QH SENSATIONS
Words By Lynsey Riach
From modern skyscrapers and neon lights to palaces and pagodas, Seoul is a fascinating mix of tradition and modernity. The real pulse of the city lies in its recent transformation as a cultural hub. Having launched itself into mainstream media, with its trendy, fashion, unique food and K -pop culture - Seoul is a fascinating, fast paced mega metropolis of Asia that simple cannot be ignored.
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s soon as you touch down in this capital city which is home to nearly 12 million people, you’ll naturally sync your pace with the locals (non-stop...that is). With so much to see and so much to do, you’ll find it hard to resist the urge to
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get on out there and get on with it. So first, stop… fill up that jetlagged belly with some street food, Korean style.
Street Food Aplenty Now this may seem a little daunting but there’s more on offer than just fried insects. Almost on every corner you can find delicacies from the normal to the unfamiliar. Perhaps play it safe to begin with by trying some goldfish shaped bread (seriously) stuffed with red beans and lentils, dumplings or mung bean pancakes may be your thing before building up your courage and determination for the more bizarre bites on offer…fried fish guts anyone? Interestingly, one of the city’s most famous food carts is so popular the owner is believed to be a millionaire. Selling Hotteok- a sweet treat filled with sugar, cinnamon, and nuts then fried till it becomes a delicious caramel donut. Sounds pretty normal right? Until you watch locals add their own concoctions of sesame-soy sweet glass noodles, carrots, and spinach stuffed inside the donut then basted with a fruit-seasoned soy sauce.
Jack Of All Trades One of the most well known dishes synonymous with South Korea is kimchi. This dish continues to rise in popularity worldwide due to its health benefits as well as its now trendy reputation. Some murmur ‘it’s only fermented cabbage’ but who knew such a simple staple could be mixed up and served in so many different and wonderful ways? Rather quirky is the fact that Koreans eat so much of this super-spicy condiment, natives say kimchi instead of cheese when getting their pics taken. This dish is made with a mix of garlic, salt, vinegar, chilli peppers, and other spices and is served at every meal, either alone or mixed with rice or noodles. Part of a high-fibre, low-fat diet that has kept obesity at bay in South Korea. kimchi is also used in everything from soups to pancakes, and as a topping on pizza and burgers so it’s a must try on your trip. Korean BBQ restaurants are also a popular choice and a great place to mingle with locals. Hanjeongsik, a multi-dish Korean banquet, is an all-time favourite filled with
Banpo Bridge is also known as the e Moonlight Rainbow Fountain Bridg
course after course.
The K-Pop Experience Always wanted star treatment? Well now you can really feel like a fully fledged K-Pop star thanks to Visit Seoul’s free K-pop experience which offers a behind the scenes tour at some of the video sets, dressing rooms and makeup chairs of the country’s biggest stars. Remember Psy, of Gangnam style fame? Who wouldn’t want to try on some of those loud and proud outfits? Feel free to leave the tour or stay on an extra hour to learn and perfect a song and dance routine to leave you feeling like the award winning superstar that you are.
Time to wind down A trip to the city’s most popular park set along the Han River, the Yeouido Hangang Park is perfect for a nice walk. Indulge in the view of Seoul as you go by or order some fried chicken in a cup from the many vendors in the park. Eating, it seems, is the done thing here.
A Shopper’s Oasis
Spicy Korean Crab Stew
Of course, what trip would be complete without some shopping? From haggling and bargain hunting to luxury spending, you can find it all within the Dongdaemun area. Colourful & endlessly fascinating, stores in Seoul like to sell all kinds of knick-knacks, from clothes to quirky souvenirs. Enormous wholesale clothing markets dominate whilst thousands of small stores set in large modern malls are open until well after sunset, so you can literally, shop till you drop! And just to add to the excitement - as a foreign visitor you can grab a tax rebate on your spending at the airport. As our whirlwind tour comes to a close, we take one last venture out to the N Seoul Tower on Namsan (one of the city's mountains) for a little bit of reflection and some perfect panoramic photo ops over Seaoul. n
Qatar Airways flies direct from Doha to Seoul once daily. For more information on Seoul visit www.visitseoul.net
Hotteok being prepared within seconds
Mung beans
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