Seoul Vlog: My Favorite Places | Ep. 04 (Tonkatsu Edition)

[@ELTExperiences]

You can't beat pork cutlet. It's absolutely amazing, especially with the source and spiciness of kimchi.

[@MikeFromKorea]

You and I are in agreement, my friend.

[@ELTExperiences]

@@MikeFromKorea I meant sauce. However, the source of the pork cutlet is certainly something that could be debated.

[@MikeFromKorea]

@@ELTExperiences Surely you've been around long enough to have seen chicken shops selling "source" chicken? Same-same!

[@HAGR-x7x]

대부분의 한국 남자들이 제일 좋아하는 음식이 돈까스와 제육볶음이죠 얼마전에 마이크님이 소개해주신 동대문에 있는 그 식당에 갔었는데 정말 만족했어요😊

[@MikeFromKorea]

좋네요! 저도 그곳을 정말 좋아해요.

[@jsh-k1n]

한국에서 30년을 사셨다니 놀랍습니다 이제 절반은 한국 사람 되신거아니에요~? ㅎㅎ 저도 돈까스 무척 좋아해서 두군데 추천 할께요 ~ 한곳은 성북동에 있는 서울돈까스이고 또 한곳은 성신여대입구역 부근의 온달돈까스지요 이 두곳에 가시면 모두 정식을 시키세요 양도 아주 많고 아~주 소문난 맛집들 이지요 드시다가 너무 많으면 남은것은 포장도 해주니 나중에 집에 가져가서 데워 드시면 됩니다 😅😅

[@clownfish7776]

I love your vlogs, your calm, laid back style of presentation is so relaxing and a pleasure to watch. Thank you for sharing with us all of your knowledge of Seoul and Korea in general.

[@MikeFromKorea]

Thank you! I'm happy that you enjoy the videos.

[@message7Hope]

After watching your video, I ordered Namsan King Pork Cutlet delivery. With the Baedal Minjok app...

[@MikeFromKorea]

Hope you like it!

[@Mudskipper9876]

Thank you for showing some variation in local restaurants. Travelers can learn much from your videos.

[@seonggoon4979]

저는 부산에사는데 서울남산돈까스도 먹어봤지만 먹어본 최고의 돈까스는 부산 해운대에있는 장산수제왕돈까스입니다 부산놀러오시면 드셔보세요 ㅎㅎ

[@MikeFromKorea]

다음에 부산에 가면 꼭 먹어볼게요. 감사합니다!

[@katieguid2005]

Thank you so much. Can't wait to try later this year.

[@MikeFromKorea]

You're in for a treat :-)

[@katieguid2005]

@@MikeFromKorea I'll be in Seoul for five weeks starting in mid-December and looking for any food recommendations for a solo traveler. I enjoy going off the beaten path and can't wait to eat my way through various regions. I arrive in mid-November and will be based out of Busan for 3.5 weeks before heading to Seoul. Trip of a lifetime and I want all the yummy food lol.

[@cattytanty6238]

I'm impressed with your video, especially your detailed explanation about tonkatsu.. Looks like those are decent tonkatsu place. I used to go to Japan quite often before, and ate it several times there. It was very different from what I used to eat in Korea (normal Korean style tonkatsu). Recently, Japanese style tonkatsu places in Korea seem to have been increasing fast, regardless of whether it is Japanese style restaurant or not.

[@MikeFromKorea]

Thank you! Yeah, the Japanese-style tonkatsu shops are all over the place these days. And there's more variation now. My wife and I used to frequent a couple of them in the early 2000s that were almost identical. I read that their popularity started to grow in the 2010s. That tracks with my own experience, I think. I realized in making this video that I've never actually eaten it on any of my trips to Japan. I need to rectify that.

[@thatkoalabear]

I love watching your vlogs! Stay awesome man ❤

[@MikeFromKorea]

Thank you!

[@gaweekin524]

한국 식당에서 가장 많이 파는 메뉴가 돈가스 일 거예요. 돈가스는 진짜 아무 식당에서나 다 팔아요 김밥집, 돈가스집, 분식집, 일식집, 도시락집, 한식당에서도 팔죠. 어른들은 추어탕 먹고 애들은 추어탕 못 먹으니까 돈가스 먹으라고 매뉴에 넣죠. ㅎㅎ

[@lostthenfound]

Great detailed video about 돈까스 Mike! I can't believe how good you are at speaking to the camera in a restaurant like that by yourself. People who haven't tried it probably don't understand how difficult that is, but you nailed it and explained the differences between the places and Japanese/Korean 돈까스 really well! Only been to the second place (남산왕돈까스 I think), but those Myeongdong places and the last place you frequent looked amazing too. Craving some 돈까스 right now!

[@MikeFromKorea]

Thanks! Filming in restaurants hadn't been a problem for me at all until this video, where I did a cold start in most of them. That did feel awkward. I'm fine when I've already been filming for a bit beforehand. In that case, I'm so in the zone and focused on the camera that I'm not even paying attention to anyone else. It's a bit like getting on stage for a presentation. The first few minutes are always nerve-racking, but then I'm warmed up and it all falls away.

[@lostthenfound]

@@MikeFromKorea that's a really good way to put it! I'm always filming with my wife, so I never learnt how to film myself in public and usually end up going to a corner where nobody is around when I try haha. You're amazing at it! I need to get over my fear as well someday!

[@MikeFromKorea]

@@lostthenfound Thanks! I'm happy it comes across that way 🙂You didn't see the first shoot I did for this video. It was horrible! So I had to reshoot it. The biggest thing that helps me is just to focus on the camera and imagine I'm talking to a person. That helps filter out everything around me. And I have to say, I find it much easier to do in a restaurant that's crowded and busy, as most people are focused on their own thing. It's when everything is quiet and there aren't many people around that I get the most self-conscious.

[@lostthenfound]

@@MikeFromKorea haha it takes a few times to say things right to the camera for sure but that's great you got it the second time! Also completely agree with you that it's a lot easier in a crowded restaurant.

[@samuel006]

My favorite smell in the world comes from grinding sesame seeds in the small pestle they often give you at the Japanese style places. It’s like catnip.

[@MikeFromKorea]

Indeed. I haven't been to one of those places in quite a while.

[@Seoulcat2007]

I always enjoyed eating donkas when we lived in Seoul. The Japanese version I thought was a little better, but you can't go wrong with the pork cutlet option, almost always delicious. Hey Mike, have you seen many tak kalbe places in Seoul? That was always my favorite, but it seems like they're hard to find anymore, based on what I see on my trips back there.

[@MikeFromKorea]

I haven't actively been looking for them, so I haven't noticed any. But Myeong-dong Dakgalbi Street is still a thing. You'll find several of them there. And a Naver search shows them dotted around the city. I used to eat it fairly often but haven't thought about it in ages. Thanks for bringing it up! I think I'll go out and have some with my wife soon. naver.me/GLKAWDbx map.naver.com/p/search/닭갈비?c=11.66,0,0,0,dh

[@Dunderkim]

Oh my... another great BGM choice. Please do more Mukbang. Sir.

[@MikeFromKorea]

Well, mukbang really isn't my thing. To be honest, I don't understand what's so interesting about watching people eat :-) But of course I'll keep showing the things I like to eat. But I'm glad you like the music! I love that song.

[@a2788201]

저도 돈까스 참좋아하는데.. 언제 시간나시면 인천3대 돈까스 탐방하셔도 괜찮을거 같습니다..

[@강원도사랑]

알람 받고 왔습니다. 좋은 이웃이 되길 원합니다~ 즐거운 주말 되세요😊😊😊😊

[@MikeFromKorea]

감사합니다 :-)

[@enok11]

돈까쓰에 얽은 남자들의 비화가 있죠. 엄마가 돈까쓰 사준다고 해서 따라나섰다가 소중이수술 받았던.... Some guys have a sad memory about 돈까쓰... Mom lured the small kid to treat 돈가쓰... and got him circumcised at the local urologist clinic.

[@MikeFromKorea]

I've heard that before, but I had forgotten all about it. Thanks!

[@주비니이]

Mr mike Korean who's heavier than Korean😊

[@Leza-bu6kg]

서울물가비싸긴하네요 부산은 돈가스 8000원 아니면 보통9000원합니다

[@MikeFromKorea]

네, 서울에서는 모든 것이 더 비싸요

[@Camino-x7d]

한국어 자막이 필요합니다ㅠㅠ

[@MikeFromKorea]

죄송하지만, 한국어 자막을 만들 시간이 없어요. 제 목표 시청자는 한국 외 영어 사용자를 대상으로 하고 있습니다.

[@미제드론]

유뷰브 자동번역 잘 됩니다.

[@sandihunter1260]

Have you lost a lot of weight since all this walking?

[@MikeFromKorea]

I've lost much of what I put on during the pandemic. My XXL shirts are baggy again and I've had to tighten my belt up. But I've hit the point where walking isn't enough. So I've started adjusting my diet and working my way back into an exercise routine. A little over a decade ago, a trainer helped me get into the best shape of my life. I'm not ready for that kind of workout yet, but I'll get there. After eating so many pork cutlets in such a short time to make this video, I'm going to be eating like a monk for a while. Though today I did make an exception for a visit to a Cinnabon that I only recently discovered is in walking distance from my house.

[@sandihunter1260]

@@MikeFromKorea Oh OH Cinnabon lol

[@MikeFromKorea]

😅

[@dewi9235]

Thank you Mike, but I don't like that stuff... 😂

[@MikeFromKorea]

I used to eat it three or four times a week. These days I eat the fish cutlets more often.