After we visited the Changdeokgung Palace, Mr. Ahn Ji-hoon announced it was lunchtime. We pulled up to a charming traditional hanok that had been transformed into a restaurant called Tosokchon Samgyetang.

On our sixth day in Seoul, we hired a guide, Mr. Ahn Ji-hoon, at 9:30 AM, who picked us up at our hotel. For the next nine hours, we easily experienced Seoul. It was a very long day, but it was worth it. However, if I’m able to do it again, if possible, I would arrange five hours for one day and the other half for the following day.

As I mentioned in my last post, the Gangnam area is relatively new, and we were there for a specific purpose. However, most of the time, our group gravitated to the century-old heart of Seoul, Gwanghwamun, and the Jongno-gu area.

Today's recipe is Daeji Doenjang Jjigae. We were served this dish on the second day we arrived in Seoul. Soup (guk or tang) or jjigae (stew) is essential to Korean cuisine and is served at almost every meal with rice and banchans. Daeji is the Korean word for pork; Doen = thick; Jang = sauce, jjigae = stew. 

On November 8, 2022, after carefully planning our five-week trip to South Korea, we flew to Honolulu and excitedly boarded Korean Air for a ten-hour flight to Seoul. We planned to stay nine days in Seoul, then pick up a rental car and circle the entire country.

How it all started, and introduction photos of the different countries we have traveled to: Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and South Korea.