Have you ever tried this spicy dish called Agu jjim (아구찜)?
Agu jjim is a specialty of Masan, South Korea in Gyeongsangnam Province (경상남도), just outside of Busan. I actually ate this dish in Incheon, though, at Songjin Agu Tang restaurant (성진 아구탕 식당). And I learned that there are two streets in Seoul where restaurants specialize in agu jjim. There is one in Sinsadong (Gangnam) and one in Jongno (Dongdaemun area).
The most interesting aspect of this dish is that such ugly sea creatures can be SOOOO delicious! The combination of monkfish (아귀, “agwi”), sea squirts (미더덕, “mee-doh-dok”), soybeans (콩나물, “kong namul”), sweet red peppers, and water cress (미나리 “minari”) is a textural delight!
Monkfish is a tender, sweet, meaty fish that honestly takes like lobster. Midodok, or sea squirts, are small and tubular. When you bite into midodok, it will *pop* and squirt a unique salty flavor that is really addicting! Bean sprouts, watercress, sweet red peppers, and ginger add freshness to the spicy red pepper paste (고추장, “geochujang”) sauce. The dish is served on a giant platter and is especially popular as a nibble (안주 “anju”) when drinking soju with friends. A clear soup with large slices of tofu, along with a dish of rice, accompany agu jjim. When you have eaten your fill, you can ask the waitress to make a stir fry of the leftovers, which you can take home to eat the next day.
I found a few recipes in English, so please visit and thank: Korean Bapsang (replaces sea squirts with clams or shrimp) and Mannam Cooking (uses sea squirts). I think midodok 미더덕 is the best part of agu jjim, but it may not be to everyone’s liking. These two recipes should satisfy either taste bud. I made agu jjim at home in the U.S. It was surprisingly easy to make, so give it a try!
The small ferry pitches side to side as passengers unsteadily disembark, waves throwing turquoise sea water high onto rocky cliffs. The sun beams, but it’s the last boat before an approaching storm and we’re given stern instructions that we have exactly two hours to tour Oedo (pronounced way-doe), a small island in South Korea’s 200 mile Hallyeohaesang National Maritime Park. Once just one of many uninhabited, barren islands along the country’s craggy southern coastline, an industrious couple had a vision for this half-square-mile tiny land mass. Arriving penniless in the 1960’s after the war, Mr. Lee Chang Ho (이 창 호) and his wife Choi Ho Suk (좨 호 숙) labored for 30 years, slowly transforming Oedo into a botanical splendor reminiscent of a Grecian isle.
Visitors can explore Oedo unguided, at their own pace. We follow the crowd up a wide stone staircase that graduates onto a white concrete stone path. The incline is relatively steep and the slow pace gives us time to appreciate the diversity of green hues and the complexity of textures. Palm fronds intermingle with hollies, tall ferns, and the occasional orchid. A wall of tightly packed junipers towers high, separating into whimsical cone shapes. The salty air blows through a small group of thin bare trunks capped with mushroom-shaped evergreen arbors. Here and there are statues: a naked archer pulls mightily on an invisible bow string and further ahead stands a weathered stone deer, unaware of his fate.
We pass a row of regal palms and the trail opens up to the first of many themed garden spaces. Bushes are meticulously pruned and shaped, with exquisite attention to detail. Not a branch strays from the care-takers design. A shady seating area has been arranged under a mass of rounded hedges. Our group of nine packs in among trailing ivy for a group photo.
Higher now, a variety of flowering cacti of all shapes and sizes adorn this sunnier area, even as tropical trees and deciduous plants share the space. A giant aloe, camellias and agave are among the 3,000 plant species in Oedo.
Then we encounter the main attraction, the European-style Venus Garden. On the far end sits the couple’s Mediterranean villa. A circular walking path surrounds zig-zagging rows of neatly trimmed hedges and flowering bushes. On the opposite end, bright red roses encircle giant marble columns and a dozen greco-roman maidens adorn the terrace overlooking the stunning blue waters of the South Sea.
Venus Garden lies at the base of a spectacular hillside garden known as the Stairway to Heaven, with its terraces of colorful flowers and fanciful ornaments. Stiff pointed cypress and junipers stand in blankets of yellow, orange, and red. Giant bursts of pink azaleas and blue and purple hydrangeas surround artfully-shaped topiaries. As we explore, soft choir-style music serenades from hidden speakers.
The trail ducks into a bamboo forest, obscuring the vista, and exits a few yards later into a wide open field with modern sculptures and statues made of clay, steel, wood, marble, and more. The silliest is a large grouping of little brown child-like figures in humorous poses. A tiny chapel draws visitors in for a thoughtful prayer. The trail passes through a gift and snack shop, then descends toward the port area down another terraced hillside with plenty of shade and picnic areas to enjoy a drink or snack. We listen to the waves crash into the seaside cliffs and feel the cool breeze picking up energy, then dutifully return to the dock on time for departure.
Oedo is accessible by ferry from six different ports in Geoje Island. Admission fee to Oedo is about $8.00 per adult. A walking tour takes about 2 hours. More photo at www.morningcalmtravel.com.
Slip into this quiet tea house in Seoul for an afternoon respite. This beautiful abode was the home of Korean author Lee Taejun (이태준), also known by his pen name Sangheo (상허), from 1933-1946. He called his residence Suyeonsanbang, an apt name for this small writer’s cottage near Bukhan Mountain (북한산) national park.
The tea house is located in an artsy area of Seoul known as Seongbuk-dong (성북동). They serve primarily tea and their menu is extraordinary! Highlighting a few specialties: Omija (5 flavor) tea, sweet ginger (생강 차, “saeng-gang cha”), jujube date tea (대추 차, “daechu cha”), and iced green tea (냉녹차, “naeng noke cha”). Tea is served in a glass or ceramic pot or served by the mug.
In the summer, they offer a shaved ice dessert called “ppat-bing-su” (팟빙수), which is like a snowcone in a bowl. Their version is topped with sweet steamed pumpkin and red bean paste for a healthy, refreshing summer dish.
One drawback: Other than light rice cookies, the tea house does not serve food. We had to surreptitiously nibble on the cake we had brought along to enjoy with our tea, as they told us we were not allowed to eat it inside.
Address: 8, Seongbuk-ro 26-gil, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul
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I have a ritual before a trip. I pre-pack, usually about 2 or 3 days ahead of the trip. I lay out all my clothes, accessories, and shoes. I take photographs of each complete outfit, fully accessorized!, which I can easily swipe-through on my phone during travel.
Some might find this a little overly-structured (ahem, anal!), but I have found that it helps me consolidate my packing and saves me time and stress during travel. I don’t have to think about what I’m going to wear and I rarely forget anything. By laying everything out ahead of time and cataloging outfits, I choose the appropriate size suitcase, identify items that will be reused (such as sweaters, scarves, hats), and stay organized throughout the trip.
Most importantly, though, it gets me pumped up and excited about the trip. No rush-packing for me! Just curious - does anyone else pre-pack?
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In the late afternoon sun, the Hanwa 63 Building radiates a shimmering bright gold. Built in 1986 on Yeouido Island, it once reigned as Seoul’s tallest skyscraper. It’s claim to fame these days is that it houses the world’s highest art gallery. It’s called the 63 Building (육삼 빌딩, or “yook sahm building”) because it contains 63 stories, with a mix of residential floors, a shopping mall, various entertainment venues, and restaurants. You can shop, enjoy an IMAX movie or a live show, wander through the wax museum, eat!, or check out the aquarium. Just do NOT miss the observatory, which they call the Sky Deck!
We visited one evening to see a dance show, which took place in a small, intimate theater. After the show, we rode the glass elevator to the Sky Deck and art gallery on the 60th floor. The night view was incredible! The art gallery displays several masterpieces, but the more interesting (IMO) are the eclectic, theme-based collections which change seasonally. When we visited, there was a collection of skull artwork from about five different artists. Passing through a colorful, musical walkway, another series centered on a clothing theme. The few photos I provide here do not do the curation justice. I wish I would have snapped more because both collections were fascinating. I guess I was too enthralled!
I consider myself a seasoned adventurer when it comes to food, but a trip to a Korean sushi restaurant (해물집 or “hae mul jeep”) is always humbling. When a Korean recommends sushi (or sashimi*) for dinner, be prepared. It won’t be your typical L.A. california rolls!
Growing up in the 1980’s, I remember when sushi was “yuppie” food for those rich financiers in Manhattan. These days, you can find sushi restaurants in just about any small town in the U.S. Upon my first daring bite of raw fish, I remember being pleasantly surprised at the tender softness of the white tuna that melted like butter in my mouth.
Fast forward a few years to a trip in Korea, at an opulent sushi restaurant in Jeju Island. As the server laid our selections across the large table, I saw nothing that resembled the tender meaty slices of red and white tuna I was accustomed to eating…and some items were moving!
(Photo copyright Dan Chung, 2012)
I later learned that Koreans have much pride in their style of sushi/sashimi, which is distinctly different from the way Japan prepares and serves its raw fish selections. In Japan, the fish slices are first frozen and then thawed before serving; the art is in the thawing process to achieve a soft tenderness. Korean sashimi, on the other hand, is all about the freshness. It is common to select your fish - live - from a tank as you enter the restaurant. It is then sliced, plated, and presented within ten minutes. Korean sashimi is, therefore, a different experience. The fish selections are usually more local and regional. The texture is firm and the cuts thinner, but longer. A common way of eating sashimi is to wrap it in a perilla leaf or lettuce, adding a shave of garlic and some red pepper paste (고추장 or “gotchujang”).
The other aspect of a Korean sushi experience is the variety of seafood. 해물 actually means “seafood”, not fish. So, there could be a wide choice of options, from sea cucumber to squid to writhing, squirming octopus slathered in gotchujang (called 생낚지 or “saeng nakkji” - live octopus). I have yet to summon the courage to try 생낚지, but my step-son enjoys showing me how the suckers stick to his tongue. Hmmmm.
* Sushi in Korea is raw fish laid on top of a lump of rice. Sashimi is just the raw fish slice.
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In the ripe countryside of Kyongju (경주), nestled in a valley below Sokkuram Grotto (석굴암), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a small community of farmers who have opened their doors to weary travelers. A growing trend in Korea, a homestay (also called “minbak” 민박) provides farmers with additional income while offering a peaceful, authentic rural refuge for urbanites seeking quiet. Personally, I think the idea is brilliant!
We arrived at Chodangbang minbak (초당방 한옥 민박) in the pitch black of night, so when I opened the hanok* door at the break of dawn, I was astonished by the fertile beauty enveloping our homestay. A mist was rising from dew-laden plants, low grey clouds were moving off into the distance, and the yard was saturated with color. The hanok looks over a small sitting yard with a stream-fed pond and stone bench next to a gnarled pine tree. The pond water travels through a small gully to a water wheel that powers an underground storage room shaded by a canopy of cucumbers and squash dangling from an overhead net. Walking down a set of stone stairs, a pebbled terrace is covered with traditional clay pots of varying sizes. Beyond the clay pots is the lush, green garden, stretching into the distance maybe two acres. To the left of the patio is a large, covered community shelter, with eating tables, BBQ area, and a large kitchen.
*”Hanok” (한옥) is the name of the traditional residence style of a yangbang, or scholar. The peasant class lived in straw homes called cho-ga-jeep (초가집). At Chodangbang, the hanok is original; the owner’s family has lived at Chodangbang for generations. The hanok is divided into individual guest rooms, each with a small bathroom, kitchen, and clean bedding. Guests sleep on the heated floor (which is far more comfortable than you might imagine). Not all farm homestays offer hanoks. Other minbak in the Beomgok-ri Village area and other rural villages are more modern pension-style rooms.
Chodangbang is exemplary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) programs aimed at helping farmers and rural villagers boost economic productivity through activities such as tourism and fermentation processing. A similar program, the Rural-20 Tour, revitalizes rural villages and rewards them for preserving culture and beauty. Kachon Village in Namhae (가천마을, 남해) is one example.
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There is a quirky town on the eastern shore of South Korea called Ganggoo Harbor (강구항). The town serves, eats, breathes, catches, sells, and ships only King Crabs (or “yeongdeok dae gae” 영덕대게). As you drive into Ganggoo Harbor, you are greeted by a giant crab suspended from a bridge. Inside the town, claws grip buildings and more giant crabs perch on awnings and smile from window fronts.
If you love king crabs, Ganggoo Harbor is a great place to stop for lunch or dinner after a day touring Andong (on your way to Gyeongju, perhaps). Each shop in town serves only King Crabs. Fortunately, 영덕대게 pairs well with Andong soju! Expect to pay about $50 or $60 per crab. This sounds expensive, but one crab will easily feed three hungry tourists. After eating the meat from the crab, the restaurant owners make a soup from the shells, served with rice.
This is definitely a town you don’t want to miss! It is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face and you will leave with a very happy, full belly! There are no souvenirs or other tourist attractions, either. So you will not add any bulk to your suitcase. There is no down-side in 강구항!