It was my Korean colleague Seulgi who introduced me to Bindaetteok, Korean mung bean pancake, many moons ago. After work, we went to a tiny Korean restaurant in tiny Koreatown in the CBD area to blow off some steam.
I asked her to order for us. I’ll eat anything, I told her, “but let’s get Soju”. Aside from that, I couldn’t recall much of our conversation that night. It must be the tiredness of work combined with copious amounts of soju that blurred the memory. I do remember thanking her for ordering the Bindaetteok, which was really yummy, before passing out in bed.
Snacking on Bindaetteok at Gwangjang Market
The next time I ate Bindaetteok was years later, at Gwangjang Market, sold by a street vendor inside the market with a long queue of patrons.
The mung beans were freshly grind and fried in front of you.
As expected, the Bindaetteok was delicious, but it was also drenched with oil and oh-so greasy to eat all by myself, so I shared my piece with Fafa. The semi-health gesture backfired because I couldn’t stop thinking about it for days.
Who would have thought fried mung beans could taste oh-so-comforting?! And was it meat I bit into when I ate it??
Alas, I promised myself to eat Bindaetteok again before leaving Seoul.
The next time I had Bindaetteok was in a restaurant inside the same Gwangjang Market. The place was filled with old uncles, it reminded me of a tip given by a Korean friend once:
If you want to eat good food in Korea, find a restaurant filled with old uncles, preferably drunk.
The odd statement stuck with me forever, and I finally could attest to it. My friend was right. The Bindaetteok was so good! This time I had it with Makgeolli (a traditional Korean rice liquor) after seeing other tables order the same combo.
Another good tip to adopt while travelling:
Observe and copy-point at different tables and shamelessly say, “I’ll have the same one, please“.
I quickly learned alcohol and Korean pancakes are a common combo and the perfect winter snack. The greasiness absorbs the alcohol, so you can drink more while eating more ━ an activity right up my alley.
If you enjoy this post, read: Banchan The Icon of Korean Food Culture and Mangwon Market Korea Traditional Market.
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