Photo Credit: Explore Gwinnett
Explore Gwinnett showcases Korean culture throughout Duluth, Lilburn, Peachtree Corners, Suwanee, Sugar Hill, Buford, Norcross, Lawrenceville, Dacula, and Grasyon. The Seoul of the South™ Korean restaurant tour takes place at four local restaurants and bakeries and only scratches the surface. Tour guide & wonderful host, Sarah Park, led the group through any cultural questions and created a welcoming environment that simply felt like friends going out to lunch.Tour Stops
The tour, traveled by trolley, lasts from 11:00AM sharp until 3-4:00PM with about an hour at each location. The restaurants vary each tour and every stop includes a quick lesson from Sarah about the restaurants origins, what type of situation or cultural significance the meal holds, and proper ways to prepare it yourself. This year's September stops included:
Jang Su Jang
A family-owned restaurant and one of the most informative for how to properly place and eat traditional Korean meals. Sarah introduced the tour group to the owner and the attentive staff who made everyone feel welcome. The meal at the first stop included: Hameul Pajeon (seafood and scallion pancake), Soondubu Jjigae (silken tofu stew), Galbi (Korean BBQ shortribs), and Bossam (boiled pork wraps). The atmosphere was more than welcoming, it was warm, peaceful, with a beautiful ambience ,and felt like going home to a home-cooked meal. The owner shared that Jang Su Jang will now be opening a second location at 35 Milton Ave, Ste C, Alpharetta, GA, and that they are excited to bring their 18-years of family tradition to another area of Atlanta.
Honey Pig
Stop number two is a Korean BBQ franchise known for their casual, hands-on experience at their cast-iron grill-tops. The menu for the tour group is a wide array of grilled meats (marinated and un-marinated) and a plethora of side-dishes. When on the tour you also have the opportunity to buy alcoholic beverages at your own expense and dietary restrictions are no problem, Sarah makes sure to let the teams know and every restaurant was perfectly accommodating.
Yogi
A brand new, also family-owned, self-serve comfort food restaurant, Yogi Asian Cuisine, was the third stop. The tour group sampled a spread of Tteok-bokki (spicy stir-fried rice cake), Gimbap (seaweed rice rolls), Twigim (Korean Tempura), and Donkatsu (Korean pork cutlet). A wonderful place to take a lunch break from work or get together with friends and enjoy good food and conversation.
Cafe Rothem
Voted #1 Best Coffee Shop in Atlanta in 2019, Cafeˊ Rothem, is the perfect place to "Rest, Restore, and Restart." A quick-service counter greets the group upon entry and an immediate look to the left immediately immerses guests in a walls of books, vinyl records, and an ambience of peace. The family-owned coffee shop hosts live music, takes music requests, has tall tables, short tables, and comfy chairs for relaxation and good conversation or quiet time. After a special treat of their signature siphon coffee and stuffed waffles, the group also tasted Yuja-cha, Green Plum Crush Tea, and Misugaru.
Why Explore Gwinnett?
The overall experience was 10 out of 10. Delicious food, wonderful company, and a great way to explore as a local or as a tourist! The Seoul of the South tour sells out quickly each year so book quickly when they open reservations for 2024. And while you visit Gwinnett, stop by KPOP Story for all of your K-Pop needs and Spa Land for a traditional sauna experience. Learn more about Explore Gwinnett and what else they offer at www.exploregwinnett.org.
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And come back to KpopWise.com for more reviews, interviews, and news!