One of the questions Rob and I get quite often when someone first finds out that we spent a year in Vietnam is, How was the food?

Now, Rob and I realize we are in the minority when we say that the food was just not our thing. There were a few dishes that we enjoyed (cao lau, spring rolls, sautéed spinach and garlic), but for the most part the lack of refrigeration and questionable health code standards had me turning my head the other way.

Perhaps it was the disappointment in the Vietnamese cuisine, or the fact that we were in a “clean” city, or that we were with friends, but whatever it was, we ended up stuffing ourselves silly with all the delicious eats we found in Seoul, South Korea.

Here are just two of the dishes we found to be amazing:

Korean Barbecue

Our friend, Aaron, ordered our entire meal of kimchi, pork, garlic, and beer entirely in Korean. I was so impressed that he was able to do it and he enjoyed showing off. He had only been living in Korea for about 6 months at this point.

In the center of the table was a coal pit that was kept simmering until we sat down.

Then a grate was placed on top and the raw pork and garlic is delivered to our table. It was up to us to cook the meat to our liking. Though it seems a bit labor intensive, and defeats the purpose of eating out, Koreans don’t invite people to their homes for meals. Instead, they go out. So technically, it would be the same at grilling at your home, but no dishes to do once everyone leaves. Not a bad deal.

If you’re not used to using chopsticks, or are only skilled at shoveling food into your mouth with them, flipping those cuts of pork is quite the feat. More than one piece of garlic slipped away from me.

That meat was juicy and those grilled garlic cloves were flavorful without being overpowering. Delicious.

Dduk Galbi (duck gall be – At least that’s how I pronounce it.)

This dish was also cooked right at the table, but instead of a grill, it gas burner and ended up being a type of stir-fry. Our friends ordered their favorite version and it did not disappoint.

The waitress sautéed the ingredients periodically. At one point, Rob tried to stir the mix and the waitress came right over and semi-slapped his hand away. She wasn’t letting anyone near it until it was done.

It was so delicious that Rob wanted to make sure he got every last bite. I can’t blame him.

Between the delicious food, Soju games, and good company, Seoul’s food definitely outweighed our Vietnamese eats.

RQ: What is the best travel meal you have ever had? Are you into trying new foods or do you pretty much stick with what you know?

Brooke Selb

I’m Brooke Selb, a Personal Trainer and Health Coach specializing in helping busy moms and moms to be to easily juggle mom life with family friendly recipes, and easy exercise routines to help you achieve your fitness goals that fit in with your already busy life with sound nutritional advice.