Last week we spent five days in Seoul, South Korea. This was a necessary side quest, as we had to leave Japan in order to extend our Japanese tourist visas.  We didn’t have a lot of time in Korea, but I think we can now answer the question on everybody’s mind:

Is all fried chicken in Korea, by definition, Korean Fried Chicken?  

To investigate this we found a well reviewed Korean Fried Chicken establishment near our hostel.  The meal was good, but I couldn’t help feeling like I was just eating fried chicken in Korea, as opposed to Korean Fried Chicken.

“Excuse me, do you have any chicken that’s a little more… Korean?  You know, like they serve in Canada?”  

Nobody could answer, as the staff only spoke Korean.  This seemed like a flex.  We left no tip at that restaurant, because tipping is not a thing in South Korea and can be considered rude.

We had better luck with some other national specialties.  The bulgogi burger at McDonald’s definitely seemed authentic.  At the evening markets the street foods were tasty and affordable.

We were really impressed with Seoul in general.  It has ancient temples, futuristic architecture, an excellent transit system and bustling night markets.  It felt like we were experiencing an optimist possible future for humanity, where we all get along, prosper, drive Hyundais and go shopping.

Here are some photos: