7 MOST SUCCESSFUL KOREAN CELEBRITY RUN RESTAURANTS & PUBS

There are lots of Korean celebrities who run restaurants to appreciate their fans, and of course, earn an additional fortune. You may meet your dream stars here if you are lucky. Find out seven most successful celebrity run places you will definitely like.

1. Palja Makchang

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This Makchang (pork or beef intestines) restaurant is run by Gary, the "Monday couple" guy from TV show <Running Man>. This is a good place to try Korean style BBQ.  If you are not confident to grill them by yourself, the servers will take good care of your foods. They also have Samgyeopsal (pork belly) and Galbi (ribs) for those who don't want to eat intestines, and Doenjang noodle after a banquet of Makchang is also a delicacy that you may want to try. You may think ladies hate this kind of food but you will be shocked when you see Makchang / Gopchang restaurants filled with all the gorgeous chicks.

2. Bum's Story

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This Japanese style pub's owner is Kim Jaejoong and Park Yoochun of pop group JYJ. Everything in here, from interiors to music and TV broadcasting is related with JYJ, so it could be a heaven if you are a big fan of the Korean boy band. Cozy atmosphere here fits to have a small talk. Be sure to try out salmon carpaccio and stir-fried spiced pork which are most popular dishes here.

3. Master of Jokbal

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The name of this Jokbal restaurant in Hongdae area is derived from a pun of a word "Myeongsu", which indicates master and the name of popular comedian Park Myeong-su from <Infinite Challenge>. You can enjoy unlimited amount of Jokbal variations with only $20 here. Located near the famous Hongdae club street, you can also enjoy clubbing as "ee-cha" (second round).

4. Grill5Taco

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Super Junior's Donghae runs a rather affordable taco restaurant in Cheongdamdong with his brother. The Koreanized Mexican cuisines are cooked right in front of you in the open kitchen upon making an order. Kimchi Quesadilla and Seoul Fries are the signature menus of this shop.

5. My Chelsea

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You should not leave out Hong Seok-Cheon from celebrity restaurateurs. The "Top Gay" from TV show <Witch Hunt>, currently runs several restaurants in Itaewon area including My Thai, My China and Our Place other than My Chelsea. You never watched the show and have no idea who he is? Not a problem. The first thing you see in this place will be his giant face on the wall. Other than foods, the employees here are all good looking guys, so you should come and check out the Top Gay's eye for beauty.

6. Jaksal Chicken

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Idol group SS501's member Kim Hyunjoong made a promise with 

his two childhood friends, that whoever makes a fortune first will open a store to run together. Jaksal Chicken is a proof of it, with dozens of shops in Seoul and Busan now. The chickens here tend to be very spicy following the owner's taste. Naembi Tteokbokki is also a popular menu.

7. 2.7 GRAM

Bbaek Ga, the rapper from pop dance group Koyote runs a ping-pong pub in Yeonnamdong, near Hongdae area. Rain and Kim Taehee, famous celebrity couple and close friends of his, are known to be regular customers of this pub, as seen from their SNS posts. You can play games like ping-pong and beer pong while having beer and cocktails.

Written by Marcus 

He was born in Singapore and went to schools in China and Australia. Having Engineering background, he have worked in Japan and South Korea before finally settled in Seoul. When he is not working, he loves to go on a quick trip to anywhere he wants to go with his beautiful wife.

5 MOST BEAUTIFUL BEACHES IN KOREA YOU MUST VISIT

South Korea is surrounded by water on three sides and Kim Jong Un’s North Korea. For your holiday in Korea, Tempting East rounded up 5 best beaches including the top 3 legendary beaches well known for pick-ups.

1. Hyeopjae beach  (Jeju)

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Located on the western part of Jeju, Hyeopjae has got a beautiful white sand beach, made of shell powder. This breathtaking cobalt-blue water reminds you of the Mediterranean sea. Gorgeous Hyeopjae beach where both foreigners and locals find exceptionally exotic, is a perfect place for a quiet date. Since the water is quite shallow, it is very recommendable for family with young kids.

2. Sehwa Beach (Jeju)

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Sehwa Beach is said to be the most beautiful beach in the eastern part of Jeju while Hyeopjae beach represents west coast. Despite being small, rocks and emerald water are fantastically harmonized. Since its breathtaking beauty is only known to handful of native Jeju residents, Sehwa beach is always clean and serene. You could be the first foreign traveler setting foot on the emerald beach.

3. Haeundae Beach (Busan)

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Located in the second largest city in Korea, this massive beach in Busan could hold millions of visitors simultaneously. It is so famous most Koreans bring Haeundae to their mind when they think of Busan. High skyscrapers and big hotel chains are situated along the coast, and there are tons of fashionable restaurants, pubs and shopping malls. During high season (July~Sep), this beach is filled with young, hot, sexy and horny people seeking opportunities. Nightlife of Haeundae district during the high season is even more exotic than the beach itself. 

4. Gyeongpodae (Gangwon-do, Gangneung)

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Korea’s east coast has got loads of beautiful beaches and, among them, Gyeongpodae is the largest and the most famous one. Since there is a dense pine tree grove along the sandy beach, you could take a stroll under the shade and enjoy sunbathing. The depth of water and waves are just right to enjoy swimming and surfing. Every summer, millions of young people visit the gigantic beach in search for casual dating and love, and on every 31^st of December, Gyeongpodae is filled with people wanting to catch the first sun rise of the new year.  

5. Daecheon Beach (Boryeong)

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Daecheon Beach that represents western part of Korean seaside is the place for the world’s famous Boryeong Mud Festival. Daecheon’s largest 3.5 Kilometers long and 100 meters wide sandy beach is attracting all men and women of all ages. Boryeong Mud Festival that had its humble start in 1998 has become a global scale party, attracting visitors from all around the world. Out of variety of programs the festival offers such as mud spa and mud massage, mud fighting and shower is the fun part you could never enjoy in any other festivals.

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OREIGN CELEBRITIES MORE FAMOUS THAN JUSTIN BIEBER IN KOREA/ BY KARLY

10 PLACES MUST-VISIT IN BUSAN, SOUTH KOREA / lexparadise

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Written by Karly

She graduated in a university in Korea double majoring in social studies and political science. After graduation, she worked for a while at the Nation of Assembly of Republic of Korea, but now she is working as a reporter. Having a life goal of being a Asia-specialized travel reporter, she travels around the world in her spare time.

10 AMAZING THINGS TO DO IN SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA

Seoul is one of the most lively, cultural and magnificent cities in Asia. Check out this list of our favorite 10 things to do in Seoul that’ll help you get the best out of this city! <From Drew's blog>

1. Wander around Gyeongbok Palace

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2. Diversify yourself on the streets of Itaewon

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At night, Itaewon comes alive with it's huge variety of bars and clubs where you will meet people from all over the world.

3. Check out the view from Seoul Tower

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4. Get lost exploring Bukchon Hanok Village

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Add Bukchon Village to the top of your list, because it's a must-visit place while you are in Seoul.

5.  Get cultured in the Insadong District

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6. Walk along the Cheonggyecheon Stream

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It's also a pretty romantic place, so don't be surprised to see many couples holding hands.

7.  Go bar hopping in Hongdae

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If you have only one night to party in Seoul, you must go to Hongdae and experience this incredible scene. 

8.  Visit the Fish Market

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This place is chaotic and it's not your ordinary fish market.

9.  Play with the kitties in a Cat Café

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A cat café is a public space where people can come and spend a few hours with a bunch of cute kitties.

10. Try a Korean BBQ

Drew

During your meal, you will get an unlimited supply of side dishes (called 'ban-chan' in Korean). 

Click here to read more detail!

From Drew's blog <http://thehungrypartier.com>

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7 MOST POPULAR CONFECTIONS OF KOREA THAT YOU WILL MISS AT HOME

You may not enjoy confections when you're at home, but it can be a part of travel when you're in other countries. Korea's got various kinds of snacks ranging from traditional to westernized, and here I picked only the most characteristic ones you should definitely try when you are in South Korea.

1. Choco Pie (초코파이)

Maybe the most famous Korean confection in the world was first selled in 1974 by Orion. Though the idea of chocolate coated biscuits with marshmallow filling had come from a bakery in the southern US, this Koreanized confection made a huge success in Russia, China and Vietnam and is even traded in North Korean black market. For now there are four companies selling "Choco Pie" so you will need to look close to find which one you should buy.

2. Saewookkang (새우깡)

The first-ever snack manufactured by a Korean company since 1971 is still one of the most popular confections in the peninsula. This shrimp flavored crunchy snack is sometimes controversially claimed to have copied a Japanese one, but it seems to be a traditional practice in this industry between the two contries. It is extremely preferred as freebies so you can see huge packs of this at a mart with a label  "Noraebang" Saewookkang on them.

3. Couque d'Asse (쿠크다스)

The name of this soft cookie with either white, chocolate or coffee cream filling means cookie of Asse, Belgium but nobody seems to think of the European country while eating it. Its texture is exceptionally soft so it is almost a symbol of vulnerability among young Koreans. You should be very careful when opening each small bag of Couque d'Asse if you want to have a solid cookie, not powders.

4. Jocheong Yugwa (조청유과)

Yugwa is a type of Korean traditional confectionery made of wheat flour soaked in honey, and Jocheong is one type of Korean honey. This is a snack version of the traditional sweetie, and maybe the only successful case among that kinds of approaches. If you are tired of all the salty chips and choclate cookies, it is time to try this whole new level of a snack.

5. Pepero (빼빼로)

Korean young couples zealously observe Pepero day on November 11th (11/11), by giving each other long and thin snacks as the date is intended to resemble the shape of the snack. This chocolate dipped cookie stick is also one of the confections claimed as a copycat of Japanese ones, but the controversy doesn't seem to threaten its popularity.

6. Saekom-dalkom (새콤달콤)

Literally meaning sour and sweat, this fruit flavered caramel has been a favorite among middle to high school students. It is very light to carry, and so clean and neat that it doesn't leave any leftovers. You don't need to lick your fingers after eating this.

7. Ojingeo-ddangkong (오징어땅콩)

The most common basic side dish at pub is made into a snack. As its name indicates, main ingredients are dried squid and peanut. It makes perfect match with a beer at convenience store.

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written by Marcus 

He was born in Singapore and went to schools in China and Australia. Having Engineering background, he have worked in Japan and South Korea before finally settled in Seoul. When he is not working, he loves to go on a quick trip to anywhere he wants to go with his beautiful wife.