Thursday, October 1, 2009

Street Scenes V: Namdaemun Market


Namdaemun shi-jang is a large day-and-night street market located near Namdaemun (south big gate), famous for clothes, watches, cameras and handicrafts. Also on hand, perhaps because of Chuseok, is a variety of ginseng, fungus, seaweed etc, suitable for gifting.

somewhere in Namdaemun Market
ginseng
fungus gift packs
It is a sprawling maze of very similar looking little alleys, and only the rare appearance of a coonskin cap cart, say, will tell you you've been down this sidestreet before.

somewhere in Namdaemun Market
somewhere in Namdaemun Market
Wherever Koreans are thoughtful enough to put up a sign in English (and I am grateful, truly), take the time to give it a read--for there some unintended comedy usually awaits:

Pepartment of meals
Barbecued beef Lib
Speaking of food, there's plenty of it to be had at the market (these three shots are all on the same little intersection):

pineapple flesh on big slabs of ice
fresh fruit and veg
sausage vendor
In addition to the pojangmacha, or street vendors, there are at least a couple restaurant alleys. I ate lunch at a sitdown place and had galbitang, beef rib soup. Tasty.

restaurant alley
galbitang. Yummy!

1 comment:

Andrew Lasher said...

I believe in that final sentence you meant to say you have 'beef lib' soup. Come one, Tuttle.