The menu here is very compact . . . there’s a few kinds of medicinal teas, and sweet red bean porridge, a clear demonstration of Fatman’s guidelines for finding good food. Most of the medicinal teas are medleys of spices, herbs, fruit, and nuts that make for a slightly bitter, heady brew that will leave your sinuses, throat, and soul happy. To balance out the bitterness, the drinks are served with crystallized ginger, for a sweet-spicy kick that will clear your palate for the next wave of goodness. Between all the melding flavors, you’ll be ready to face the cold air with a bit more equanimity.

The only exception to the tea menu is an extraordinary sujeonggwa. This punch made from dried persimmon, ginger, and cinnamon can be wan and merely sweet in the wrong hands. Thin and insipid canned “nostalgia” drinks can’t hold a candle to the rich, spicy sweetness of 2nd Best’s. It’s deeply and intensely flavored, redolent of all its main ingredients; there’s the spicy zest of the ginger, the soothing spice of the cinnamon, and the concentrated golden sweetness of the dried persimmon. Even on a chill day, the warmth of the flavors compensates and makes the day seem a little brighter.

It’s the patjuk that steals the show, though. Smooth and almost creamy, the combination of sweet rice and sweet red beans is exactly the right texture for slurping as the pale November light fades. The rice cakes almost melt in your mouth, while chestnut and ginko nuts add another texture and layer of nutty and slightly bitter flavor to balance out the sweet read beans. It’ll warm both the heart and the hands, soothing away the stresses of the day.
2nd Best is small, with only two small rooms of very limited seating. It’s got a sort of retro tea house/coffee shop vibe, which only adds to the warmth and charm . . . as does the closeness of your neighboring diners. If it’s too crowded inside, they’ll happily package up your drinks and porridge to take with you. They’re located on the main drag of Samcheongdong, on the right hand side as you walk north. The drinks start at 5,000 won, but go up significantly for the more elaborate medicinal brews.   Even so, it’s both a healthy and satisfying way to end a chilly day.

Ah! But why the Second Best Place in Seoul? “Where on earth is the first place?” we hear you cry! Well, dear readers, it IS the best place . . . the name is merely to leave them something to aspire to. It’s hard to build on near perfection, but 2nd Best is not going to stop trying just because they’re already better than everybody else!

p.s. Seriously, India ranks above Korea? The place of which you write: “Your best bet: You’ll probably do better just sticking to the tasty chai here”?

Read more about it here (한국어) and here (English)

Enter the Egg.

This quiet little coffee shop is off the camera-toting couple-clogged main drag, making it a tiny little haven housed in colonial-period homeyness.  Cute without being too cutesy, this cafe has plenty to offer in terms of tea and coffee, alongside a modest collection of tipples and treats.   Especially worthy of note are their traditional tisanes made from quince, jujube, and maeshil:  all of theirs are made in-house and are really exquisite, with a much deeper flavor than most places can achieve.  Coffee and espresso drinks here are competently done, so don’t worry about burned or stale beans ruining your cappuccino fix (note:  foam here tends to be on the dry side, if that’s your thing.)

Egg also has a modest menu of sandwiches, sweets, and brunch items as well as snacks to accompany any alcoholic indulgences you may chose to make from their short wine and beer list.  Sandwiches are very Korean in style with a slightly sweet edge, but well loaded with meats, veggies, and condiments and can be had in set menus that are almost a bargain among the overpriced restaurants of the district.

More interesting and strangely compelling are some of their pancakes, including one that includes every part of breakfast baked all together:

Bacon is baked into the pancake itself, which in turn is topped with cheese and egg drizzled with maple syrup.  The sweet and savory elements meld together for an unusual but decidedly delicious take on the typical breakfast plate.

Nonalcoholic drinks such as their excellent teas and coffee begin at 4000 won, with meals beginning from about 6000. Expect to shell out 5000 or more for a bottle of beer, and wines start around 20,000 won.
To find Egg, turn right out of exit 1 from Anguk Station. Take another right at the first street, and continue north along the stone-walled road. Egg will be just past the high school and middle school, on the left-hand side, almost directly across from 먹쉬돈나

Gomushin Girl here! I may be a Seoulite most of the time, but every once in a while we must all make a pilgrimage to the homeland. For the next few weeks I’ll be posting a record of everything I eat while back in my hometown  in the Pacific Northwest. I won’t pretend that this is in any way a good representation of the general American diet, but I do think of it as an ethnographic exercise in eating that will show a little bit of the diversity of how Americans eat while also giving a glimpse into the way local tastes and preferences show up.
Although I’m a happy camper with Korean food most of the time, my first day stateside is a chance to catch up on some of the foods I’ve really missed. Western-style breakfasts for the most part are easy to rustle up wherever you are . . . after all, cereal can be found in any Korean grocery store. Unless you want Weetbix, that is. I’ve been a fan of this British cereal for years, and while some people dismiss it as flavorless blocks of fiber, I figure that if it’s good enough for Elizabeth II then it’s good enough for me. It starts out crispy, then becomes soggy, and finally porridge-like as the milk slowly turns the bricks to mush. Trust me, it’s much tastier than it sounds, especially when washed down by English Breakfast blend black tea with milk and sugar.

Getting hummus in Seoul is hard, and getting good hummus is even harder so I insisted on having a big tub on hand when I got home. A piece or two of toasted flatbread were needed to facilitate eating.

What says “Welcome to America!” more than macaroni and cheese? Macaroni and cheese with petite pois. Frozen peas are pretty new in Seoul, so I’m happy to be back where I can stir them into dishes with abandon.