FatManSeoul

Sometimes you just have to get out of Seoul.

But with limited time, where are you going to go?  Sure the KTX has made getting around faster and easier, but sometimes you’re just looking for a fun, easy day or weekend trip away from it all.  Fatman knows the best place for a weekend of good eatin’ is just a train ride away to beautiful Chuncheon City in Gangwon Province.  Less than two hours away by bus, car, or train, this pleasant city has it all:  temples, lakes, waterfalls, hiking, boating, fishing, and most importantly some mighty good food.  Let’s start with the blindingly obvious:

Mmmm, dalkgalbi.

Bites of chicken stir fried on a hot iron pan with sweet cabbage, chewy ddeok, fresh leeks, and slices of sweet potato merge together in a savory spicy sauce until they become one glorious mash of flavor.  Dalkgalbi restaurants might be all over the country now, but there is some hint of spice, some secret flavor that only seems to be in true Chuncheon dalkgalbi.  Savor a piece wrapped in sesame leaf or lettuce, juiced up with a big of sliced garlic and ssamjang . . .is there anything more sublime on this earth?

And just when you think you’ve had your fill, the wait staff wanders over to incorporate any tasty bits left on the grill into the best bokkeum bap you’ll ever have.  Depending on where you’ve parked yourself, they might even make your grilled rice into fanciful shapes like hearts or stars.  There are lots of restaurants in Chuncheon that specialize in dalkgalbi, but the highest concentration is on “Dalgalbi Street” right off the main drag of Myeongdong Road downtown. Nearly all of them are excellent, but Fatman likes Myeongdong Original Dalkgalbi.

If you’ve still got room for more, try the other local specialty: Makguksu. Zen Kimchi already has a wonderful writeup of the chewy noodles, popular all over Gangwon Province. Chuncheon is especially well known for it, and the noodles here have a much heartier taste, with a much more pronounced buckwheat flavor.

Makguksu image courtesy Wikipedia Commons

But when all is said and done, don’t you want something refreshing to cool you off? And boy, after dalkgalbi and makguksu, you’re going to need a little something to take the edge off the spice. What could possibly hit the spot better than a big ol’ bowl of patbingsu?

Ok, so patbingsu isn’t a Chuncheon specialty. But just outside the front and back gates of Gangwon National University is a little shop called Ice Cool. It may not be the most elegant or sophisticated version out there. It’s not the most unique and daring set of new ingredients tantalizing your mouth with previously unknown flavor combinations. What it is is a classic rendition of the summer sweet put together generously, perfectly, and topped with a heaping spoonful of jeong. This humble patbingsu puts all others to shame with its simple, straightforward goodness. Lots of fruit, lots of soft serve, and lots of heart make for a satisfying end to a full day of eating.

Prices for Dalgalbi vary by location, but expect to pay around 8000 won per person (the least expensive can be found near the back gate of Gangwon University.)  Makguksu likewise varies by location, but generally runs between 4000-6000 won per bowl.  Ice cool is a mere 4000 won for a two person bowl, so chow down freely.