South Korea, Busan
Having been to Seoul for a couple of times, my expectations of Busan was somehow elevated. Busan, being the second largest city of South Korea, how different can it be? For those who have been to Seoul, you would have been swapped by all the beauty and fashion in your trip. However, in Busan, it is not as what you would have expected. I felt that the fashion was outdated and many of the clothing reminds me of what an ahjuma will wear to the market or clothing that you can find in Taobao. Perhaps I have not seen enough of Busan to find their niche trend. From my past trips, Seoul is like a big urban city, Jeju is a scenic island with lots of nature and peace. Busan is like a in-between, city and yet there are scenic places within reach.
Eat
Haeundae Area
1) Hanwoo beef (Korean wagyu which is usually not exported). Melt-in-your-mouth BBQ beef with heavenly aroma that explode in your mouth. Must try!
2) Beef soup with rice
The big earthern pots, brewing the beef soup for hours, can be seen and at the entrance of the shop. Beef broth was white and thick from the hours of stewing the beef bones. Super soft beef in the soup.
+82 51-731-3363
Nampo/ Jalgachi area
3) Grilled eel
There are actually many stalls selling eel along the road leading to Jalgachi market. I have chose this shop after reading some reviews.
You may be wondering why the eel looks pinkish instead of the usual blackish one. This is the domestic eel and it doesn't has the fishy smell like the imported breed. You should try it as the texture and taste is totally unexpected from any fish that you have tried.
주야 상회
-ga, 29-6 Nampodong 4(sa)-ga, Jung-gu, Busan, South Korea
+82 51-254-3635
watching the process is not for the faint hearted
Complementary clam soup which is very fresh n good
Still moving on the pan despite being in parts
lettuce, mint leave, garlic, chilli, onion from salad and from the pan...wrap n eat together with the eel
kimchi fried rice at the end
domestic eel
4) Cold wheat noodle - chewy noodle in cold soup broth. The restaurant is hidden at the back lane, so use your map to find it. The menu only consists of 3 items - dry cold noodle, soup cold noodle and mandu (dumpling). I would recommend the soup cold noodle n skip the rest. Remember to add the vinegar into your noodles
Halmae Gaya Milmyeon
56-14 Gwangbok-ro, Gwangbokdong 2(i)-ga, Jung-gu, Busan
051-246-3314
menu with 3 items
can skip
5) Pork soup with rice
I happened to stumble on one good one at Gukje market. Following the aroma with my nose, it led me to this shop. Forgot to take the photo of the shop front but did capture the location.
Junggu-ro 47beon-gil
Bupyeong-dong, Jung-gu, Busan, South Korea
location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/uk2Bc1CABH1VoYFPA
customised to have glass noodles instead of rice
6) Best tteokpokki (at Gukje market)
Located in the market, there are many street food stall and this was proclaimed to be the best tteokpokki in Busan by 3 kings (I supposed it is a variety show). Must try!
이가네
Igane topokki
40, Bupyeong 1-gil, Jung-gu, Busan
7) Live seafood at Jalgachi market
Biggest seafood market in Korea where you can get both dead and live seafood. If you have been to Notyangjin in Seoul. It's the similar concept - buy your seafood from the stall(s) and bring to 2nd level restaurant for your choice of cooking. My strategy is to find a stall which sells all the different type of seafood that I want instead of buying separately from different stalls as you can bargain or round off for the bulk buying. Stall vendor will bring you to the 2nd level restaurant (usually of their choice but you are free to direct them if you have your preferred choice) to cook/ sashimi your live seafood.
8) Hotteok (sweet korean pan cake)
There is this famous push cart pan cake stall at BIFF Square which is recommended by many. I didn't get to try other stall so it's hard to comment. The pancake is made from glutinous rice flour wrapped with sweet bean paste and pan fried to crispy. It is then cut open and filled with mixed nuts. It looks like our hum jin bang (咸煎饼) but tasted like meen jian kuay (面煎粿). Got to eat while it's still hot.
Stay
Generally, most tourists will stay in these few areas:
1) Haeundae beach (beach view away from the city)
2) Nampo/ Jalgachi (shopping and seafood market)
3) Seomyeon (cafe, pub and market)
4) Busan station (for those who wants the convenience of KTX train to Seoul)
I have chose to stay at AvenTree Hotel Busan for its superb location and cleanliness. Nampo shopping belt is literally downstairs and jalgachi market is just across the street. Gukje is just 5 min walk away and connected to Kkrangtong market. Escalator to Yongdusan is along the street. There are lots of eatery, street food, restaurants. There are a couple more hotels on the same street like Hotel Platinum, Hotel Forte, etc, check them out and find the hotel that suit your budget
Transport
-
Buy T money card from any convenience stores and you can top up anywhere anytime. It's like our ezlink card and can be used on both train and bus (with discount ). But if you have children with you on the trip, you should buy one way ticket for them as their ticket is almost half priced.
- Map - Google doesn't work (well) in Korea. Use either Kakao Map OR Naver Map.
- Taxi - if you need to call cab, use Kakao T (taxi). Pre-install before you go as some verification sms may have issue on some phone lines. Especially useful if you need to get to the airport at wee hours. Taxi from Nampo to airport is about 14k won (Oct 2019) as compared to hotel private transfer of 25k won.
- Airport limousine - there are 2 lines that you can take from the airport. One goes to the east side (Haeundae beach) and the other goes to city (Seomyeon, Busan station, Nampo-dong). Price: 6k (adult)/4k (child) for city line. Haeundae line costs 7k won. This is a better option than squeezing and transferring train with your luggage.
Shop
-
Korean beauty product
- Fresh ginseng from Bujeon ginseng wholesale market at level 2 (Seomyeon station). I didn't go to this market as it was there in the evening and decided to buy at Bujeon wet market instead
- Chilli powder if you are keen to cook kimchi tofu soup, etc
- Fresh Kimchi - do not attempt to buy kimchi from the market stall if you are not prepared with tupperware. Kimchi packed in plastic bag and clingwrap will not be able to withstand the air pressure in the plane and it will explode in your luggage. This is due to the gas released from the fermentation. I will advise you to buy from Lotte mart supermarket and get the sales lady to pack for you in a container. They will cut and squeeze the kimchi into a container (that we usually use to store our CNY cookies) and clingwrap all around. You got to inform them that you are bringing the kimchi up on an aeroplane and they will pack it this way for you.
- Dried goods like Kelp, ikan bilis, seaweed, etc. There is a dried fish wholesale market beside lotte mall at Nampo station.
Eat
Haeundae Area
The big earthern pots, brewing the beef soup for hours, can be seen and at the entrance of the shop. Beef broth was white and thick from the hours of stewing the beef bones. Super soft beef in the soup.
Nampo/ Jalgachi area
There are actually many stalls selling eel along the road leading to Jalgachi market. I have chose this shop after reading some reviews.
You may be wondering why the eel looks pinkish instead of the usual blackish one. This is the domestic eel and it doesn't has the fishy smell like the imported breed. You should try it as the texture and taste is totally unexpected from any fish that you have tried.
주야 상회
-ga, 29-6 Nampodong 4(sa)-ga, Jung-gu, Busan, South Korea
+82 51-254-3635
 |
| watching the process is not for the faint hearted |
 |
| Complementary clam soup which is very fresh n good |
 |
| Still moving on the pan despite being in parts |
 |
| lettuce, mint leave, garlic, chilli, onion from salad and from the pan...wrap n eat together with the eel |
 |
| kimchi fried rice at the end |
 |
| domestic eel |
4) Cold wheat noodle - chewy noodle in cold soup broth. The restaurant is hidden at the back lane, so use your map to find it. The menu only consists of 3 items - dry cold noodle, soup cold noodle and mandu (dumpling). I would recommend the soup cold noodle n skip the rest. Remember to add the vinegar into your noodles
Halmae Gaya Milmyeon
56-14 Gwangbok-ro, Gwangbokdong 2(i)-ga, Jung-gu, Busan
051-246-3314
 |
| menu with 3 items |
 |
| can skip |
5) Pork soup with rice
I happened to stumble on one good one at Gukje market. Following the aroma with my nose, it led me to this shop. Forgot to take the photo of the shop front but did capture the location.
Junggu-ro 47beon-gil
Bupyeong-dong, Jung-gu, Busan, South Korea
location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/uk2Bc1CABH1VoYFPA
 |
| customised to have glass noodles instead of rice |
6) Best tteokpokki (at Gukje market)
Located in the market, there are many street food stall and this was proclaimed to be the best tteokpokki in Busan by 3 kings (I supposed it is a variety show). Must try!
이가네
Igane topokki
40, Bupyeong 1-gil, Jung-gu, Busan
7) Live seafood at Jalgachi market
Biggest seafood market in Korea where you can get both dead and live seafood. If you have been to Notyangjin in Seoul. It's the similar concept - buy your seafood from the stall(s) and bring to 2nd level restaurant for your choice of cooking. My strategy is to find a stall which sells all the different type of seafood that I want instead of buying separately from different stalls as you can bargain or round off for the bulk buying. Stall vendor will bring you to the 2nd level restaurant (usually of their choice but you are free to direct them if you have your preferred choice) to cook/ sashimi your live seafood.
8) Hotteok (sweet korean pan cake)
There is this famous push cart pan cake stall at BIFF Square which is recommended by many. I didn't get to try other stall so it's hard to comment. The pancake is made from glutinous rice flour wrapped with sweet bean paste and pan fried to crispy. It is then cut open and filled with mixed nuts. It looks like our hum jin bang (咸煎饼) but tasted like meen jian kuay (面煎粿). Got to eat while it's still hot.
Stay
Transport
- Buy T money card from any convenience stores and you can top up anywhere anytime. It's like our ezlink card and can be used on both train and bus (with discount ). But if you have children with you on the trip, you should buy one way ticket for them as their ticket is almost half priced.
- Map - Google doesn't work (well) in Korea. Use either Kakao Map OR Naver Map.
- Taxi - if you need to call cab, use Kakao T (taxi). Pre-install before you go as some verification sms may have issue on some phone lines. Especially useful if you need to get to the airport at wee hours. Taxi from Nampo to airport is about 14k won (Oct 2019) as compared to hotel private transfer of 25k won.
- Airport limousine - there are 2 lines that you can take from the airport. One goes to the east side (Haeundae beach) and the other goes to city (Seomyeon, Busan station, Nampo-dong). Price: 6k (adult)/4k (child) for city line. Haeundae line costs 7k won. This is a better option than squeezing and transferring train with your luggage.
Shop
- Korean beauty product
- Fresh ginseng from Bujeon ginseng wholesale market at level 2 (Seomyeon station). I didn't go to this market as it was there in the evening and decided to buy at Bujeon wet market instead
- Chilli powder if you are keen to cook kimchi tofu soup, etc
- Fresh Kimchi - do not attempt to buy kimchi from the market stall if you are not prepared with tupperware. Kimchi packed in plastic bag and clingwrap will not be able to withstand the air pressure in the plane and it will explode in your luggage. This is due to the gas released from the fermentation. I will advise you to buy from Lotte mart supermarket and get the sales lady to pack for you in a container. They will cut and squeeze the kimchi into a container (that we usually use to store our CNY cookies) and clingwrap all around. You got to inform them that you are bringing the kimchi up on an aeroplane and they will pack it this way for you.
- Dried goods like Kelp, ikan bilis, seaweed, etc. There is a dried fish wholesale market beside lotte mall at Nampo station.
Comments
Post a Comment