If you are not an avid fan of my Instagram account, you may have been wondering where the hell I have been for the past two months. For those who don’t stalk my every move, I relocated from my home in Seoul up to Gangneung for the 2018 Pyeongchang, Winter Olympic Games. Whilst I had planned to share with you all the wonderful places that I ate at, I was much much busier than expected. In fact once the games started I barely saw daylight, and didn’t do a whole lot else other than work and sleep. So all those those lovely articles I had planned to write for you kinda got put on the back burner. One of the articles I was most excited to share with you was my where to eat in Gangneung post, as I knew how many of you would be visiting the area, and would be in desperate need of sustenance. However despite my best laid plans, I really didn’t go out a whole lot, or have time to tell you about it. Whilst I completely dropped the ball, my good friend Mimsie over at My Seoul Searching came up with a cracking list of places to eat so I hope that got you through the games. While the Olympics are more or less over now, Gangneung is still a beautiful place to visit and has the most stunning beach I have seen seen in Korea. So once the weather gets a little bit nicer I shall definitely be going up there on the weekends, which is now especially easy thanks to the direct 2 hour KTX. So if you happen to be in the area, these are the places that get my personal stamp of approval.
Craft Beers - Budnamu Brewery
Budnamu Brewery
Platter - Budnamu Brewery
Budnamu Brewery
Mushroom Pizza - Budnamu Brewery
Budnamu Brewery
Budnamu Brewery – This was the firsts place we went out to and I have to say I was really impressed. The craft brewery has a a nice selection of home brewed beers, and wonderful array of food. We were a big group so enjoyed most menu items, the mushroom pizza, platter, fish and chips, and beef bourguignon were the standouts but everything was great, and the place had a really fun atmosphere. The only thing that slightly bothered me, was that there were no other alcohols beside beer, but I’m just a very picky drunken old hag, and everyone else was more than happy with the selection. Budnamu Brewery is located at 93-8 Hongje-dong, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do. For more information check out their facebook page.
La Cocina
Jamon - La Cocina
Paella - La Cocina
Salad - La Cocina
Garlic mushrooms - La Cocina
Chorizo - La Cocina
Pasta - La Cocina
La Cocina
Menu - La Cocina
La Cocina – One of the times my darling TFB came to visit me, we went for a romantic date night out to the Spanaish Tapas restaurant La Cocina. When the tax dropped us off I kind of felt like we had entered a small town horror movie as it was in the middle of nowhere. However once we got inside the ambiance was warm and welcoming. The food was unbelievably good, and so well priced. There are half a dozen set menus to choose from in which you pay per person. We opted for the 25,000 per person set which included 7 kinds of tapas and paella. This was honestly one of the best value meals I have ever had. The food was terrific and some of the dishes like the garlic mushrooms were orgasmic. I also enjoyed the fact that the tapas are completely up to the chefs discretion, meaning he makes what he fancies, meaning you’ll never get the same meal twice. With our drinks, I think the whole meal was around 65,000 for the pair of us, this place is a must try. La Cocina is located at 228-13 Nanseolheon-ro, Chodang-dong, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do. For more information you can visit their facebook page.
Paul & Mary - Bacon Mozzarella Burger
Paul & Mary - fries
Paul & Mary - burger
Paul & Mary - Lemonade
Paul & Mary
Paul & Mary’s – You know I love a great burger, so when my bestie Alan told me about a banging burger joint in Gangneung I had to go. Located on the beach, it has a real weather worn cozy feeling, like you stepped in to 1970s Maine or something. The menu is made of of a collection of burgers, all of which are priced between 6,000-7,000. Not only are the burgers cheap, they are humongous. I got the bacon mozzarella, which was absolutely slathered in cheese, and pilled high with salad. Eating it was pretty tricky, but if you are willing to get a bit messy it can be done without a knife and fork. Besides the burgers they also had some very tasty shakes and fries, along with a delicious lemonade. For drinkers their are beers on the menu too. We all left very happy with our meal. Paul & Mary is located at 33 Changhae-ro 350beon-gil, Gangmun-dong, Gangneung, Gangwon-do.