Travel – Page 5 – Busan Travel & Living

The Four Best Bakeries in Busan

January 25, 2023February 23, 2023Posted in Cafes, TravelLeave a comment

When you think of Korean bakeries, chain bakeries such as Paris Baguette or Tous les Jour may come to mind. While Busan is full of popular chain bakeries, there are some hidden gems scattered around the city which I can help you find.

1. OPS

If you are looking for one of the best bakeries in Busan, you won’t want to overlook OPS.

Ops is run by a talented chef who studied baking and pastry art in Japan. This makes for a unique blend of Japanese, French and Korean techniques.

Even when Koreans tour Busan, they visit OPS, because their bread is amazing.

Ops has successfully expanded across Busan with 10 different locations. Some of these locations include:

1) Ops in Marine City

2) Ops near Haeundae Beach

3) Ops in W Square

4) Ops at the Lotte Department Store Seomyeon

The delicious Ops bread is also available for purchase online.

2. Lee HeungYong (이흥용) Bakery

Another great bakery in Busan is the Lee HeungYong Bakery. The pronunciation may be a little challenging because it is named after the resident pastry chef, Lee Heung Yong. Lee is one of the few nationally recognized master artisans of baking in Korea. Korea awards the title of master artisan to individuals who are the best at their respected line of culinary arts. Lee Heung Yong is the 13^th master artisan to be selected in the baking category!

There are five Lee HeungYong bakeries in Busan. They are as follows:

1) Lee HeungYong Bakery Sinsegae Department Store B1

2) Lee HeungYong Bakery Munhyeon-dong

3) Lee HeungYong Bakery PNU

Also, Yong recently opened a bakery café in the Chiram area of Gijang. The name of his café is “칠암 사계,” meaning “Four Seasons of Chiram.” This ocean front café is gigantic! Although it is on the outskirts of Busan, it is always packed with customers.

3. Baekgudang (백구당)

Baekgudang is far from fancy, but instead more authentic and local.

Baekgudang is one of the oldest running bakeries in Busan, having first open its doors in 1957. This family-owned business has been operated by three generations of bakers.

There you can find a variety of Korean bread, including Patbbang (red bean bun bread) and Soboro Bread (a peanut streusel bread). The bakery is open from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Their bread and cakes are 20 percent off if you visit after 8:00 p.m. on weekdays and after 6:00 p.m. on weekends.

4. BNC

Next on the list is BNC. BNC was chosen as one of the three representative bakeries in Busan. Their branch located in the Busan Train Station is frequented by many tourists, eager to get one last taste of authentic Busan baking before leaving the city.

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Five Samgyeopsal (Grilled Pork Belly) Restaurants You Must Try in Haeundae

January 24, 2023January 24, 2023Posted in Cafes, Cafes & Restaurants, TravelLeave a comment

I read an article once that said that two people who eat Samgyeopsal on their first date have a higher chance of there being more chemistry between them. Some say that grilling the meat can help break the ice and calm first-date nerves.

I don’t know how accurate that is, but you can never go wrong with Samgyeopsal! So, don’t leave Busan without trying Samgyeopsal.

If you are looking for good Samgyeopsal restaurants in the Haeundae area, keep scrolling!

1. An-Ga (안가)

Anga is so popular that it was even recognized by CNN as one of the best BBQ restaurants in Busan! No wonder this place is always crowded with non-Koreans.

The most popular dishes are 가로막살 and 황제살. 가로막살 is a galbi style meat coated in a sweet soy sauce. 황제살 is a different part of pork that tastes like Samgyeosal.

The restaurant serves side dishes (banchan), veggies, and seaweed soup for free.

After you finish your meat, you can choose either rice with Deonjang Stew (된장찌게) or Naengmyeon (cold noodle).

First, the waiter will cook your meat for you, but later you must grill the meat by yourself.

Dinner is only available in Anga, from 5 pm to midnight (except on Monday).

The restaurant is only about a 3 to 5-minute walk from the Jungdong subway station.

If you plan on driving there, know that there are only two parking spots available on the property. You could also park either at the Emart or the Rodeo Outlet nearby.

2. Undaedon (운대돈)

Jeju Island in Korea is well-known for its pork, and Undaedon serves the best Jeju pork.

The interior of the restaurant is very Jeju-ish, decorated with ocean and volcanic stones.

Undaedon is a little different compared to other Samgyeolsal restaurants when it comes to receiving your order. There you are supposed to order 300 grams of food at a time. 300 grams (aka 반근 “half geun”) serves 2-3 people and 600 grams feeds 4-5 people.

Unfortunately, if you and your friends want 100 more grams of food after finishing the 반근 (300 grams), you can’t just order 100 more grams for the table. Instead, you must order another 300 grams (36,000 won) of food.

When you finish your meat, I suggest ordering a bowl of rice with Deonjang Stew.

Undaedon’s Deonjang Stew contains a lot of seafood (shrimp, warty sea squirt, and clam).

Undaedon is open from 12:00 pm to 10:00 pm every day. They accept orders until 9:30 pm. It is located on the first floor of the Aratrium building in Marine City.

3. Madangsoi (마당쇠)

This Samgyeopsal place is also located on the first floor of the World Mark building in Marine City.

Their Samgyeopsal starts at 12,500 won per 130 grams.

Here, the waitress cooks your meat on a grill right in front of you. All you need to do is just eat and relax.

In many restaurants in Korea, you can order just a bowl of rice, right? Well, at Madangsoi, when you order your meat, you are supposed to order rice with an even number. This is because the rice cookers are lined up at the entrance of the restaurant and as soon as your order is made, they cook the rice. By the time you finish your meat, the rice is ready! Parking is available at the World Mark building.

4. Obanjang (오반장)

Obanjang has a special grill that cooks 계란찜 (steamed egg) while you cook your own meat.

Your first steamed egg is on the house, but if you want to order more, they cost 1,000 won. This restaurant is super popular, and many celebrities have given it a try too. Some of their autographs are displayed on the walls of the restaurant.

Obanjang has both a beef and pork menu. Depending on the type of meat you order, they will give you a specific grill. Obangang is located next to the Industrie Hotel in the Gunam-ro strip.

5. Gudeokpo Kkut-zip gogi (구덕포 끝집 고기)

Among the Samgyeolsal places that I’ve recommended, this one might be the most touristy. As the name suggests (if you understand Korean), this restaurant is located at the end of Songjeong beach, in the “Gudeokpo” area.

It is difficult to get here by public transport, but the view is just unbeatable. Another good thing about this restaurant is that its pet friendly. You are more than welcome to take your puppies with you to dinner.

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Seollal Rabbit Sculpture

January 21, 2023January 20, 2023Posted in Busan News, Festivals & Events, LivingLeave a comment

Happy Seollal! Seollal means the year of the rabbit officially begins.

Just remember that you can’t call it the year of the rabbit unless you see a rabbit sculpture.

There is one in the Busan Children’s Park located in the Choeup-dong, Jingu district.

This 3-meter-long rabbit installation will be up until February 5th.

There are also some LED rabbits scattered around the park.

Plus, if you visit the travel information booth, you can get a free postcard. If you write a wish on your card, the park staff will hang it on a tree for it to come true.

Busan Concerts in February 2023

January 20, 2023January 20, 2023Posted in Entertainment, TravelLeave a comment

Show Me the Money 11 Concert

Show Me the Money is a very popular Korean Hiphop reality competition show.

Performers will hold a live concert in Busan next month.

Date: 6:00 p.m on Saturday, February 4^th

Venue: Busan KBS Hall

2. Jang Yoonjeong

Jang Yoonjeong, one of the top female kpop solo artists in the Trot genre will be going on tour. Her Busan tour information is as follows.

Date: 2:00 p.m. and 6 p.m on Saturday, February 11^th

Venue: Bexco Auditorium

3. Maksim Mrvica

Maksim Mrvica, one of the most popular classical crossover pianists, will hold a concert in Korea for the first time in five years. His Busan tour information is as follows.

Date: 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 25^th

Venue: Bexco Auditorium

A Visit to the Dermatologist [Wart Removal]

January 15, 2023January 15, 2023Posted in Entertainment, TravelLeave a comment

We all occasionally get warts, right? In Korea, they are called either “쥐젖,” meaning “mice’s breast,” or “편평사마귀.” In the past, I have had them on my neck and chest. I also noticed on outbreak after I gave birth. They were not painful and looked somewhat insignificant. However, once I learned that they could spread and/or get bigger, I wanted them removed immediately.

This led me to visit the dermatologist. If you would like to do something about your warts, keep reading!

General Information

The name of the clinic: The First Dermatology Clinic

Location: 3rd floor, Luminus Tower Building, Suyeong-ro 299, Nam-gu District (The clinic is only about 3 to 5-minute walk from Kyungsung and Pukyong National University subway station.)

Hours of operation: 10:00 am to 7:00 pm through Monday to Friday / 10:00 am to 8 pm on Friday / 9:00 am to 2:00 pm on Saturday

Normally when I visit the demonologist, I see Dr. Chae, but this time I saw Dr. Choi. I felt more comfortable with the female Dr. Choi because my warts were on my neck and chest.

Once I was in the clinic, a consultant took a careful look at my warts.

I recommend wearing a zip-up jacket with a tank top underneath so that the nurses can easily examine you.

Next, the nurse explained how the procedure would go and how much it would cost. After counting the number of warts, I was told that it would cost around 120,000 won, which sounded reasonable to me. (1 wart=a little less than $10)

Also, I would keep in mind that the national medical insurance company does not cover wart removals, so how much you pay depends solely on how many warts you have.

So, after changing into a robe, I was taken to a room where the numbing cream would be applied. I was told to wait around 30-40 minutes for the numbing cream to take effect.

Finally, I was led into the operating room, and I was given a plush doll to squeeze just in case the procedure became too painful. Luckily, the procedure only took around 10 minutes and barely hurt. However, I was told that there might still be a few dark spots on my skin where the warts used to be.

They put a derma band on where I had my warts removed and I was told to change the bandages after two days. These derma bands are available at any pharmacy and could also be purchased at the clinic.

It has been a month since the producer and just look at the before and after pictures!

I hope that they will never come back!

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Gwangalli M Drone Light Show (Line-up for January)

January 3, 2023February 28, 2023Posted in Busan News, Festivals & Events, TravelLeave a comment

Gwangalli M Drone Light Show is a FREE attraction that is held every Saturday in front of Gwangalli Beach. It has quickly become one of the most popular attractions in the Gwagalli area.

Check out the line-up for January.

January 7^th : Drones will decorate the sky with a North Pole theme.

January 14^th : Drones will display winter sports in the sky.

January 21^st : There are usually two drone shows on Saturday, one at 7pm and one at 9pm. In order to celebrate the Lunar New Year aka Seollal, a total of 1,500 drones will create a Seollal themed performance at 7 pm.

January 28^th : Things relating to “Frozen” will be displayed in the sky.

When: Twice every Saturday

Drone show starting time: 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm (March – September)

7:00 pm & 9:00 pm (October – February)

Location: Gwangalli Beach

How to get there: Gwangan Station (Busan Subway Line 2), Exit 3 or Exit 5

Tips: Parking is extremely difficult in the Gwangalli area, especially on the weekend. I highly recommend you use public transportation.

Eight Things to Do in the Shinsegae Centum City Department Store

December 26, 2022February 23, 2023Posted in Entertainment, Things to do with Kids, TravelLeave a comment

The Shinsegae Centum City Department Store is not only a landmark in Busan but one of the largest department stores in the world!

If you are looking for some indoor activates to keep you out of the cold weather in Busan, you should consider checking out the Shinsegae Centum City Department Store. There is so much more to do than just shopping!

1. Spa Land

While Busan is known for its high-quality spas, Spa Land located in the Shinsegae Department Store may be the best!

They offer a variety of baths and saunas in their separated men and women facilitates. After enjoying the spa, you can head over to their entertainment zones. Children under six years old are not allowed to enter the facilities.

Spa Land is open for longer than the rest of the department store. They open at 8 a.m. and close at 11 p.m. Ticket cost 20,000 won for adults and 15,000 won for children.

(Pictured below is an image from their website.)

2. Movies

While the CGV movie theatre is located on the 6th floor, the special theater equipped with memory foam seats and pillows is located on the 5th floor, inside the Cine de Chef restaurant.

Complimentary drinks and adjustable seats can be yours for 40,000 won.

3. The Shinsegae Ice Rink

The Shinsegae Ice Rink located on the 4^th floor of the Shinsegae Centum City Department Store offers a wide range of sessions for kids and adults.

The ice rink is open from 10:30 am to 6:00 pm on weekdays and from 10:30 am to 8:30 pm on weekends.

Admission: 13,000 won for those above middle school age/ 10,000 won for kids on weekdays,

14,000 won for those above middle school age/ 11,000 won for kids on weekends

The price for renting skates: 4,000 won

You must wear a pair of gloves to enter the ice rink. If you don’t have any, you must buy some at the shop near the entrance.

4. Kizania

Kizania located on the 4th floor of the Shinsegae Mall is a chain kids indoor theme park where they can experience nearly 100 different occupations, including a pilot, surgeon, dentist, firefighter, TV announcer… and many more! The kids look super cute wearing their different job uniforms!

The park is best suitable for kids ages 3 to 12. There are two available play sessions per day. The morning session lasts from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm, while the afternoon session runs from 3:00 pm to 7:30 pm. The price for admission is 49,000 won for children and 20,000 won for adults.

5. Food

Korean, Chinese, Thai, and Italian cuisine are all available inside the department store. There are restaurants located on the 4th of the Shinsegae Mall and on the 9th floors of the Shinsegae Department Store. There is also a food court on level B1. So many choices!

There are many cafes, including a Starbucks on the 4th floor, a Café Kitsune on the 3rd floor, and a Layered on level B1.

6. Outdoor Park on the 9th Floor

This outdoor park is free for anyone who wishes to use it. The playground overlooks the city of Busan and can be enjoyable to both children and adults. It reminds me of the park at the Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay.

7. Lego Brick Live Kids Café

If you are a parent who needs a couple of hours to shop by yourself, I recommend dropping your kids off at the Lego Brick House on the 4th floor. There, trained employees will watch your kids while you shop, but keep in mind that they must be at least four years old. It costs 12,000 won for one hour, 20,000 won for two hours, 40,000 won for a whole day.

8. Shopping, Shopping, Shopping!

You can’t complete your visit to the Shinsegae Department Store without shopping, right?

This department store sells everything from international luxury brands to little souvenirs.

If you are a traveler, check out Duty Free located on the level B1.

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Haeundae Polar Bear Swim Festival Returns

December 21, 2022December 21, 2022Posted in Busan News, Festivals & Events, Living, TravelLeave a comment

The Haeundae Polar Bear Swim Festival, recognized as one of the top 10 best winter sports by BBC, is being held for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Around 4,500 brave participants will swim in the ice-cold water at Haeundae Beach. Along with this, other events like parades and concerts will occur.

If you want to participate in the event, visit bear.busan.com.

When: Saturday, December 24th, 2022 at 12:30pm

Where: Haeundae Beach

Grand Moment Youth Hostel [Hotel Review]

December 16, 2022January 7, 2023Posted in Hotels, TravelLeave a comment

While I was driving around the Kyungsung University area the other day, I noticed a brand-new building near the Hwangnyeong tunnel. After doing some research on Naver, Korea’s most popular search engine, I discovered that it was a youth hostel / wedding venue. It looked nice, so I decided to take my family there on a staycation. Here is what I thought of it!

What is Grand Moment Youth Hostel Like?

The Grand Moment Youth Hostel, situated in Hwangnyeongsan Mountain, opened its doors in August of this year. With 117 brand new rooms, it is the place to be!

The standard check in time is at 3 pm and check-out is at 11 am.

The Grand Moment Youth Hostel has also become a very popular wedding venue. It is the perfect location for newlyweds to host their ceremony because of its ideal location and accessible parking.

If you want to find more information, you can visit their website: grandmoment.co.kr. Details are available in Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese and Cantonese.

What Are the Rooms Like?

It may just be me, but when I hear “youth hostel,” the first thing that pops into my head is a dormitory with bunk beds.

Fortunately, the rooms at the Grand Moment Youth Hostel were far from that. The rooms are very similar to those in a standard hotel, some even larger.

I stayed in a room that was best suitable for three people. It featured a bedroom with two beds (one queen-sized bed and one single-sized bed) and a bathroom.

All personal hygiene items were provided at no additional charge.

The room I stayed in was faced Kyungsung University and the apartment complexes nearby.

However, if you are lucky, you can get a room that has a view of Hwangnyeong mountain. Maybe I’ll go back next spring when the cherry blooms are blooming and request a room with the mountain view. (Pictured below is an image from their website.)

I reserved a room through their website and paid around 143,000 won.

The price for single room starts at 70,000 won. (So reasonable!)

What About the Facilities?

The hostel offered breakfast in the lobby at 14,900 won. (Oddly enough, the lobby was on level B4, but it was on the ground floor.) As the Grand Moment Youth Hostel is still very new and does not have enough guests, the staff said that the restaurant is only open during the weekend between 7 am and 9 am.

In the lobby, there was a water purifier and coffee machine. Free coffee was available 24/7.

There was also a laundry room located on the 2nd floor.

What Else Can You do in the Area?

Kyungsung University / Pukyoung National University: Because there are two large universities in the area, there are hundreds of cafes, restaurants, and pubs to check out.

Gwangalli Beach: By taxi, you can get to the Gwangalli Beach area in less than 10 minutes. Gwangalli is always bustling with people who are excited to try all the cafes, restaurants, and pubs nearby. Also, don’t miss out on the free drone light show which happens every Saturday.

Hwangnyeongsan Mountain: Many people go to Hwangnyeongsan Mountain to enjoy the view of Busan. You can either hike or drive to Hwangneongsan Moutain.

How do I Get to the Grand Moment Youth Hostel?

The Grand Moment Youth Hostel is only about a 10-minute walk from the Namcheon Station, Subway Line 2. But personally, I would recommend taking a taxi from Namcheon Station because it is right by the highway.

Conclusion

If you are looking for an affordable place to stay in Busan, I would recommend the Grand Moment Youth Hostel.

Even if you live in Busan, this would be a great place to have your next staycation!

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Gwangalli M Drone Light Show (Line-up for December)

December 9, 2022January 30, 2023Posted in Busan News, Festivals & Events, Living, TravelLeave a comment

Gwangalli M Drone Light Show is a FREE attraction held twice every Saturday in front of Gwangalli Beach. Despite the cold weather, Gwangalli Beach has been flocked with locals and tourists, eager to watch the different light shows.

This month features a variety of themes.

December 10^th Drones will put on a Christmas themed performance at 7:00 p.m.

December 17^th Due to the Busan Firework Festival, Gwangalli Drone Light Show will not happen on this day.

December 24^th This show’s theme is “Marriage Proposal.” For this event, the Suyeong-gu District had Busan citizens participate by sending in their love stories. Lucky couples will have the opportunity to make their once-in-a-life-time proposal memorable.

December 31^st To celebrate New Year’s Eve, a total of 1,500 drones will create a countdown just before 12:00 am.