I am not very familiar with Korean food, having eaten very little of it before my arrival. To be honest, it scared me a little, looking so spicy and unfamiliar. 🫣 No where that I have lived, has had any Korean restaurants either, so it has not been accessible. The amazing food in Busan Korea was both interesting and surprising.
Bibimbap
Something I had read others eating over the years and always getting rave reviews, was the dish called bibimbap. I decided my first truly Korean meal would be this. Researching for authentic restaurants in my area, not a tourist one, I found Woojung’s.
I knew I had chosen well, when I entered and all but one table was Korean diners. Ordering from an iPad on the table is the norm here. I chose the beef and a Cass beer that was much larger than anticipated. 😊
A station of kimchi, picked radish and other sauces was pointed out to me to help myself. I have never tried kimchi in my whole life, if you can believe it, so tonight was two firsts.
The piping hot bowl of rice and beef arrived and I was ready to dig in. Tasting before I added kimchi was a must and the flavour was somewhat bland. I now see why these pickled dishes accompany a meal, they are what adds the burst of flavours needed to complete the dish.
The kimchi was spicy but surprisingly manageable for me. Added into the beef dish, it all came together and made sense. I was definitely needing to sip beer between each spoonful, as the spice level was more than I could handle.
Price for the whole meal was 13,500 or $13.50 CAD.
Egg Drop
A fast-food place that I had seen on social media was Egg Drop. They produce a stuffed sandwich that is very popular with both tourists and Koreans. I found one near BIFF Square and decided to give it a go.
The ordering is done on a touch screen near the front counter. First you chose your bread, then the type of sandwich, then any drinks. I selected the ‘Avo Bacon Road Toast’ on brioche bread. An iced americano and blood orange juice rounded out my breakfast well.
Usually these are small eateries with limited seating, however this one had an upper floor, so I was able to procure a chair and table at the rear. My sandwich was delicious, very sweet, which is strange but a common comment in reviews for Egg Drop. And I didn’t even order it sugar dipped sandwich, which yes, is an option.
Price for the whole meal was 11,800 won or $11.70 CAD.
Beef Soup
Wanting to try another Korean dish, I chose a truly authentic restaurant down an alley and hidden from view. Hwageon Guksu is the name of the family-owned business that has a one-page menu of only Korean dishes. I selected beef soup with noodles and a sprite.
This is a humble establishment, very basic but extremely friendly. I was provided an apron so as not to splash the spicy soup all over me.
And yes, the soup was indeed spicy, so much so I could not enjoy the broth. I did however eat the noodles and the delicious bits of kimchi and pickled radish provided with my meal. This is exactly the experience I was looking for and even though the dish was spicy, it was good.
Price for the whole meal was 8,000 won or $8.00 CAD.
Pork & Kimchi Stew
With grilled short rib patty was devoured at Korean Gourmet House. This was possibly my favourite meal in Korea. The stew was spicy and just a hair over borderline for me. Full of large chunks of tofu, small bits of dark pork and lots of veggies. The rib patty was delicious, full of flavour.
Small dishes accompanied this meal and each one was so tasty, I really enjoyed this complete meal from start to finish.
Price for the whole meal including a bottle of water was 16,500 won or $16.50 CAD.
Tteokbokki
At Flavour 6, I was happy to try tteokbokki for the first time ever. It was a combo dish, so came with deep fried tempura type things, shrimp, veg and a small spring roll. On a side plate was a large rice roll topped with tuna salad and raw onions that was scrumptious!
The tteokbokki was far too spicy for me, so I tried to wipe some of the sauce off onto napkins in an attempt to be able to eat it. The rice sticks and flat fish cakes that were covered in the sauce were so delicious, I didn’t want to stop eating them, even with the spice level such as it was.
Price for this whole meal was 10,000 won or $10 CAD with water consumed from the free station.
Of course, I did have other bits and pieces when I was out and walking around town. Lots of baked goods were consumed, both Korean treats and French style. I tried seafood in the markets and lots of snack type items too. To be totally honest, turns out the Korean food is too spicy for me in general and I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I was going to. Next time, I will do some research and see if I can discover dishes that are less hot! 🥵🔥♨️🌶️
