Anything & Everything

Korea 2016 Day 3 Train to Busan Gamcheon Village BIFF Square Hotteok "Live" eel and catfish Train to Busan Seoul Station has a layout not dissimilar to an airport, making for easy navigation in searching for ticket checks and train boarding. Having purchased tickets online, these were retained at the Korail ticket booths, which makes for saved time and less stress during busier travelling seasons. Plenty of eateries line the waiting areas to appease the tourist-dense crowds suspected to gather in such places, offering sit-down restaurants, fast food franchises, and quick takeaway meals like dosirak  lunchboxes to take onboard the train. The train to Busan, without zombies Boarding is mainly unsupervised and fairly unceremonious, with ample signage contributing to a simple boarding process. As always, ask if in doubt, but following the signs and ticket information is a self-explanatory process. The trains are reminiscent of aeroplanes in terms of the seats, an...

Korea 2016 Day 2 Breakfast at Tosokchon Gyeongbokgung Palace Lunch at Tongin Insadong and Ssamziegil A gorgeous day in late-autumn Korea Breakfast at Tosokchon Nothing starts off a tourist day in Korea better than a late breakfast of speciality cuisine. Tosokchon , a famous restaurant with a seating capacity of over 400, offers samgyetang , a dish consisting of a whole young chicken stuffed with rice and spices and served in a warm ginseng soup. The ginseng used is thought to prevent illness, but also provides a unique herbal flavour that is considered an acquired taste. Nonetheless, a foodie family means that (almost) no food is off-limits, and the convenient opening hour of 10am meant a nice sleep-in and a guaranteed hearty breakfast. Rather a shoddy picture of an unassuming entrance We got a table immediately, seated in one of many small dining halls at low tables with cushions. Modern chair-seated tables are also available, but we were not being ch...

Korea 2016: Day 1 Transit in Singapore Breakfast in Hong Lim Food Centre Irrelevant errands Lunch in Old Airport Food Centre Arriving in Korea at midnight Transit in Singapore As it often happens, strategic ticket-booking to minimise costs resulted in our being stuck in Singapore between 8am and 2pm during transit. However, I'd hardly consider this tedious, as a few short hours in Singapore could be enough time for an extensive food tour, even if one were to resign themselves to Changi airport, whose foodcourts and dining options could never be conquered in that amount of time. For those like me whose minds never stop revolving around food, six hours is enough to make room for two or three meals, dictated by careful planning, good companions, and a drive to keep eating. All three I had, and all I had to do was not let the heat get to me. Breakfast in Hong Lim Food Centre A half-hour or so train ride from Changi Airport is Raffles Place Station, and a further ten...