Korean food and booze: What I wish I knew before I got to Seoul

It’s one of the world’s most underrated cities, and now Aussies are discovering Seoul. But as this expat discovered, there’s one important drinking rule you need to follow.

Makgeolli rice wine is always served with food.

Seoul is a very under-promoted and underexposed city,” says Julia Mellor. “It’s quietly grown up into this amazing metropolis of culture, modernity, food and entertainment. It’s a true 24-hour city.”

Australian expatriate Julia landed in South Korea 10 years ago to teach English. After falling in love with the fast-paced lifestyle – and discovering traditional Korean rice-based alcohol – now she and business partner Daniel McLaughlin run tours and master classes as the Sool Company (sool meaning alcohol in Korean).

If the Winter Olympics in South Korea next month whets your appetite, Julia’s tips will help decipher your K-pop from your kimchi.

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BRING YOUR APPETITE

The big-ticket item here is the food. I’ve lived here for 10 years and there are still dishes I’ve never tried. Do a bit of homework before you come, and then just eat five or six times a day.

My favourite dish is jjimdak, a soy sauce-braised chicken with glass noodles and potato. If you come in the summertime there’s a cold noodle dish where you wrap pieces of grilled meat in cold noodles that have a slight vinegar flavour; it’s called naengmyeon and it’s amazing.

Traditional street food at Seoul’s Myeongdong market.

MEET THE NEW GIN

When I tried handcrafted Korean alcohol for the first time, the only thing I could find on the internet was a Wikipedia page that said makgeolli is “drunken rice”.

I realised then that there was an opportunity to provide deeper knowledge about not just the brews themselves – makgeolli, takju, cheongju and soju – but the people who make them, the process behind them, the history and the culture.

KNOW YOUR DRINKING ETIQUETTE

The one really important thing to know about Korean drinking culture is you cannot drink without food. We often do food pairing and matching with traditional Korean alcohol because it’s really interesting to see how the drinks interplay with different dishes.

Traditionally, makgeolli is always served with something called pajeon which is a savoury pancake. It’s a real comfort food. Whenever it rains, everyone rushes to the nearest makgeolli and pajeon restaurant.

The famous Gwangjang Market in Seoul, South Korea.

GO GET LOST

My favourite thing to do in Seoul is just get lost, particularly in the more artistic neighbourhoods that have an amazing mix of traditional buildings next to beautiful modern architecture. The traditional markets are a sensory overload but a lot of fun, especially the fish market. You’ll see seafood you’ve never seen before in your life! One of the best things to do is pick your fish, then go upstairs and they cook it fresh for you. It’s such a raucous good time.

There’s also a famous market called Gwangjang and many people don’t realise this, but the outdoor market is just the tip of the iceberg – if you go inside there’s a much more extensive market with textiles, fabrics, homewares and more.

There’s a palace right next to it so if you get overwhelmed, you can walk inside and it’s very peaceful.

SEE MORE THAN SEOUL

I love Seoul but it’s really good to get out of the city. I recommend heading for Jeonju – it’s got a beautiful hanok (old traditional house) village and you can see the way the old villages were set up. It’s very peaceful and quiet but it’s also the location of the Jeonju International Film Festival, so there’s a second side of the city that’s very young and vibrant.

It’s also very famous for being the most delicious city in all of Korea.

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Originally published as Korean food and booze: What I wish I knew before I got to Seoul