I, like many other expats in teaching in Korea, am in my early 20’s and arrived shortly after graduating from university. I thought coming here that my days of partying and staying out all night had ended. Prior to leaving I did a lot of research on the cultural sites and history of the country, but I never thought to look into the social drinking culture in Korea. I thought to myself, “It’s a conservative country, surely there will be bars but that lifestyle won’t be the focus.” Boy, was I ever surprised when I arrived.
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drinking,
soju,
Nightlife in Korea
Hongdae, Gangnam, Itaewon - these are the where the majority of foreigners would like to spend their weekends drinking and relaxing. However, sometimes the best places are literally right in your neighborhood. Although many people do not know about Cheonho, if you you decide to teach English in Korea and are placed in this neighborhood, here are the top nightlife attractions in Cheonho to dine, drink and unwind.
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Teach Abroad,
what to do on the weekend,
what to do in korea,
drinking,
self bar,
partying in Seoul,
karaoke,
teacher,
noraebang,
Teach in Seoul,
Korean dish,
korean neighborhood,
Cheonho,
Gangdong,
Korean food,
korean bars
Many of my Korean friends say that I am an ‘honorary Korean’ who doesn’t know a lot of Korean. Living in Korea for the past three years, I have seen a lot, learned a lot and experienced a lot to the point that I have started to feel like I have been immersed and assimilated into the Korean culture. The Korean people have a great culture and if you live and work here, you have to try out. One of my favorite Korean pastimes is the company party or the ‘회식’. I am lucky to be part of the ChungDahm branch that I am in because we have a company party every few months (Thanks Boss!).
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only in Korea,
drinking,
cultural experience,
cultural differences,
karaoke,
dishes in korea,
cultural activities
Last week I wrote about why I think Korea is amazing, and this week I have even more reasons to share with you.
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trend in korea,
facts about Korea,
a year in Korea,
eating in Korea,
ex-pat life in Korea,
drinking,
cultural differences,
having fun in korea,
Activities to do in Korea,
outdoor activities,
Nightlife in Korea,
Korean society
When teaching English in South Korea, you will undoubtedly experience the Korean tradition of going out eating with a group of friends which almost always includes a bit of alcohol. Usually, for late night get togethers afterwork, natives visit a Hof which includes week days. Hofs are spots that you have casual drinking usually with a few or big group of friends and enjoy a few dishes of food. It allows for mingling with the natives, but that is up to you to initiate the conversation. It's definitely a different environment than being in the bar, it's the adult's playground with food and drinks.
My recent discovery is the Garten Bier, a Hof chain in Korea that is a spot for casual drinking with friends. I am absolutely in love with this place for a number of reasons. For starters, each table has its own mini fridge that helps to keep your drink cool so you never have to worry about a watered down drink or your beer getting warm. It is probably one of the best ideas ever for any restaurant or bar (they should definitely bring this idea over to America).
In addition to the mini fridge, I am in love with their unique beer glasses which almost no one orders, but it was a must for a first timer. The photo above shows a 1100 cc glass of beer which is the largest and prettiest size that Garten Bier carries. I'll be quite honest, it is a bit difficult to drink out of the bubbly shape, but it sure is a great experience. Restaurants will provide you with a smaller glass to "pour" the beer out because it can be qiute a challenge to drink out of the glass, but what's the point of pouring into a glass when you've just ordered yoruself a once in a lifetime experience.
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Tags:
beer,
Garten Bier,
Hof,
drinking,
Nightlife in Korea,
Weekend activities in Korea
