Eating in Gwangjang Market

I never liked going to Gwangjang Market. Maybe I have been in Korea for too long that the 'unique' dishes don't really impress me. Or maybe it was the traumatizing first visit that turned me off. It was a hot day and ajumma who was busy shooshing us, foreigners who flooded the market with phones in hand, taking pictures in every single corner. I prefer the one next to it, Bangsan Market, because it has a better (or quieter) vibe.

I really had no intention to revisit. But few weeks ago, I was sort of 'trapped' to go to Gwangjang Market with AskCulture. I signed up for sannakji but I never knew we were going to Gwangjang Market. This time, I had a totally different impression.

First thing first, it was a weekend evening in the winter. No more weather complain. We also had a very clear purpose, thanks to Sangah, so I do not have to wander around in the market like a lost child.

Sangah took me to the Yukhoe alley and specifically pointed at this super famous place to eat Yukhoe. I thought Yukhoe is all the same everywhere, but apparently, only this restaurant requires its customer to take waiting number (just like in bank or hospital) and has multiple branches.

very famous 'zzamezip'

While we were waiting, Sangah took many videos and countless selfies. I thought I was the only one feeling fascinated but apparently, Sangah and JinAh both think that it was unusual for foreigners to be that-excited with 'weird' Korean foods.

Oh by the way, this restaurant has a very unique 'never give up' tagline. Apparently, it comes from the fact that many people give up queueing for them :)))))

so can you see what is she preparing?

But what is Yukhoe tho?
A red dish?

'fresh' raw beef

This is it. Raw beef. I am not even sure if I want to further explain this dish because to me, it's just disgusting. Even in pictures.

But basically it's pure beef with onion and raw egg. That's it.

Yukhoe and Yukhoe mix rice

Sangah and Jinah had a very 'raw' meal that night. They finished everything and I was just like, ummm...

But hey! I got what I have been craving for months too! Sannakji or the live octopus! Well, it wasn't technically alive. He had been chopped before they serve it to me. Poor octopus, I promise not to eat this often!

In a flash, it looks just like any fresh and raw octopus. Not that I eat it straight from the aquarium. But what interesting is that the octopus was still moving when it was served. Bluntly speaking, it was not the sensation that made me crave for sannakji, but the taste itself!

Look at the short video above.

I did not realize how much I enjoy sannakji that I finished the whole dish myself. Later I realized that it's not a good idea because apparently my stomach kinda resist it :)))

I hope to come again but not sure if I can afford it. These dishes are actually expensive, man. My plate of octopus is worth 15,000 won while the Yukhoe is 12,000 won and the rice is 10,000 won.

tempting tempting

Our eating journey did not end with bowls of uncooked stuff. While we were walking, I told them that I love pajeon so Sangah decided to take us to eat pajeon! Lovely!

Now this is my stuff. SEAFOOD PAJEON.

OMG the visual, the smell... Everything was just perfect. Again, this is not cheap, around 16,000 won I guess. Worth 3-4 times of my lunch.

I was really really happy with my pajeon. This particular dish mean a lot to me because I had a good history with Pajeon.

When applying for Korean scholarship, the Korean interviewer asked me about my favorite Korean food. With no hesitation, I said "pajeon!" and both of them burst out laughing. I did not know until recently why they were laughing. My Korean friends told me it was because they probably expected more popular foods like bibimbap, bulgogi and such.

One of my friends even said, "Just like if you ask foreigner about they favorite Indonesian food. You expect bakso, sate, nasi goreng but what if he say bandeng or cireng?"
Muahaha make sense.

Sangah said I have a terrific smile and I smile even brighter as soon as the pajeon came hahaha. I think I can really do an advertisement for pajeon, seriously.

We parted ways after I finished the pajeon. I was delighted that I came for sannakji but I ended up eating pajeon too. As expected, AskCulture trip is always so much fun!

Check the result of our nonstop filming too on Youtube!

Lapar dan tertantang? Cobain Sannakji dan Yukhoe!