The Year of 52 Adventures

Adventure #5: Deoksu Palace and 8 Course Japanese Dinner

I planned to go to the Seoul Museum of Art on Sunday to scope out the Andy Warhol exhibit with a friend. However, by the time we got there, the museum was closed. Luckily, we were near a palace and with the entrance fee being only 1,000 won (less than 1 USD), we decided to check it out. The palace is called Deoksu, and it was built in the mid fifteenth century. Out of the all the palaces in Seoul, it is the smallest. This was perfect, since it was close to getting dark out. So we were able to walk around the grounds before it was dark. If I could figure out how to post pictures on here, I would do so. But I’m technologically challenged…You can read more about this palace here http://www.lifeinkorea.com/Travel2/65.

After the palace we stumbled a upon a pricey Japanese restaurant, but since we were in the mood for fish we decided to treat ourselves. The dining area was fun in and of itself. It was a private room with a sliding door and chairs on the floor allowing for your feet to stretch down about 2 feet below the tabletop. The meal started with tea and soup. Following came about 7 courses of fish. The first 2 were raw. I have taken a liking to raw fish more than ever since residing in Korea. I honestly don’t know what kind of fish it was, but I tried all of it. This was an adventure on its own. It was all very tasty and fresh. Again, if I knew how to post photos, I would, but…The bill came to 50,000 won each, which is probably the most I’ve spent on a meal since I’ve been here. Wait, it’s probably the most I’ve ever spent on dinner for myself!