Kim Family Restaurant [ Lorong Kilat ]

Been to Kim Family Restaurant a few times but had never wrote anything about them and decide is time to 'do' something about it.

Was craving for something spicy and decided to go for their Triple Hotpot which looked red and spicy from the photo.

Triple Hotpot [ 곱창전골  ]

Triple Hotpot which is known as Gopchang jeongol [ 곱창전골 ] in Korea, is a kind of spicy stew or casserole made by boiling beef tripe, seasonings and vegetables in beef broth. Gopchang [ 곱창 ] refers to the small intestines of cattle. The dish is mainly based on gopchang [ 곱창 ] but other parts of beef tripe are also used so as to give the dish a richer flavor and a more chewy texture.

However, the triple hotpot ( Gopchang jeongol [ 곱창전골 ] ) in Kim Family Restaurant uses pig intestines instead of cattle.
The food arrived shortly and I was excited to get my first bite but still gonna wait patiently as the food got heat up and cooked.
When the food was finally cooked, I took a sip of the soup as I am very particular about the taste of the soup as I felt that the soup of a dish contains the flavor of all the ingredients of the dish and if the soup is not up to my expectation, I can consider giving the dish a miss.

The stew was quite diluted to my liking despite the amount of chilli and ingredients used for the dish. There was a slight smell and taste from the intestine which some people might not be used to it. The restaurant used beef in the dish and the beef was not chewy but yet it wasn't too tough. Most of the  ingredients in the dish taste separated just like their own individual flavor despite being cooked and boiled in the stew for a long time. However the Enokitake ( golden needle mushroom ) and the King Oyster Mushroom absorbed in the flavor of the intestine ended up that you will taste the gopchang [ 곱창 ] instead.

Personally, I will not order the dish again as I'm not a fan of intestine but ordered the dish as I wanna try something different and yet spicy at the same time. I was disappointed with my order as the dish wasn't spicy despite the stuff in the restaurant warned us that the dish is more on the spicy side. The dish was also too diluted as compared to other Korean dishes that I had eaten before.

However, to be fair too, I might considering trying out the dish again if I happened to come across it in Korea as my friends told me that even in Korea, due to the fact that the process of cooking and preparation can be tedious, so the dish is usually eaten in restaurants that are specialize in Gopchang jeongol [ 곱창전골 ].

Kimchi Hotpot Stew [ 김치전골 ]

Another dish that I tried recently is Kimchi Hotpot Stew [ 김치전골 ].

Kimchi Hotpot Stew [ 김치전골 ] is a category of elaborate stews in Korean cuisine and is similar to jjigae [ 찌개 ]. In the olden days, Jeongol [ 전골 ] was meant as a dish for the upper-class Koreans and also members of the royal courts while Jjigae [ 찌개 ] was more a simple dish for the commoners.

Kimchi Hotpot Stew [ 김치전골 ] of Kim Family Restaurant consists of clear noodles, tofu, pork, Enokitake ( golden needle mushroom ), zucchini and of course the main ingredients - Kimchi [ 김치 ].

Although the stew is red, but the taste of the stew is more sour rather than spicy due to the Kimchi [ 김치 ].As the kimchi was boiled in the stew for a long time, the kimchi was soft and suitable for people who are trying kimchi for the first time as most of the taste in the kimchi had been absorbed into the stew and the fermentation taste of the kimchi becomes more acceptable to all.

The ingredients had fully absorb the flavor and fragrance of the stew and the soup was thick with a sourish taste. Will recommended this dish for people who enjoy food that is more on the sour side but yet wanna try spicy food and is  unable to endure the burning sensation on your tongue and in your stomach after eating spicy food.
Do note that this dish contain clear noodle and is not necessary for you to order rice unless you are a big eater.

Do take note the portion for both dishes are quite large and is a shared dish. It can be shared among 2 to 4 people depending on how much your stomach can take in.

Kim Family Restaurant is located at:
17 Lorong Kilat
#01-06 Kilat Court
Singapore 598139

Tel :
6465 0535

Opening Hours :
Lunch :  12pm - 3pm
Dinner : 5.30pm - 10pm
Closed: Every 1st and 3rd Monday of the Month

Nearest MRT station:
Downtown line - Beauty World

Ming Jia @ Bukit Timah Plaza

Went for lunch at Ming Jia today. The eatery - Ming Jia that I am refering to is not the small little stall tucked away in the corner of Bukit Timah Plaza but a 'newly' opened stall located just beside WTS travel, right at the escalator.
This eatery is actually a sister shop of the original Ming Jia but has more food choices as compared to the original stall.

Was deciding in between common dishes that you can easily find at Korean restaurant or dishes not is not easily find in Korean restaurant in Singapore. Finally settled on a mixture of both.

Side dishes [ 반찬 ]

A common practice for Korean restaurant - side dishes are served while you are waiting for your meal. 

I love the salad and the kimchi [ 김치 ] of this eatery. The kimchi of this eatery is not as spicy as compared to kimchi of other Korean restaurant but I find it just right, as there are some kimchi that only carry the flavor of spiciness and nothing else. The kimchi of this eatery is spicy and yet you can taste the freshness of the vegetable at the same time. 

And they do sell the kimchi if you are interested in buying and the pricing is quite reasonable - $6 for about 500g of Kimchi. 

Kimchi Pancake [ 김치전 ] 

Kimchi Pancake [ 김치전 ], one of the most common dish that you can find easily in any Korean eatery. But people always say that food that is hardest to cook is usually the common dishes and if they are able to do the common dish well, it means that the food from the eatery is really delicious. 

Although this dish is named as Kimchi Pancake [ 김치전 ], but there are also squid in the pancake too. Ingredients used for the Kimchi Pancake [ 김치전 ] are quite generous as there are lots of squid used and you can say that every piece of the pancake contain one or two pieces of squid and it is consider a lot for a pancake that is suppose to contain nothing but Kimchi. The Kimchi Pancake [ 김치전 ] will have taste even better if the Kimchi Pancake [ 김치전 ] is a bit crispier. 

Totally recommended this dish if you are lookin for a side dish or just a snack and you happened to be a fan of Kimchi. Do note that the portion of the Kimchi Pancake [ 김치전 ] is enough for the serving for 3 to 4 people if you intend to order other food. 

Kimbap [ 김밥 ]

Kimbap [ 김밥 ], another popular and common dish that be seen easily in any Korean eatery in Korea but really hard to find in Singapore. Kimbap [ 김밥 ] is also known as sushi of Korea but there are some differences in sushi and Kimbap [ 김밥 ]. Sushi uses more of seafood and also vinegar in the rice but Kimbap [ 김밥 ] uses more of vegetables and sesame oil in the rice. Sushi are usually eaten cold but Kimbap [ 김밥 ] can be served at room temperature or even hot too. Personally, I feel that Kimbap [ 김밥 ] taste better than Sushi. ( No offence for Japanese food lover but this is just personal preference. ) 

However, it is really hard to find Kimbap [ 김밥 ] in Singapore, even in Korean eatery. I been searching for lots of Korean eatery to satisfy my craving for Kimbap [ 김밥 ] but usually I don't get my craving satisfied. I guess that the reason for the rareness of Kimbap [ 김밥 ] in Singapore is due to reason that the process of making Kimbap [ 김밥 ] can be quite tedious - the cutting of ingredients into strips, the boiling of the vegetables separately, the rolling of the Kimbap [ 김밥 ]. 

When I finally find Kimbap [ 김밥 ] in Ming Jia, I tell myself that it is a must to order. There are different choices for the Kimbap [ 김밥 ] on the menu - Vegetable Kimbap, Bulgogi Kimbap, Bacon Kimbap. Ordered the Bulgogi Kimbap but was told that they are no longer doing other choices for Kimbap [ 김밥 ] but only left with the original and common Kimbap which consists of various vegetables and ham. Decided to go for it as I really wanna get my craving satisfied. 

The Kimbap [ 김밥 ] was quite a big portion for the price of $8.90, and can easily feed two people. The kimbap was filled with lots of vegetables and you can really see that the ingredients are much more than the rice. The taste of sesame oil in the rice is quite strong with the additional glaze of sesame oil on the seaweed makes it even stronger. So for people who do not like the smell or even taste of sesame oil can just consider skipping the dish. 

Jjampong ( Spicy Seafood Noodle ) [ 짬뽕 ]

Last but not least, we ordered Jjampong ( Spicy Seafood Noodle ) [ 짬뽕 ]. Jjampong [ 짬뽕 ] is a Korean Chinese cuisine that is derived from traditional Chinese cuisine but has been locally influenced by local ingredients in Korea. Jjampong [ 짬뽕 ] can be easily find in Korean Chinese restaurants and certain Korean eatery too. This is also another dish that is not commonly find in Korean eatery in Singapore. 

The appearance of the Jjampong [ 짬뽕 ] seemed to be spicy from the colour of the soup, but looks could be deceiving. The soup didn't taste as hot and fiery as I was expecting. The spiciness doesn't linger in your mouth and can be easily be washed off with water if you find it too spicy. Mussels, squids and prawn were used in the cooking of the Jjampong [ 짬뽕 ] thus u could taste sweetness from the seafood. It could have been better if the soup can be more zesty and the taste can linger in your mouth instead of come and go. 

However, I really love the texture of the noodle. The noodle was chewy, soft and tender but yet it didn't have the unpleasant texture that most overcooked noodles have. 

Will recommended this dish if you are looking for a different kind of noodle that carries the different taste of Korea. 

The eatery can be easily spotted. It is just located beside WTS travel at level B1. However, do take note of the opening hours :

12pm - 4.30pm

6.00pm - 10pm

( Do note that the opening hours for dinner can varies according to the eatery too. ) 

Korean New Year - Seollal [ 설날 ]

Sorry for the super late post about Korean lunar new year [ 설날 ] as I was quite busy recently.

Korean New Year, commonly being pronoun as Seollal [ 설날 ] falls on the first day of the Korean lunar calendar . It is is one of the most important and most celebrated national holiday in Korea. You can say that Seollal [ 설날 ] is truly special occasion for the Korean people.
The celebration of Seollal [ 설날 ] usually lasts for three days - the day before New Year, New Year Day itself and the day after New Year.

Every year is being represented by one of the twelve zodiac signs. These 12 animals take the form of 12 guardian animals deities which are also known as Sibijisin. Sibijisin means the 12 gods of the earth. There will be a rotation of these 12 zodiac signs thus these signs will change on the start with every lunar new year.
This year - 2015 is said to be the year of sheep. Sheep ranks as the 8th animal deity among the Sibijisin.

Origin
Although the origin of Seollal [ 설날 ] is unclear, but it was said that the lunar calendar was first adopted in the ancient Korea's Three Kingdoms period. There are records of Koreans celebration Lunar New Year, tracing to the traditional of Chinese literature. It was said that the Book of Sui and the Book of Tang contains fragments about Koreans celebrating the Lunar New Year in the kingdom of Silla [ 신라 ] .

Custom
Since Seollal [ 설날 ] is major holiday in Korea, many people will make use of these 3 days holiday to return to their hometowns to pay visit to their parents and relatives and also taking the chance to gather with their family.

Beside catching up with their family, it is also a time for paying respect to their ancestors. Charye [ 차례 ] - an ancestral ritual is performed during Seollal [ 설날 ].
In the olden days, many Korean will dress up in Korean traditional clothes - Hanbok [ 한복 ] but nowadays, small families tend to be less formal and choose to wear other formal clothings instead of Hanbok [ 한복 ].

Charye [ 차례 ]
The morning of Seollal [ 설날 ] usually starts off with an ancestral rite - Charye [ 차례 ]. All family members will dressed up in formal wear ( Hanbok [ 한복 ]  or Western formal attire ) and they will gathered at the ritual table and set the table with various dishes of ritual food and an ancestral tablet. Some examples of ritual food are Rice-cake soup [ Tteokguk -떡국 ], vegetables, fruits and more.

Once the ritual table is set, the rite will begins with deep bows from all the family members as greetings to the ancestor spirits. They will then proceeds with offerings and prayers before they end off with bidding farewell the the spirits.
The ritual is conducted as an expression of respect and gratitude to the ancestors and also to pray for the family's well being throughout the year.
After the ancestral. the food on the ritual table will be shared among the family. This traditional is call Eumbok [ 음복 ] which means drinking of blessing. By doing Eumbok [ 음복 ], the family hope that the virtues of their ancestors will be passed on to them. Eumbok [ 음복 ] also represent the receiving of the blessing grant upon the family.

Credits to Irene and Yong for the photo

  

Preparation of Jeon [ 전 ] for Charye [ 차례 ] 

( Credits to Irene and Yong for the photo )

Sebeh 세배
After charye [ 차례 ], people will perform sebae [ 세배 ] to their elders. Sebae [ 세배 ] refers to the the tradition that the younger generation will wish their elders a Happy New Year by going down on both knees and bowed deeply towards the floor. And they will usually say 새해 복 많이 받으세요 [ Sae-hae bok ma-ni ba-deu-se-yo ] when means 'Please receive a lot of luck in the New Year' when they perform sebae [ 세배 ] to their elders.
The elders will then reward the younger generation by giving them 'New Year Money' or 'Pocket Money' called sebaedon [ 세배돈 ]. The elders will also give word of wishes to the children, hoping that their loved one will make lots of money and achieve their goals in the coming year.

Traditional Food
There are 2 kinds of traditional food that Korean will eat during Seollal [ 설날 ] - Ddeokguk [ 떡국 ] and Jeon [ 전 ].

Ddeokguk [ 떡국 ]
Ddeokguk [ 떡국 ] refers to the soup with sliced rice cake. And according to the Korean age calculation, Seollal [ 설날 ] is similar to birthday for Koreans, and eating Ddeokguk [ 떡국 ] is consider part of the birthday celebration. So you will gain a year in age after you have finish eating your Ddeokguk [ 떡국 ].

Ddeokguk [ 떡국 ]

( Credits to Alice for the photo )

Jeon [ 전 ]
Jeon [ 전 ] is another traditional food that will be eaten on Seollal [ 설날 ]. Jeon [ 전 ] refers to pancake like dishes in Korean food. There are many types of jeon [ 전 ] and the most common jeon [ 전 ]  that you can see or eat are Kimchi jeon [ 김치전 ], Pa jeon [ 파전 ] ( pancake make with spring onion ], Hae-mul jeon [ 해물전 ] ( Pancake make with seafood such as octopus, prawn, etc ) and many others.

Credits to Irene and Yong for the photo

( Credits to modernseoul.org for the picture )

Although Ddeokguk [ 떡국 ] and Jeon [ 전 ] are said to be traditional food for Seollal [ 설날 ], however, many people are eating these dishes as and when they have a crave. 

Traditonal Games 

There are a few traditional games that are played during Seollal [ 설날 ], such as Yunnori [ 윷놀이 ], Jegichagi [ 제기차기 ], Neolttwigi [ 널뛰기 ] and Gonggi [ 공기 ]. 

Yunnori [ 윷놀이 ]

Yunnori [ 윷놀이 ] is a kind of board game and it was said that the game was played as early as the period of the Three Kingdom. 

The game is played with 4 half moon-shaped yut sticks. These sticks are being toss to decide how far a token can proceed. 

Yunnori [ 윷놀이 ] 

( Credits to esikorea.org for the picure )

It is said that the game is quite easy to learn regardless of age and everyone can get engage and enjoy the game. 

However, I was kinda of confused with the rules of games just by reading it thus shall not confused everyone with all the words on how to go about playing the game. Will try to experience the game one day before trying to explain the rules of the game. 

Jegichagi [ 제기차기 ]

Jegichagi [ 제기차기 ] is a korean traditional game that is played outdoor and it only requires your foot and Jegi ( an object used to play the game )

Jegi [ 제기 ]

( Credits to hansolbook.com )

Jegi [ 제기 ] looks similar to a shuttlecock but is made of a small coin, paper or cloth. The player will kick the Jegi [ 제기 ] up in the air and has to continue to keep to prevent the Jegi [ 제기 ] from falling to the ground. 

Jegichagi [ 제기차기 ]

( Credits to tastyenglish.co.kr )

This game is actually quite similar to a traditional game - Chapteh of the Malays culture. 

Rules of the game are similar but we used feathers to chapteh instead. 

Chapteh 

( Credits to www.mtradenoveltystore.com )

Neolttwigi [ 널뛰기 ]

Neolttwigi [ 널뛰기 ] is a traditional outdoor game for the females. The game is similar to seesaw, expect that the players will have to stand on the end of the board instead of sitting. 

The player will then jump and propel the person who is at the opposite into the air, Sometimes, acrobatic tricks such as flips or skipping while in the air are being added if the game is being played as a performance. 

Neolttwigi [ 널뛰기 ]

( Credits to coreaplusplus.com )

Gonggi [ 공기 ]

Gonggi [ 공기 ] is a traditional game but is commonly play among the children. The game is played with usually 5 small grape-size pebbles but you can easily buy colourful plastic stones instead of finding pebbles. 

The game begins with each player tossing the 'stones' into the air from the palm of their hands. The player will then try the 'stones' and the person who caught the most 'stones' will start first. 

There are a few levels for the game and the chance will be passed on to the next person if you did not clear the level. 

The 'stones' used for the game

( Credits to korcan50years.com )

Gonggi [ 공기 ]

( Credits to tour.junggu.seoul.kr )

This game is actually quite similar to a traditional game - five stones of the Malays culture.

The rules of the game is about the same just that the 'stones' used are a bit different. 

5 Stones 

( Credits to traditionalmalaygames.blogspot.com )

Tips for travelling during Seollal [ 설날 ] 

Do note that during the period of Seollal [ 설날 ], the usual busy city of Seoul will be become quiet as a lot of people will returned to their hometown in order to celebrate Seollal [ 설날 ] with their families. The street will be empty and most of the shops and restaurants will be closed.  

However, there are still places whereby traditional activities will be offered throughout the national holiday. 

Gyeongbokgung [ 경복궁 ], Changdeokgung [ 창덕궁 ] and Deoksugung [ 덕수궁 ] will be playing hosts to allow tourists to experience traditional programs such as learning how to perform sebae [ 세배 ].

Various museums will also offered activities to allow experiencing of traditional games and programs during the holiday. 

So to prevent disappointment, please check out the details and research on where are places that you can visit and things you can do before planning a holiday in Korea during Seollal [ 설날 ]. 

Hope this article helps you to understand more about Seollal [ 설날 ] although is a bit late. 

Korea Trip Day 17 - Making Of Kimchi [ 한국여행 열일곱째날 - 김장 ]

Entering into day 17 of my vacation and also marking the day on the calendar that I have to go back to reality soon.
However, something that I did not expect to experience happened on the last few days of my vacation. Yong and Irene told me that that their mother ( in-law ) is going to  be busy during Sunday as it is Kimjang [ 김장 ] day for them.

Kimjang [ 김장 ] refer to the traditional process of preparation and preservation of kimchi during winter.
Kimchi [ 김치 ] is a kind of traditional fermented side dish made of vegetables with different kinds of seasonings and is often being described as spicy and sour. There are many different varieties of Kimchi [ 김치 ] made from napa cabbage ( kind of Chinese cabbage ), radish, cucumber as the main ingredient.
Kimchi [ 김치 ] is made fresh from seasonal vegetables during summer, but during winter, people need to prepare large amount of Kimchi [ 김치 ] so as to provide nutrition throughout winter.
Kimjang [ 김장 ] can lasted for 2 to 3 days with the help from many people. The amount of cabbages prepared will depend on the number of people in the household.

Kimjang [ 김장 ] can be a tough and tiring process thus lots of people prefer to get ready-make Kimchi [ 김치 ] from the market rather than spending the time to make their own Kimchi [ 김치 ]. However, due to the fact the Yong's mum is a lady with traditional thinking so I can get to experience and view the process too. And Yong's mum is so nice to change the day of Kimjang [ 김장 ] to Saturday as I will be meeting up with my friend on Sunday.

Look at the amount of napa cabbage needed for Kimjang [ 김장 ]

Nowadays, things can get more simple as you can get salted napa cabbage from the market and you can save the time and shorten the process of kimchi making. The soaking and seasoning of the cabbage can take hours and allowing the cabbage to sit in order to ensure that the salt is absorbed evenly can take another few hours. Usually, people will choose to go through this process the day before and the actual kimchi making will take place the next day. 

With salted cabbage ( cabbage that have already go through the process of soa, season and sitting in ) selling on the market, people get to save a lot of time and trouble. 

Other vegetables needed 

The process of  Kimjang [ 김장 ] is really not easy as I thought. From the shows that I had watched on TV, they did not show much on the process, so I did not expected the amount of effort and work required. Yong's mum woke up really early ( guess about 4-5am ), so as to prepare the stock used. 

The stock is made with a kind of shrimp sauce [ 새우젓 ] and kim [ 김 ] ( seaweed ) and boiled for some time ( think it can even take hours since Yong's mummy gonna wake up that early ).  

Shrimp sauce [ 새우젓 ] and Kim [ 김 ] 

A friend of Yong's mum came at about 9-10am and I heard from Yong's mum that her friend is really good in cooking especially cooking of Korean food. Her friend will be the main 'chef' for the Kimjang [ 김장 ] process while the rest of the people are the helpers. Her friend sat down and started the really long process of cutting the vegetables.

Look at the skill of her cutting

Thin and even strips of radish 

After about 1 - 2 hours of cutting, all the vegetables are finally evenly cut and all ready for the next step. 

Red chili flakes [ 고추가루 ] being added to the radish. The amount of chili flakes added depends on the degree of spiciness that you want. If you are the kind that can't really take food that is too spicy, you can reduce the amount of chili flakes. 

Ensuring the chili flakes [ 고추가루 ] is well-mixed with the radish

Stock is added to the mixture

Shrimp sauce [ 새우젓 ] being added

Kim [ 김 ] being added

Porridge-like substance added

I was told that this so called porridge-like substance is made from rice and they served the purpose of making the mixture to be 'sticky' so that they will 'stick' to the napa cabbage later on. 

Spring onion added to the chili paste mixture

Fish sauce being added

Chili paste all ready to be 'apply' to the napa cabbage

After going through some many rounds of adding ( of ingredients ) and mixing, the chili paste is finally ready to be 'apply' on the napa cabbage. 

The napa cabbage are usually cut into half so that it is easier to apply the chili paste on it. 

Applying the chili paste onto the cabbage

I thought that you just have to apply the chili paste onto the cabbage and that's all but I'm wrong. There is a certain way to apply the chili paste. You have to 'separate' a few leaves of the cabbage ( without tearing them out ) and these few leaves are used to wrap around the cabbage and it was said that to keep and seal the taste in the cabbage. 

Kimchi are all ready

Oysters 

Some families will add oysters to the mixture of chili paste but in this case, Yong's mum taught me to eat the oyster with the kimchi that is just freshly made. The crunchy taste, the spiciness and the sweetness of the kimchi totally blend with the oyster and the oyster add sweetness to the kimchi. I'm the kind of people who don't like to eat raw food but I can totally accept this particular way of eating the oyster and not finding and raw feeling from the oyster at all.  

The kimchi are then kept and placed in a container with good seal. Usually they will not filled the kimchi right to the brim as the kimchi will produce liquid while fermenting and it might overflow.  

The kimchi will be leave out in room temperature for a day or two for proper fermentation. And they will be kept in the refrigerator after that. 

Korean family usually have 2 refrigerator in their homes, one for normal food stuff while one is just purely for storing of kimchi.

Lunch for the day

We had our lunch with the fresh kimchi and soup cooked by Yong's mum. Although the lunch was simple, but it's really tasty....Missing the food right now...Really love the soup...

Extra Information about Kimjang [ 김장 ] :

The practice of Kimjang [ 김장 ] reestablish Korean identity and strengthens family cooperation. Kimjang [ 김장 ] encourages sharing and exchanging and helps to strenghten family ties, as each famil has their own method of  Kimchi [ 김치 ] preparation and therefore, every family's unique method and flavors will be passed from generation to generation. Newly added family members will have to learn and must be willing to adapt and the customs of their new family. 

Thus, Kimjang [ 김장 ] serves as an remainder for many Koreans that the human communities need to live in harmony with the nature. 

Kimjang [ 김장 ] was added to the world's intangible heritage list by UNESCO. 

The listing allow Korea to not only preserve the yearly household tradition and the community spirit that goes with it but also allowing Korea to promote Kimchi [ 김치 ] globally. 

Although there are lesser families who are willing to spend the time to continue the tradition due to the fact that most people are getting busy with their lifestyle, however, there are still families who are willing to continue this traditional and they deserved to be praised and recognized for their effort in maintaining the traditional. 

Really enjoyed myself experiencing Kimjang [ 김장 ] and learning about things that I had never seen before. The whole experience was really wonderful and I really hope that I will have the chance to do it again..Till then, I will just keep the memory in my mind and recapping about the process when winter is approaching. =P

Hope that this article helps you in understanding more about the making of Kimchi [ 김치].

And I officially declared that my vacation has come to an end...but I'm sure that I will be visiting Korea again in the near future and exploring other cities and culture of Korea. Till then, gonna catch up with the articles on public holidays in Korea and the reviews of the accommodation that I had stayed in Korea. 

Korea Trip 2014 [ Suncheon ] - [ 한국여행 - 순천행 ]

Reached Suncheon [ 순천 ] only in the late afternoon, and Alice and I went straight to Suncheonman Bay Ecological Park [ 순천만 자연생태공원 ].

Suncheonman Bay Ecological Park [ 순천만 자연생태공원 ] is a coastal wetland, comprised a long stream of about 3.5km, a tideland of about 2221 hectare and a field of reed of about 230 hectare. Suncheonman Bay Ecological Park [ 순천만 자연생태공원 ] is a habitat of migratory birds, plants and animals due to its natural coast and it is also Korea first coastal wetland.

                                     

Entrance for Suncheonman Bay Ecological Park [ 순천만 자연생태공원 ]

Suncheonman Bay Ecological Park [ 순천만 자연생태공원 ] is well-known for its field of reed that is taller than a full-grown man. The field of reed in Suncheonman Bay Ecological Park [ 순천만 자연생태공원 ] is the biggest colony of reeds in Korea. The view of the entire field of reed swaying in the wind is as incredible as waves of the sea. 

Reeds as tall as full-grown man

Animals can be seen at the stream with the reeds

Trying to take the whole of reed field from the bridge

The reed field is also an important contribution from the perspective of environmental factor as reeds are effective in water purifying. For the last three decades, the water of Suncheonman Bay Ecological Park [ 순천만 자연생태공원 ] has stayed clean and problems such as red tides has never surfaced before. 

Walking paths have been created through the reeds field, so that visitors can take a stroll and enjoyed the natural beauty and observing the plentiful wildlife. Visitors can also choose to take the boat rides out into the bay when the tide comes in. 

A bird found among the reeds

Birds flying in the sky

The reed field is also home to many plants such as the common reed and startwort. Suncheonman Bay Ecological Park [ 순천만 자연생태공원 ] is known to attract the largest number of rare birds. Different kinds of migratory birds can be seen throughout the four different season in Korea, and if you are lucky, you might be able to spot some endangered birds too. 

It is said that quiet winter month is the best season to see these feathered friends. However, it can be quiet chilly when the wind blows so do dress warmly.  

It is a must to visit the Yongsan observatory [ 용산 전망대 ] while you are at Suncheonman Bay Ecological Park [ 순천만 자연생태공원 ]. 

Start of the journey up Yongsan observatory [ 용산 전망대 ]

Although it takes about 40min to 1hour to climb up from Suncheonman Bay Ecological Park [ 순천만 자연생태공원 ] to Yongsan observatory [ 용산 전망대 ], but you will not regret it. The observatory is the perfect place to view the S-shaped waterway of Suncheonman Bay [ 순천만 ] and the reed field that surround the bay. 

The wind is so strong that my hair is all mess up. ;(

Make sure that you have your camera battery is fully charge or at least at a spare battery as Suncheonman Bay [ 순천만 ] is a wonderful place for taking photos. 

Extra Information on Suncheonman Bay Ecological Park [ 순천만 자연생태공원 ] :

Opening Hours : 

Nov - Feb : 8am - 5pm

Mar - April and Sept - Oct : 8am - 6pm

May - Aug : 8am - 7pm

Admission : 7000won.

How to get to Suncheonman Bay Ecological Park [ 순천만 자연생태공원 ] :

From Suncheon Train Station, walk to the right along Palmaro street for about 100m and cross the street.

Take bus 67 and get off at Suncheonman (순천만). 

or

From Suncheon Bus Terminal, cross Suncheon3-gil street and walk along Palmaro street to the bus stop.

Take bus 67 and get off at Suncheonman (순천만).

For more information on opening hours and tickets pricing of Suncheonman Bay Ecological Park [ 순천만 자연생태공원 ], you can visit their website : http://www.suncheonbay.go.kr/?c=1/197/411

However, do note that the web is in Korean language.

After visiting Suncheonman Bay Ecological Park [ 순천만 자연생태공원 ], it was already late evening, and as we did not had any lunch, Alica and I decided to go for early dinner. 

There are a few restaurants nearby the park, and we couldn't decide where shall we have our dinner, so we resorted to random pick a restaurant. 

The restaurant that we visited served Hanjeongsik [ 한정식 ], which is famous in the region of Jeolla-do. Hanjeongsik [ 한정식 ] is a full-course Korean meal with an array of side dishes cooked in the traditional Jeolla-do style. 

Hanjeongsik [ 한정식 ]

Look at the different style of cooking methods for the crabs and all these are served as side dishes. The table was so full that I almost couldn't take a photo with all the dishes fitting in. 

With all these dishes, the price of the meal is unbelievable.......cheap!!!! I only paid for 10 000won per person for all these. And the 아줌마s in the restaurant were so nice, they kept on asking us if we had enough and that if we need any refill for any of the dishes....yes...and the refills are for free....but Alice and I were too full to ask for any refill. 

There are many Hanjeongsik [ 한정식 ] restaurants located near Suncheonman Bay Ecological Park [ 순천만 자연생태공원 ], and different restaurants are famous for the different side dishes, so you can just have a stroll around before deciding which restaurant to have your meal. But I feel that the restaurants are kinda of like under the same boss, as when we were eating, the 아줌마s from the nearby restaurants all gathered and heard that they were waiting for the boss to arrive for a meeting. 

After having our lunch cum dinner, we made our way to the guesthouse. Due to some unforeseen circumstance, our plan for the night and the next day had to be forsake. However, the unforeseen circumstance allows me to understand the drinking culture of Korean ( Shall blog about it the next time ) and also allowing me to get to know some new friends. 

New friends made during Suncheon [ 순천 ] trip

The trip to Suncheon [ 순천 ] is an unforgettable memory of part of my Korea vacation 2015. Although there are still lots of places in Suncheon [ 순천 ] that I do not have the chance to visit, but in every loss there is a gain. I get to gain new enjoyable memories and I get to gain some new friends and all these replaced the loss. Hope that I will get to visit Suncheon [ 순천 ] again in the near future and to all my new friends, hope that we will meet again soon. In the meanwhile, take care.