A Break in Lotteria

I needed a break from eating traditional Korean cuisine after a couple of days in South Korea. I headed to Lotteria in Myeongdong.

Lotteria is a fast food chain serving burgers, fries, and fried chicken. Exactly what I needed!!!

Fries

Not the best fries I've had but I didn't care.  

BBQ & Spicy Sauce

Fried Wings

The chicken had very crispy skin and was also juicy inside. The BBQ and spicy dips made it a winner.

Bulgogi Burger

Very sweet and lacked flavor. Should have ordered the popular shrimp burger.

Of course, Lotteria will not compare to the more popular chains but it's worth a visit for those who want to experience American fast food with a Korean twist. 

Lotteria has multiple branches in South Korea. For more information, click here. 

Kimchi for Dummies

In-between shopping, eating, and sightseeing in South Korea, my friends and I dropped by the Seoul Global Culture and Tourism Center to get a feel of popular Korean traditions.

We kicked it off by having our photos taken wearing hanbok, Korea's traditional dress.

Costume Options

We then dabbled in arts and crafts, making a hand mirror with a Chinese character design. I didn't get the connection! 

The highlight of this excursion though was when we moved locations and learned how to make kimchi.

Our Friendly Instructor

It wasn't too hard because the two most important ingredients, cabbage and chili paste, were prepared ahead of time.

All we had to do was mix cut spring onions, radish, and white onions with chili paste.

Lay the cabbage down and cover back side of leaf with chili mixture 

Until the entire cabbage is covered.

Next is to pack the kimchi tightly in a large container. Leave it for two days at room temperature to enable fermentation. 

And voila! We had something to bring back home to our families in Manila. 

For more information on Seoul Global Culture and Tourism Center, pls. click here.

Details on Kimchi Academy House can be found here.