Sunday, May 13, 2012

You Will Never Go Hungry Here

While walking the streets of Seoul, I drooled over the food kiosks, tents, and minitrucks (if you're Filipino, you'd probably call it a "multicab") were selling. These stalls are called pojangmacha 포장마차.

This kiosk pojangmacha has tteokbokki 떡볶이 (rice cakes cooked in red chili pepper paste), pajeon 파전 (green onion pancake), kimbap 김밥 (rice rolled in seaweed), dumplings, hotdogs, pork skewers, and other things I could not identify. These go from 1000 to 6000 won (Php 40 to Php 240).
 

Tented pojangmachas usually appear at night. Go get drunk on soju 소주 (rice liquor) here.
Photo by: Bee Chavez

And here's a snackbar on wheels. This guy has set up his goodies on the bed of his minitruck. He has roasted chestnuts, dried squid, and beondegi 번데기 (roasted silkworm cocoons). The beondegi tasted...interesting. Nutty almost.

On the streets, your nose might lead you to this little umbrellaed cart selling pancakes stuffed with eggs.

Or you will do a double take at the sight of these waffles 와플 (with cream and syrup) while hurrying through a subway station. This crunchy, creamy, syrupy waffle sells for 1000 won (Php 40).

Or get tempted to try these siopao-looking things, which are really steamed mandu 만두 or dumplings stuffed with vegetables and minced meat. The steamed spicy mandu (600 won ~ Php 24) was so good, I regret having bought just one.
Photo by Ayin Ersando

Or be enticed by the steam coming out of this roadside eatery that offers noodles and mandu 만두 (dumplings). Our grumbling stomachs made us buy three kinds of mandu 만두: seafood and vegetable rolled dumplings (8 pcs for 4000 won ~ Php 160), steamed kimchi dumplings (3 pcs for 3000 won ~ Php 120), and fried vegetable dumplings (3 pcs for 3000 won ~ Php 120).

You will also find vendors selling fruits such as strawberries and grapes. Cheaper than buying these in the Philippines, so stuff yourself while you can.
Above two photos by Bee Chavez

Too lazy to go out for breakfast, too cold and tired to hunt for dinner after a long day of exploring, or running low on cash for a real meal, you can stop by a fastfood restaurant, such as Lotteria, or buy something quick from convenience stores, vending machines, and bakeshops dotting the streets and subway stations.

 A strawberry waffle (2000 won ~ Php 80) for breakfast at Lotteria. A tad bit expensive but I like waffles.

 
Blueberry yogurt (1300 won ~ Php 52) and instant noodles (900 won ~ Php 36) from a convenience store.

 
Drinks on the go: coffee (capuccino/latte/americano/green tea latte), softdrinks, juice, water. From 400 won (Php 16) to 1000 won (Php 40).

 
Breads are a bit expensive. From left to right: soybean bread (2000 won ~ Php 80), olive focaccia (2200 won ~ Php 88), and blueberry (1000 won ~ Php 40)  from random bakeshops I passed by. I absolutely loved the soybean bread (very filling) and olive focaccia (I am an olive hoarder).

And lastly, quick dinners I grabbed from the nearest convenience store:
  • Ham sandwich (1600 won ~ Php 64) labeled as 듬뿍넣은햄 샌드 which literally translates to "plenty in ham sand". Yes, I agree, it did have plenty of ham in it!
  • Spicy anchovy kimbap 매콤달콤멸치김밥 (1200 won ~ Php 48 and came with a free can of Pepsi). This kimbap was really delicious!
  • Two triangle kimbap (samgak kimbap 삼극김밥) for 1000 won (Php 40). Flavors on my pack were spicy chicken 양념 치킨 and Jeonju bibim 전주비빔밥. If you love bibimbap then you'll like the Jeonju bibim kimbap.
  • And a ready to eat dinner (3000 won ~ Php 120) I ate on the plane ride home. It had rice, kimchi, sausages, egg, pork, and vegetables. Not bad at all!

See? You will never go hungry on the streets of Seoul (as long as you have a few thousand won).

And not to worry, dear Reader, I also had time to sit in good old Korean restaurants but that deserves another post. Writing this has made me hungry, gotta go have a kimbap now.


South Korea Series:
Random Things About Kimchiland
From One Point to Another
Homes Away From Home
My First Meal is Not Korean
You Will Never Go Hungry Here (you're here!)
To the North We Go...Almost
Strolling, Collecting Sights

6 comments:

  1. Nom nom nom!!! Looks like I could live on street and convenience store food over there! And the strawberries and grapes! My fave fruits! Waaaa! i'd go crazy stuffing myself there. Haha. I don't think I'd ever have the guts to try those silkworms... I see them canned in Assi Mart over here and they make me cringe with horror and disgust. I love this post! :D

    Btw, I sent you an email. Hope you received it. :D

    Babe for Food - your BFF in Cebu dining! :)
    babeforfood.blogspot.com

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  2. Wah! Now I am even more hungry.
    You made me miss more the food we ate.
    Those strawberries are the sweetest I tasted so far.
    Lez go back! hahaha!

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  3. Justinne - Yeah! How I wish I was able to try all the street food. There was just too many and I had not enough days (and money) to try everything. Just read your mail, but my reply might be a bit too late???

    Bee - I miss the mandu! And that spicy kimbap!!

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  4. Replies
    1. Yum indeed! But wait till you try the real Korean meals! Yummier!

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  5. loved the tteokbokki & we tried the grilled sausages on the streets too!! :) I liked the bread there also, so yummy!

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