When the rain clouds didn't look at all forgiving, the three of us shifted into a nearby department store. Lotte Department Store was only a couple streets away from BIFF Square and easily accessible via the underground subway tunnels.
While we were exploring the store, we noticed the clouds finally letting up. It was great to see the purple and pink skies as the sun set and clouds slowly blew away. We even got the treat of spotting a rainbow!
Lotte Department Store was different from any other department store we'd been before. Other than it being more mall like, there was also many things to explore on it's rooftop. We found a petting zoo area with bunnies, goats, and other small animals. Even all the animals were hiding from the rain.
This Lotte store had a upper floor dedicated to proper sit down restaurants. We opted for a simple meal of bibimbap and pajeon at a place called Mihyang 味(미)香(형).
The best way to end any night in Korea was with bingsoo. Sulbing 雪冰 설빙, in particular, was on Bestie C's must try places. We spotted it during our outside street exploring. So after dinner we found our way back to the BIFF Square and Nampo-dong area for dessert. We decided to try a classic flavor and bought the Injeolmi Patbingsoo with soybean powder, chopped dates, red beans, and ddeok for ₩6,000. Shaved ice at Sulbing was unique because we were able to pour the liquidy condensed milk onto the dessert ourselves. Of all the places we tried, Sulbing's ice quality was one of the best: just like snow. At the time, it was one of my top places for shaved ice simply for the ice component. But now that I am reflecting back on all the places we tried, it still wasn't my most favorite bingsoo spot.
Our bellies weren't very filled from the seafood lunch we ate, so we were off to find some street eats. The Jalgachi market was opposite a main shopping area in Busan called BIFF or PIFF Square. BIFF or Busan International Film Festival is an annual event that is held in Busan. I don't think the festival itself takes place at the square since it is very akin to Myeongdong in Seoul: shopping and street eats.
The waffles with ice cream I had in Sinchon were great, but the apple jam waffle we got in Busan was unbeatable. Melting ice cream will easily compromise the crunchy exterior of waffles. Apple jam with a light spreading of whipped cream will not. For those who want something sweet, filling, and heartwarming, this would be the type of waffle for you! I would imagine this to be excellent on a cold wintery day. The best part was this snack was only ₩1,500.
We also bought some of the peanut shaped breads and egg shaped breads. But my recommendation is 100% for the waffle.
Another beauty of Busan street snacks: sunflower seed hoddeok or ssiat hoddeok 씨앗 호떡. Hoddeok is a very common filled & fried pancake street snack found in Korea. In Seoul, we mostly saw ones filled with the traditional sugar, cinnamon, and nuts combo. Certain specialty shops and vendors may have a japchae filled version. The sunflower seed type was more typical in Busan.
I really liked the traditional version because of the gooey melted sugar filling. However, if not careful it was super easy to burn the tongue from the sugar syrup interiors. The sunflower seed hoddeok would save you that pain. The filling mixture was sweet but there wasn't nearly as much molten sugar. Crunchy sweet seeds and fluffy fried dough were an expectingly good combination. Another must try if spotted! If you have a lot of spare change might as well get a few, it was ₩1,000 a piece.
With the rain continuing to pour, we spent most of the afternoon dodging it in various clothing and stationary shops. So many cute things were spotted along the way!
It would have been a wasted opportunity if we spent 50 days in Korea but never explored outside of Seoul on our own. On an impromptu weekend, Bestie C, our UK friend, and I took a trip to the South of Korea to visit the city of Busan.
We had only decided to go that particular weekend during the week of. There was a last minute scurry to purchase Korail KTX tickets online and secure a place to stay. The round trip price from Seoul Station to Busan Station was ₩57,700. I would recommend pre-ordering the tickets to save the stress of trying to figure it out at the train station. The KTX online site was available in English and was a smooth process overall. The train ride wasn't bad either, it only took a little over 2 hours to get from Seoul to Busan.
Since we were going into an unfamiliar territory, my criteria while searching for accommodations were:
- proximity to public transport station
- affordability
- location in comparison to major destinations of interest.
Even though we were traveling as a trio, we weren't too particular on the size. Luckily I was able to come across a rather nice and new looking studio on AirBnB. It was pretty affordable since it was newly listed. I wouldn't typically pick a place that didn't have any reviews but decided to take the chance anyways. The sweet points of our new home for the weekend:
- only a few minutes walk from the Busan KTX train station
- subway station was right around the corner from the apartment building
Both those reason allowed us to save on taxi and transport money to get there. We also avoided any potential dialect/language barriers upon immediate arrival in Busan.
Once we settled in, our #1 stop was to the Jagalchi Market 자갈치시장. If one were to Google top places to visit in Busan, this market is usually a top suggestion. The area has many shops selling seafood and other groceries to locals and tourists. If you visit the multi-story building labeled Jagalchi Market, you could browse & purchase from the many vendors on the first floor, then have your seafood prepared for you on the second floor.
This market was a really neat place to explore. There were so many different types of fish and sea critters that I don't normally get to see, even with all the Chinatowns in NYC. But unless you really want the experience OR have a fluent Korean friend along with you, I would recommend to save your ₩₩₩ to eat other foods at Busan.
Our small loot of 1 fish, 3 scallops, 3 abalones, 3 clams, and 3 frozen shrimp came up to ₩50,000. The cooking and preparation fee was an additional ₩25,000. It was refreshing to eat (mostly) fresh seafood, don't get me wrong. I also got to try raw fish which I don't typically eat. However, we could have had many many more meals for that ₩75,000. To my memory, prices of the seafood weren't really written anywhere and you either have to trust the sellers or try your best to haggle no matter the price.
Shortly after reaching the indoor fish market, heavy rainfall swept through Busan. It was pretty unrelentless for most of the day. But we continued to venture outdoors anyways to make the most of our short stay.
