nanoomi

It begins the moment you step off the subway.  There, on the platform, a man calls out to passengers, hawking the belts laid out in compartmentalized boxes at his feet.  Before you exit the station you’ll pass more people doing the same – with bags, with clothes, with battery-operated toys that flash and clatter – and then you go up the steps and you’re in Dongdaemun, where all this (and seemingly everything else) is happening, all the time.

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Better known as Dongdaemun (“Great East Gate”), Heunginjimun (“Gate of Rising Benevolence”) served, as the common name would suggest, the eastern entrance to Seoul. The original gate was built in 1396, when the city walls were first erected. The current structure, meanwhile, dates from an 1869 reconstruction under King Gojong.

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In the back alleys near Dongdaemun, there are a lot of grilled fish and weekday lunch spots that are popular with workers in the city.  These are where the jewels are found, but tourists and expats rarely go off the main street to explore them. Don’t be afraid. The smell alone is amazing.

So, I was playing with my “food porn” lens while this nice ajumma showed me how she grilled her fish, and this shot came out. It sort of has the illusion of floating fish. With the light, it’s like God said, “You hungry? Here. Have some fish.”

Here are some more photos of that little trip.

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Cuisine: Uzbek

Price: $

Reservations: No

Suggested Items: Samsa, Golubsky, Chizbif

Samarkand is a family-owned chain of Uzbek restaurant-hofs, usually located in areas with concentrations of immigrants. The one I’m most familiar with is the location in Ansan’s Asia Town. It’s a great place to hang out with friends and enjoy some comfort food like stuffed cabbages (Golubsky) and a bowl of borscht. They’re famous for their Samsas, flaky pastries stuffed with meat and served with a spicy sauce. They also make great fries, topped with lamb (called Chizbif). To down it all, they have a good selection of vodkas and strong Russian beers. Not every dish is a hit there, and the bread they sell at the counter is a bit scary. But if you stick to the lamb dishes and whatever just looks good, you’ll be pleased.

Reviewer Rating

Ambience  2/5

Food           4/5

Service       4/5

Value         5/5

4.0/5

Phone:

Ansan 031.492.6984

Dongdaemun 02.2277.4267‎

Incheon 032.773.6700

Location:

Ansan: 788-7 Wongok-dong, Danwon-gu, Ansan-si, Gyeonggi-do

경기도 안산시 단원구 원곡동 788-7

Dongdaemun:120 Gwanghui 1-ga-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul

서울특별시 중구 광희동1가 120

Incheon:20-1 Sinpo-dong, Jung-gu, Incheon

인천광역시 중구 신포동 20-1

More pictures here