Flight Centre’s Theresa Babic travels to Seoul, Korea and reports back with unique vacations tips, culinary adventures and shopping delights.

What a diners delight to venture out into the city of Seoul, Korea looking for dishes unique to the North American palate.

My first mission was to find and devour Kimchi. I had never tried this side dish before but had heard so much about it. It is a traditional Korean pickled dish made of vegetables with varied seasonings, usually cabbage and can be very spicy. There are over 100 different varieties of Kimchi and I believe that I only managed to try 6 varieties at most.

Another unique staple to the Korean dining experience included Soju. It’s an alcohol most commonly made from rice and usually 20% proof. It tastes comparable to that of vodka but slightly sweeter. Most interesting about drinking Soju is that it is against traditional custom in Korea to fill one’s own glass. Instead, it must be filled by someone else at the table. This promotes a spirit of thoughtfulness and camaraderie.

And my most favorite dining experience included the infamous Korean Barbeque. A group of 4-6 people sit down together at a charcoal grilling station to share a feast of cooked pork, chicken or beef. I had the pleasure of trying pork accompanied by Kimchi and fern and pickled bean sprouts wrapped up in a lettuce leaf.

I would also have to say that I believe Seoul to be a shopper’s paradise. There are so many shopping malls and outdoor markets throughout the city to buy anything your heart desires. I spent most of my time in Dongdaemun Market which happens to be largest in South Korea. Dongdaemun is filled with hundreds of vendor booths selling anything you can imagine; knick knacks, souvenirs, clothing, and brand name hand bags. Also, a little bargaining is always welcomed at the booths without sticker prices on their items. My shopping experience was a success and I managed to pick up for myself two hand bags, an eel skin wallet, stainless steel chop sticks… and of course souvenir Kimchi.

So if you are looking for a dining and shopping holiday that is “off the beaten path,” I strongly encourage you to try Seoul Korea. If even you find yourself in Incheon airport for a 9 hour layover en route to another destination…. go out to eat or shop till you drop!

Seoul, Korea is highlighted on the Flight Centre travel map.

Theresa Babic is an International Travel Consultant with Flight Centre based in Oakville, Ontario and can be reached at 1 866 704 5366.

Categories: Activities, Cuisine

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009 at 10:08 am and is filed under Activities, Cuisine. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.