Back in April, I shared what I ate while my teenage niece from Canada was staying at my place—do you guys remember that post?
[Last Post] What to Eat in Seoul:My Canadian Nephew Loved in Seoul
Well, last month, a good friend of mine who lives in London came over and crashed at my house! She flew in for a quick, casual trip all by herself, leaving her family back home. Since it was just the two of us hanging out, I let her pick whatever she wanted to eat.
She only had two days and one night with me, so are you ready to see what was on her ultimate food wish list?
A Surprise Lunch Choice!
On the morning after she stayed over, we both woke up early so she could join me on my regular morning commute!
It turned out she had a late afternoon meetup scheduled right near my office in Seongsu-dong with her old college friends. So we headed out together—I went straight to work, and she headed over to a local clinic nearby to get a few minor checkups and treatments done that she couldn’t easily get back home.
Right around lunchtime, my phone buzzed with a message from her: “I just finished up at the clinic!”
Timing couldn’t have been more perfect! I had just stepped out of my office building for my lunch break by myself, so we decided to grab a bite together right away.
Her first pick of the day? A hot, comforting bowl of Ppyeo-haejang-guk (pork bone hangover soup)!
Why Ppyeo-haejang-guk?
My friend is honestly way more domestic and a much better cook than I am. Even living over in London with her family, she cooks authentic Korean meals way more often than I do living right here in Seoul!
Still, ppyeo-haejang-guk is one of those dishes that is super tricky and time-consuming to make at home from scratch. Naturally, it was top of her wish list for things she couldn’t easily eat back in the UK!
This spot is insanely popular not just with locals, but also with international travelers visiting Seongsu-dong. If you ever try a steaming bowl here, you’ll immediately get why my friend wanted to tick this off her food list before heading back home!
Coffee Break & Interior Inspiration
Since we were finished with lunch, we decided to grab a cup of coffee before saying goodbye for the afternoon!
Seoul has so many cafes with incredible spaces and design. We headed to a spot not far from my office, and the cafe’s space felt like the perfect source of inspiration for my friend, who works in architecture and interior design!
At the cafe, she was observing every little detail with hawk eyes, as if she were carrying an invisible tape measure in her hand, haha!
That evening, my friend headed off to catch up with her college buddies, while I stayed home having my own little party with all the snacks and grocery items she brought all the way from London! Heheh
She brought a mix of things I had specifically requested and a few delicious treats she recommended herself.
Hey to any of my readers checking in from the UK—what are your absolute favorite must-buy grocery recommendations? Please drop your top picks in the comments below! I’d love to add them to my wishlist for the next time my friend comes to visit!
The Ultimate Korean Feast: Yeouido Yojung
Before my friend flew out to Korea, I messaged her to ask what top meal she was craving most. Her answer? She said she really wanted to sit down to a proper, beautifully set Korean meal with a table full of different dishes—what we call Hanjeongsik
It’s that traditional Korean feast where every inch of the dining table gets completely packed with all kinds of delicious side dishes and main courses.
As soon as she said that, I immediately thought of Yeouido Yojung (여의도요정), a spot I had just visited recently!
I knew it would be 100% up her alley, so I booked a table right away and brought her there as soon as she arrived!
How did my friend react to this place that I ended up visiting three times in just one month for all sorts of reasons? Naturally, she loved it!
After heading back to London, she said she actually recreated a similar Korean feast for her family using the wonderful memories of the meal we shared here~
Since I already wrote about this spot in detail in my previous post, I’ll skip the dish-by-dish breakdown this time around! ^^; The menu was actually identical to my last visit anyway—in fact, when I went back again just a few days later, the seasonal ingredients were still the same, so I got to enjoy the exact same delicious lineup! Hahaha
We spent plenty of time looking at traditional Korean tableware during the meal, chatting about whether she should buy a set to take back to London so she could recreate this exact same vibe back home!
Since it was our first time having one-on-one time together in so long, we spent hours talking and had such a wonderful, memorable time!
The Finale: Tabletop Korean BBQ Beef & Kkadugi Fried Rice!
Are you curious about what we had for our very last meal together?
My son wanted to join us for dinner, so I needed a menu that all three of us would love. The answer was an easy choice: Korean-style beef BBQ
Even though beef is super common in Western countries, Korean tabletop grilling is a completely different experience from a standard cooked steak.
We started with non-marinated cuts first to enjoy the clean, savory beef flavor, and then moved on to sweet marinated short ribs (yangnyeom-galbi).
My friend took a bite and said she had completely forgotten how amazing it is to eat meat freshly grilled right at the table! Back home in London, her family often does backyard BBQs, but by the time all the meat is cooked outside and brought to the table, it inevitable cools down a bit.
Having meat straight off the hot charcoal grill—eating every single piece while it’s warm, tender, and juicy—was such a treat for her! She even joked that she was now seriously considering installing a Korean BBQ grill right into her dining table back home in London! Hahaha
She also loved the sweet and savory yangnyeom-galbi, a flavor she hadn’t had in ages. To wrap up the entire feast, we ordered Kkadugi fried rice (깍두기 볶음밥) topped with a slice of melted cheese. The creamy cheese softened the spicy kick of the radish kimchi, giving us the most rich, buttery, and satisfying finish to our meal!
Wrapping Up Her 1-Night, 2-Day Seoul Trip
And just like that, our quick 1-night, 2-day Seoul food marathon came to an end!
It was a short visit, but packing it with delicious meals, warm coffee breaks, and endless catching up made every single minute special. There really is nothing like hosting an old friend and sharing good food together.
It wasn’t a flashy or fancy place, just the kind of everyday spot we visit all the time—but honestly, I think this normal, simple Seoul routine was what my friend missed the most. That, and being able to just text a friend, “Hey, want to hang out today?” and meet up without a second thought.
I had such a rewarding time packing in all these fun moments with her and eating all the Korean food she’d been missing so much.
That wraps up our tour of the comforting local flavors of Seoul! Thanks for reading, and see you in the next post!
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