K-Street Festival | For the Love of All Things Korean!

Back when K-pop and K-dramas weren't as popular as they are today, I had to go to great lengths just to purchase an album of my favorite K-pop group and I had to scour the internet to watch properly-subbed episodes of K-dramas. These days, with the continuous rise and the growing dominance of Hallyu around the world, one can easily stream K-pop songs and currently airing Korean dramas through smartphone and smart TV apps. Fangirling has definitely become easier through the years!

But wait - it gets better.

For the first time ever, the Korean Cultural Center (KCC) of the Philippines will be hosting the K-Street Festival, a celebration of all things Korean - from the culture itself, to food, fashion, and beauty. The event will be held at Bonifacio High Street’s C1 Park from May 31 to June 1, and at the BGC Amphitheater from June 1 - June 2.

K-Street Festival!

As part of BGC’s Summer on the Street series, K-Street Festival promises awesome offerings such as performances from Pinoy K-pop Star winners, Korean street food & pop up shops, k-merchandise, all-day fun & games, and so much more. This one-of-a-kind festival promises to delight everyone with traditional and contemporary Korean activities that showcase the wonderful culture of this country.

Celebrating the depth and breadth of Korea’s rich culture, K-Street Festival will have seven zones at the C1 park, plus a whole lot more activities at the BGC Amphitheater that will make you feel like you’ve been transported to Korea. Get ready to check all these out for must-try experiences!

What's your fandom?

Music, merchandise and more
Crazy about BTS, Blackpink, or EXO? Then head over to the K-Pop zone, the first of seven zones at Bonifacio High Street’s C1 Park, where you can listen to your favorite K-pop artists and play exciting games to win different freebies. This zone, organized with the Philippine K-Pop Convention, Inc. (PKCI), will also offer an assortment of K-pop merchandise to kickstart (or complete!) your collection.

Are you a K-drama fan? Then indulge in some of your favorite Korean shows through Netflix and VIU’s streaming services at the street festival. Enjoy Korean dramas and movies you’ve never seen before, all offered with multiple language subtitles.

Hansik - traditional Korean food.

Savor the flavors
Treat your taste buds over at the K-Food Zone, where you can enjoy authentic Korean food and eat to your heart's content. Whether it’s kimchi, bibimbap, kalbi-jim, or good ol' ramyeon, you’re sure to find mouthwatering delights that will get you burping in no time.

Plan your (next) trip
If you can’t wait to visit Seoul’s spectacular sights, head over to the K-Tour Zone, where you can check out the various tours and travel options available. Organized by the Korea Tourism Organization which has promoted diplomatic relations between the Philippines and South Korea over the past 70 years, this zone will give you a sneak peek of why Korea is visited by over 10 million tourists every year, and why my son and I keep coming back to Korea.

Wear a hanbok
There's also the K-Fashion and Beauty Zone, organized in partnership with Hanbok Palace. Here, you can try out some Korean traditional clothing and take selfies while you're at it. 

Gadgets galore
If you want some high-tech fun, head over to the K-Tech Zone, which promises to enthrall you with cutting-edge Korean innovations. Enjoy the ultimate VR experience with Samsung, allowing you to enjoy movies and video games on a whole new level. You can also get your hands on Coreon Mobile, an innovative mobile postpaid service from IT Corea that lets you enjoy 3 numbers in one SIM card.

Kukkiwon Taekwondo Demonstration Team in action.

Taekwondo like you've never seen before
Finally, at the the K-Sport Zone, you'll be able to witness a one-of-a-kind taekwondo demonstration  by the world-renowned Kukkiwon Taekwondo Demonstration Team. With their high-flying, gravity defying martial arts skills, you'll see taekwondo moves like you've never seen before.

Indulge in the K-mmunity K-POP Madness 
As an added treat, head over to the other side of the festivities at the Bonifacio High Street Amphitheater where BGC in partnership with Globe Prepaid, Globe at Home and Pulp have lined up huge surprises for fans of K-pop heavy weights TWICE and TVXQ! Attendees can get first dibs on concert tickets, win exciting freebies, and participate in themed booths and activities.

Save the date!

So for all you K-pop and K-drama fans and K-culture enthusiasts (like me), make sure you free up your weekend schedule for these exciting activities. For twice the fun, bring your family, friends, and fellow stans along! :)

For more details, you may check out Bonifacio High Street’s official Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/BoniHighStreet/

Seoul Searching | A Gastronomic Adventure at Gwangjang Market.

Much as I love shopping at malls and department stores in Korea, and enjoy the hip and trendy vibe of the shopping streets in Hongdae, Kondae, and Sinsadong, I also love going to the traditional markets in Seoul. There's a certain charm to these traditional markets that make me want to visit them whenever I'm in the country - which is exactly what I did during my last visit to Korea.

Gwangjang Market.

Together with my friend Mel, who was also in Seoul for the weekend, we went on a 'very tita' date, starting with a tour of the Gwangjang Market. Located in the historical Jongno district in downtown Seoul, Gwangjang Market is the first permanent market in Korea and one of the oldest traditional markets in the country's capital. It was established in 1905 and spans a little over 10 acres with more than 5000 stalls selling a variety of items - fabric, clothing, souvenir items, fresh produce, and of course, food.

Stalls at the center of Gwangjang Market.

It was the food, mostly, that made me want to come here, and you gotta blame Running Man for that. If you've been following this blog for quite awhile and have been reading my Seoul Searching posts, then you probably know that most of the places that I've been to in Korea are either K-drama filming locations or have been featured in the world-famous variety show, Running Man.

This stall was featured on Running Man. :)

Gwangjang Market captured my attention after watching episode 186 of Running Man, wherein the cast members happily stuffed their faces with food as part of the challenge. And true enough, this place is a haven for foodies with stalls upon stalls of Korean street food cooked and prepared right before your eyes.

And that's the ahjumma who operates this stall.

The best way to enjoy Gwangjang Market is to come on an empty stomach. That way, you can try a variety of dishes and eat 'til you're full. If you're a light eater, I suggest you bring a friend (or a loved one) along because hey, good food is meant to be shared. :)

Just another busy day at Gwangjang Market.

Mel and I ordered a serving of jeon (Korean vegetable pancake) for sharing, and the taste was absolutely unforgettable. It was extra crispy on the outside and soft and mushy on the inside. It came with a dipping sauce made with soy sauce, vinegar, and freshly-cut onions, which elevated the flavor of this humble yet extremely yummy dish.

Vegetable pancake, 4000 won.

The ahjumma who owns the stall offered us makgeolli, saying that jeon is best paired with their traditional rice wine. But since we are very 'wholesome titas' (lol), we politely declined and instead bought fruit smoothies at a different stall.

Fresh fruit, ready to be blended.

Another must-try dish at Gwangjang Market is the mayak gimbap which literally translates into 'narcotic rice rolls'. Narcotic in the sense that this food is super addictive! These rice rolls are made with pickled vegetables, rolled on a bed of rice and dried seaweed (gim). They are then brushed with sesame oil and sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds, which I reckon is where the addicting taste comes from.

Mayak Gimbap, 1000 won per roll.

If you're a bit more adventurous with food, perhaps you should try the soondae - blood sausage made with pig intestines mixed with sweet potato vermicelli noodles and sticky rice. I didn't try this, but Mel has had a taste of it on her previous Korea trip and she said it was good. Surprisingly, we saw a lot of foreign tourists ordering this at the nearby stall and seemed to be satisfied with it.

Soondae, anyone?

Other interesting food options at the Gwangjang Market are sannakji (live octopus), yukhoe (raw beef tartare), and the sea penis, a type of marine spoon worm, which is usually eaten raw and dipped in an array of spices. Sounds nasty, I know.

A huge basin of sea penis.

If banchan (side dishes) are more to your liking, you'll also find plenty of them in this bustling market. I'm not familiar with all of them, but I do know there are marinated crabs and spiced pork and kimchi in this spread of food.

Lots of side dishes to choose from!

Marinated crabs.

An assortment of kimchi.

Fruits, nuts, beans, and dried fish are also a common sight at the Gwangjang Market. Some stores also sell yakgwa (Korean cookies) which come in lovely gift boxes. They make nice presents for friends and family back home.

Yakgwa sold in boxed sets. 

Speaking of presents, Gwangjang Market is also famous for its hanbok shops, housed mostly on the second floor. Here, you can buy ready-to-wear hanbok (traditional Korean clothing) or have them tailored to your liking. Fabrics, bed sheets, jewelries and accessories, as well as various souvenir items can also be found on the second floor.

Hanbok shops on the second floor.

If you want to experience authentic Korean street food and culture under one roof, then Gwangjang Market is the place to be. Most of the stores operate on a daily basis from 8:30 am to 6 pm. Some restaurants are open until 11 pm, while some stores are closed on Sundays. 

To get to Gwangjang Market, take the subway to Jongno 5-ga Station Exit 8 or Euljiro 4-ga Station Exit 4.

You can also ride the Green Bus numbered 111, 2014, 2112, or 7212 and alight at the Jongno 5-ga bus stop.

Foodie Goodie | Bill's Bulgogi Burger.

Long weekends like this are the perfect time to go on a food trip, and the other day, my friends and I did just that when we visited Bill's Bulgogi Burger.

Bill's Carwash.

Located a few hundred meters away from the national highway, Bill's Bulgogi Burger is owned by Mr. Hwang Sang Won (more popularly known as 'Bill'), who also owns the car wash adjacent to it. Bill does most of the kitchen work, together with his Filipino wife, Lea.

Inside Bill's Bulgogi Burger.

Bill's menu features traditional Korean food such as samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly), japchae (stir fried noodles), bibimbap (mixed rice), and gimbap (rice rolls). They also serve Korean fusion dishes such as curry rice, buffalo wings, bulgogi nachos, and the bulgogi burger from which this restaurant started. Ironically, none of us ordered the bulgogi burger because we all wanted to eat something with rice. 

Jaymee tries on a hanbok.

Other hanbok colors.

As we waited for our food, Jaymee and I tried on hanboks (traditional Korean clothing) and had our photos taken. It's a service offered by Bill's restaurant at no extra cost - definitely a great marketing strategy with the growing popularity of Korean dramas and the Korean culture itself among Filipinos. (Case in point, the halmonis at the next table who came all the way from Los Banos just to take selfies in these hanboks.) 

Now here's what we ordered at Bill's.  

Omelette gimbap, Php 115.

For starters, we had Omelette Gimbap - rice rolls filled with egg omellete. The gimbap is tasty and sliced nicely in equal proportions. The rice, however, isn't as sticky as I expected it to be; hence, the gimbap tends to fall apart when you bite into it. 

Bulgogi Gimbap, Php 125.

We also had Bulgogi Gimbap, which came with a sweet and savory dipping sauce. Personally, I like this better than the Omelette Gimbap. However, this dish was served way too late (we were almost done eating when this came to our table) and all of us were too full to finish the entire roll.

Spicy Ramyeon, Php 90.

Aiz was also in the mood for ramyeon, so she ordered a serving of the Spicy Ramyeon for us to share. The ramyeon, to my amusement, was served in true Kdrama fashion - tin pot, lid, and trivet. None of us ate the noodles from the lid, though. Haha!

Buffalo Wings Platter.

My friends had a platter each of Bill's combo meals. Each meal is served with rice, japchae, and an entree of your choice. Aiz had the K-Fried Chicken Platter, while the other three ladies had the Buffalo Wings Platter.

K-Fried Chicken Platter.

Jaymee found the Buffalo Wings a bit too spicy, which isn't surprising since she has a low tolerance for spicy food. Aiz, on the contrary, ordered an extra serving of gochujang (red pepper paste) because she wanted her chicken to be spicy.

Samgyeopsal, Php 185.

As for me, I feasted on Samgyeopsal - something I had been craving for since we got back from Korea. One thing I love about their samgyeopsal is that they're already cooked when served. While most Korean restaurants have a table-top grill to cook these meat slices with, Bill's does the grilling for you in their kitchen and keeps you and your clothes from smelling like smoke.

Lettuce wrap! :)

Their mouth-watering and flavorful samgyeopsal comes with a bowl of rice, a small basket of lettuce, four varieties of banchan (side dishes), and a generous portion of ssamjang (dipping sauce). The taste reminds me of the samgyeopsal that we had the first time we came to Korea. Come to think of it, Bill's restaurant does remind me of the siktangs (diners) in our neighborhood in Seongsu-dong. From the taste to the ambiance, it's like one of those hole-in-the-wall mom and pop restaurants in Seoul that serve surprisingly good food.

If you're in the mood for some authentic Korean cuisine, Bill's Bulgogi Burger is the place to visit! I'll definitely be coming back to try the Bulgogi Burger next time, and I'll be taking Yue along so he can enjoy some 'homecooked Korean fried chicken' which he absolutely loves.

Bill's Bulgogi Burger
Purok 5, Brgy. San Roque, San Pablo City
+63908 175 9444

Seoul Searching | Exploring Insadong.

Dubbed as 'the heart and soul of Seoul', Insadong is one of the most note-worthy neighborhoods in the city and a must-go destination for anyone visiting South Korea. I regret not visiting this place earlier, considering that we have been to Korea twice in the past. Better late than never, as they say, and we finally had the chance to explore this quaint and charming neighborhood during our month-long stay in Korea last winter - our third visit to the country that I call my second home.

I heart Insadong, and you will easily fall in love with it, too!

Conveniently located between the Five Grand Palaces of Korea, Insadong Street stretches over 700 meters between the Anguk-dong Rotary and Jongno 2-ga. The latter is located near the Jongno 3-ga Station, so we chose to go to Insadong via this subway station (Line 5). Another option is via the Anguk Station, but I chose to stay away from this line (Line 3) after my horrendous experience with the transfer on our way home from Changdeokgung and Changgyeonggyung Palace last spring.

Tapgol Park.

As we made our way to Insadong from the Jongno 3-ga Station, we passed by Tapgol Park, the first modern park established in Seoul. Also known as 'Pagoda Park', this tourist attraction is home to an abundance of national treasures, including the Palgakjeong, an octagonal pavilion built in 1902.

The Palgakjeong.

More of Tapgol Park and Insadong after the jump!

Happy Chuseok Shopping at WishTrend!

It's Chuseok time once again! One of the most popular holidays in Korea, Chuseok (추석) is the equivalent of Thanksgiving in Western countries. It's that time of the year when Koreans reunite with their families, share food, and give thanks to their ancestors for the abundant harvest.

Little man in Hanbok (Korean traditional clothes).

This Korean holiday is usually observed for three days, but this year, Chuseok will take place from September 7 until September 10 - one day longer than the standard 3-day holiday. During Chuseok, Koreans usually travel back to their respective hometowns, spend time with their elders, hold memorial services for their departed family members, and visit ancestral graves.

Hence, most stores and offices are closed during this period to give employees a chance to observe the Chuseok holiday. For online shoppers, however, Chuseok usually means sale events and free gifts.

WishTrend, for instance, is giving away a free gift in celebration of the Chuseok holiday. An online shopping hub of beauty products, WishTrend brings Korean brands such as Tony Moly, Missha, Skin79, ElishaCoy, Klairs, etc. to the global market by means of e-commerce.

Customers who make a purchase during the period of September 7 - September 10 will receive Klair's Rich Moist Facial Soap as a Thanksgiving holiday gift.

Be Clean Natural Soap from Klairs.

Made with calamine and yerba mate, the Rich Moist Facial Soap provides excellent soothing effects on sensitive skin. It also contains argan oil, one of nature's best antioxidants, and almond oil, known for its moisturizing properties.

Rich Moist Facial Soap.

Part of Klair's all-new Be Clean Natural Soap line, the Rich Moist Facial Soap is recommended for those with dry, troubled, and sensitive skin. Priced at $99, shoppers can get this product free by using the code 'WISHHOLI' upon checkout.

WishTrend ships worldwide, and even offers free standard shipping for orders over $69. Delivery time is from 3-15 business days, depending on the country of destination. 

And because I'm a big fan of Korean beauty brands, I'm doing a bit of shopping at WishTrend myself. Of course, I'll be claiming my free gift as well. :)

Enjoy the Chuseok holiday, and to all my Korean friends, 추석 잘 보 내 새요Chuseok jal bo nae sae yo! :)

Wordless Wednesday #55 | Happy Chuseok!

It's that time of the year again! It's Chuseok (추석) - Thanksgiving Day in Korea, and the most important holiday in the Land of the Morning Calm.

Chuseok falls on September 19 this year, but the holiday is actually observed for three days (September 18-20). We're joining in the festivities by letting the little man wear his hanbok - the traditional Korean clothes.

To our Hanguk chingu (Korean friends) and to everyone in Korea... 

Happy Thanksgiving! 추석 잘 보내세요!

Cheers to 2013!

2012 was a crazy beautiful year for me. 

Here's hoping that 2013 would be even more wonderful.

Happy New Year, folks!

Ever onward to 2013!

Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, 

and let each new year find you a better man.

- Benjamin Franklin

Wordless Wednesday #11 | Happy Halloween!

Trick or treat!
The little man and I hied off to the mall today for some Halloween fun. There's a costume contest, a Halloween parade, and of course, trick or treatin'! Here are some photos from the event.

Happy Halloween, folks! :)