices are Hite and Cass – they are cheap and alright. Cafri is my favorite… I know it’s oriental but I’m not sure if it’s Korean.
That's Sion back in Seoul: a bottle of Hite and dried octopus! Beh!
SOME NICE SPOTS
Food is everywhere so there isn’t much to say. But if you look for ethnic food, there’s Baghdad Café (Indian food) and a Mexican restaurant in Gu-Jeju. Baghdad has a really nice atmosphere and a nice terrace.
Nicer restaurants include the buffet a KAL hotel and an Italian “log house” on the costal road (on the way to Hallim). But really, why pay for an expensive meal? Food is one of Korea’s specialty! Nonetheless, I would recommend going to Jungmun beach since there are plenty of 5 star hotels where you can enjoy ridiculously pricy fine cuisine
This is the Hyatt's swimming pool where we hung out this summer. The hotel restaurant has an impressive ocean view and fancy food. So do all the other hotels around, especially the Lotte Hotel!
If you’re in the mood for junk food, there’s of course McDonald’s and Lotteria (Korean version of McDicks). Baskin n Robins and Dunkin Donuts are also on the island, but you have to go to the mainland for Starbucks.
That's Misha (a Russian friend working in a Korean circus) making fun of those 2 Korean teenagers sleeping at McDonald's around 4am on a Friday (well, Saturday)...
As for going out, I know a few places that have a great ambiance. Of course there’s the Blue Agave in Gu-Jeju – a bar with a pool table, sofas and a DJ. It’s homey, and you can get food there too. A lot of foreigners hang out there.
I believe that shot was taken a few weeks ago... we were playing them and his friend missed a shot!
The Doors and Led Zepplin in Gu-Jeju are nice spots to hang out. The music collection is impressive at both places, and drinks are average price. Bands sometimes play at both places and it gets pretty packed. The DJs are cool and they always play my Hendrix/Joplin requests ;)
GP in Gu-Jeju is small and cramped, but also very popular. Last week a friend of mine almost fell in a coma at 4am after having had a few drinks. Drinks at GP are extremely STRONG… and cheap! They put an ounce of Coke and fill the rest of your glass with rhum. I always have a beer there, otherwise it gets to my head way too fast.
The first bar I ever went to in Gu-Jeju is Angel’s sin. You know, same as any other bar – pool table, tables and chairs. Mostly Koreans hang out there, but foreigners too. The name is cute and it’s close to where teachers live.
Modern Times is a brewery in Shin Jeju. It’s one of our favorite hangout spots because the beer is really good, the seats are comfy, and it’s not a loud place. They also serve food, but I wouldn’t really eat it…
La Vie is a nice bar too in Shin Jeju. Nothing special except its name is French ;)
I'm still exploring but that should get you started =)
The Doors and Led Zepplin in Gu-Jeju are nice spots to hang out. The music collection is impressive at both places, and drinks are average price. Bands sometimes play at both places and it gets pretty packed. The DJs are cool and they always play my Hendrix/Joplin requests ;)
GP in Gu-Jeju is small and cramped, but also very popular. Last week a friend of mine almost fell in a coma at 4am after having had a few drinks. Drinks at GP are extremely STRONG… and cheap! They put an ounce of Coke and fill the rest of your glass with rhum. I always have a beer there, otherwise it gets to my head way too fast.
The first bar I ever went to in Gu-Jeju is Angel’s sin. You know, same as any other bar – pool table, tables and chairs. Mostly Koreans hang out there, but foreigners too. The name is cute and it’s close to where teachers live.
Modern Times is a brewery in Shin Jeju. It’s one of our favorite hangout spots because the beer is really good, the seats are comfy, and it’s not a loud place. They also serve food, but I wouldn’t really eat it…
La Vie is a nice bar too in Shin Jeju. Nothing special except its name is French ;)
I'm still exploring but that should get you started =)
Pictures: taken by me on Jejudo and Seoul, and a few taken by annabella when she visited me in Seoul in 2007
