Korea Diary | Gwangjang Market Eats (Day 6)
Oh the beautiful campus that is Yonsei University! My friends told me that this particular area is often used as a location for Korean dramas. Does it look familiar to anyone?
We started off our morning with an orientation for the YISS program. Since everyone was pretty unfamiliar with the campus the presenters shared their favorite cafeterias and overviewed where everything was at Yonsei. It was all helpful information since lunch time came right after.
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My first school cafeteria lunch at Yonsei was at the Student Union building. I don't know what it is about fried food in Korea but it is so good! (You will see evidence of it in later posts.)
Even though the drink is called lemonade, it is more correct to call it lemon-ade. Yup, there is a difference. The lemonade that I think most are used to is made of lemon, sugar, and water. In Korea, any "ade" drink is actually made of a fruit syrup or juice and cider (a.k.a. Sprite). I actually like this kind of drink but it is definitely an easy concoction to make at home.
I still can't believe how many cafeterias the Yonsei campus had. Practically each building has some sort of cafe or cafeteria. The Student Union building even had 2-3 cafeterias! Plenty of variety to pick from because each cafeteria serves something different.
88 Changgyeonggung-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
After we all ran our errands (picking up shirts, paying any remaining fees, buying amenities, etc.), off we went to grab dinner. Our friends suggested this traditional market. The building has many food stalls and even clothing shops. There are many different dishes to try but a lot of the vendors also sell similar things.
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I think we ended up picking a spot that seemed popular but had enough seats for our group. This might not be the best food available but the atmosphere and quick service just can't be beat. For those that want to get a taste of many different things going to the market isn't a bad idea since some portion sizes are on the smaller size and food is relatively cheap.
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Perhaps the highlight of Gwangjang Market is the bindaetteok stands. They were many stalls grinding fresh beans and frying up perfectly portioned pancakes throughout the market.
Now that I am looking back at the photos I wish I can have some now. But I haven't heard of any place in New York City that sells these particular pancakes.
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The good thing about going with a group is getting to try a lot of food. Someone had a hankering for seafood pancake and off we went. We got ours at one of the sit-down restaurants inside the market. Makkeolli seemed to be a popular pairing with the pancakes so we got a bottle too. My friends and I agreed that we didn't particularly like the rice wine alone but when mixed with cider/Sprite it wasn't too bad.
Apparently lemonade is a pretty popular drink in the summer. It is common to see people buy them in zip-lock pouches with straws sticking out a corner.
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Gwangjangsijang also has vendors who sell ready made banchan or side dishes that people typically have with their meals. If I was staying in Korea for a longer time and ate more where I stayed instead of eating out, many side dishes would have found it's way home with me.
While taking photos the ahjumma at the stand offered us to try the little crabs. I was hesitant at first but gave it a go anyways. It definitely wasn't as bad as I thought, just super crunchy. Have to try something new!
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