수제비 Sujebi @ Samcheongdong 삼청동, Seoul 서울 - Korea Trip Day 2

Previous post: Gyeongbokgung 경복궁 @ Seoul 서울- Korea Trip Day 2

안녕하세요!

So within walking distance from Gyeongbokgung lies the unique Samcheong-dong which is famous for its fusion of traditional and modern architecture. Here you can find many coffee shop, restaurants, chic galleries and accessory shops. Near Samcheong-dong is also the famous Bukchon Hanok Village where you will be able to see the antique beauty of Korean traditional houses which have been maintained really well. I heard the Korean government pay monthly allowance to the owners so that they can maintain the houses in tip top condition.

Day 2: Samcheong-dong 三清洞 삼청동
How to get there from Gyeongbokgung:
Facing the main entrance of Gyeongbokgung, turn right (or turn left if you are exiting Gyeongbokgung), walk along the palace wall and turn left again at the corner of the perimeter wall. Continue to walk for about 10-15 minutes until you reach a busy junction. The sign leading towards Samcheong-ro 삼청로 on your right is easy to spot.

Here are some pictures for guidance.

Turn left immediately after the wall ends.

Walk straight along the main road.

Until you reach this junction on your right.

Where you will see the unmistakable sign leading towards Samcheong-ro삼청로; the main street of Samcheong-dong삼청동.

You will see Caffe Bene on your right once you walk into Samcheong-dong.

The convergence of traditional and modern architecture. If you had watched the latest episode of Running Man about finding delicious foreign food at Samcheong-dong then you must be familiar with this sidewalk.

Coffee shop with attractive entrance and amazing decor. Tell me how not to walk into these coffee shops and spend money there? Most Korean coffee shops incorporates the Europe open-air atmosphere which gives off a very relaxing vibe amid the hustle bustle of the city. Local favourite dessert such as waffle and Patbingsu (Korean shaved ice) were often seen on their menu or poster.

Alright, let's put the coffee and dessert aside. While we were at Samcheong-dong we were starving like hungry dogs (or cats, meow~) since we had not eaten anything in the morning. So I abruptly decided that we should try this famous Sujebi restaurant at Samcheong-dong. This restaurant was interviewed by many Korean broadcasting channels such as SBS and KBS. It was also my unspoken rule to visit eatery outlets that were famous among locals (I dislike visiting touristy restaurants which sometimes could be tourist traps with substandard food and expensive price). 

Probably you are imagining Sujebi as some weird Korean food (like raw live octopus) if you have never heard of it. However, the fact is pleasantly surprising because Sujebi is actually the Korean version of our Pan Mee (Malaysian Chinese hand torn noodle) though it is distinguished by its Korean kelp and anchovy soup. So Sujebi might be easily acceptable taste wise and more familiar than you think compared to any other Korean food.

Sujebi is one of the traditional Korean folk dishes recognised by some local food organisation.

Hubby queueing up in front of the restaurant.

The price was 7000 won for one person which equals to about RM22. Certainly not cheap but food in Korea is generally expensive.

Samcheong-dong Sujebi was a restaurant visited by local Korean mostly and the restaurant owner only speaks Korean. If you are unsure how to order in Korean, just tell them Sujebi yi in bun (portion for 2 people) ju se yo. Let's say you have three persons then it will be Sujebi sam in bun ju se yo. The chinese numbering is il(1) yi(2) sam(3) sa(4) ou(5) yuk(6) chil(7) pal(8) gu(9) shib(10).

DIY refillable side dishes; Kimchi and marinated vegetable. Take with consideration.

Hubby looking happy for being able to enjoy food after walking under the sun for almost an hour.

You refill your own side dishes here.

Here was the Sujebi that we had been anticipated since the start of this trip. As you can see, the soup was murky as opposed to the clear stock used in Pan Mee.

The soup was sweet and savoury at the same time; the irresistible taste contributed by kelp, clam and dried anchovy which were used as the base ingredients for the soup. The doughy hand torn flat noodle was perfect in its thickness and texture. I kid you not, Hubby has been looking for Sujebi everywhere ever since he had this mind blowing meal.

There was a long queue during lunch hours so head there early if you want to avoid the queue. We queued for about 20 minutes to be seated.

Next post will be about Insa-dong and Bukchon Hanok Village!

by

CYK & CSY

Gyeongbokgung 경복궁 @ Seoul 서울- Korea Trip Day 2

Day 2: Gyeongbokgung/Gyeongbok Palace 경복궁
How to get there from Myeongdong:
From Myeongdong station (Line 4), take the subway towards Chungmuro and exit at Chungmuro station. Take the transfer route to Line 3 and exit at Gyeongbokgung station.

Previous post: Gogung Bibimbap @ Myeongdong - Korea Day 1

It was one of the sunniest day during our entire trip and we decided to visit the famous historical tourist site, Gyeongbokgung. Built during Joseon Dynasty in 1395, Gyeongbokgung is the largest palace of the 'Five Grand Palaces'. If you are not a fan of historical places, at least pay a visit to the iconic Gyeongbokgung to experience the Dae Jang Geum 大长今 era. Yes, you can even see a huge wall poster of Lee Young Ae inside the palace as Dae Jang Geum is unarguably the most popular Korean historical drama of the Joseon Dynasty.

The map of Gyeongbokgung. Although the Korean royal palace is not as massive as Forbidden Palace in Beijing, the view is still very breathtaking.

Even the architecture at Gyeongbokgung subway station has a very strong historical influence.

Seoul has a very comprehensive subway network but you still have to walk a lot before you are able to see the daylight at the station's exit.

Once we exited the station, we were welcomed by this breathtaking view of the palace. It was the tip of an iceberg as this was only a tiny corner of the palace compound.

The side entrance of Gyeongbokgung.

Aside from China tourists, there were many Korean high school students who visited the palace.

Make sure you arrive at the palace early because you will be able to see the guard changing ceremony at around 11am. Here's a royal guard banging the drum with a slow rhythm to start the ceremony.

Royal guards marching through the gate towards the spectacle crowd.

The royal guards exiting the main entrance.

We quickly followed the guards to the main entrance because that's where you will be able to take photos with the guards.

Guards standing still at the main entrance. Poker face to the max.

 Guards taking their positions.

Once the ceremony ended, tourists were allowed to take pictures with the guards at the main entrance but strictly no selfie (this was mentioned in a TV programme that I watched previously. The guard will block your camera with his hand if you attempt to take a selfie). The royal guards seem to take their job seriously so don't fool around with them.

Hastily snapped this and immediately fled from the scene because there were many other tourists lining up (or not) to take a photo with the guards.

Heading towards the ticket office after the ceremony to purchase our entrance tickets.

The entrance fee was 6000 won for two persons.

Some important ancient symbols carved on the stairs. There were many tour guides explaining the historical background in English and Chinese so you can stop by and listen to their storytelling for free. Haha.

The beautiful ceiling of the entrance gate protected by a layer of net.

Geunjeongjeon (근정전, 勤政殿) is the hall where the king had formal meeting with his officials.

Was frowning in all the photos taken at Gyeongbokgung because of the glaring sun.

The stone-paved courtyard in front of Geunjeongjeon is lined with two rows of rank stones where the court officials stood according to their ranks. According to some random tour guide, this particular rank stone was also where the number one scholar used to stand before meeting the king. 

The juxtaposition shot of the modern and ancient buildings.

Hubby with super thick mushroom hair before his life changing haircut at Ehwa. Hahaha. Will be blogging about his transformation in the next next next post.

This was me still looking pretty white and fair before getting tanned as a result of the sun exposure. Bad consequence of forgetting to apply sunblock.

Outside Gyeongbokgung. We turned left upon exiting the palace and walked towards Samcheongdong which I will be blogging next.

So stay tune!

by

CYK & CSY