10/20/2023
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food_street
alley_tour
1. Food Trip through Hidden Alleys of Korea : Seosulla Street, Seoul - Fusion food with healthy ingredients and traditional desserts
Alley Map - 1: Seosulla Street, 2: Jalppajin Memil, 3: SASA, 4: Jongmyo Shrine, 5: Sewoon Arcade, 6: Daramgee, 7: Trails, 8: Gwangjang Market, 9. CheonggyecheonFollow the paths taken by the royal night watchmen to connect Seoul’s past with the present in these alleyways, where you can find eclectic fusion cuisine made with fermented foods and traditional dishes and desserts prepared with healthy ingredients.
Our itinerary begins at Seosulla Street’s hanok neighborhoods and follows the Cheonggyecheon Stream, the waterway at the heart of Seoul, to the hiking trail of Hanyangdoseong, the Seoul City Wall, where one can see an expansive view of the Seoul city center. Follow this three-hour itinerary to meet the places where Seoul’s past and present come together.
A place where traditions meet the present
#fusion #hanok #alley
As the capital of Korea, Seoul, with Korea’s rapid economic development is full of things to see. The high risers and city lights coexists with traditions imbued into the alleys hidden across the city. To explore the traditional side of Seoul, start at Seosulla Street and make a circle along the Cheonggyecheon Stream. This road will lead you to the "true" heart of Seoul, where traditions built up over thousands of years meet with today’s culture in harmony. During the 500-year Joseon* period, Seoul was known under a different name, "Hanyang."
The old city center around the royal palaces of Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung is now home to a collection of hanok villages that form the most traditional of all tourist sites in Seoul. As a result, Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung Palaces draw a large audience every day of the week. Seosulla Street is a charming local secret where traditions meet today’s sensibilities.
*Joseon: A kingdom ruled by the Yi family for 27 generations spanning approximately 518 years, from 1392 to 1910
Jewelry craft shops at Seosulla Street
Seosulla Street is an 800-m-long alley along the stone walls of Jongmyo Shrine. It was originally a patrol route for the "Sulla" force, a night watch force that was responsible for policing in the Joseon period. Today, this street is home to restaurants and cafés housed in renovated hanok, traditional residential buildings of the Joseon period. As a Craft Street* established by the Seoul city government, Seosulla Street also has jewelry craft shops hidden across the alleyways in the neighborhood, so it is worth walking slow to explore the neighborhood more thoroughly.
*Craft Street: A cultural street initiative established by the Seoul city government to bring together the traditions of jewelry trading at Jongno Jewelry Shopping Street and the creative craft culture among the younger generations
A refreshing and nicely presented bowl of buckwheat noodles
#koreandish #buckwheatnoodle #dumpling
Jalppajin Memil, a restaurant serving Korean dishes made with buckwheat, is best known for its three types of buckwheat noodles: Buckwheat noodles, which come in a cool and refreshing soup; spicy buckwheat noodles, tossed with a spicy sauce; and buckwheat noodles with perilla oil, seasoned with perilla oil and special soy sauce.
In general, buckwheat noodles on the market tend to contain flour, but this restaurant serves noodles purely made with buckwheat, which amplifies the fragrance of the buckwheat even further. Another popular menu, jumbo buckwheat mandu, goes perfectly with the light taste of buckwheat noodles. These dumplings are filled with plenty of minced meat and vegetables and come in steamed and deep-fried varieties. The restaurant is also known for its winter menu, "buckwheat mandu hot pot set menu."
Deep-fried Jumbo Buckwheat Mandu
Jalppajin Memil Ikseon
Address 73, Yulgok-ro 8-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Opening Hours Monday-Friday 11:00-21:30 (15:00-17:00 break) Saturday-Sunday 11:00-21:30 (15:30-16:30 break)
Signature Menu and Prices (March 2023)
Buckwheat Noodles KRW 9,000
Deep-fried Jumbo Buckwheat Mandu KRW 7,000
Hanok café serving traditional desserts
#tranquil #ricecakestick #gwapyeon
After some buckwheat noodles, try some delicious traditional sweets and beverages at SASA. A hanok café located about 5 min on foot from Jalppajin Memil, serves desserts and beverages, reinterpreting traditional and contemporary culture. For the most Korean dish of all desserts, we recommend the "SASA set menu," which includes grilled rice cake sticks and makgeolli (unrefined rice wine), a traditional Korean liquor. Grilled rice cake sticks boast a chewy texture that goes well with malt syrup and powdered soybeans served alongside. Makgeolli served at SASA is nonalcoholic, making it ideal for even those who can’t drink alcohol to taste the deep flavors of makgeolli.
For a more refreshing but no less Korean dessert, we recommend gwapyeon (fruit jelly). Gwapyeon is a jelly-like dessert made by mixing fruit juice from seasonal fruits with mung bean starch, sugar, and honey. It is somewhat like sherbet or fruit jelly. SASA is named after the sound of trees swaying in the wind, and just like its name, it is a great place to enjoy a tranquil in a hanok with the sound of the wind. First-floor seats have a front-row seat to Seosulla Street’s stone walls, while the second-floor window seats overlook the Jongmyo Shrine’s stone walls and the nearby hanok buildings.
Gwapyeon (fruit jelly) made with seasonal fruits
Terrace seats
SASA
Address 1-2F, 147, Seosulla-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Opening Hours Monday-Friday 12:00-19:00 Saturday-Sunday 12:30-19:00
Signature Menu and Prices (March 2023) SASA Set Menu KRW 9,300 Gwapyeon KRW 8,600
Tel +82-2-762-7001
A place that houses the souls of Joseon’s royalty
#hanok #joseon #worldheritage
A question comes to mind when one walks down Seosulla Street: What lies beyond these stone walls? The answer can naturally be found across the wall at Jongmyo Shrine. Jongmyo Shrine houses "sinju," which are tablets engraved with the names of Joseon kings and queens, for ancestral rituals. It was burned down during the Japanese invasion of Korea* but was rebuilt to its present form. What makes Jongmyo Shrine so special is the fact that rituals are still being held there.
Ancestral rites are held on the first Sunday of May and the first Saturday of November and are led by members of the Jeonju Yi clan, the descendants of Joseon’s royal family. In recognition of its historical value, Jongmyo Shrine was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage in 1995.
*Japanese invasion of Korea: Two invasions committed by the Japanese forces from 1592 to 1598
Address 157, Jong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Opening Hours
- Guided tours: Depends on the language
- Standard entrance (Saturdays, Sundays, holidays,
every last Wednesday of the month):
February-May, September-October 09:00 - 18:00
June-August 09:00 - 18:30
November-January 09:00-17:30
Entrance Fee (March 2023)
Individual KRW 1,000
Foreigners (ages 19-64) KRW 1,000
Free of charge when wearing hanbok
A filming location where Seoul’s past and present intersect
#retro #filminglocation #firstmixeduse
One can find a different side of Korea right across from Jongmyo Shrine, only 3 min away by foot. Sewoon Arcade was the first multipurpose apartment building in Korea and the center of Korea’s electric and electronic industries in the 1970s and the 80s. The building has its charms thanks to the years of history that had accumulated in its space, but what elevated Sewoon Arcade to fame once again are the retro yet stylish spaces like the Horangi Café and the philosophy bookstore Soyoseoga. Today’s Sewoon Arcade was given a new life through an urban regeneration project, establishing the building as a place to see Seoul’s past and present.
Fans of K-dramas will recognize Sewoon Arcade from the popular series Vincenzo, featuring Song Joong-ki. The popularity of Vincenzo was such that it was top of the chart in Netflix in Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and the Philippines during its run. Sewoon Arcade doubled as the "Geumga Plaza," the main setting of the show, so if you enjoyed the show, make sure to visit the Sewoon Arcade and relive the moments!
Retro-style shop in Sewoon Arcade
Sewoon Arcade
Address 159, Cheonggyecheon-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Opening Hours Varies by store
Traditional bar with traditional ingredients
#fusion #makgeolli #saltedshrimppasta
Signature menu, Grilled Jeju Sundae
What better way to wrap up a trip through Korea’s tradition and present then with a visit to a fusion bar? Daramgee, a bar located along the stone walls, uses Korean ingredients to prepare various fusion dishes.
Its signature menu is the grilled Jeju sundae. Sundae is a sausage-like dish made by filling pork intestines with different ingredients tossed in blood. This dish comes with a fermented soybean paste sauce, spicy with extra spicy chili pepper, and truffle mayo sauce. The two sauces represent the eclectic influences that created this place, so make sure to experience both.
Daramgee standing in front of a stone wall
Another popular menu is a pasta plate that uses salted freshwater shrimp from Gangjin. Salted freshwater shrimp belongs to a family of salted and fermented foods that form the basis of Korean cuisine. This dish uses spaghetti to bring out the uniqueness of Korean salted seafood in a more familiar form.
Makgeolli on tap
Being a bar, Daramgee also offers a wide selection of traditional Korean liquor. If a bottle sounds too much, take things slow with "Makgeolli on Tap," sold by the glass.
Daramgee
Address 1F, 101, Seosulla-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Opening Hours
Tuesday-Friday 17:00 - 23:30
Saturday-Sunday 16:00 - 23:30
Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays
Signature Menu and Prices (March 2023)
Grilled Jeju Sundae KRW 22,000
Salted Freshwater Shrimp Pasta KRW 19,000
Makgeolli on Tap KRW 7,800
Tel +82-70-4258-8880
Walk along the historic fortifications
#fortifications #trail #walk
After walking down the stream, it’s time to go for a walk along the historical walls of Seoul, Hanyangdoseong, the Seoul City Wall. These fortifications were built to protect Hanyang, the capital during the Joseon dynasty. Despite the many years that had passed since then, the fortress still retains much of its old appearance. There are six trails included in Hanyangdoseong. The Naksan Mountain Trail connects Heunginjimun Gate, the city’s eastern gate, to Hyehwamun Gate. It takes about 10 min by foot to reach the Heunginjimun Gate from the Cheonggyecheon Secondhand Book Street, so it connects seamlessly into the itinerary.
Heunginjimun Gate
Take a breather and look over your shoulders to find an expansive view of the Heunginjimun Gate and the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), Seoul’s premier cultural complex.
Address 70, Jongno 6(yuk)-ga, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Opening Hours Open 24 hours
Enjoy local food along the local alleys
#110years #streetfood #wholechicken
Gwangjang Market is a market with 110 years of history. It is also known for its vibrant street food scene, featuring dishes like mung bean pancakes, gimbap, and beef tartare. The nearby Chicken Alley offers whole chicken soup, which features a clear chicken broth boiled from a whole chicken.
Chicken Alley
Whole Chicken Soup
Address 88, Changgyeonggung-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Find another gourmet alley
#festivals #stream #takebreather
One can find a stream flowing beneath a overhead walking deck near Sewoon Arcade, which is none other than the Cheonggyecheon Stream, a slice of nature at the heart of Seoul. Today, the Cheonggyecheon Stream houses a waterside park extending for about 5.8 km from Cheonggye Plaza, where the people of Seoul go to take a breather or enjoy slow walks. It also serves as a venue for yearly events and festivals, particularly at the beginning and the end of the year. It is a place where culture flows like a stream. Start at the front of the Sewoon Arcade and walk along the stream eastward to find many different facets of Seoul, such as Gwangjang Market, Dongdaemun Dak Hanmari (Whole Chicken) Alley, and Cheonggyecheon Secondhand Book Street.
Address
Seoul Tourism Plaza
(Tourist Information Center near Cheonggyecheon Stream)
Opening Hours 09:00 ~ 18:00
Tel +82-2-6365-3100
More info
* This column was last updated in October 2023, and therefore information may differ from what is presented here. We advise you to check details before visiting.
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