Thanks. My experience was largely the same.jfv wrote: Tue Nov 25, 2025 7:46 am Obvs the food is wonderful and I second FM OE's recommendation on drinking makgeolli. It's a lifesaver for me when I go there because otherwise my colleagues would have me drinking much stronger and less tasty soju, but when they find out I like makgeolli, they get excited and that becomes our priority in the evenings.
You can find really good soju made from barley, rice, or sweet potatoes, etc. if you work for it, but by all means, unless you just want a burning expressway to a quick drunk, avoid that awful shit in the green bottle, which is basically ethanol. Everyone drinks it, but that doesn't mean you should. It's beyond cheap, and you're bound to consume it if you make friends w/pretty much, well, anyone at a bar. In my experience, it also amps up the spices from excellent Korean food instead of taming them or flattering them. (At least vodka w/Russian cuisine tends to get dulled by starch, cream, and fat. But for me anyway, gochujang plus soju hurt even more together.)
Makgeolli occupied a weird little niche between an old folks' drink and an emerging hipster beverage when I was over there for a couple months. Not everyone appreciates it, but they will probably love the fact that you drink it, b/c it's so closely tied to agriculture, rural nostalgia, and Korean traditions.