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With a belly full of pork and a light buzz on, we’re off to the next cha! And when everyone goes in for a group gunbae (cheers), clink your glass lower than those older than you. If for some reason you’re too distracted (talking to your neighbor, for instance) to pick it up, tapping your glass is a polite alternative to the two-hands rule. Some basic soju etiquette: See an empty glass? Fill ‘er up! Always pour with two hands - and hold your cup with two hands when you accept soju. If you’re in it to win it for all five rounds, skip the bombs and opt for some lower ABV makgeolli (rice beer).
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But higher quality craft alcohol brands like Tokki Soju are also popular - the shots go down easier, and hangovers are a bit more manageable.Īlso on the table: A pitcher of beer to make somaek (a combination of soju and beer, usually to make soju bombs). Try Gold Pig, which serves flaky Maldon salt flakes to dip your meats in, or Mong Tan where they smoke their pork ribs over hay for a whole different flavor experience.Ī bottle of soju is a given: You’ll see the ubiquitous green bottles of soju giants like Jinro or Chum Churum. You want your stomach well-coated with oily samgyeopsal (pork belly) to help you last through all five rounds. The first cha (or round) typically kicks off around 7pm with dinner.
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Here’s how to pull off an epic night out in Seoul. Nightclubs and noraebangs in Seoul are currently closed, but assuming you’ll want to blow off some steam when travel opens up and everything stops sucking, Korea will be there to say gunbae (cheers!). Though karaoke was invented by the Japanese, most Koreans would argue they “do it better” - and with a belly full of pork, a bottle of soju on the table, and your song coming up next, there’s not much point in arguing. The best way to kill time before the trains start up? Singing your face off in a noraebang (a private karaoke room).
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Rather than shell out for a cab, people stick around for another cha (or round). The high incidence of all-nighters in Seoul might also be a consequence of the subways closing at midnight. I think Hooni Kim, the owner of NYC’s Danji, says it best in his new cookbook: Explaining the meaning of hanjan (or having a drink), he writes, "It is the start of a night of laughter and heartfelt conversations with friends, sharing in joy, sharing in heartache." Hopping from one location to the next, often until dawn, a high alcohol tolerance and won’t-quit attitude are basically mandatory if you’re partying in Seoul.Īt the root of Korea’s formidable drinking culture is the desire to connect with friends and colleagues and unwind after a long day. That may be because the greatest drinking city in the world conducts its evenings on a five-round regimen. A night out in Seoul can feel like five nights in one.