Heart and Seoul Travel Log: Food for the Soul Series 1 Entry #2- Veggie Bibimbap, Doenjang-guk, Jeyuk Bokkeum and Ssam

Photo by Neil Johann Matias

Several years ago, I watched an interview on YouTube featuring Park Seojoon and Sam Oh at a fan meet in Manila. He was asked to guess which Korean food Filipinos liked most. Without hesitation, he answered, “Bibimbap.” As it turns out, that wasn’t the top choice but now, after a recent trip to Seoul during Festa Season, I understand why PSJ said it so confidently.

Bibimbap: A Bowl of Rainbow

Bibimbap is a humble dish, yet it’s packed with flavor and nutrition. A single bowl offers a balanced mix of carbohydrates, protein, fiber, and essential vitamins. It was served to us sizzling in a hot stone bowl, so pretty to look at, with the vibrant colors of assorted vegetables like a rainbow. On top sat one bright egg yolk, waiting to be stirred into its nourishing companions. That afternoon, it became our lunch on our first full day in Seoul: a glowing bowl of veggie bibimbap, hot and vibrant, just like the city itself.

What followed was a long walk through the Gangnam district—up a steep incline, then along a quiet slope that led to a narrow alley, where Hyuga Café, Bangtan’s old dorm, now stands. We sat there to rest our feet. Although fans and ARMYs arrived in small waves, there was a hush in the air—a quiet reverence for the place where the Tannies once lived during their salad days.

We were lucky: we met the popular ARMY vlogger Tom Koods, who graciously said yes to a photo. Then we continued our walk to the old Big Hit building. The energy there was just as still, just as electric. ARMYs really are something.

This lived experience is beyond fangirling. This is, truly, a pilgrimage.

In contrast to the gloss and shine of Hangang-daero, this street in Gangnam, where the old Big Hit building still stands, evokes a sacred nostalgia. Up on that rooftop is where the Tannies once poured out their heartaches, expectations met and unmet. The video is still on YouTube, and now, here I am, sharing this moment with my ARMY daughter.

The building may have a new owner now, but the writing on the walls—left by ARMYs—will never fade. Because, truly, it is written in the heart.

Hakdong Park and Yoojung Sikdang

We continued walking toward Hakdong Park, a quiet corner of the city where Bangtan used to hang out after training—or in between long practice sessions. The legendary swing, where RM and Jimin once sat, became a kind of station for us too—a place to pause, to recreate a moment of conversation, brotherhood, and rest.

While we were there, I took out my sketchbook and began to draw. I painted the flowers, hydrangeas, I think, that grow along the sidewalk in front of Hyuga Café. It was my way of marking the moment. Not just passing through, but remembering with my hands.

From Hakdong Park, we walked a few blocks more. My ARMY daughter and I marveled at the urban architecture—part brutalist, part unexpectedly traditional. We couldn’t help but wonder how, in the midst of such modernity, tiled-roof houses still stood with quiet dignity.

Then, as we turned the corner, we saw it: Yoojung Sikdang, the humble eatery where Bangtan once gathered for warm meals of doenjang-guk (soup), jeyuk bokkeum (spicy grilled pork), and ssam (vegetable wraps). In that small, cramped space, we dined without complaint about the closeness. When the food was served, it was the soup that drew me in right away: comforting, grounding, healing.

And the vegetable wraps! Juicy, sweet, and minty. I didn’t expect perilla leaves to taste like oregano, with a hint of bitterness—but it worked. Every bite was simple yet surprising, like a dish that knows its story and doesn’t need to impress, only to nourish.

Each dish was modest yet nourishing: doenjang-guk, rich in probiotics and protein; spicy jeyuk bokkeum, high in energy and flavor; and fresh leafy ssam, balancing it all with fiber and vitamins. It was easy to see how food like this could sustain not just bodies in training, but hearts with big dreams and endless hope.

I am truly grateful to have experienced this gastro-cultural immersion on Day 1 of the ARMY tour. We weren’t just paying homage to the path the Tannies walked, we were also finally putting names to the flavors we’ve long seen in the stories of our favorite K-dramas.

In Hospital Playlist, the Lacking Five would devour huge wraps of spicy grilled pork after long hours in the operating room or late-night rounds. Yoo Yeonsoek's character, Dr. Ahn, would come home to his mother’s place and eat bibimbap with gusto and joy.

The Tannies kept returning to Yoojung Sikdang because, like many of us, they were far from home. And there, the ahjumma’s cooking humble, warm, and made with care fed not just their bodies. These meals weren’t luxury they were survival, comfort, and love in a bowl or wrap. 

This is one face of Seoul we met on Day 1. And it will stay with us, long after the meals are over.

Heart and Seoul Travel Log: Food for the Soul Series 1 Entry #1- Korean Bulalo, Kimchi and Injeolmi

Our trip to Seoul for BTS’ 2025 Festa was truly one for the books. Our Purple Hearts are still glowing lilac from the experience, deepened in more ways than one. The journey didn’t just offer us a glimpse of the Korea that our Bangtan boys grew up loving; it let us taste it. We savored the food that has nourished their bodies and souls.

As a K-drama fan, this was more than a fangirling experience and BTS Pilgrimage. It was a tour with cultural and historical relevance. With each meal carefully curated by our guide, I finally experienced the flavors I had only seen through a screen. Sure, I’ve had Korean dishes back home in Biñan, but nothing compares to eating authentic Korean food, prepared by Korean cooks and chefs, in the land where these dishes were born. It was not just delicious; it was unforgettable. A once-in-a-lifetime experience.

 Seolleongtang (설렁탕) – Korean ox bone soup, with white rice and kimchi

Fresh from Incheon Airport and enduring the 18–20°C weather, our one-hour bus commute offered us a short nap and a quiet moment to settle in. My expectations upon arriving at our first Korean restaurant (I forgot to ask our tour guide for the name) were high and thankfully, they were met.

My first taste of Korean ox bone soup with kimchi: cabbage, radish, and white rice was comforting, grounding, and rejuvenating. Beside me was Zoe, my ARMY daughter, softly humming in approval.

The soup had just the right amount of beef, glass noodles, and green onions. It isn’t as savory as our bulalo, but the tang of the beef lingers. The side dishes, especially the cabbage kimchi, carried a subtle sweetness that stayed long after the next bite. No frills, just nourishment. The kind of food that steadies the soul. With each spoonful, it seemed to whisper, “You’ve made it.” 

Conversations about how tasty and filling the dish was floated around our table. Some asked for salt, even searched for patis or toyo, but for me, the broth’s gentle blandness gave full justice to the kimchi, the starchiness of rice, and why ox bone soup is ever present in K-dramas like Dr. Romantic and Weak Hero Class 1. Life is a battle. In the emergency room or at a hospital bed, seolleongtang  becomes both cure and balm. In The Glory, when the female leads meet over ox bone soup, they are preparing for revenge.

All of a sudden, it occurred to me: we, too, were about to face something. The fight to make the most of our five days and four nights in Seoul: the push and pull of desire, fatigue, wonder, and the resilience of fangirls in pilgrimage.

Watermelon Bingsu → 빙수 (literally means "shaved ice") and Injeolmi → 인절미 (a type of rice cake coated in roasted soybean powder) in Hangang-daero

The first official stop of our tour was the HYBE building in Hangang-daero. A throng of ARMYs from all over the world was already gathered along the sidewalk, hoping to catch a glimpse of RM and V’s black cars entering the building. After taking our customary group photos, we decided to visit a café nearby to extend our rest. A four-hour flight was manageable, but the six hours of prep time at the airport had worn me out.

Luckily, Zoe loves hanging out in cafés, so we picked one near HYBE. The vibe was electric and joyful. Where ARMYs gather, there’s always that boundless energy of camaraderie. Needless to say, we met many international ARMYs who had flown in for the 2025 BTS Festa.

At Mealtop Café, I ordered injeolmi, and my Tita ARMY friend chose bingsu. This was both our snack and dessert rolled into one. After a hearty bowl of seolleongtang and white rice, the soft, chewy rice cake dusted in roasted soybean powder was the perfect follow-up. Injeolmi grounds the palate—it’s mellow and earthy, with a texture that reminded me of tikoy and espasol.

Later, I admittedly regretted indulging in such a calorie-laden snack, especially when we were soon served veggie bibimbap for our late lunch. Still, this traditional Korean treat left an impression. Like Seoul itself, injeolmi is practical, grounding and steady.

That first day in Seoul reminded me that food isn’t just about filling the stomach—it’s about grounding the spirit. It’s amazing how foreign food can do this. Despite the differences, I found unexpected connections to the home-cooked Filipino dishes we love. From the warmth of seolleongtang to the quiet comfort of injeolmi, every bite carried a story, a memory, a beginning. And as we walked back to the bus stop, I knew this journey would nourish more than just my appetite.

Up next: bibimbap, Jeyuk Bokkeum (제육볶음), Doenjang-guk (된장국), Ssam veggies, rice, banchan