Yeonhui-dong Kalguksu (Seoul)

A big parking lot, two valet and two traffic attendants, and the heck of a jam... Yes it's rush hour, yes it's raining, but still, we're only talking about simple noodles : standard and big size kalguksu, for respectively KRW 6,500 and 8,000.

Note that "standard" means a good portion, and "big size" about twice as much. Served in a bone broth, the noodles themselves are rather thin but plentiful. "Banchan" also come in pair : green and red gimchi, equally fresh and good.

Yeonhui-dong Kalguksu is another institution of Yeonhuidongmatgil, not far from Joeunjib. A popular destination which deliver the goods, even if better appreciated off-peak.

Yeonhui-dong Kalguksu (restaurant)
132-29 Yeonhui-1-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, ROK
Tel +82.2.333.3955

Seoul Village 2010 - see also other restaurants in Seoul and Korea

* to be fair, the menu also includes Korean beef (KRW 20,000)

Year of Spamchi

Sign of credit crunch and food inflation times, consumption of spam skyrocketed last year in Korea.
Particularily since Korea's finest restaurant is about to close¹, there's no reason not enjoy Seoul's delicious and cheap street food.

As a suggestion to street vendors, here's my home made recipe : a layer of grilled cabbage gimchi (classic 배주 김치) on a grilled slice of spam. I dubbed "Spamchi" (스팸치) this utterly unhealthy food, a BBQ erzatz version of the popular samgyeopsal gimchi jjigae (삼겹살김치찌개).

It's rumored to be delicious but unfortunately I don't like spam. I'm more the mandu (만두) or sundae (순대) or bindaetteok (빈대떡) kind of street fooder.


1 - see "Annus Horribilis"