Food in South Korea

I had been looking forward to the food in Korea since I started planning my trip. There are some excellent Korean restaurants in New York and Northern Virginia, but a person could spend weeks in South Korea and try something new every day. Unfortunately, I had less than a week, so here are just a few of the many flavors on the peninsula.

First dinner in South Korea, in Gyeongju. So many dishes to taste!

Pass the kimchi!!

From a vending machine in Gyeongju. "Milky and fruity" just about says it all.

The famous Gyeongju snack -- ppang (bread) around a sweet red bean paste. They're really good -- filling, and not overly sweet. The bakery where you can see them being made is only a few blocks from where we were staying.

Bulgogi (beef) on the barbecue. 

With salad, soup and other side dishes (banchan).

An inexpensive Japanese-Korean fusion restaurant near the King Sejong museum in Seoul. I got something that was basically bibimbap with sashimi in it.

Some really fresh seafood from a market across the street from the World Cup stadium in Seoul.

No, I didn't buy any.

A cart in Insadong, Seoul, where three guys were making sweets of hardened honey, cornstarch, rice flour, and "seven kinds of nuts." They have a little chant prepared to show passersby how they make the treats.

A tea shop in the Insadong neighborhood of Seoul. Best cinnamon tea I've ever had. Comes with little cakes, almost like sweet rice cakes.

Good, greasy, chicken and potatoes from a small, very popular place called Reggae Chicken in the Hongdae area of Seoul.