Monday, October 22, 2012

South Korea: Seoul - Tosokchon Ginseng Chicken Soup and "JUMP" show

Something horrible was happened! 

I was uploading photos just now and blogspot pop up saying the photo storage has reach the max, mean i can no longer upload more photos, unless i upgrade and pay $3 per month which i will never do!

But very soon i find out if i resize to smaller pixel i can upload with without limit, phew.

But i might consider to pay for upgrading the storage and everything in order to keep my blog alive, so please reader, click my ads and help me raise money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok come back to this post topic. 

Remember the last post about Gyeongbokgung? I suggested to put few places in a day trip if you're not ready to spend a whole day in the palace, which if you're interested you can absolutely spend a single day in it, that is huge. 

For us, the plan as below:

* Subway to Kwanghwamun (because we wanna see the gate of palace, you can also stop in Gyeongbokgung station.) for changing of guard (about 11am, right in front the gate and its free)
* Brunch in Tosokchon, the famous ginseng chicken soup.
* Back to Gyeongbokgung 
* Walk to Insa-Dong for souvenir shop
* Go to Seoul Cinema in Jongno-3 Ga for "Jump"'s evening show (4pm)

We skip Sam Cheng Dong, which is few blocks away from the palace too because our flight is at the same night and we have to leave earlier to the airport. 

If i've absolutely one full day, i'll add Sam-Cheng Dong after Insa-Dong or the palace, and make the show in the night time, which is 7pm or something like this. 

But this post isn't follow the flow of the plan, i just pick something interesting and blog the info. 

I'm going to intro and review the famous ginseng chicken soup and Jump in this post.

Tosokchon known as the creator of ginseng chicken soup in Seoul, which you can see selling everywhere in the city today. 

I'm not sure what is the most origin ginseng chicken soup suppose to be, but what tosokchon sold is chicken that stuffed with ginseng and sticky rice, and slow cook with rice wine.

I'm dislike herb smell but i like this soup very much. 

So where is tosokchon?

Red circle is where the Tosokchon restaurant located. 

2 blocks away from the palace, if you stop in Gyeongbokgung station, take the exit number 1, 2 and 3, walk down to the street, when you see the G25, the convenience store, then you should see tosokchon billboard with chinese word. 

This is not difficult to find, as long as you keep your eye on this traditional Hanok, and long q. 

I suggest to go before lunch hour, make it your brunch as sooooooooo damn crowed during lunch hour. 

We had it before 12nn and we got the seat immediately, but i think almost full. When we done and leave, about 1pm, there are at least 10 people q-ing outside. 



Not a big restaurant but very eye catching, as this is the only hanok among those modern building

Waitress brought us to hanok, which you have to take off your shoes
Tosokchon mainly serve ginseng chicken, but there are several dishes as well, eg roasted chicken that we don't have the chance to taste.

There are 2 types of ginseng chicken soup, the main different is the chicken, either normal chicken or the black chicken.

We ordered 2 white chicken and 3 black chicken, and i strongly recommend the black one, better meat texture, the white one is too soft for me.

Both type of soup cost 15000kw (equal to about RM45), i think this is reasonable, because you found thick ginseng like your finger size in the soup.

You will be given this card cum the menu. Make order to the waitress and take this card to the cashier when you leave. 

The menu. 

The soups show. 
Rich taste soup, chicken, ginseng and the sticky rice. 

Reservation number. 

Me and lynn
I haven't try the other ginseng soup in Seoul except Tosokchon, thus no comparison i could make.

As tosokchon's dishes, price, service and environment, i think this is worth to try and fairly reasonable. So why not spend your brunch here before or after palace visit?

My Advice to Dine in Tosokchon Ginseng Chicken Soup Restaurant: 
1. Avoid lunch or dinner time, crowed and long q.
2. One portion of soup can serve 2 ladies. We are 5 and ordered 5 portions, we cant finished.
3. If you're foreigner and never seen black skin chicken, do not afraid and order a black one to compare. Trust me, the black one is chicken but not any other funny meat.
4. Enjoy the soup but do not take the seat for chit-chatting, do consider the people q outside with the wind.

==========================================

Next review, JUMP show.

Korea famous with musical show, eg Nanta show that perform around the worlds few years ago.

I wanted to watch Nanta when the team came to Malaysia last time but that time i'm only a student and the ticket price is too expensive.

When Seoul trip was confirmed, to watch a show is one of my must-do in my life. Simply because the show is available everyday and the ticket is a lot cheaper in Seoul.

But we met some backpackers and new friends was telling us that Nanta is not as interesting as the newer show named "Jump".



I done a simple research on the internet, Jump has higher review and present in story basic, this attract me and we finally decided to watch Jump instead of Nanta.

Again, i did not watch any other show so i cant compare, but Jump is a good show. Fun, interesting, attractive, i almost cant move my eyeball away from the stage.

The detail like the ticket price and show time please link to the official website of Jump.  

FYI there are few ticket prices, based on the seat actually.

We got the middle high seat with 50000kw (about RM150) per person. Although a bit far from the stage and make we missed the interaction part with the performer, but i consider good enough as we can glance the whole stage.

Ok, to make JUMP show in the same day of Gyeongbokgong, because the cinema is not too far away from the palace. 

Big red circle is Jongno-3ga station, small red circle  is the cinema. 

Insa-Dong is just below the palace, i forget to circle it up.

So we went to the palace, then insa-dong, then take subway in Anguk station to Jongno-3ga. 

Enlarge map. Stop in Jongno-3ga, take the exit 14 or 12, walk down the street and you will see the cinema beside 7-11. 
I think you can get the ticket on the spot, but you might have limited choice on the seat.

For us, we get it from Hostel Korea, the receptionist called and booked for us. We get the reservation number, be there 30 minute before the show start for the tickets.

Oh yea we pay on the ticket counter.  


You will see the banner on the street and you cant missed it. 

The ticket 

The stage.

We managed to snapped only one photos and people quickly come and stop us, i think because of the copyright or something.

The show last for one and half hour, not long but every second is interesting, if you've extra from shopping and you've 2 hours time, why not pay for the world famous show?

Alright i got to go, next post still Korea, but i think that will be the last post. 








Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
20121022, 1151am
Rach in wanna vomit mood.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

South Korea: Seoul - Gyeongbokgung and Changing of Guards

Gyeongbokgung palace is the place that Elaine wanted to see in Seoul, the rest 4 (including me) is not the fans of historical place, while Elaine loves it so much (she always thought she is a princess of something like that in her previous life, haha.)

So here we make Gyeongbokgung aka the palace of Korea dynasty.

The easiest way to get to Gyeongbokgung is subway, just stop in Gyeongbokgung Palace Station, follow the instruction, the palace is 5 to 10 minutes walking distance. 

If you've question on the travel pass, please click me for advice. 

If  you're not ready to spend one whole day in this palace like us do, i would suggest you to plan the below places in the same day.

* Gyeongbokgung - 2 to 3 hours for brief visit, if you're a fans then one day.
* Insa Dong - culture commercial street, good for souvenir shopping. 1 or 2 blocks away from the palace)
* Sam Cheong Dong - culture village, old resident area, good for photographing. Beside Insa Dong
We didn't go to Sam Cheong Dong because we rushed to a musical show "Jump" in the evening time, will blog it later.

Back to Gyeongbokgung.

Adult entrance fees is 3000kw per person, about RM10 which i think this is fine, because the income go for the maintain cost of the palace.

The detail please fine in the official website: http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264337

One thing that didn't mention in the official website (or i missed it) is the changing of guards (video) below, i don't exactly know the time of changing of guards, but that day we went we saw it quite frequent, like once an hour. 

If you're ready to spend whole day i bet you will see it anyhow hahahahha.

Now we see some photos. 

You will see this man sitting in the middle of road and no one horn once you step up from the subway.

the man with the stone. yea i dunno what is it.

3 virgins they mean it, if you know cantonese. hahaha. 

walk thru the man and you will see the entrance of the palace.

Me and John

Changing of guards





Guards stand still after the performance

The tickets. Counter is behind the gate

Lots of people

The focus is the handsome police on the left. 

There we start the walk

Original door from the past time

Not allow to entry
One of the corner. 

I feel like in the old century

historical wall

Another hall. Actually a lot of halls

Much larger than Beijing palace

cute kid

Cant imagine how big is the door?

Now you see it hahahaha

I will never stay in palace. Hall to room take me 15 minute walking distance

Another cute kid found

Me 

I believe this has been restored

Me again, ok bare with me please

Some animal?

Huge lake in the palace area

I know if you're not into historical place, this post is bored, I promise the next one will be more interest.

I will try update soon, but my lappy's keyboard went mad, n and b and space bar have no respond at all =(, i'm blogging with the net book now, which is relatively small and inconvenience. 

Alright got to go, bai!







Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
20121017, 0919pm
Rach in watching tv and blogging mood.

Saturday, October 6, 2012

South Korea: Seoul - Noryangjin Fish Market, where i chewed the raw octopus's leg.

One of the highlight in our Seoul trip is Noryangjin Fish Market (鷺梁津海鮮市場 / 노량진수산시장), simply because food is John's most concern. 

Noryangjin fish market was a local fish market, but getting more visitor from different country nowsaday, people there saying that's the reason why the market open 24 hours per day now.  

Noryangjin is located in the outskirt of the city, but reachable by MRT.


HOW TO CALCULATE SEOUL SUBWAY FEES?
http://www.seoulmetro.co.kr/station/eng/linemap.action?eng=Y is very good official website for tourist to find out the Seoul subway route, time and cost. 

To check the information, you can just move your mouse to the depart station and click it, then click on the arrival station like i do on the above picture. 

Alright, come back to the topic. 

You might lost your direction when you step on the station, but don't worry too much, you have only one way to go, just follow the crowd and they will bring you to the market. 

How to go Noryangjin fish market from the station?
1. Get off from the train. 
2. Walk up to the bridge to the exist
3. You should on the pedestrian bridge where you can see vendor selling vege and stuff on it.
4. Walk to the end of the bridge, get down from the bridge and you will see the market.      

Find this station and feast! 
                                                                                                                                                                            
On the bridge to see the train

Cross the bridge to reach the fish market
                                        
As mentioned, when you get down from the bridge, you should have see this view.

If you think this market is small, wait till you see the next photo.

I . KID . YOU . NOT!! And this is not all still, the area is so big like 2 football fields.

1st floor, or the floor you step on from the bridge is restaurant, the ground floor is full of seafood! Very very very the full till i cant finish in whole of my life.

When you done "wow" and photo taking on the upper floor, get yourself down to choose some fresh seafood, then choose any restaurant on the 1st floor, let them cook for you.

A lot of local people too 

Fresh and smell of the sea. 

You name it or you don't name it can all be found here. 

My love, prawn!

The biggest prawn that i ever seen or eat in my life. 

This biggest siham that i have ever seen too. Phew. 

If prawn is my lover, scallop is my wife.

I trying to ask what this is but no one answer me :S

Snow crab, I EAT YOU!

We share the same name, so Rays, i don't eat you. 

You can call it octopus, but i named it alien anyway. 

4 of us (Ah sui hangover in the hostel, hahaha) choose a snow crab, squid, 2 kinds of prawn, scallops and abalone. 

I don't remember all the seafood price, i only remember the snow crab only cost us less than RM100, and raw abalone cost us less then RM30 for 4. 

Seriously!

The seafood is fairly cheap, but the cooking fees is expensive =(

Again, i don't remember the actual charge of the restaurant. What i remember is they count on person, eg 5000kw per person for tea and service or whatever, then count on cooking method, eg BBQ = 5000kw per dishes. 

So for our case, 4 person "service charge" = 5000kw x 4 = 20000kw
BBQ prawn, abalone and scallops = 5000kw x 3 = 15000kw

Again, i emphasize that i don't remember the charge, above calculation is for charge counting example. 

For those who do not speak korea and english, the good news is the server of restaurant mostly can speak chinese, if vendor cant understand you or you cant understand them (vendor mostly korea and do not speak other language), you can ask help from them, exchange with dine in their restaurant. 

We did simple survey on the restaurant, the charges is standard, the only different is some restaurant do have their own seafood stall, if you buy at their stall and cook it in their restaurant, you probably can get some discount or even free seafood, that the different. 

So we choose whoever that come and approach us, which is below.  

In Chinese is 皇帝食堂,waitress can speak fluently japanese and chinese here. 

Inside the restaurant

Simply BBQ and taste so good!

The big prawn looks relatively small when the giant prawn serve. 

Grill scallop, i miss it so much!

ABALONE!!!!!

Giler punya snow crab, so damn meaty!

Legs is as thick as John's finger!! 

Kuan and I swear to each other that we take the challenge of eating raw squid.

If you think it is normal sashimi, you're wrong, so wrong. 

We eat their leg, which still squirm after you cut them into piece. 

Not only squirm, and they suck on everything they can reach, including your throat.  

Octopus leg, still moving.  

If you think the picture is not scary enough, let's see the video below. 


This video has show you another things
1. John doesn't know how to use chopstick ahahhahahahahahha.
2. Kuan is chicken! He's the one who put on this challenge.
3. Although i don't hold a chopstick well, I'M THE FIRST AND ONLY ONE WHO PICK UP THE LEG!

If you ask me what is the taste, I don't cheat, although it is scary so super yummy, i'd love to eat it again if i have the chance, seriously. 

Alright next photo will be historical place and some foods again, hope to get Korea post done in next one or two post!

Okie good night world!







20121006, 1229am
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Rach in yawning mood.