Foods of Pyeongchang: Doam Siktang (도암 식당)

One of Hoenggye's most popular restaurants is Doam Siktang (도암 식당). On any evening in the peak season you can expect to see the restaurant full with people. By far the most popular dish here is the Gangwon-do specialty, Oh-sam-bulgogi (오삼불고기). '오' standing for 오징어 (squid) and '삼' standing for '삼겹살' and of course 불고기 here does not mean beef, but perhaps just refers to the fact that this is cooked in a similar fashion to normal bulgogi, well-marinated and cooked on a pan over a flame on the table.

Gangwon-do, these days, seems to be doing a lot of creative things with their makkoli. One of which I see the most varieties of is corn makkoli. While I'm certainly not against getting creative with makkoli, this particular flavor is just one I can't really enjoy. I have tried at least 3-4 different brands of this, and each time we are left sorely disappointed....

 

Anyway, on to the food. Above is our oh-sam-bulgogi just after it arrived on our table. A few fresh vegetables, but lots of meat and squid.

 While it doesn't look particularly appetizing in the first photo, when it starts cooking it starts looking tastier and tastier. I'm not generally a huge squid fan (though I like it more than other sea creatures), I really do enjoy the squid in this dish. I still am not a big fan of the tentacles yet though.

And of course, when you've eaten 5/6th of your meal, that means it's time to order the bokkumbap. Turn that heat back on and fry up your rice with the remaining meat and sauce. 

Yum yum!

Doam Siktang is located right in the center of downtown Hoenggye, directly to the left of the rotary if you enter coming from the direction of the highway.  The main eating area is actually on the second floor, but they use the first floor for overflow when it gets too crowded.

강원도 대관령면 횡계리 323-6 

Gangwondo, Daewalleong-myon

Hoenggye-ri 323-6

Phone:

--> 033-336-3816

View Doam Siktang 도암식당 in a larger map 

Daegwallyong Snow Flower Festival 2013

Welcome to the 2013 Daegwallyong Snow Flower Festival!

Once again, Hoenggye, the town at the base of Yongpyeong ski resort is hosting the Daegwallyong Snow Flower Festival (대관령 눈꽃 축제). This is my third year to visit the festival, but it continues to be a treat every year. This year, it is being held at the same time as the Special Olympics, so visitors coming in for this big event will also be able to experience the snow festival, too!

There are plenty of winter games and activities to enjoy here. Children will have a blast here, but adults may have some chances to have fun, too. Try sledding, driving an ATV through the snow, taking a horse drawn sleigh ride, riding a donkey through the snow, and riding in a raft pulled by a snowmobile at high speeds are just some of the activities to try. Whatever your taste in winter sports, you'll be sure to find something you enjoy here.

High speed snow rafting

Oh what fun it is to ride... in a one-horse open sleigh

ATVs in the snow

For those who enjoy tamer activities, there are plenty of photo ops with some interesting snow and ice sculptures.

When you get cold, head inside for some snacks, games and shopping. 

lots of snacks 

Local students' drawings representing the olympics coming in 2018

 

Rent your own igloo!

And for the real adventurous types, stay the night in your own personal igloo! Sorry, they're not actually made of snow and ice and they appear to be heated inside... it may not be as authentic as you hope... 

The festival is set up in the center of town, so it's hard to miss. If you drive in, follow the signs for Yongpyong Resort and keep your eyes out for the parking sign written in English and Korean. If you take the bus, it should be a quick taxi ride from either the resort or the bus terminal. Just tell the taxi driver to take you to the 대관령 눈꽃 축제 /daegwallyong nunkkot chukjae/. For more information, check out the website http://www.snowfestival.net/intro (Korean only). There is no entrance fee, just pay for each activity you try. The festival will be open from 1/19-2/5 this year. For photos from previous years please see my posts from 2011 and 2012. 

Foods of PyeongChang: NamKyeong Sikdang (남경식당)

Just on the outskirts of Hoenggye, the town at the base of Yongpyong resort, lies one of the area's most famous restaurants: 남경식당 (Namkyung Restaurant). The restaurant is not too big (though you can see it was extended a lot from it's original size), but when we arrived, the parking lot was full. We were lucky to get a seat since one group left just before we arrived, otherwise we would have been waiting for a table... something I can't remember the last time I did...

The restaurant is famous for three dishes: 꿩만두국 (pheasant dumplings), 막국수 (Makguksu) and 수육 (suyuk). We ordered one  꿩만두국 and one 막국수 to split between the two of us. Apparently, suyuk is their most famous dish, but since it was lunch time, we didn't see anyone eating it.

There's something really exciting about eating pheasant. I'm not sure what it is, I think it's the feeling that you're eating something that the elite would eat... or at least it sounds that way in my mind. In fact, pheasant was the meat of choice to fill dumplings many years ago, but due to overhunting people had to start settling for chicken, coining the 속담 (expression):  꿩 대신 닭  (Chicken instead of pheasant), meaning that you have to settle for second best. A useful expression for those studying for the TOPIK exam :-).

Actually, I couldn't really taste anything different. But I like being able to say that I ate pheasant for lunch. However, the broth on the other hand was the best manduguk broth I've ever had. That is partially because I'm generally extremely dissatisfied with manduguk broth in general, but I can still say, without comparing it to other manduguks in the past, that it was a pretty decent broth which actually contained some flavor that was neither hot pepper powder nor black pepper.

Next was the Makguksu. Makguksu is kind of like bibim naengmyeon, but made with buckwheat (soba) noodles (메밀) rather than potato or sweet potato noodles.  See how all the ingredients are piled, relatively neatly on top of the noodles? Yea, don't eat it like that, mix it up!

 This was also very nice. I like makguksu better than naengmyon because the noodles aren't so chewy.

The restaurant is owned by a somewhat famous local Korean skiier named Kim Hak Rae, however, I think the food is what keeps the people coming in, not the famous name. As we were leaving a bus load of hikers arrived to have some makguksu of their own. As you eat here, be sure to get a seat by the window to enjoy the nice winter scenes right outside the window!

 강원도 평창군

대관령면

횡계3리 21-5번지

(033) 335-5891

Hoenggye-3-ri 21-5

Daegwallyong-myon

Pyeongchang-gun

Gangwon-do, South Korea

(033) 335-5891

View 남경식당 in a larger map

New Year's in Yongpyong

 Bright lights of snow groomers, followed by ski instructors carrying torches in the background

While most folks in Seoul were watching the bell in Jonggak ring, we rang in the new year in a slightly different way. Yongpyong Resort holds its own New Year's festivities. There were concerts going on all evening, but we decided to stay inside, away from the cold. Just before midnight, however, we bundled up and made our way down to the base of the Red slope to watch the midnight show. Midnight was announced with a quick round of fireworks followed by a very impressive (to me) performance of the ski teachers skiing down Red (a double black diamond slope) carrying torches and skiing in formation, first in the shape of '13' and then in varying patterns down the mountain. Ahead of the ski dance, were the snow groomers, as you can see in the photo above. Unfortunately, taking photos of people in the distance, moving quickly, in the dark, with torches, is not really the best lighting conditions... the photo above is the best I have... And to make matters worse, my camera battery died just then, as well. 

This is actually the first New Year's I've ever spent in Korea, so I never put much thought into how Koreans celebrate the solar new year. But, just like Seollal (Lunar New Year), they eat ddeokguk, too. It should really be breakfast, but we had it for lunch at 1,500m above sea level. 

How did you spend your New Year's Eve/Day?

Pyeongchang Winter Wonderland

A famous scene, the top of Rainbow Lift at the peak of Yongpyong Resort

Long time readers of my blog will know that I've become a bit of a ski addict here in Korea over the past four years. This is my third year with a season pass to Yongpyong Resort. I've spent the past four weekends skiing and I'll probably ski just about every weekend until the end of March. For New Year's, we spent three nights and four days staying at a condo at the base of the mountain, and over those four days, it was amazing to see the diference in conditions from day to day. Temperatures varying from 0˚~ -18˚C, bluebell clear days to nearly white out conditions at the summit, bare trees to "눈꽃" ('snow flowers' made by encrusting trees with snow), extreme wind to relative calm. Here are some photos taken between Dec. 29th, 2012- Jan. 1st, 2013.

Too cloudy to bother using the binoculars at the summit of Yongpyong

A view from the base of Rainbow in Yongpyong, Rainbow 1, 2 and 3 in order from left to right. All are either black diamonds or double black diamonds. 

A popular tourist spot at the top of the gondola ... empty on this day due to the snow?

My boyfriend, prepared to be exposed to extreme temperatures

Me, midway down Rainbow 1, my favorite slope

The temperature reading at 9:50am on January 1st. -11˚C at the base of Yongpyong

Skis at the summit

Snow on January 1st, which then led to the worst traffic we've ever seen to return home to Seoul...

Pasture land between Hoenggye and Jinbu, a popular sledding area for kids as well

For more posts about this area, which will host the Special Olympics this year and the 2018 Winter Olympics, please see my other posts about the area.

Tower Condo and Spring Skiing

On Saturday, March 24th, we hopped in the car after work and drove up to Yongpyong, our usual winter destination. While Seoul at that time was starting to feel slightly warmer, Hoenggye, the town at the base of Yongpyeong still had plenty of snow to be had. Another storm had just dropped more snow in the area the day before and we were looking forward to an amazing day of skiing on Sunday.

Kitchen in Tower Condo

When the ski season is still in full swing, booking condos at the resort can be difficult. And expensive of course. Fortunately, we (ahm, aka the boyfriend) bought a condo membership this year, so a night at any of the condos around the resort starts at 70,000 a night instead of around 200,000 per night. So, that took care of the cost. Booking, especially last minute tends to be difficult, but since it was the end of the year we were able to call on the way there and get a room in Tower Condo.

Tower Condo

As the olympics are coming in the next few years, I've been trying to document every place to stay around Yongpyong. So, here's what a basic room in Tower Condo looks like. This is, of course, an ondol room which means there's no bed, just floor mats. Nowadays I sleep on the floor more often than in my own bed so this is nothing strange to me.

Tower Condo

There is a small kitchen with an electric stove with two burners. Unfortunately the sink was seriously blocked which made cooking our spagetti dinner a little difficult.

Bathroom in Tower Condo

The bathroom was nice. No tub in this condo, but it had a nice big shower stall. To see other Yongpyong accomodations, along with other info about Yongpyong, click here.

And as for the skiing? It was great, of course, just like it was at this time last year. Spring skiing in Yongpyeong is usually great! We skied the whole day in beautiful powdery conditions.

The 30th Yongpyong International Ski Festival

The 30th Yongpyong International Ski Festival brought hundreds of foreign guests to Yongpyong Ski Resort this past weekend. Since 1982, this festival has been bringing guests from around the world to experience one of Korea's finest ski resorts and future host to the 2018 Winter Olympics. Festival participants were able to enjoy discounted rates on lift passes, ski and board rentals and condos. The culminating event of the weekend, though, was the ski race on Saturday, a Giant Slalom held on the silver slope, giving an opportunity for all to participate. Ski and snowboard races were held for men, women and children.

Of course, I had to participate as well. Here I am waiting for the Ladies I race to begin.

The U.S. National Ski Patrol was on hand to manage the day's event. They did an amazing job of keeping the hundreds of race participants organized and well informed about the event.

After a few delays it was finally my turn! here I am nearing the bottom of the race. 

 A snowboarder zooming through the Grand Slalom gates

Saturday evening, all were invited to the award ceremony and banquet. Guests were seated according to their nationality and some tables really went all out on their decorations and camaraderie.

U.S. National Ski Patrol's table, decorated in a most American fashion.

The evening started first with dinner, a huge buffet filled with Korean and international options.

After dinner, children and adults were entertained with a magic show. Even as an adult, I was quite impressed with some of the tricks. I could not for the life of me figure out how this card trick worked!

 

A magician doing a magic trick with a volunteer from the audience.

 Winners of the girls' junior ski race, ages 9-13

Finally, the award ceremony began. Prizes were awarded to first, second and third place winners in each division. The representatives from each country went wild when whenever one of their own was sent up to the stage to receive their awards. Flags were waved and winners were often carried on chairs or shoulders wrapped in their national flags to receive their awards. 

 A medalists from Mens' III division from Japan on his way to the stage to receive his award.

And wouldn't you know, I actually got an award myself. 2nd place in the Ladies I division. I got a medal, certificate and my grand prize, a gift certificate to get a free cleaning at a dentist in Seoul. Other awards included ski gear and cell phones for first prize winners. 

Overall, people really seemed to have a great time at this event, which brought out ex-pats from all walks of life, from English teachers to business men and women, all foreigners living here in Korea. Sunday was a day to enjoy skiing on the mountain and there was definitely an international feel to the mountain with hundreds of extra foreigners that the event brought out. I'll be certain to attend next year, and hopefully will be able to grab the gold metal, too, next time!