Korea for Foodies: Seoul, Busan & Buddhist Temple Food with Jeong Kwan | Korean BBQ, Michelin Stars

Eat Your Way Through South Korea — Seoul, Buddhist Temple Food & Busan's Best Bites | Travels with Darley Join Darley Newman on a culinary deep dive through South Korea, tasting everything from Michelin-starred Seoul restaurants and traditional market street food to mindful Buddhist temple cuisine and freshly caught Busan seafood. Including multiple places for the best vegetarian and vegan food in Korea. From the Han River to remote hillside breweries, this episode explores Korean culture through its most compelling lens: food. What You'll Experience in This Episode: ✅ Forest Kitchen, Lotte World Mall, Seoul — The first vegan dining restaurant in South Korea. Junho Moon walks Darley through an 11-course plant-based tasting menu, from Korean pear sorbet to smoked Spanish-style finger food. ✅ Dosan Hoikwan, Seoul — Jacob Lee explains the cultural history behind Korea's beloved Korean BBQ, from the Korean War's influence on meat-eating culture to melt-in-your-mouth tenderloin over charcoal. ✅ Sinsa Neighborhood Nightlife, Seoul — YouTube creator Paul Hershberger of Tastes Seoul Good leads Darley through Seoul's "work hard, play hard" nightlife, including a private noraebaang (karaoke room) session. ✅ Mangwon Market, Seoul — Local guide Mari Cho takes Darley to one of Seoul's most authentic traditional markets, with Chicken Five Ways, golden fried peppers, and marshmallow-torched ice cream. ✅ Golden Piece, Seoul — Translator and guide Aram Ro introduces Darley to Yakgwa, Korea's centuries-old honey pastry, once considered medicine, and a staple of the Chuseok holiday. ✅ Vers Cafe, Seoul — Joe McPherson, owner of local tour company ZenKimchi, unpacks the rise of Seoul's thriving café culture and themed coffee shop scene. ✅ Mosu Seoul — Three Michelin star chef Sung Anh — born in Seoul, trained at The French Laundry, and a US Army veteran — shares his signature abalone taco, popcorn broth rice, and Hanu beef dishes, inspired by a Thanksgiving dinner in West Virginia. ✅ Han River Park, Seoul — Guide Aram Ro joins Darley for a classic Korean experience: convenience store ramyeon by the river, the proper way — slurping required. ✅ Korean Highway Rest Stop (Hyugeso) — Aram shares the iconic road trip snacks of Korea: tornado potatoes, Sotteok Sotteok (sausage and rice cake skewers), baked guun gamja (salted potatoes), and Hodugwaja walnut cakes. ✅ Baekyangsa Temple, Naejangsan National Park — Darley stays overnight at one of South Korea's most famous temple stay destinations, participating in chanting, meditation, and tea ceremony with the head monk. ✅ Temple Food with Jeong Kwan, Chunjinam Hermitage — The venerable Jeong Kwan — Buddhist nun and global culinary icon made famous by Netflix's Chef's Table — teaches Darley her philosophy of food as meditation, featuring her signature pyogo (shiitake) mushroom dish and ingredients grown entirely on-site. ✅ Haeundae Beach, Busan — South Korea's most famous beach, with skyline views and fresh kimbap at a local fast-casual spot. ✅ Bread Meet Paris, Busan — Local guide Elisha Park (returning from the Travels with Darley Jeju Island episode) shows why French pastries and croissants have taken hold in Korean café culture. ✅ Milmyeon Noodles, Busan — Elisha introduces Darley to milmyeon, Busan's beloved cold wheat noodle dish — spicy, sweet, and utterly addictive. ✅ Jagalchi Seafood Market, Busan — Korea's largest seafood market, where Darley and Aram pick live abalone straight from the tank for a fresh ocean-to-table lunch upstairs. ✅ Makgeoli Brewery with Grand Master Yoo Chung-gil, Busan — The 15th-generation Grand Master of Korea's traditional folk rice wine walks Darley through a 500-year-old foot-kneading fermentation process — the only brewery in Korea still using this ancient method. The full process takes 45 days from start to finish. 📺 Watch "Travels with Darley: Korea for Foodies" on PBS & Streaming: https://www.darley-newman.com/travels-with-darley 🔔 Subscribe for More Travel & History Videos: https://darley.link/youtubesubscribe 🎧 Listen to the "Travels with Darley" Podcast: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/53-travels-with-darley-123513653/ 📲 Follow Darley for Exclusive Travel Content: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darleynewman/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/travelswithdarley TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@darleynewman Twitter (X): https://x.com/DarleyNewman