Greetings, food lovers! It’s time for another post on where to eat and how to get there. This week, I’ll be focusing on the different countries of the world. I’ll be covering foreign restaurants in Seoul offering cuisine from countries like Great Britain and New Zealand, Japan, America, India, and of course, South Korea. Hopefully you’ll find something that you’ve been craving or have been wanting to try out in this blog. And after reading, be sure to grab some people and head on over to check ‘em out!

The Little Pie

To most people, pies are known as a British cuisine. Indeed they are, but we also eat a LOT of pies in New Zealand. I grew up eating pies! In fact, you could say that there are as many bakeries selling pies in New Zealand as there are Lotteria restaurants in Korea. Anyway, to my delight, a pie shop opened up in the ever-popular area of Kyungridang, next to Itaewon.

The Little Pie can be found on the same street as Churro Madness, and they offer the choice between beef pies and chicken pies. I personally enjoyed the beef pie, although the chicken pie wasn’t too bad. The Little Pie has a nice interior, with enough room for a couple on a date, or a small group looking for a snack. For more information, check out The Little Pie.

Linus BBQ & Manimal Smokehouse

Next stop: America! I couldn’t pick just one, so I’m recommending two similarly-styled restaurants; both of which are amazingly delicious, but for different reasons.

Let’s start off with Linus BBQ. Being one of the first of it’s kind in Seoul, Linus BBQ has been the standard for Southern-style barbecue in Korea. My favourite thing to order from there has to be the brisket; the juicy tenderness does it for me everytime. With the in-house bbq sauces that are served with both the brisket and the pulled pork, Linus always hits the spot. They also serve a bunch of sides: deep-fried okra, mac-and-cheese balls, mashed potatoes and gravy… They’ll definitely have something to fit your tastebuds.

Definitely head on over, but try to go early if possible because it gets really busy there these days. For more information, check out the Linus BBQ.

Photo courtesy of @theamateurpig

Next up, I present to you the Manimal Smokehouse. This is another restaurant raising the bar in terms of foreign cuisine in Seoul. Manimal prides themselves on their craft, and they can certainly back it up in the taste department. Surprisingly, my favourite thing to order at Manimal is their chicken: two leg quarters marinated with lemon and herbs for 24 hours, before being smoked and grilled to finish — this chicken is on another level! Tender and juicy, moist the whole way through, and that bbq finish on the outside is pure goodness.

“Every chicken-lover should try this at least once while they’re in Seoul.”

Every chicken-lover should try this at least once while they’re in Seoul. They also have pulled pork, brisket, and a bunch of other items on the menu to choose from. For more information, check out Manimal Smokehouse. 

Photo courtesy of @lucybeen

Hoya Sushi

Next up is Hoya Sushi, which specializes in Japanese cuisine: sushi, nigiri and sashimi. I recently grabbed a bunch of friends to venture over to this small restaurant, located around the Konkuk University area. Luckily, we made a reservation because this spot gets packed! There were people lined-up in the front, waiting to be called in — definitely a popular spot among locals and foreigners alike.

Hoya Sushi is known for their salmon sashimi. They serve four variations of it, each one having its own taste and texture. From a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth kind of piece, to a more chewy and fishy kind of piece, the marbling gives each piece a different taste. Another selling point of this place is the amount of side dishes that they give you. Some of these dishes include raw crab legs, deep-fried salmon pieces, deep-fried shrimp heads, and a whole lot more. If you’re a salmon-lover, this is the place for you! Don’t miss out! For more information, check out Hoya Sushi.

Little India Seoul

My go-to for Indian food in Seoul is definitely, as the name suggests, Little India Seoul, located in Itaewon. This place was first brought to my attention by a friend who frequently does mission trips across the world, namely Asia. So when she said that this place served up a mean curry, I couldn’t argue with that. I came here immediately and found that not only were the owner and staff incredibly friendly, but the food was on another level.

“…not only were the owner and staff incredibly friendly, but the food was on another level.”

Whenever I go to Little India Seoul, I usually order any kind of curry with lamb in it. Being from New Zealand, the Land of Sheep, I can’t resist a solid lamb curry. Little India also serves dishes like chicken tikka and vegetarian samosas, but the treat I look forward to the most is definitely the Masala Chai Tea. If it’s in stock, having that stuff is the best way to end a meal there. For more information, check out Little India Seoul.

Hanchu

Finally, we arrive in South Korea. With the home-court advantage, I couldn’t not write about the amazing food here. But with so many restaurants to choose from, I decided to pick one that never lets me down whenever I’m in the mood for fried chicken and stuffed peppers: Hanchu.

This isn’t any normal fried chicken; the chicken at Hanchu is deep-fried in a batter that contains green peppers among other spices to give it a nice little kick. However, my favorite dish at Hanchu is the deep-fried peppers stuffed with pork. Surprisingly not spicy at all, the peppers are crispy on the outside, and juicy and moist on the inside — a definite must for anyone visiting Hanchu.

“This isn’t any normal fried chicken…”

This place is well-known to the Korean community, so it gets pretty busy. But once you’re able to get inside and take your order, be sure to order a round of beers for you and your friends to go along with your meal! For more information, check out Hanchu.

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So there you have it! We ventured across the world from New Zealand to Japan, India to America, and back to South Korea. Now you have a bunch of places to check out the next time you’re out and about in Seoul. So grab a bunch of friends, and hit up one of these places over the weekend! You won’t be disappointed. HAPPY EATING, PEOPLE!

 

–Edited by: Rafi Feliciano