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Everything We Ate in South Korea

This is (almost) all the food we ate during our 2 weeks in South Korea.

The absolute number one thing we were looking forward to in South Korea was the food.

It did not disappoint.

We were introduced to new dishes we had never had before, and some old dishes that we had eaten bastardized versions of.

This post consists of photos (some of which lack quality because they were taken on my phone – or maybe because I was all like “screw these photos, I just wanna eat this!”), videos, and information that will help you find the perfect meal in South Korea.

Note: This list has been modified from its original version. It has been formatted to hide our McDonald’s shame.
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Longquan Peach Blossom Festival // This is Chengdu, China

If there’s an art to attending a Chinese festival, I’m the dumb kid who eats the paint.

How Chaotic Are Festivals in China? // This Is China

Give me some time and I’ll be linking to a How To Successfully Attend a Festival in China article right here.

But for now, I’ll admit that my attendance at the Longquan Peach Blossom Festival was a short-lived one. The mass of people that shuffled along the uneven paths, the noise that blared from horrendous sound systems, and the foolish purchases that were being made all around me — it’s not my style.

But perhaps it’s yours?

If you’re interested in attending the yearly festival, I’d love to tell you everything I know. I must warn you however, you might not like what you find.
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Eating it Raw in the Largest Fish Market in South Korea – Jagalchi Market

Eating Raw Fish in South Korea's Largest Fish Market

Busan’s Jagalchi Market (자갈치시장), the largest fish market in South Korea, has taken up two very different places in my memory. The first one is a very positive place, where the memories of incredible lunches, lively atmospheres, excitement and intrigue all sit. The second place is dark. It’s usually avoided at all costs. This memory is based on the 8 or so rats that we saw scrounging through a pile of garbage (watch the video til the end).

I hate rats. When we go to a country for the first time, we always keep a rat count. Vietnam took the title during our first trip to Southeast Asia with 5 rats in 22 days (a rat every 4.4 days). But, in the matter of 10 seconds, South Korea managed to make Vietnam look like the outskirts of Alberta with a total of 9 rats in 12 days – a rat every 1.33 days.

That being said, this article is about fish, not rats, so I’m going to focus on the positive memories of Jagalchi Market. But know, as I write this with my feet off the floor, that those rats are haunting my memories.
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Mount Emei: How to Get the Most out of your Visit

Emei Mountain: Why is it so Sacred?

Emei Mountain - China's Largest Sacred Mountain Explained

As far as sacred mountains go in China, Emei is one of the most important. In fact, it’s the largest of the 4 Sacred Mountains of Buddhism in China. Emei means high and lofty. At 3099 meters, it’s an appropriate name. You’ll sometimes see the name Emeishan or Emei Shan (峨眉山) – shan simply means mountain. The proper pronunciation of Emei is something like uh-may, as in uh-mazing! The mountain combines nature and culture with its many temples and monasteries that dot the mountain-side. Even if you aren’t a Buddhist, you’ll enjoy their mystical beauty.
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A Guide to Visiting Wenshu Monastery // This is Chengdu, China

One of Chengdu’s Top Tourist Attractions

Wenshu Monastery | This is Chengdu, China

Wenshu Monastery (文殊院 – Wen Shu Yuan) is the best preserved ancient monastery in Chengdu. It’s the home to 80 monks, and is frequently visited by both tourists and locals. The locals come to relax in the gardens, sip tea at the tea house, or worship at one of the many sacred halls. Tourist often come for the amazing stone and wood architecture, or to peruse the art and relics that can be found throughout the grounds. Wenshu monastery is a great way to spend a couple hours if you are in Chengdu.
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Computer City: Shopping for Electronics in Chengdu, China

Chengdu’s Electronic District

Directly to the east of the Sichuan Gymnasium metro stop is a short stretch of road that is a haven for electronic shoppers. While ‘Computer City’ is the name of just one of the many giant electronic department stores (likely the first one) on the street, the block itself is often referred to as Computer City. It’s the place to go for electronic shopping in Chengdu. If you’re looking for a computer, camera, tablet, speakers, smartphone, security device, office furniture, or almost any type of electronic accessory – there’s probably a vendor in Computer City that has what you’re looking for.
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Tibetan Quarters // This is Chengdu, China

Exploring Chengdu’s Tibetan Quarters – Little Lhasa

Tibetan Quarters | This is Chengdu, China

The largest major Chinese city to Tibet is Chengdu. Its population consists of about 60,000 Tibetans, many of them living in an area just south of Wuhou Temple. This is the Tibetan quarters; sometimes referred to as Little Lhasa. The area is vibrant with Tibetan culture including shops, food, and a whole lot of that beautiful bright orange.
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The Wide and Narrow Alleys of Chengdu: Preservation or Profitization?

Kuan-Zhai Xiangzi – The Wide and Narrow Alleys of Chengdu, China

Wide and Narrow Alleys | This is Chengdu, China

The Wide-Narrow Alleys (Kuanzhai Xiangzi – 宽窄巷子) are a set of lanes that have been preserved by the local government in Chengdu. About 60% of the buildings have been rebuilt, and 40% were renovated in their original architectural style. The rebuilt buildings took some liberties, adding some touches that would help them be more commercially appealing – for example, French style windows. This gives the alleys a feeling that I would describe as chic-ancient. Nonetheless, they’re a very popular tourist destination in Chengdu. As the sun comes down, people swarm the streets to shop and eat. They’re not there for the historic value. If they are, they’ll be walking away disappointed.
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Binh Duong New City – Vietnam’s Shiny New City

Exploring Vietnam: Binh Duong New City

Binh Duong New City | Exploring Vietnam

In 2005, construction began on what will eventually be the administrative capital of Binh Duong. I’ve watched, over the past 2 years, as new restaurants, hotels, and apartment buildings have popped up. The heart of the city is the huge administrative building along with the convention center next to it. These new and modern buildings are an unusual sight in Vietnam.
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The India Chronicles: 1 Month in Southern India

India Travel Videos - 28 days, 28 videos

This is more than just a 1 month guide to Southern India

I tried something new for this trip. I shot one video per day, and posted them day-by-day for my entire 28-days in India.

The results give you a pretty good look into what it’s like to travel for 30 days in India. Both the good and the bad.

Because I was shooting and editing every day, I didn’t have time to record the details (mainly costs) that I do with other guides (see my incredibly thorough $20/day Guide to Vietnam), but I do offer an authentic India itinerary that will have you in cool coastal towns, amazing mountain tea areas, mind-blowing temples, and real gritty India cities.
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Conquering the Roads of Vietnam: How to Drive in Vietnam

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How to Drive in Vietnam: Tips on Driving a Motorbike

How to Drive in Vietnam: Tips on Driving a Motorbike

One of my favorite things about living in Vietnam is the madness that runs wild in the streets. I’m talking about scooters, motorbikes, motorcycles, and electric bikes. I love to be able to jump on my motorbike and zoom to the market. It’s easy, quick, and great on petrol. Oh yeah, and it’s a ton of fun.
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Vietnam Road Trip Part 3: Dalat to Saigon via the Coast

Road Trip Vietnam: Chaos & Calmness

For our last trip in Vietnam, we decided to do a road trip up into the highlands to Dalat. Getting to Dalat, we took the QL20. You can see that route – and get all the information about where we stopped, what we saw, tips on driving, and more – by going to this link: Vietnam Road Trip Part 1: Driving to Dalat. If you’re looking for part 2 of the video, you can find it here: Dalat, Vietnam.

In this post, I am going to outline the route we took back to Saigon.
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