qoomonster's blog

Singapore Street Food!

Minced Meat Noodles, Singapore style

This is the list of places I like to go to, and to bring friends to. I break it down by food/dish.

1. Minced meat noodles (bak chor mee)
This is like the Chiu Chow noodles you can get here (at Hai Ky in the Tenderloin), but more mushroomy and vinegary. I love it. In Singapore, by default you get the non-soup version, with chilli sauce.
Here's the place: Tai Hwa Pork Noodles

466 Crawford Lane
#01-12 Tai Hwa Eating House S190465

Tel: 62927477

http://tinyurl.com/2devdto

There is ALWAYS a line. So go early (11am) or late (past 7pm).

2. Laksa (the Singapore version - the coconut gravy one)
Usually my mom makes this for me, but if I had to go look for it, I'd go here, which is the authentic place. There are 2 competing stalls, selling very similar versions, across from each other (if i remember right). They're about the same, I go to whichever.

1 Telok Kurau Road
S423756

Tel: 64404585

http://tinyurl.com/2bce3nt

3. BBQ Stingray + Sambal KangKong (tung choi? Oon choi?)
You can get this most places, like East Coast Food Center (I would avoid Newton Hawker Center though, they fleece tourists. Besides, East Coast Park is by the sea, nice and breezy).
If you like eating on the street, I'd recommend having this in Smith Street, down in Chinatown.
Map: http://tinyurl.com/2949n96
The stalls only open at night, and they block off the street so you eat right on it. The bbq stingray stall is right on the end, nearer to Neil Road

4. Chiu Chow porridge with fish
My brother brings me to this place called Teo Heng at Ground Floor, Amoy Street Food Center.
This is in the middle of the business district, so it gets crowded at lunchtime (noon). It's pretty dead in the evening, so go early.

Get some porridge or rice, ask for the steamed Rabbit Fish (comes with pickled vegetables), steamed calamari, and a Hor Bao (handbag) which is tofu stuffed with minced meat, veggies and braised in soy sauce.
7 Maxwell Road

Singapore
http://tinyurl.com/33npfk5

5a.
Chicken Rice (Traditional)
Yet Con
They're known for being the original Chicken rice place, the rice here is good. You can also get roast pork, and a side of veggies (they fry a mean Choy Sum here). Think they only serve steamed chicken rice here.
25 Purvis Street
(near Raffles Hotel)


5b.
Chicken Rice (newer style, with other fancy pseudo 'Western' food)
Chin Chin Eating House
You can get roasted chicken rice here. You can also get chicken chop, pork chops, Hor Fun (the fry flat rice noodles with random stuff), Yee Meen (same thing, but with buckwheat noodles, i love this), etc.
19 Purvis Street
(near Yet Con)

http://tinyurl.com/2bzfbcp

6. Pepper/ Steamed/ Chilli Crab + Cereal prawns
You'll have to go to "No Signboard" Restaurant for this. They have several outlets, but I like the one at East Coast.

1206 E Coast Pkwy

Singapore

Get Directions

6448 9959
http://tinyurl.com/2g4huur


7. Roti Prata & Roti John
You have to eat this till you drop. It's so expensive here!!!
Roti Prata is the plain crispy bread, but you can get the egg and/or onion version.
Roti John is a baguette that they stick an omelette on. It's a complete meal.
Jalan Kayu Roti Prata
Thasevi Food Famous Jalan Kayu Prata Restaurant
http://tinyurl.com/25wrg48


8. There's also Murtabak, which is a Prata stuffed with meat.
You can also get good lamb chops here (i think)
Zam Zam Eating House
697 N Bridge Rd, Singapore 198675
http://tinyurl.com/25ltdg8


Other hawker centers to go for just general good food:
Tiong Bahru Market (they have "Chwee Kuay": a steamed rice pudding/cake with chopped preserved vegetables on top. Great for breakfast!!)
83 Seng Poh Road, Singapore 160083
http://tinyurl.com/2dlgkyl


Old Airport Road Hawker Center (everything here is really good, but a few Singapore style wanton noodles stalls stand out: they're in front, facing the road, with a numbered ordering system).
http://tinyurl.com/2cu6bzf


People's Park Food Center (on the edge of Chinatown, there are stores upstairs that sell fabric, and toilettries - very odd i know.)
There's a stall in the middle that sells Yong Tau Foo (hakka style stuffed tofu, then deep fried, with noodles and soup). It's good, but be prepared to wait! They're not ready till about noon, too.
Super old school, and no Air Conditioning!
http://tinyurl.com/2c5zucf

Night time hawker centers:

These close quite late, about 11pm, though Lau Pa Sat is allegedly 24 hrs.

Chomp Chomp Hawker Center - Serangoon Gardens
http://tinyurl.com/23hheer
-- Singapore style wanton noodles!! Ask for the dry version, with chilli

Berseh Food Center (Lavender/Jalan Bersah)
http://tinyurl.com/23r7gy6
-- Oyster Omelette!

Lau Pa Sat (24 hrs)
http://tinyurl.com/2br8qwk
-- Satay, Roti John, Sambal Stingray, BBQ chicken wings

Chiu Chow Porridge places (till 1am i think)
http://tinyurl.com/2abo6ub
715 and 717 Havelock Road
These places serve the partying crowd that go to Zouk nightclub. Chiu Chow style white rice porridge with sweet potatoes, with steamed fish/squid, preserved vegetable accompaniments.

Makansutra Gluttons Bay
8 Raffles Ave
#01-15 Esplanade Mall S039802
http://tinyurl.com/29qxevc
-- Have not been to this one. I think it's new.

So if there's anything I left out, you can try to find it here: www.insing.com
They've started a food section that's quite good: http://food.insing.com/feature/where-to-get-the-best-fishball-noodles/id-7f0e2400
For example, I love fried Hokkien (Prawn) noodles, but I can never find a good place.
Insing has ratings: http://food.insing.com/s/fried+hokkien+mee

Here is also a good resource: Makansutra.
This is their Top 10 hawker food stalls: http://www.makansutra.com/topten_sg.html

You can then use Google maps to look up directions too. Super convenient.

Things to do in CA (mostly northern CA and along the coast)

http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-6917464-california_things_to_do-i

North Bay

* Bodega Bay (lighthouses, fishing, for Alfred Hitchcock fans): http://www.bodegabay.com/discover/activities.html

* Muir Woods $5 per person: Redwoods (including the one you can drive through i think)

* Stinson Beach (same area as muir woods) oysters
* Napa Wine Train:http://winetrain.com/
* Calistoga - spas! resorts. a small geyser and a petrified forest: http://gocalifornia.about.com/od/canapacalisspas/Calistoga_Spas.htm

* Lake Tahoe: http://www.visitinglaketahoe.com/ (skiing, tubing, resorts, casinos - on the NV side)
San Francisco

* 49 mile drive - covers most of it.Coit Tower, Fisherman's Wharf, etc http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/49-Mile_Scenic_Drive
* Lombard Street

* Golden Gate Park:
Japanese Tea Garden
De Young Museum
California Academy of Science: Mon-Sat 930-1700hrs, $25/person, $3 off
per ticket if you bike or take public transport (show muni ticket/pass)
third Wed of the month free, Thu (all) open 6-10pm for night visits.
* The refurbished Carousel: http://www.golden-gate-park.com/index.php/attractions/childrens_playground
* Harding Park (Golf - public course) http://www.harding-park.com/layout9.asp?id=129&page=3913
* Candlestick Park, home of the SF 49ers (American Football): http://www.stubhub.com/nfl-tickets/

The Peninsula/South Bay

* Go-Karting: http://www.gokartracer.com/
* Mini golf: http://www.malibugrandprix.com/park/redwood/mgolf.html
* Stanford: http://www.stanford.edu/
* HP Pavillion, home of the San Jose Sharks (Ice Hockey): http://www.stubhub.com/nhl-tickets/
* Winchester Mystery House: http://www.winchestermysteryhouse.com/

Santa Cruz

* Santa Cruz Boardwalk: http://www.beachboardwalk.com/
* Monarch Trail / Natural Bridges SP
(seals, sea, butterflies)
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=541
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=25237
Monterey

* Big Sur
* Andrew Molera State park
Hiking, beachcombing, fishing, biking. Undeveloped, trails.
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=25208
http://www.flickr.com/photos/qoomonster/sets/1267790/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/qoomonster/sets/1243371/

* Point Sur Trail
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=25094
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=565
(lighthouse)

* 17 mile drive
* Cannery Row
* Fisherman's Wharf

San Luis Obispo

* Hearst Castle Way out there

* Yosemite: http://www.nps.gov/yose/index.htmSouthern California

* LA: Getty Museum, Hollywood, Griffith Observatory
* San Diego: Legoland
http://www.legoland.com/california.htm

California State Parks and Nature Reserves

Resources:

Kevin's Hiking Page
http://www.kevingong.com/Hiking/index.html
- he has descriptions, but he's more focused on the hikes.

California Parks
http://www.parks.ca.gov/parkindex/default.asp?tab=2

Santa Cruz:
Ano Nuevo SNR *
largest elephant seal colony, beach, vegetation, streams,wetlands
http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=523
http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=22264

Big Basin SP *
(trees, stuff)
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=540
http://www.kevingong.com/Hiking/200211ChalkMountain.html

Berry Falls / Big Basin SP *
http://www.kevingong.com/Hiking/Berry.html
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=25230
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=540

Ano Nuevo (on the coast) is closest to Big Basin (inland).
so you can get the best of the coast and the trees and waterfalls with the 2 parks.
Ano Nuevo is 55 miles from golden gate bridge.

Henry Cowell Redwoods SP
(big tree you can drive through)
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=546
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=25157
http://www.kevingong.com/Hiking/HenryCowell.html
http://www.kevingong.com/Hiking/FallCreek.html

Monarch Trail / Natural Bridges SP
(seals, sea, butterflies)
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=541
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=25237

Monterey / Big Sur:
Andrew Molera State park
Hiking, beachcombing, fishing, biking. Undeveloped, trails.
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=25208
http://www.flickr.com/photos/qoomonster/sets/1267790/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/qoomonster/sets/1243371/

Point Sur Trail
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=25094
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=565
(lighthouse)

Garrapata State Park
Beach, Redwoods, vegetation
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=579
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=25095

Julia Pfeiffer Burns SP
Trail and waterfall
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=578
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=25207
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=570
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=25093
http://www.flickr.com/photos/qoomonster/tags/juliapfeiferburnsstatepark/

Point Lobos SP *
Cypress trees (where Ansel Adams took pics), Sealions, whales, diving
Cypress Grove Trail: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=25123
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=571

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Japan - travelling and lodging logistics

Tokyo - Osaka - Kyoto - Tokyo (11 days)

May 28, 2007: arrive Tokyo 2pm (JST)
Take the Keisei Skyliner trains from Narita Airport into Tokyo. The fare costs 1,920 Yen per person, and takes a little more than an hour. All seats are reserved, so check your tickets and make sure you get to the right carriage and the right seats. You can check the platform floor - they mark where the carriages will end up.

The Keisei Skyliner will stop at Ueno Station. We didn't get a chance to explore Ueno much, there are shrines there to visit, and we did pass a market area (which was kind of fun) but I don't think there are many places to stay. Our first day in Tokyo we stayed at Star Plaza in Ikebukuro, which was only a switch away off the JR Yamanote line. It's a bit more motel than hotel, but the price was right, so we had no complaints. The location was also pretty good, it was about a 8 minute walk from the station (with luggage - and you'll have to lug that luggage up flights of stairs from the station, so pack light!!) but the directions from the hotel are pretty crap.

Star Plaza Ikebukuro (Tokyo, day 1)
The hotel is located at the end of a nondescript alley, with no large signs indicating its presence. The rooms are a little dark, but comfortable. Be sure to get a double room, as a semi double is a single room for 2 people (bed is small). The double room is small by most standards, but we managed ok. The capsule-like bathroom was stocked with shampoo and body wash, and even had a small tub. The rooms were wi-fi enabled, all you need to do is to get the password from the front desk and you're good to go. The folks don't speak much English, though, but know enough from experience to guess what you need.

Ikebukuru, Star Plaza hotel room

Ikebukuru, Star Plaza hotel room

Even though it was small, we liked this hotel because of the location (near food, the JR Ikebukuro Station and shopping with it) and the internet connection was fuss free. We could reserve the room online, and on weekdays, their double rooms are the same price as semi-doubles (8,400 Yen per night).

Comfort: 3 / 5 (it's a tad small. we kept getting in each other's way).
Cleanliness: 3 / 5 (the rooms are clean, but old. you can smell cigarette smoke here and there)
Internet: 5 / 5 (wireless high-speed access from the rooms, you just need a password from the front desk)
Value-for-money: 5 / 5 (for the price, I would've wanted to stay there again instead of Sakura Hotel)
Location: 4 / 5 (lots of food stalls nearby, convenience stores, shopping)
Overall: 4/5 (I would stay there again)

What was crap about the hotel was that all double rooms were booked solid on Wed and Thu from May 2007 to October 2007!

A quick check of the Star Plaza's sister hotel the New Star Ikebukuro showed no such problems. The rates for the double are slightly more at 9,500 Yen a night, but it seems newer. It's also 2 mins away from a coin-laundry.

From Tokyo to Osaka
We took the Shinkansen (bullet trains) from Tokyo to Osaka. To do this, we headed to Ikebukuro Station, exchanged our JR vouchers at the information counter - for passes in our names. No cash was exchanged as we already paid at JTB Singapore. With this pass we could take the JR Yamanote Loop line from Ikebukuro to Tokyo Station, and from Tokyo Station take the Shinkansen to Shin-Osaka Station. [See Tokyo Metro/Subway Map]

You might also want to check the Shinkansen schedule ahead of time to plan your route, but as a rule there is a loaded bullet every 20 minutes or so. The JR Pass allows you to take the Hikari and Kodama lines (not the superfast Nozomi). The trick is to take the Hikari (it makes limited stops, so reaches Osaka in about 2.5 hours) instead of the Kodama (makes all stops, and takes almost 4 hours to get to Osaka).

Osaka Namba Washington (Osaka, day 2 - 4)

osaka namba washington hotel

The Osaka Namba Washington sounded really good on paper. I booked it on a last minute discount from Hotelclub, so it worked out to be 8,200 Yen a night. It was a 10 minute walk to Den-den Town, and near a subway station (Nipponbashi).

However, unless you're a real fan of Den-den Town (like someone I was vacationing with) and need to visit it every single day, you really would do better staying near Namba Station. The reason? Namba station is on the main trunk line that connects directly to the JR line. [See map] In fact, Umeda would do nicely too, since it's near Yodobashi Camera.

To get to the Osaka Namba Washington (near Nipponbashi, not really Namba), you need to switch at the Shin-Osaka Station to the Midosuji Line, then at Namba to the Sennichimae Line. That's a lot of stair climbing and descending.

Here are some detailed instructions on how to get to the Osaka Namba Washington from the Shin-Osaka station. The hotel provides maps to local amenities and attractions, so pick that up near the front desk. They tell you where the coin-operated laundry is (although it's not a very accurate map).

osaka namba washington hotel bathroom

Comfort: 4 / 5 (it was larger than Star Plaza, for sure. The bed was larger too. The yukatas are changed everyday, there is a tub in the bathroom and in addition to shampoo and body wash, they give you a small packet of bath salts - they come in real handy after a long hard day of walking!)
Cleanliness: 4 / 5 (the rooms are bright clean, and get made up nicely everyday.)
Internet: 1 / 5 (to connect from the room, you need to get a cable internet kit from the front desk. This means only 1 of us could get online at one time, and the connection was slow at night. S-L-O-W. Lorises can crawl faster than this connection, and at least they won't break!)
Value-for-money: 5 / 5 (the price was nice!)
Location: 3 / 5 (near Den-den Town, shopping, coin-operated laundry, convenience stores. But far from the centre of town - Yodobashi Camera, etc)
Overall: 3/5 (I would stay there again if I packed really light. But I'd probably try for someplace closer to Namba or Umeda.)

Ikoi-no-ie (Kyoto, day 5 - 7)
We were hankering for a ryokan experience but ended up with a minshuku because of price. The difference is the level of service you can expect, with a minshuku more like a B&B (without the breakfast).

The innkeeper is a pleasant Japanese fella, Kubo-san. When you arrive he'll do the meet and greet and brief you on all you need to know about Kyoto, how to get around, where to find food, and the like.

There is no TV in the room we stayed in. 'Nuff said.

I particularly liked the location of Ikoi-no-ie, because it is smack in a residential district. We walk around people's homes and they're so cute.

Comfort: 3 / 5 (was the largest room by far, but had no bed - just traditional tatami mat and mattress. Room decor was Japanese, but finishing was cheap Chinese, sorry to say - sharp edges, loose bits.)
Cleanliness: 4 / 5 (the rooms are bright clean, and get made up everyday. If you do not need daily maintenance, you save 300 Yen a day.)
Internet: 4 / 5 (there is a communal PC in the dining area, but you can connect directly from the rooms. Problem is, the inn only has 1 LAN cable, and it's to be shared, so you need to return it when you're done. Pain in the butt.)
Value-for-money: 3 / 5 (was the most expensive of the lot we stayed in)
Location: 5 / 5 (loved the area. Easy 10 minute walk from JR Kyoto Station, and 5 minutes from the local subway. Convenience stores and food nearby.)
Overall: 4/5 (I would probably stay there again if I didn't want to do any other research.)

Alternative: The next time I might try Toyoko Inn Kyoto, which is right smack in the middle of the shopping and financial district. Prices are good, 8,400 yen for a double room per night, and it's near the downtown subway station. The downside is that you'll need to switch from the JR Line to the local subway line. There are a whole chain of Toyoko Inns around Japan, and if the Kyoto reviews are anything to go by, they seem to be pretty well received.

Sakura Hotel (Tokyo, day 8 - 11)
Lonely Planet was wrong on this one. The rooms were tiny, dark, run-down, with little space for a traveller to do anything constructive (the tiny desk wasn't even large enough for us to put a laptop on, since the TV took up half the space). In the end we had stuff strewn on the ground because there was nowhere to put it, and we kept getting in the way of each other.

Don't even get me started on the shared bathrooms.

It was the cheapest though, at 7,980 Yen per night (5% discount for internet bookings), but I'd pay more for better.

Comfort: 1 / 5
Cleanliness: 2 / 5
Internet: 2 / 5
Value-for-money: 1 / 5
Location: 1 / 5 (Jochimbo Station is 2 lines away from anything worthwhile.)
Overall: 1 /5 (it's not worth talking about)

For the price I'd rather stay one of the Star Hotels in Ikebukuro, or one of the Toyoko Inns (Shinjuku perhaps)

Travel tips:

• Less is more. Bring less of everything. Clothes, toilettries, gadgets. Lugging 30kg of luggage up and down flights of stairs at subway or train stations is just a hassle. You can get your clothes laundered (find coin operated laundries) and buy toilettries if you need. Hotels we stayed at (even the dorm-like one) offered shampoo (built in conditioner) and body soap.
  
• Don't pack pyjamas. All the motels, inns and dorms we stayed in offered fresh new yukatas. This is the Japanese bath robe. That's if you can stand sleeping in it.
• Bring a lan cable. Some hotel rooms have lan points, so you can save yourself a little trouble from loaning the lan cable if you so wish. Contrary to popular belief, not all lodging in Japan comes with high speed wireless access.
• All hotels are pre-pay. You pay up front when you check-in.

Getting to and around Japan

We're finally off to Japan, and we leave in a few hours. Lonely Planet recommends the Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka intro tour for newbies, so we're going to spend about 10 days doing that.

When to go:
Mar - May - Spring, and somewhere in that time you get the cherry blossoms.
Sep - Nov - Autumn, and somewhere in that time you get the changing foliage colours.

Would avoid: June (we had no choice) it's wet and humid! August is also supposed to be really hot.

Flights from Singapore
We chose Northwest (can book online, check-in online, and decent flights). Flight leaves at 6am SG time, arrives at Narita at 2pm (local time). Flight time is 7 hours.

Companion fare on NW (promotion) was S$550 and taxes were another S$225 per person.

Our itinerary
Tokyo (1 night)
Osaka (3 nights)
Kyoto (3 nights)
Tokyo (4 nights)

JR Rail pass
We got the rail passes because we were going to go from Tokyo to Osaka and Kyoto and back. The JR Rail Pass allows you to travel on the bullet trains and all Japan Rail (JR) lines for a 7 or 14 day period.

The pass costs 28,300 Yen (~$363) but if you're going to be getting around cities (and you don't fancy spending a night on the train), you might as well get it. One way to Osaka from Tokyo on the bullet train already costs more than half the price of the JR Rail Pass.

To get it in Singapore, visit one of these outlets.

What happens is that you'll pay for an exchange voucher for the rail pass. Bring your passport and the money in cash (they don't take Nets, and charge for credit card transactions) so that you don't have to fuss.

When you're in Japan and ready to use your rail pass, bring your exchange voucher (along with your passport) to a JR Rail Station information counter to get your pass. They are firm with the passport requirement, because they need to write your name (as in the passport) onto the pass. With the pass, each time you head to a JR station, you need to head to the attendant instead of the automatic gates to get in and out.

The JR rail pass unfortunately won't get you around all lines - you might end up paying for rides on the metros - but you can also get a Tokyo metro day pass. The pass is cheaper if you get it at Narita airport, something like 600 Yen (vs 710 Yen). You get free pass for 1 day (or 2 consecutive days) on allmost Tokyo Metro lines.

Edit: more about the Tokyo Metro day passes
We found out as we bought the Tokyo Metro passes that they were not usable on ALL metro lines, but they're all connected in some way so this will be worth the money if you've enough time to take longer routes. It was really worth it, because at the rate we travelled to-and-fro, we used the ticket price in 1 day. So travel on the second day was essentially free. To give you some perspective - the cheapest ride (would take you maybe 4 stops) costs 160 Yen.

IMG_6956

The center of reference for the map above is Jochimbo station, where we stayed.

Find the official Tokyo Subway Map (pdf) here. It's handy dandy.

The Tokyo Metro Pass can be used on these lines:

• Ginza
• Marunouchi
• Hibiya
• Tozai
• Chiyoda
• Yurakucho
• Hanzoman
• Namboku

It can't be used on: (Toei Company lines)

• Asakusa
• Mita
• Shinjuku
• Oedo

Kansai Thru Pass
If you're planning on visiting Kyoto, Osaka, Himeji, Nara and the surrounding areas, you might want to get the Kansai Thru Pass. This pass allows you 3 day free passage on most subways, train lines and buses.

We didn't need this because we already purchased the JR Rail pass, and it would take us from Tokyo to Osaka to Kyoto. We also used the JR passes to get us to Himeji.

Kyoto Sightseeing Card / City Bus Pass
We found transportation more expensive in Kyoto (compared to Tokyo). The minimum fare on the subway was 270 Yen. Buses were reportedly the best way to get around. You can find an exhaustive list of passes for Kyoto on the Kyoto City Site. We did without any passes in Kyoto, and just paid for the fares whenever we had to. We walked around most times, and you can also rent bicycles. Check the Kyoto Tourist Information Counters (there's one in the JR Kyoto Station) for information. They have a good map within the Kyoto Visitor's Guide, and have flyers for walking or bicycle tours.

Seoul - recommended place to stay

The cheapos we are, we chose cheaper accomodation at the outskirts of town.

This is where we stayed: Ulji-ro Co-op Residence, it's 5 minutes away from lots of downtown shopping malls, Dongdaemun, and near the Dongdaemun Stadium Metro Station. It cost us (including taxes) about USD$100 a night.

The hotel is tiny, with small rooms - but each studio type room has a kitchenette and there is a gym and coin-operated laundry downstairs (they even provide detergent).

We booked it from Korea Hotel Reservation Center, which was relatively quick and painless. You can even check availability.

Jeju - list of places to eat from a local

Here's a list of places to eat at in Jeju, recommended by Heesun.

Here are 3 restaurants recommended by a friend of mine who stayed in Jeju for a while.

1. Yurine (유리네 식당)

064-748-0890 (maybe 0860) in Jeju City.

Famous place although it's a bit run down I hear.  Try their seaweed soup (성게미역국), Grilled belt fish (갈치구이)

 

Not sure if Korean map will be helpful but here's the link:

http://kr.gugi.yahoo.com/ymap/map.php?pos=382010|122220&pr_text=유리네식당

 

 

2. Kim hae Hwe Jip (김해 횟집)

064-711-1318

Recommended for fresh sashimi only caught in Jeju

 

http://kr.gugi.yahoo.com/ymap/map.php?pos=385492.5|130570&pr_text=김해횟집

3. Moll Garden (몰가든)

064-747-6525

Not 100% sure if the name of the restaurant is correct but this place is recommended by local people for horse meat!

 

Traditionally, Jeju is known for 4 things - Women, Horse, Wind and Stones.  So apparently, there are native horses in Jeju island...

 

Those 3 restaurants will give you guys a unique dining experience only unique to Jeju so you can brag about it to your friends.  I'd say go for it.  Ask your concierge for the direction. 

 

Lastly, I wanted to recommend a pork place since Jeju is also known for great tasting pork but you may see some hair outside of the skin... (they'll give you scissors so you can cut the skin part to get rid of hair...)  If you don't mind about the aesthetics but only care for the taste then I'll send you a couple of more restaurants tonight. ;-)

Pork Place: HoSung.  Tel is 064-711-6628.  Enjoy!

Seoul - list of food to try from a local

Ok - here's part 2, a list of restaurants to try in Seoul that Paul sent me.

 1. Tteok-bokk-i (떡볶이)
  a. Restaurant name : 먹쉬돈나 (Meok-she-don-na)
  b. Subway station  : Line 3 (Orange Line) Anguk Station. exit #1.
  c. Cheese and seafood(해산물) Tteokbokki
 
 2. Bin-dae-tteok (빈대떡)
  a. Restaurant Name : Jongno Bindaetteok (종로빈대떡)
  b. Subway station : Line 1 Jongno 3(sam)-ga Station. exit #7
  c. Seafood, vegetable, meat Bindaetteok

 3. To-fu
  a. Restaurant name : Doo-boo-da (두부다)
  b. Map : http://www.doobooda.com/store/01kwanghwamun.asp

 4. Sushi
  a. Restaurant Name : Sushi-hiroba
  b. map : http://www.sushihiroba.co.kr/store/store01.htm
 
 5. Pizza
  a. Restaurant Name : mad for garlic
  b. map : http://www.madforgarlic.co.kr/store/kwha.asp

 6. Traditional Korean style food
  a. Restaurant Name : Ja-Ha-Moon
  b. map : http://www.jahamun.com/map.htm
  c. They have lunch special course menu only for week-days not for weekend.

 7. Spaghetti
  a. Restaurant Name : spaghettia (franchise)
  b. map : http://www.spaghettia.co.kr/store/myungstar/myungstar.asp  near
Myeong-dong

 8. Kim-chi-jjim (김치찜)
  a. Restaurant Name : Seo-dae-moon Kim-chi-JJim
  b. Map :
http://kr.gugi.yahoo.com/ymap/map.php?pos=483550|1107777.5&pr_text=서대문김
치찜

 9. general korean style food
  a. Restaurant Name : Hyang-to-gol (향토골)
  b. map :
http://kr.gugi.yahoo.com/ymap/map.php?pos=509047.5|1115452.5&pr_text=향토골

Seoul - list of places to visit from a local

The following is taken off an email Paul at the office sent me before I headed to Seoul. Part 2 with a list of food to try should follow soon.


1. Cheonggyecheon (Stream) (청계천)

 - walk along Cheong-gye-cheon at night. It have been restored a few years ago. I just heard that night scene of new stream is fantastic :D

2. Shopping Center near Dongdaemoon area
 - Doosan Tower (두산타워 or 두타)
 - Milliore (밀리오레)

3. Myeong-dong (명동)

4. Insadong (인사동)
 - ssamzi-gil (쌈지길)

5. Palaces

6. Namsangol Traditional Village

7. Han River ferry tour at night

8. Seoul Tower
 - If you get luck, you could see a wonderful night scene of Seoul from the
tower.

new year, new focus

So here's where I'm going to stick all my travel-related information. That would be the research done before a trip, itineraries, information on cost, places to visit, food to try, stuff like that. Information from friends and family.

Better to put it somewhere than leave it in my inbox, and better to share it than hoard I guess.

Sorry, but I figure in the interest of focus I had to kick out the old posts - they would be kinda distracting anyway.