I have been living in Apgujeong for 3 years now and I realized that many people don't know much about it. I'm not talking about the huddled masses shopping at the over-hyped outdoor shopping mall of Gangnam, but the area of Apgujeong Rodeo and Sinsa's Garusugil. These places are famous for shopping and being posh, but many foreigners only know about Monkey Beach. One of the best burger places in this country was here and shut down because people weren't coming, so that's partly why I decided to write this blog, to show that there is good food and things to do outside Itaewon. This blog is for those interested in the area but not interested in going to the same places over and over again because you are worried about dropping too much cash on a mistake. I got your back.
food
Best Bowling Alleys /
One of the charms of growing up in America was on special occasions your parents would cram the family into the sedan and head to the noisy, smoke-filled cesspool of awesomeness that was the local bowling alley. Maybe yours was slightly different, but I’m sure it smelt of Marlboro smoke and 70’s carpeting. It had an old lady in rags shoving her last 50 cents into the pull tab machine, a VIP second floor with blacked out windows that who-knows-what was happening in, and bright, hot lights aimed squarely at smooth, wood lanes with three-holed balls sliding their way home to knock down those weak, white guards with their red collars and fat bellies with that unmistakable crack and bounce sound that echoed into your ears while you impatiently waited for the drop-out kid to grab you those disgusting, germ infested shoes we all stole a pair of when they were in style in the 90’s. Am I right? Maybe. Not so much? Whatever. Bowling was fun, and still can be on those dreary Seoul winter nights when your bones are telling you to stay inside. There are not too many options in the Apgujeong area, so I went ahead and checked all of them out for you. All two of them.
Read MoreBest French Fries /
Invariably, when asked what is an “American food” around the world, this ‘dish’ will be in the top 5 on everyone’s lists. Don’t let the name fool you, fries have historically ambiguous beginnings that are still being debated. Was it the Belgians or the French that first started frying up thin slices of potatoes? I don’t know, but what can’t be argued is that since coming to America and, subsequently, being spread around the world by American fast-food chains and expats, this dish is now firmly deep-fried into the minds of most of the non-European world as uniquely American. In Korea, this is the first thing my students come up with when I ask them what is an American food. These days, Seoul is inundated with fries in many forms, mostly of the fast-food soggy sadness variety, however. So where do we get those greasy morsels of heart-stopping goodness we grew up clogging our arteries with? Keep reading to find out my picks for the top six fries in the neighborhood.
Read MoreBest Hot Dog /
There is no need for a list on this topic, there is only one real contender in this category and that is the infamous Super Dog run by the fifth Sgt.-Pepper-era Beatle - Solbin. But there will be no lonely hearts in this club because there is always a band of fans gathered around this hot dog stand. Settled nicely in a back street near such upscale watering holes as the Ho Bar, Bunker, and the Monkey Beaches, he opens late to feed the drinking masses.
Read MoreBest Mexican /
One thing an American seeks out wherever he or she roams is good Mexican food. In fact, I believe the spread of Mexican food around the world has been a result of American travelers and expats more than Mexicans themselves, evidenced by where we find Mexican food and what kind. What I’m speaking of is Americanized Mexican food. So, keep in mind when I am writing about Mexican food, I am talking about Americanized Mexican, like the typical American recognizes and likes. Nachos! Americanized Mexican is pretty straight forward – meat, cheese, tortilla, beans & rice, and salsa in large portions. That is the basics. Going the extra mile with creative items and hand-made sauces are really where a place will thrive on my list.
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