Free-Day Visit to Times Square
Since we had a free day to explore Seoul by ourselves..
the group met up later in the afternoon at Seoul's famed Times Square
Another shoppers haven..
Time Square has the best amenities, entertainment, and shops
that any shopping hobbyist could ask for!
Just architecture itself is breath taking!
So after a 30 minutes lap of the mall and a few shopping bags already in tow...
the group headed down to the basement where most of the food establishments were situated
Choice of the night
Nolboo Budae Jjigae
Nolbo is another popular chain in Korea
with longs queues always forming outside their establishments
Still amazed by these built-in utensil drawers!
Budae Jjigae
Also known as an "army base stew", Budae Jjigae is made with a traditional Koreans spicy soup base flavored with gochujang and kimchi then mixed with modern and Western ingredients such as sausages, hot dogs, and even spam.
The stew came about after the Korean War, when food was very scarce and soldiers had to make do with the rations being sent to military bases. By having a supply of American canned goods, they decided to incorporate these ingredients such as sausages and spam into traditional Korean dishes,
with Budae Jjigae becoming one of the favorites!
Best served with a little ramen and white rice on the side
So now that the war is over, I understand why even today, locals are still willing to line up in long queues just to be able to eat this spicy and very satisfying dish! There's something with the mix of traditional Korean flavors and Western favorites that makes this supposedly unconventional stew very delicious.
Of course this dish was designed to feed soldiers and military officers so be prepared to be stuffed!
Miks
Nolboo Budae Jjigae
Basement 1
Times Square
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