Poop Cake

I'm not sure why the Koreans call these "poop cakes." Supposedly, they look like a pile of poop but to me, they look more like Christmas trees. The cakes are filled with red bean paste and are quite tasty. I found these in Insadong.

Poop cake for W1000

2013 09 18

Gyeongbokgung, Part 2

After touring the museum, we joined the English tour of the main palace. We met at the Information Booth at the entrance to the palace. The tours are free, last 70 minutes and are offered at 11 am, 1:30 pm and 3:30 pm. 

Gyeonghoeru Pavilion is a hall used to hold important and special state banquets during the Joseon Dynasty. It's a beautiful pavilion located on an artificial lake.

Hyangwonjeong Pavilion is a small two-story hexagonal pavilion built around 1873.

2013 09 18

National Folk Museum

The National Folk Museum is located on the grounds of Gyeongbokgung. The museum is free. It’s a nice indoor museum and it took us less than an hour to go through it because there was little English commentary.

Outside, there is a recreated street showing life in the 1960s. It's a very primitive street. Hard to see how far Korea has come since then.

Replicas of spirit posts where villagers used to pray

2013 09 18

To Sok Chon

I had read about the best place to get chicken soup. To Sok Chon is located at 85-1 Chaebu-dong, Jongno-gu. From Gyeongbokgung, walk 1 block west and cross the street. Turn right. At the first street, turn left after the CVS store. The restaurant opens at 10 am.

The restaurant is a series of hanoks and we were shown to one with western tables, rather than the Japanese ones. 

You’ll see a placard showing chicken soup in front of the restaurant. There is no English sign for the restaurant.

  

The chicken soup (Samgyetang) arrived and it was still boiling. It’s a ginseng chicken soup and the chicken is stuffed with chestnut, garlic, dried jujubes, ginseng & rice. It was tasty but I’m not sure I’m a big fan of ginseng.

2013 09 18

Gyeongbokgung

Gyeongbokgung is a royal palace built in 1395. It was the main and largest palace built by the Joseon Dynasty. We purchased our combination ticket for W10,000, which gave us admission to the 4 palaces in Seoul (including the Secret Garden at Changdeokgung) and to Jongmyo. Once the gates opened at 9 am, we entered and turned left to the National Palace Museum of Korea. The museum, which features the royal artifacts, is free. It took us about an hour to see all the exhibits on 3 floors because there was limited English commentary. Beware that the museum is closed on Mondays while Gyeongbokgung is closed on Tuesdays.

You can enter through Gwanghwamun, the main gates to the palace, which opens at 9 am or through the parking lot which opens earlier. 

After visiting the museum, we watched the very colorful Changing of the Guards (occurs every hour from 

10 am to 4 pm). 

The pretend guards had pretend mustaches & pretend beards. 

Stand on the side closest to the museum and the main gate. The gates are opened to allow you to continue with the guards outside the gate to view the final portion. The ceremony lasted 15 minutes.

2013 09 18

Jogye-sa Temple

Jogye-sa is a Buddhist temple located just half a block from our hotel. It’s the headquarters for the Jogye sect, which emphasizes Zen meditation. The centerpiece is the Daeungjeon, which features murals of scenes from Buddha’s life and 3 giant Buddhas. 

The temple which was established in 1395 is surrounded by high-rise modern buildings.

2013 09 18

Thursday Night Dinner

Guazzetto--Day Boat Scallops, Jumbo Prawns, Mussels & Calamari Served in Heirloom Tomato Brodetto Flavored with Sweet Basil & White Wine paired with 2012 Mayu Sauvignon Blanc, Quebrada De Talca Vineyard, D.O. Valle De Elqui, Chile

Ravioli Di Zucca--Butternut Ravioli, Crispy Sage Butter & Parmigiano-Reggiano paired with 2012 Paul Hobbs Winery CrossBarn Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast

Agnello Alla Griglia--Grilled Marinated Lamb Loin Chop Served in Red Pepper Coulis Garnished with Amorosa Potatoes, Onion Confit & Escarole Topped with Roasted White Alba Mushrooms paired with 2010 Benziger Family Winery Merlot, Sonoma County

Dolce Autunno--Vol-Au-Vent Filled with Lemon Curd & Organic Raspberries paired with 2012 Ceretto Moscato d'Asti, DOCG, Bignaioli di Santo Stefano, Italy

2013 10 31