Seoul is an amazing city to visit. The 15th most populated city in the world, this place is jam-packed with an abundance of history, culture, nightlife, food, fashion, music, and technology. It also happens to be one of the major beauty capitals of Asia - I am sure you've heard of the infamous districts in Seoul, lined up with plastic surgery clinics. Due to such a high interest in aesthetics and beauty, low priced dermatology clinics are also around every corner. Clear and beautiful skin is crucial to maintaining a youthful and healthy appearance, and Koreans sure know how to take care of their skin.
If you're interested in experiencing affordable yet advanced skin care in South Korea, drop by Renewme Skin Clinic for a visit. With skilled doctors, top-quality services, and state-of-the-art equipment, Renewme is ready to meet all of your skin related concerns, including but not limited to pigmentation, anti-aging, and acne.
Our Jamsil and Dongdaemun branches are located closely to bustling touristic areas, so it's easy for you to pop in for a quick moment before resuming your sightseeing.
And now that I've mentioned "bustling touristic areas," I would also like to take this time to introduce a real hidden gem around the Jamsil area that you probably won't find in any other guide book. The area around Jamsil is famous for a lot of things: you've got the sports complex, ongoing concerts, Lotte World (famous amusement park), tons of shopping, etc. But if you want a more local experience, you should try visiting a traditional marketplace that isn't already famous to foreigners, like Namdaemun or Gwangjang Markets for example.
Located at Sincheon Station exit 3 is the Saemaeul Traditional Market.
This is what the entrance looks like. I visited this place in the evening for a quick stroll to snap some shots for you guys. Evening is always a good time to visit! :)
The road leading into the market. And now get prepared for what's in store!
Every traditional market has stores that sell banchan, the Korean word for side dishes. As you might already know, rice is a staple in every Korean meal. And accompanying every bowl of rice is a variety of side dishes, kimchi included. If you're too lazy to make your own banchan, all you need to do it buy them at your local market; most of the women make the food themselves, so you can have a nice homemade meal without actual cooking. :D
Rice cakes are like the Korean version of doughnuts. But sometimes more formal and more high-class. It's eaten on special occasions and for Korean exorcisms (didn't expect that, did you) and were less accessible to lower class people in the past. Now, it's enjoyed as a snack, but still often bought to share with others on special occasions, like a baby's first birthday, or when you first move into your new home and want to make friends with neighbors, or when your son got into a really good school and you want to celebrate. Little things like that. There are many different types of rice cake that use different toppings and ingredients - I love any rice cake that has lots and lots of beans.
Sashimi is well known as a Japanese dish, but Koreans love their raw fish, too. At many restaurants, and in local markets, you'll see giant fish tanks with fish prepared for you on the spot. For the real deal though, you should check out the Noryangjin Fish Market.
This is a Korean bakery. Not necessarily Korean food, since bread is a Western thing. However, the breads in traditional Korean markets are actually quite unique, and someone altered to match Korean taste buds. Most of them are very sweet, soft, or chewy. Don't expect to find whole grain, healthy dark bread or cupcakes with frosting, or baguettes, or anything like that. Visit and see for yourself what old-school Korean bakeries might have in store for you.
Cooking oil is very important in Korean cooking. This here is a store dedicated to selling mainly cooking oil, and other condiments such as vinegar and soy sauce. Sesame oil and perilla oil are two types of cooking oil that are crucial to many Korean dishes. If you bring your own seeds to this store, they will use the machines you see in the photo to squeeze out the oil for you on the spot. Fresh oil can do wonders for whatever dish you're cooking!
Steamed buns and dumplings. Need I say any more? These snacks are hearty and filling and the perfect solution for when you are hungry on a cold winter day. They taste like childhood memories and all things good in life. Prices are extremely cheap too; just a couple of dollars and you can probably stuff yourself full!
Literally translated, this snack is called "egg bread." But it's much, much more than that. So this is more like a... castella, or a steamed bread, with an actual egg inside. It's a steamed snack, and you eat it when it's nice and warm. It's very sweet, too, which might not be a taste you'd expect from something with egg in it. They're really cheap as well - perhaps about 1000 KRW per piece. I had an American try one of these just the other day, and she had a very difficult time explaining what the taste was like. But she said it was good. You just need to try it to know. ^_^
These are traditional Korean crackers that are usually sold on the streets. I would say they are the old-school Korean equivalent to potato chips or saltine crackers. About 2000-3000 KRW per bag, they make great munchies for when you're not particularly hungry but still want to bite into something.
Jokbal is a Korean dish made of pig's feet. This, along with other peculiar meaty dishes, was and sort of is considered peasant food. It's insanely popular though, and available and plenty of other restaurants around the city and not just in markets. Eating at markets might make the experience more genuine, though. ;)
Last but not least, these snack stalls will be seen everywhere. Fried goodies, fish cakes in soup, corn dogs, tteokbokki (rice cakes with spicy sauce)... everything in one. Not all of them are yummy, so use the best of your judgement and hope you will get lucky. :D
There are so many more things to check out at this market, and other markets as well, but it's just too much for me to show you here. I strongly recommend you pay this place a visit, just to get a taste of what Koreans lived like before we became so modernized. And if you still want to go to a regular restaurant for your meal...
Right next to the market are streets filled with restaurants and bars, mostly Korean food. So many to choose from... what a blissful dilemma!
So, to conclude. Sincheon Station... not a well known place to tourists, but still worth seeing for the local experience. There is so much more to Seoul, and I hope this post helped you see a new part you didn't know before!
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