“The first condition of understanding a foreign country is to smell it.”
– Rudyard Kipling
Itaewon is another district of Seoul, South Korea. It is characterized as the “foreign” part Seoul, because the U.S. Army base is located here. Many locals stop by Itaewon to try foods from different countries, as well as fusion cuisine. We chose to eat lunch at My Chi Chi’s, owned by the famous Korean comedian, Hong Suk Chun.
Hong Suk Chun is an important figure in modern Korean society because he is one of the first public figures to come out as gay. South Korea, while it is progressing, is still working on being open minded when it comes to sexuality. Because of him, many Koreans have been more educated and understanding of the LGBTQ community. I think it’s amazing that he had the courage to use his platform to bring awareness for acceptance and equality for gay rights.
I ordered the spicy tomato pasta with seafood, and the caprese (tomato and mozzarella salad) to share. By the end of lunch, I was completely stuffed but I swear I could have eaten more just because it was that good. If you’re visiting Itaewon, you should definitely give this place a try!
Are you a foodie like me? Click here for one of my favorite foodie destinations: Night Markets!
Like I mentioned in my previous post, Koreans love to go to cafes after lunch or dinner, so my cousin took us to Focasa Cafe. Focasa specializes in hand-dripped coffee and desserts. It is also a popular spot due to its unique interior design, which mixes modern, rustic, and retro decor pieces.
We ordered peach Italian soda with cream, iced tea, mixed berry tea, a cream puff, chocolate eclair, and raspberry tart. All of our choices were absolutely delectable! Asian desserts aren’t as sweet as ones you might find in the U.S., which can be cloyingly sweet. It keeps you going back for more!
The majority of our third day was spent relaxing at Dragon Hill Spa. In South Korea, a jimjilbang (sauna) is a great place to sweat out the impurities the body may have accumulated, while spending time with family and friends. It sounds like a weird concept but trust me, they're really fun!
At almost any jjimjilbang, you can order snacks like smoked egg, which tastes like boiled egg but has a smoky flavor and rubbery texture. So yummy!
Our dinner this night was at a Chinese restaurant called Bok Sung Gak. We were craving jjajjangmyun (black bean noodle), so this was a real treat. We also had tang-su-yook (fried pork with sweet sauce) and gang-poong-seh-ooh (spicy fried shrimp). It was a stick-to-your-ribs meal that sent us into a deep food coma. Couple that with a relaxing day at the spa, and we had the best sleep of our lives that night.
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Until next time,
Viv