Good "Seoul" Food (Day 01)

The day ended with my stomach rumbling in complete satisfaction from all the great food I’ve eaten so far. From having ‘army stew’, or better known in Korean as Budae Jjigae, for lunch to having dinner at Milreore – a local Korean restaurant in the Dongdaemun market, I must say the food here is certainly one of a kind. Almost every meal is served with side dishes consisting of kimchi (fermented Korean cabbage); kkakdoogi (pickled radish) and myelchi (anchovies). There’s such a wide variety of Korean cuisine, it’s so hard to make up my mind sometimes because I just want them all! And it’s refillable too! Well, here are just some of the dishes that left the biggest impression on us.

Army Stew (Budae Jjigae)

Back in the days of the Korean War, soldiers put together whatever they had, and that was the birth of the Army Stew! This dish incorporates ingredients such as Ramen, Sausages, Ham and Baked Beans, making it one of the more healthy dishes Korea has to offer. Not only was this stew flavourful, it was also quite filling. The rice provided was rather special too as it was purple in colour, and there were beans inside! However, the stew was slightly too spicy and some people might not be able to take it. Overall, KIM2CHI gives this dish a 7.5 out of 10!

Black Bean Noodle (Jajangmyun)

Having watched many Korean dramas where the actors/actresses eat this dish so frequently, I’ve always wondered how it actually tastes like! Needless to say, I absolutely loved it right from the very first bite. I expected the noodle to leave behind a thick after taste because of its sticky texture, however it didn’t. Instead, I had one of the most filling lunches in awhile. As such, KIM2CHI gives this dish a whopping 8 out of 10!

Beef Noodle Soup (SeulOng Tang)

This dish was something new for KIM2CHI. Instead of the usual clear brown broth that we get back in Singapore, the beef noodle soup was a milky white – the result of many hours of double boiling to get a wonderful beef stock. The soup had a light flavor, without being too overwhelming, and the meat was melt-in-the-mouth and very tender. The noodles were equally wonderful, and were slightly springy, yet not too chewy. For something that’s a different version of our beef noodles in Singapore, this dish is unexpectedly fulfilling. 8.5 out of 10 from the KIM2CHI gang!

Squid and Beef Barbeque Stew (Oh Sam Bulgogi)

After a cold and long day, this piping hot dish definitely perked us up! The glass noodles, Beef, Squid and Vegetables complimented each other and produced the most delicious stew, ever. The only downside to this dish was that it was leaning more towards the salty side. However, eating this dish once in a blue moon is definitely a must. Our final rating from us, a 6.5 out of 10!

Done by: KIM2CHI

Kimberly Ho

Kimberly Fong
Carmen Chia
Kelly-Angel Paulose
Lulu Tay Xin Yi
Pheobe Low