Happy Suwon

Located about 30 kilometers south of Seoul is Suwon, the provincial capital of Gyeonggi province. It is also the largest city in the province and is home to more than a million people, making it one of the most populated cities outside of Seoul.

Home to one of Korea’s leading brands, Samsung Electronics, Suwon is also the hometown of Manchester United’s Park Ji Sung, Korea’s most popular footballer. They actually named a street after him. One of only two athletes worldwide who I can remember of being given the distinction of having a street named after them while they are still alive, the other athlete is Michael Schumacher, who has a street named after him in his hometown in Germany.

Suwon is also known for its Galbi. It is said that the best Korean galbi is served in Suwon.

But most of all, Suwon is well known for its Hwaseong Fortress, its most notable attraction. You can see the fortress in almost all promotional materials of Suwon. Whether it be in print, TV or in the internet, it is almost impossible not to see Hwaseong. Hwaseong Fortress is a fortified wall which used to encircle the entire city. It was built by Joseon emperor Jeongjo to honor his deceased father, Sado Seja, in 1794. It has four gates Paldalnum Gate; Hwaseomun Gate; Janganmun Gate and Changnyongmun Gate.

Paldalnum Gate is positioned in the southern part of the fortress. The existing Paldalnum Gate is just a reconstruction of the original gate which was burnt down during the Korean War. On the right wall of the gate is a nameplate bearing all the names of the people who were associated in building the gate. Of the four gates, Paldalnum is the only gate located in the middle of the busy streets of Suwon. Hwaseomun Gate on the other hand is located at the western side of the fortress. Janganmun Gate is on the north side while Changnyongmun is located on the east side.

Hwaseong Fortress was declared Historical Site Number 3 by the Korean government and was inscribed in the Unesco World Heritage List in 1997.

Another must not to be missed site in Suwon is the Haenggung Palace within Hwaesong Fortress. Haenggung was a temporary retreat place for the kings, way back then. It was considered the king’s R & R (rest and recreation) area. The largest shelter built in all the palaces, it is located at the foot of the Hwaseong fortress.

Hope you have a great time in Suwon. As they say…. Happy Suwon!!!

Korean Food 101

I always consider eating in a Korean restaurant a gastronomic delight. You leave the restaurant very much satisfied although your wallet becomes a bit lighter. But choosing what to eat is quite a challenge if you are not familiar with the menu. So, from my regular dining at a Korean restaurant, here’s my beginners guide to Korean cuisine.

Most if not all Korean restaurants serve panchan, a variety of side dishes which comes in small, white-colored plates. The panchan can be anywhere from 2 to 12 varieties (my favorite Korean restaurant usually serves 6 but can go up to 10 depending on the number of people in the group). The most common panchan is kimchi, a fermented vegetable dish. The most popular variety is cabbage kimchi, but they say that there are more than 160 kimchi varieties. Kimchi is also the most popular food identified/associated with Korea. Other side dishes which I usually find in a Korean restaurant are fried zucchini; potato salad; steamed egg or rolled egg omellete, pickled radish, sweetened young potato; sweetened anchovies, and a lot more. Koreans actually make so many side dishes from almost everything.

For meat lovers, barbequed beef or bulgogi is highly recommended. Bulgogi literally means “fire beef” but is generally called “Korean barbeque”. Thin, tender strips of tenderloin or sirloin are marinated in a sauce (usually with soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil and garlic) and cooked over hot charcoal grill or a portable gas grill.

Galbi is marinated beef ribs. Like bulgogi, it is also grilled. Galbi could either be pork ribs (dwaeji galbi) or beef ribs (sogalbi or just galbi).

Samgyeopsal is not a beef dish but a pork dish. It is thick, fatty slices of pork belly which is not seasoned nor marinated, cooked in a grill right at the table on the diner’s table. It is then consumed by dipping it in a sauce consisting of sesame oil, black pepper, and salt. It can also be eaten by placing a slice of meat inside a lettuce or any other green leaf with some cooked rice and a paste made up of chili paste and soy bean paste.

For chicken fanatics, you can try samgyetang, which literally means “ginseng chicken soup”, whole chicken stuffed with glutinous rice and boiled in a broth of Korean ginseng, dried jujube fruits, garlic and ginger.

Dak galbi or spicy chicken dish is made by stir-frying marinated diced chicken in gochujang (chilly pepper paste) and sliced vegetables together on a hot plate.

For stews ( jjiggae) you might want to try Kimchi jjiggae, a soup made with mainly kimchi, pork and tofu.

Doenjang jjiggae or soy bean paste stew, is made with fermented soybean paste and tofu.

Yukkae jang kuk, or beef stew.

Other food that you might want to try:

Japchae, one of the most popular Korean noodle dish, made from glass noodles stir fried in sesame oil with various vegetables, such as thinly-sliced carrots, onions, spinach, and mushrooms, served with beef, and flavorued with soy sauce and sweetened sugar.

Mandu, or dumplings.

Gimbap, steamed rice with various ingredients rolled in sheets of dried seaweed, similar to sushi.

Bibimbap, rice with mixed vegetables

I guess that’s about it. HAPPY EATING!!!