Anyone wanna explore food in Seoul?

Since you're near the end of your trip, you should hit up a proper naengmyeon place before you go back. Pildong Myeonok in Chungmuro does a cold buckwheat noodle that cuts through the heat way better than anything you'll find in Canada. It's around 10,000 won for the mul naengmyeon and the broth is almost like a cold beef consomme with that perfect tangy vinegar kick.

For the buffet craving, skip the meat places and go to a kimbap heaven type spot instead. There's one near Ewha Womans University station that does a lunch buffet for like 9,000 won and they rotate through 40 different banchan and mains. It's popular with students so you'll get that same young crowd energy without paying Hongdae prices.

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ngl the buffets around Hongdae are pretty solid for the price. there's a place called 자연별곡 in the AK Plaza that does a huge veggie and meat spread for like 25,000 won, way more variety than the usual 고기집 stuff

but if you're into noodles and want something unique, try the jjolmyeon at 신전떡볶이 in Sinchon. it's a chain but that specific location has this spicy sweet sauce that's addicting, and you can add cheese or dumplings for like 1,000 won extra. not a buffet but you can order a ton for cheap

also fyi most places close between 3-5pm so plan your eating times around that if you're hitting multiple spots in one day

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tbh if you're in seoul and want noodles that aren't the usual kalguksu, try out the udon at 부자동네 in hongdae. it's this tiny basement spot near the main street and their curry udon is like 9000 won, super thick broth with hand-pulled noodles. for all-you-can-eat i'd skip the kbbq chains and go to 신촌황소곱창 in sinchon, it's about 25000 won for unlimited gopchang and they grill it with garlic and perilla leaves right at your table. they also have a noodle add-on at the end where they fry up the leftover fat with rice and noodles, messy but so worth it

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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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