Monday, February 11, 2013

tri-city new years: geochang & busan



New Years weekend this year was a southern SoKo city-hop. 

- DAY ONE -
Saturday night I arrived at Kevin's abode in Geochang to join Erick for a gourmet dinner, catered by the Kaptain himself. 
I put together a video of the meal because it had to be done! Here's the evening in a nutshell:



Kev had it all down to the minute details. The menu he prepared for us
The chef hard at work in his kitchen
Première
Charred Enoki Mushroom and Wakame Salad
Amuse Bouche
Butter Basted “Scallop” of Eringi Mushroom
Lavender Tomatillo Chimichurri
Deuxième
Baby Oyster Mushroom and Bacon Consummé
Plat Principal
親子丼

- DAY TWO -
On Sunday, the three of us bussed it to Busan to do some shopping and some exploring.

Lunch: Farmer's Original Handmade Burger - fun joint with a selection of burgers named after American states + Cancun and Tokyo. The grub was yummy, but a shame that 1. despite the impression their name provides, Farmer's uses processed cheese like every other burger joint in Korea and 2. you can count the number of fries they give you with two hands ie. you are lucky if you get ten wedges. 

Redeeming: all surfaces at FM appear to be "Made in Canada"
The FM view
FM view part two

After having our fill, we ventured through the market - tonnes of vintage & leather goods stalls. Similar to the Gwangjang vintage market I blogged about previously, but out of doors. Busan's market also has a good selection of well-merchandised menswear boutiques, of which I took zero pictures.

I have no idea what this strange mirror contraption was except for the fact that it was super bizarre
A corner of forest in the middle of the city

I was most excited about being taken to the Busan Book Alley, a maze of new and used bookstores that has supposedly been around for over sixty years. Crammed wall-to-wall with literature and pulp, this spot is a must if you're in Busan. Cute little cafes and restos scattered throughout the alleyway only add to its charm.

A DIY store
I spot a little McQueen
Vogues for days
"We buy and sell books"
Book towers
Security

Busan in the evening... 

유자차 Sweet Citrus Tea
Hilariously random and adorable - grandpas in animal onesies playing jazz..?

The rooftop park at the Lotte Department store provides a great view of the city and is probably worth checking out in the day as well.


- DAY THREE -
The following morning, Erick and I trekked out with a new friend we met at the hostel and spent what seemed like forever looking for a lunch spot. Hanger cranks at their worst! Luckily the ramen place we ended up at turned out to be quite satisfying.

If you can finish their spicy ramen in under 20 minutes, it's free! We did not venture to try this.
Hoddeok bathed in butter - recipe for awful goodness
Wig Central
Sleepy pup

We did some last minute shopping and then boarded the bus to Jinju to round out the three-city weekend, photos of which are up next!

2 comments:

Unknown said...

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ophelia's funeral said...

Thank you Rod! :)