Each month Aussie producer Tom Piper, who is part owner of new Aussie label Medium Rare Recordings, will be giving you the lowdown on a city that he’s been too! Tom assures us, he won’t be delving into normal tourist stuff; just the real ‘freshness’ – clubs, shops, food and anything obscurely cool. Having done a wrap of Tokyo, this month sees Tom talk about his the largest metropolis of South Korea, Seoul!

SEOUL

 

So last month my first ever travel vibe was published, must have been ok cause I’m back and now we are flying 2 hours to the west of Tokyo. Welcome to Seoul!!!!

SHOPPING VIBE

 

Geez, where to start?? Seoul has a massive vibe on shopping, there are street markets all over the place, the sort of markets that sell everything … not really my vibe but worth a peep cause its the Korean version of Paddy’s and you might find some cool stuff. The one I have been to a few times is behind a department that’s worth checking out called SHINSEGAE. Another massive shopping center / mall to check out is LOTTE, I’m pretty sure you can’t miss it if you going to Seoul, it has a theme park and a hotel in it. Actual haha.

I could be wrong but I think that maybe MYEONG-DONG, is a suburb of JUST shops.. at least it seemed that way to me. Wander around and get lost in shopping mayhem. Check out KASIMA in NOON SQUARE, it’s a chain around Seoul but there’s a T1 NIKE store next to that one 😀 Probably the most Korean-style street clothing vibe was A LAND… also heaps of these around Seoul but perhaps the MYEONG-DONG one is the biggest. Shops are open mad late there.

Grab a cab or subway to HONG-DAE similar to Harajuku for me with cool designer outlets and lots of little one off random shops selling different brands, plus all the regular sickness like KASIMA and that. Cool bars n food places all over too!! Heaps of shopping basically all over Seoul.. You can hit up GANGNAM, ITAEWON, everywhere.. The Koreans are all over it!!

Check out TECHNOLAND, a big variety store, that’s open 24 hours and sells everything from cat food to Neumann microphones. Crazy. Sick. Love it.

FOOD VIBE

 

There is so much standout Korean specialties, I wont be able to give Korean food slight justice with the space I have but I’ll mention few things I dug.. won’t go on about BULGOGI and DUMPLINGS. I think we’ve got them pretty sorted here at home.

KOCHI is my favorite style of food in Korea, I even named a song after it (check it out, Tom Piper & Kid Massive – KOCHI KOCHI). KOCHI comes as fresh platters of skewers with different meats and vegetables that you cook yourself on your own personal mini coals bbq! The main vibe is the marinated lamb with dope dipping spices & sauces on the side. You go to these places with friends, drink beer and sochu till the early morning and cook skewers of maximum vibe as you see fit 😀

BI BIM BAP is a VERY traditional Korean vibe, you’ll def run into it. I quite like it and to be fair it was good everywhere, even on a flight… so just make sure you go in on it at least once! I think there’s many different combinations but basically you get boiled rice, kimchi, meat, maybe an egg, some vegies and Korean chili sauce, mix it all urrpppp and BOOOOOM – BI BIM BAP!! Nice.

As you wander around shopping you’ll see little food stalls non-stop.. I didn’t go in on all these but I can vouch for the EGG ON TOAST ones. Sounds simple, is simple, but tastes sick, specially when your freezing your ass off in winter. Think of it as a Korean version of french toast!!

If your after modern-Korean pimp vibes I have to recommend POOM, I’ve been to a few real good places in Seoul but this was def the top vibe!!! Everything about this place is dope, original menu, amazing vibe, unquestionable service and you look out across Seoul from your table! JUNG SIK DANG was also pretty sick.

MAKKOLI is a traditional old-school alcohol that has become real popular again! When I explain this you might be like WTF but please do try it. If I was going to compare the texture, look and taste it’s a cross between Beer & Milk haha. I know that sounds rank but its dope!! It’s cloudy but thin, lightly carbonated, sweet but savory! Lot’s of fun too as you pour bottles of it into a cauldron like thing and use little bucket cups to scoop it up… you have to skull each serving and then wave it over your head to show you finished it. They always serve MAKKOLI with a pancake dish (PAJEON) that works as a perfect partner in crime.

Warning: DO NOT PUT SOCHU IN YOUR MAKKOLI CAULDRON, IT MIGHT SEEM LIKE A GOOD IDEA AT THE TIME…AND I WAS WARNED BUT THE LAST THING I REMEMBER FROM THAT NIGHT WAS POURING THE SOCHU, THEN NADA! HAHA ARGH.

SHAMELESS PLUG: My friend has a restaurant in Seoul called DE KARMELIET… it’s Korea’s only Belgian restaurant. Amazing vibe and food, check it out if you get sick of kimchi! There’s a studio in the bottom floor, so maybe you can convince him to max some tunes after your Pommes Frites & Mussels!

CLUB VIBE

 

Clubbing is a huge part of youth culture in Korea, and dance music is massive… the main vibe (apart from K-Pop!). There are clubs all over the place, and they are all pretty ridic!!! Hotels such as W or the HYATT also run club-like events! I have played at the W before, was a great show but very surreal as the gig was in the lobby. During the day it’s all classy and relaxed, piano player etc etc, I went up to my room, slept, came back down and it had transformed to a full on club with crazy production, was dope. Actually one of the best gigs I’ve played was in BUSAN (one hour south of Seoul; apparently the Korean version of Miami, or the Gold Coast). Club was called FIX, the first time to shoot a CO2 cannon too!

Last time I was in Seoul I think the latest club was SYNDROME. You walk downstairs and it opens up into a swimming pool and VIP area.. walk down and just past the pool and you’ll be on the main dance floor, it’s probably about the size of The Met in Brisbane, but with not as high a ceiling (as it’s underground). OCTAGON is another vibe that has a made a very good name for itself as a premier underground spot and def worth a peep. Other clubs I have heard of but not been to are ELLUI, EDEN, ANSWER & MASS. If you are going with a group it really might be a good idea to book a table at these places, of course you don’t have to but you might be much more comfortable as the club layouts are a bit different to Australian vibes.

So there’s actually a pretty cool random custom that Korean clubs have called “Booking”. If you are at a club that has tables / table service you can call the waiter and request a “Booking”. He or she will then go over to another table of the opposite sex and bring them over to you for a chat, if you all get along they’ll join your table and party, otherwise they’ll go back to their own table and the night continues, no stress. I guess this can happen here anyway without it being a “thing”… but over there it’s completely normal and expected haha.

BONUS VIBE

 

If you want to go to the DMZ / JSA (border with North Korea), you really must pre-book in advance, so remember that. There are heaps of free or basically free old-school Palaces all around Seoul and an old school Korean village is called a Hanok, I reckon check out the BUKCHON HANOK VILLAGE if you have time. N Seoul Tower is pretty tourist vibes but good view! So much stuff I couldn’t include here so if your going to head over hit me up on Twitter or Facebook and I’ll word you up some more 😀 @tompiperfresh