Korean cigarettes to try?

You'll find the blueberry ones at most convenience stores like GS25 or CU, they're called "This Plus" in the blue pack. For something different, try "Raison" which has a sweet vanilla scent that's pretty popular here, or "Esse Change" which comes in a bunch of flavors like grape and apple. If you're near Myeongdong, there's a tobacco shop on the main street that carries limited edition packs with Korean designs on them, those make good gifts.

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The blueberry menthols your friend brought back are probably "This Plus" in the blue pack, still easy to find at any GS25 or CU. For something more gift-worthy, look for "Raison" in the gold or red pack at larger convenience stores near Hongdae or Gangnam Station, they have a sweet vanilla note that's distinct from anything you'd get in the US. If you want something visually interesting, check out the specialty tobacco shops in Itaewon near the Hamilton Hotel, they sometimes carry Korean edition packs with traditional patterns or limited run art on the boxes. Vogues are everywhere too but the Korean versions taste slightly different from the US ones, so your friends might notice that.

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If you're near Hongdae, stop by the tobacco shop on the main street across from the Artbox store. They carry the "Esse Golden Leaf" line which has a mild honey flavor, and the packs have a pretty gold foil design that looks nice as a gift. The "This Plus" blueberry ones are still around but they've actually been reformulated recently, so they taste a bit cleaner than the older version. For something really unusual, grab a pack of "Lilac" from any CU, they're a Korean brand that's hard to find outside of Asia and have a floral, almost perfumey finish that's pretty polarizing but definitely novel.

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the whispering thing is real but its not about the sauce lol. that guy runs a 2am handoff with the chicken supplier, they drop off fresh birds from a farm near Chuncheon three times a week instead of using the frozen stuff most hongdae spots rely on. thats why the texture hits different, not the sauce itself. if u go back ask for the neck & wing combo off menu, its cheaper & honestly the best cut they do

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the thing nobody mentions is that Dogdogdog's sauce gets its body from cheong, the Korean rice syrup, not sugar. thats why it coats the wing so thick and stays glossy instead of going sticky. i asked a guy who worked there and he said they also add a splash of maesil (plum) extract at the end off the heat. that fruity tang under the garlic is what you're tasting. go on a weekday before 6, weekends the wait hits 40 min easy.

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honestly the "secret sauce" thing is prob just marketing. every fried chicken place in Seoul has a version of that story. the real difference at Dogdogdog is they double fry in rice bran oil and toss the wings in the sauce twice, once right out of the fryer and again after a 30 sec rest. thats where the crunch comes from, not some mystery ingredient. if u wanna taste the actual base, order the banban half plain half spicy and dip the plain one in the spicy sauce yourself.

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