Must eat in Seoul!

1) Pat Bing Soo

For the Singaporeans, it's like atas ice kachang. But I love how pat bing soo comes with very nice yummy toppings on very fine ice shavings! And you know what's the best part, they layer the sauce in between the ice shavings. You know in Singapore, restaurants like Hong Kong Cafe like to give you a very beautiful mango ice shaving, but once you eat the outer/top layer, the rest of the ice taste plain??

Another thing that I noticed is that the locals mix up their pat bing soo very rigorously before indulging in it. But for me, I like to eat it the way it was served so it remains prettier longer.

Bing-Sin

Bing Sin is found in Hongdae. The portions here are huge, good for 3-4 to share and cost KRW 11000 to 12000 depending on the flavour you order. I asked the shop owner for their best-sellers and she recommended the Strawberries (KRW12000) or Lemon & Lime (KRW 11000).

My thoughts: I tried both, and I say go for the strawberry flavour! Not a must-go so don't bother going out of your way for this. Do so only if you're in the area and craving for an icy dessert!

Korean Dessert Cafe

Korean Dessert Cafe is a chain so you can find them quite easily everywhere. I had mine in near Ewha university and it was very popular with the locals there! 2 storey shop was packed with students! In my opinion, this is one of the better and more affordable pat bing soos! The photo above is their best-seller Peanut with condensed milk which was very good! This was only KRW 7000 and good for 2-3 to share.

My thoughts: Best I've had in Seoul and evidently very popular among the locals which is a good thing. Try it if you happen to pass by it!

2) Fried Korean Chicken

The boy went crazy in Seoul over fried chicken because they have so many good fried chicken options in Seoul which is easily better than 4fingers in Singapore. Best of all, you don't need to queue for it and it's cheaper! We were so into it that we started doing taste tests on various chicken brands. Who doesn't love fried chicken & beer, so if you're in Seoul, go for it!

Kyochon Chicken

Currently one of the most popular fried chicken chains in South Korea. Popular enough that they even do delivery in Seoul! They have a few outlets, and I went to the one in Hongdae which has a nice chill outdoors area. Kyochon has 3 flavours: Original, Spicy, and Honey. The Original and Spicy are of the same price, so they allow you to mix a platter of Original & Spicy which is what I got! The picture above which includes 1 beer & 1 platter cost KRW 19,000. Platter is good for 2-3 to share!

My thoughts: Cheaper & better than 4fingers in Singapore! Worth going with friends cause you get to try more flavours. It was nicely fried on the outside, but juicy and tender inside. I personally find that 4fingers is overfried in Singapore and the meat inside has no marinated taste at all! And yes, it is worth a trip out of the way just for this chicken! 

Ho Chicken

Not so popular as Kyochon Chicken but the boy and I voted this as our favourite and best chicken in Seoul! It is good for those who like the Crispy version of KFC as Ho Chicken coats the chicken pieces generously with batter. We ordered their best-seller which is Soy Sauce Chicken, I find it amazing that the chicken is still crispy even though it has their special soy marinate all over it! It is crispy on the outside, very tender and juicy and has soy taste on the inside too! What surprised the boy and I is that we normally do not enjoy breast meat, but Ho Chicken serves up the entire chicken and make every part of the chicken so delicious!! This is pure genius!

My thoughts: It was so good that we went to eat this twice! Love the cute utensils that they provide you with so you can grab your chicken pieces! The best chicken in Seoul! :D

3) Jjimdak = Braised Chicken

This is a typical Korean dish whereby they serve braised chicken with onions, potatoes, carrots & chewy glass noodles. It goes very well with rice and I'll say that this is a must-try dish in Korea!

Yeolbong

This is a nice air-conditioned restaurant located in the Hongdae area! Known for their level of spiciness (see picture above) where it ranges from mild to very hot. Being someone who can take spicy food, I went for the Normal. Wah, it was soo spicy that I had to sip loads of water :/ So for Singaporeans, I honestly recommend you to go for the Mild option instead.

They have a nice weekday lunch set during lunch hours: 1200-1400hr. The deal is that you get a bowl of free rice topped with fish roe and seaweed when you get the Yeolbong Jjimdak. The dish above was the small version which is good for 2-3 people and costs KRW 19,000.

My thoughts: A good meal option when you are in the Hongdae area! And please do order the Mild or Normal version. Anything else is just meant to kill.

4) Honey Comb Soft Serve

This is the latest food trend in Seoul. You'll see more and more shops selling soft serve ice cream with honey comb! What is so special about their ice cream is that it is especially milky which allows the sweetness of the honeycomb to shine. If you're into food trends or you're an ice cream lover, I'll say this is a must-try!

Honey Ice Cream

You can't miss this cute little store near the stretch of shops that sell Korean BBQ in Hongdae. You can choose to have your milky ice cream in a cone or cup, I chose cup because it is easier to eat. The first time I tasted this ice cream, I felt like I was slurping on very creamy milk! The ice cream tasted like a cup of milk, it was so good! The honeycomb was such a tiny piece, but it gave a very subtle tinge of sweetness to the milky ice cream, a very good marriage of two flavours. The cup above costs KRW 4500 and is so good that I could finish one by myself. 

Softree

If you want to eat honeycomb ice cream, then surely you must go to the original founder of it. So i went! Softree is the original outlet that started the new honeycomb ice cream craze in Seoul. Their best-seller is the honey chip whereby they serve very creamy organic ice cream with a real piece of honeycomb. Mind you that they are so popular that their honeycomb is always sold out, I went at 5pm and it was gone already! Costs KRW 4800 for their honey chip. As it was sold out, I opted for liquid honey in a cup which costs KRW 4300. The ice cream was sweet and creamy, but I loved their honey the most. It was very fine and you knew that it was good quality honey!

My thoughts: Comparing the two outlets at Hongdae, I prefer the ice cream at Honey Ice Cream but the honey at Softree. Honey Ice Cream served such a perfect combination of creamy and sweet honey that it made me crave for more. The ice cream at Softree was already so sweet that it overwhelmed the sweetness of the honey and made me gelat (overwhelmed) eating it. Taking the price points, time spent queuing and the overall combination of flavours, I will say that I prefer the Honey Ice Cream at Hongdae better.