This was what I was looking at in deciding whether or not to take the plunge. It’s 14,900 won for take-out before 10pm. The same pizza delivered is 18,900 won. After 10pm, add another 1,000 won late-night surcharge. I was awaiting anxiously.

While I was waiting for my pizza, I thought it might actually end up looking like the disgusting pizza above. It’s actually a Pizza Hut advertisement for one of their premium pizzas. I had my fingers crossed. The typical Korean style pizza has lots of random goodies like shrimp, potatoes, fruit, and corn to name a few.  I really didn’t want any extra goodies on my pizza. I was nervous.

The typical pizza also has lots of colorful sauce (usually bright colors like neon yellow) sprayed all over (I always ask for sauces on the side when I can, an attribute I owe to growing up with my mom). The pizza above was delivered from a Dominos’s pizza in Korea. Yes, that is a Star of David.

That’s what I was looking at 20 minutes later. It was Jun’s Pizza’s 2nd day, and I was his first customer taking advantage of his credit card payment service. He couldn’t use my Korean bank card because he hadn’t finalized the contract with them.  I was on the phone with Eunmi, who was translating for me. She said, “he’s going to come back tomorrow to get payment.” I ended up just using my American card after 5 uncomfortable minutes of looking at a Korean pizza delivery guy at my doorstep struggling to process a payment.

Part of his opening promotion was a oven-baked spaghetti dish for an extra 100 Korean won (about $0.10).  You’re looking at a Korean made Italian dish. Tasted a little weird. Strangely sweet, but not bad.

You’re looking at 45cm of Korean-Italian goodness.

That’s my hand holding the first piece of pizza. I couldn’t eat any more than 2 pieces. It wasn’t bad. It looked similar to the pizza on the flier. It tasted similar to delivery pizza in the states.  It was close enough to get the job done.

For 20,000 Korean won, I got a 45cm supreme pizza, a spaghetti dish, and a free liter of Coke, delivered. Decent value, decent taste, and a decent blog entry.

Those of you who read my blog regularly, you have noticed that I periodically put up posts about different restaurants I’ve visited. I don’t cook, an basically out of necessity, I eat out every meal. And just to let you know, there’s no economic benefit in me writing these reviews. If there is one, it’s just in providing good information for those of you either visiting or living in Korea.

I would say I have had bibimbap from 10 different restaurants in Korea, plus a few more in the US, but hands down, the best bibimbop I’ve ever had is at Min Seong Mak Kuk Soo near Geubendari station. Geubendari is near Cheonho, so if any of you readers are near the area, definately make a visit to taste one of the best executed traditional Korean dishes in Korea.

Just look at the pictures of the bibimbap in the Wikipedia entry versus the ones in the blog post. I don’t need to say anything more.

I switch between the dol sot bibimbap (hot, temperature-wise) and the yang poon bibimbap (cold), although the dol sot bibimbap is my favorite. Dol means “stone” and sot means “pot” in Korean. Yang poon is simply the name of the metal container. Eunmi commented that the yangpoon bibimbap was served in a “real” yangpoon pot at Min Seong Mak Kuk Soo, and is particularly hard to find in Seoul.

(Eunmi told me the owner can’t believe how I can eat bibimbap almost every day without getting sick of it).

10 Reasons Why Min Seong Mak Kuk Soo Has the Best Bibimbap

1) The overall taste is awesome.

2) All the ingredients are fresh.

3) The ingrediants are thoughtfully used, i.e. onions on the bottom with oil in the dul sot bibimbap to add more flavor to the rice.

4) They use the right pots.

5) The complimentary side dishes are high quality and generous (you know this places doesn’t “recycle” their side dishes)

6) All the customers leave the restaurant without leaving a single morsel left in their dishes (including the side dishes)

7) Fast and friendly service.

8} The bathrooms are impeccably clean (a rarity in most family restaurants in Korea). Generally, I check out the bathrooms before the food in a restaurant. If the bathroom is digusting, just imagine how they prepare the food, or worst yet, the hygiene of the employees.

9) Paper towels and toilet paper in the bathrooms. Some of you may laugh that I even mention this. But those of you familiar, you know what I’m talking about. Paper towels in a bathroom are a rarity in Korea. I’ve been there at least 50 times and I have never seen the paper towel dispenser or toilet paper dispenser empty. There’s nothing worse than needing to go #2 and realizing there’s no toilet paper.

10) The entire restaurant is spot-less. An indicator of the freshness of the food and the cleanliness of the kitchen in which the food is being prepared in.

Spicy red kimchi. Excellent, authentic Korean kimchi (not the cheap kind that is often imported from China). I have never left this side dish empty.

Baek kimchi. Baek means “white” in Korean. I have never left this side dish empty either. This one’s hard to find in Seoul.

Dulsot bibimbap (black stone pot) and yang poon bibimbap (metal pot) with assorted side dishes in the middle (there are more that are left out of the picture).

Store front of the restaurant located about a block and a half away from Geubendari Station.

Min Seong Mak Kuk Soo. You can give them a call at 02-473-8349 or 010-5123-5143. Both the dul sot bibimbap and the yang poon bibimbap are 5,000 won each. Taste one the healthiest traditional Korean dishes, in what is my humble opinion, the best bibimbap restaurant in Korea.

What’s funny is that the restaurant name Min Seong Mak Kuk Soo literally means “Min Seong Korean Noodle Restaurant.” This restaurant is known in the neighborhood for their noodle dishes, but really, the hidden gem is their bibimbap.

Since my arrival, I’ve had Korean food for just about every meal in Seoul. Since Korean food is so good and so cheap, there’s really no point in eating anything else. I’ve had maybe a dozen burgers while in Korea, most at McDonald’s or Burger King. I also had a hamburger at a popular Korean burger joint called “Kraze Burger” when Sam was in town, which was mediocre.

But, tonight, the American in me was craving a genuine American hamburger. Eunmi suggested a place called “Smokey Saloon” in Itaewon.  Quality beef is expensive, so I was prepared to spend a little extra for a good burger.

Line outside the restuarant. Capacity is only 22, and this photo was taken at 8pm on a Sunday night. Very popular restaurant. Be prepared to wait. There’s actually 8 locations, but it sounds like the Itaewon location is the original and maybe the best.

Eunmi ordered the “Volcano” which has chili, cheddar cheese, jalepenoes,  lettuce, and tomato. We both had “halvsies.” She had half of mine, I had half of hers. You can choose from maybe a dozen different specialty burgers, but I wanted to create my own. I looked for a kimchi hamburger, but maybe it’s better they didn’t offer it. The waiter said I had to order only what was on the menu, which made sense since they were so busy.

I ordered the “Cowboy” which has monterey jack cheese, mushrooms, grilled onion, tomato, and some special sauce (I told them to hold the sauce and instead asked for jalepenos).  Eunmi said I didn’t say anything when the food came.

“Real” french fries. Most fries I’ve had in Korea were gross either because they weren’t fresh or because they had some weird sauce drizzled on them.

A few differences I noticed with this Korean burger joint vs burger joints in America:

-they serve the french fries before your hamburgers, like an appetizer (with mayo and ketchup)

-nobody eats their hamburgers with their hands, they use forks and knives – I even saw some people “mulch” their hamburgers so that all the contents of the burger including the bun were in small pieces and mixed together

-they cook each of the burgers on a griddle with little metal tops so the meat cooks faster and more evenly

-most of the customers ordered soda beverages in a bottle with multiple straws so they can share (just the couples, or if its two girlfriends)

-expensive…. 45,000 Korean won for two burgers, one side order of fries, a garden salad, and 2 beers.

-unbearable wait to get a table, especially if you’re hungry… I saw several people waiting outside looking noticeably impatient

-tiny restaurant – capacity of 22 people, or 12 tables to seat two….if you have a large group, you will be waiting a very long time, or it just might not work..the restaurant is really arranged for small groups or couples

-bad pickles

Of the hamburgers I’ve had in Korea, here are the current Kimchi Soup rankings:

1) Smokey Saloon in Itaewon

2) Hooter’s in Apguejang (the burger was actually really good, and very friendly staff)

3) Kraze Burger at COEX mall (half the price of Smokey Saloon, half as good)

4) McDonald’s cheeseburger (just as good here as I remember when I had my first when I was 6 years old in Mpls)

5) Burger King Whopper (usually after I get my haircut at Hyundai department store)

6) TGI Friday’s in Jamsil (it was really bad, I think I got sick from it)

Although a little overpriced, and there is that wait to get in, Smokey Saloon was definately worth it. Smokey Saloon is located behind the Hamilton Hotel in Itaewon near “Bungalows.” If you want to check it out, you can ask away in the comment section of this blog, or go ahead and call them at 02-795-9019.

I really like this picture. The lady taking the Eunmi’s order is Indian I think. Some of the other servers actually look a  Korean, especially since they spoke Korean Eunmi explained to me that they are Nepalese. Nepalese people sometimes look both Asian and Indian. Eunmi is pretty well traveled and has been to both India and Nepal.

Eunmi recommended Everest Restaurant as the best Indian food in Seoul. She said it was the real deal – genuine Indian food. A lot of the Indian restaurants in Korea are fancy with gilded gold plates and a lot of nonsense that doesn’t matter when you want to just eat good food.

I was very impressed with this restaurant. The food was awesome, the staff was very friendly (spoke both Korean and English). The Bollywood movies they play are entertaining.

Dead give-away its a good restaurant?

-hard to find

-not fancy, bare-bones decorations

-lots of locals

Not only that, it was located in a bad neighborhood, but it was still full of happy customers.

We ordered some nan, chicken tikka masala, and red curry chicken.

Close-up of the chicken tikka masala. Probably my favorite. It was flavorful and all good quality chicken.

The samosa was good as well.

Time zones. Notice the partial hour differences in the time zones. I never knew that. I thought all time zones differences were hourly.

Everest menu with the Nepalese flag on the left side and the Korean flag on the right side.

Everest Restaurant sign with phone number. I’ve going there for the third time in a month this weekend.  Give them a call. 02-766-8850

After a day at the COEX Mall in Seoul, a McDonald’s caught the corner of my eye and I had to get a 2 cheeseburger meal.

Here are some tidbits about this McDonald’s-

-you can get a Big Bulgogi Burger which has a different sauce but has 3 buns and 2 hamburgers like a Big Mac… however, a Big Mac is also available

-this restaurant is huge, absolutely humongous…the biggest one that I have ever been to (see video below)

-although I wanted a 2 cheeseburger meal, they only offer a 1 cheeseburger meal

-the cost of my 1 cheeseburger meal with an extra cheeseburger was $6,200 Korean won, which is definately not cheap

-I was the only one in the entire McDonald’s who ordered a bottle of water with my meal (every other Korean restaurant except fast food restaurants provide really good filtered water for free)

-their fries don’t have salt on them

-they have a separate and smaller service counter/pay counter for desserts and coffees (Korean’s love coffee, ice cream, and frozen treats…. there’s a Baskin Robbins every other block of any busy area, just like Starbuck’s)

-items that are the same on the Korean menu as the American menu taste exactly the same

-McDonald’s, which we think of as the largest fast food chain in America (I know Subway technically is, but whatever), KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) actually seems to be the most popular American fast food chain in Korea

Full walk-around of the McDonald’s at Coex Mall in Seoul….

Order/service counter for everything but coffee and desserts….

Order/service counter for desserts and coffee (actually a great idea)

Familiar American brands, some in English… notice Minute Maid is in Korean

One of the most interesting parts of Seoul that I have seen so far is the Noryangjin fish market. I believe it is the largest fish market in Seoul. I don’t know the exact size, but I would say its about several football fields in area. Its about 2 blocks away from the Noryangjin subway stop, and you’ll smell this place about a block away.

They sell just about every living thing from the sea. Lobsters, crab, tuna, shark, oysters, mackeral, and more are being negotiated for sale everywhere you look. If you don’t want to be hounded aggressively by fish salesman, just don’t make eye contact. There were heads popping out of every direction trying to sell me fish. Also, wear old shoes because half the floors are flooded with sea water.

Here’s a large lobster being negotiated for sale……

Here are some incredibly weird sea creatures waiting to be sold in a tank…..

Here’s a large fish being weighed and negotiated for sale….I got splashed by it a few times….

These fish are upside-down… They are alive, but I don’t know why they are hanging out upside-down….interesting….

A smaller fish getting squished by a larger fish in a tank….poor guy….

This is the most unusual sea creatures I’ve seen. I can’t imagine what these things would be used for….

Clams, oysters, mussels, and other shellfish…. water is constantly streamed on these creatures to keep them fresh….

Every type of shrimp and prawn you could imagine…  For the front middle bin, the sign says you get one kilogram (just over 2 lbs approximately 30-40 shrimp for 18,000 Korean won, which is about $14 dollars US.

Got sharks?

Shark steaks…mmmmm….

Some very large octopi for sale. the one in the lower bin is a monster….

Assorted fish for sale at Noryangjin fish market in Seoul, South Korea….

Sting-Rays for sale….. quite a treat….

If you look close, this is a bag full of dried fish heads…. yum…

Assorted bags of dried fish neatly packaged….

The photo above shows the freshest tuna available in Korea being filleted by the best. There’s a great video at the bottom of this post.

Lunch after our hike at Achasan was at a small sushi restaurant. For 19,000 Korean won, or about $7.00 per person US, we had some of the highest quality sashimi (plain raw tuna). It was the freshest tuna I have ever had. There were two guys filleting the fish literally 10 feet away from me.

Very nice. Notice how the fish is presented on a bed of small rocks.

Close-up of the fresh tuna.  Sashimi in Korea is served colder so the fish is fresher and firmer.

Another good close-up of the sashimi.

A variety of complimentary sides come with the meal including soup and salad.

Poor guy in pieces…..

Tuna artist at work.

In action….the remains are on the left….efficiently filleted.

Two tuna professionals carving.

Tuna fillet waste…

An interesting video of how a tuna is filleted. I tried to get as close to the action as possible.

Bakeries in Korea are excellent. One of the most popular is a chain called Paris Baguette. You can find one near every train stop. They sell everything from bread and donuts, to extravagant cakes and cookies. They have ovens in the store, but I think most of the treats are made elsewhere.

There’s a Paris Baguette located a block away from me, so I’m there at least a couple times a week.  Today I bought a cup of coffee and a pastry which cost me 1,800 Korean won which is approximately $1.35 US.

This is interesting…. Sam calls this the “semi-automatic sliding door”

Boulangerie…..

Unbelievable cakes… I wonder how long it takes to make one of these….  

Some sort of bear cake…. one of my favorites….

Yummy-looking chocolate cake…..

Paris Baguette Jam….

Paris Baguette Peanut Butter….

Some customers at Paris Baguette….

Never thought I’d see this one….. Hello Kitty bread…..

Here’s an ad in the store… this particular model is very famous for some reason….her face is everywhere….

Technology is everywhere in Korea….. Even the credit card machines have video….

This sign was prominently displayed on the table with all the food. Obviously due to the mad cow disease scare not too long ago……. I like clean and safe meat….

My friend Clayton introduced me to this awesome Korean buffet restaurant in Cheonho, an area in the southeastern portion of Seoul. Basically, all the different types of meat and side dishes are placed in the middle of the restaurant.  You load up your plate with goodies and bring back to your table to cook on your own grill.

Incredibly, the entire meal was only 9,000 Korean won, which is $6.70 US.  The best value I’ve seen so far in my stay in Korea….

Here’s the restaurant….

Street-view of the restaurant…..

Here’s my buddy Clayton standing on the left in front of the buffet table….

Here are different types of pork and duck…..

Here’s some beef, octopus (upper left container), and pig intestines….

Here are some fresh vegetables…

Spices, sauces, kimchi, and other yummy side dishes….

This is where we sit and cook our food…. yummy yummy…..

By the time we were done eating, we were unprofitable customers for the restaurant. If we were their average customers, they definately won’t last long…..

I think I know what I’m going to be for Halloween this year.