Try This #2 [번데기/Beondegi]

they look juicy don't they?

 번데기/Beondegi - chrysalis (silk worm pupae)

What it is: Worms roasted in a large pot and seasoned with large quantities of salt. At the mere cost of 50 cents, these have been a staple of Korean street food due to its fantastic nutrition per dollar ratio.

How its served: When ordered off a street vendor, Beondegi is usually served in a small paper cup. The smell is unmistakably pungent; the portion size is extremely generous considering they fill the cup to the brim. There really is not much of a trick when it comes to devouring these little critters besides pure mental fortitude to get over the fact that you are about to sink your teeth into a puss filled rodent. I find the best way to eat these is to just temporarily numb your mind of any thoughts of regret and pop one in your mouth as quickly as you can. Once you get over that, the taste is actually quite nice and meaty.

beondegi enjoying a nice and exfoliating salt bath

Notable features: With a robust saline bath soaking these creatures all day long in a cauldron, you can expect them to pack quite a salty taste. Besides that, they also give off a nato/miso like stench and aftertaste post-meal. It is often a good idea to clean your mouth with a few pieces of mints if you are still interested in holding a conversation without the opposing party evacuating the premise while holding their noses in terror.

~Polo

the joy that eating silk worms can bring to a person's face

Mike Teez back again with another track. Check him out at his SoundCloud. As always, enjoy!

~Marco

POI #2 [Club Ellui]

eye-catching ellui promo

Boasting the self proclaimed "Finest Venue Ever" distinction, Ellui advertises itself fervently on the streets of Gangnam with giant posters that you simply cannot miss.
When you enter the front door of club Ellui the first thing that will steal your attention is the pure volume of cold cathode pink LEDs that line every bezel, rim and corner conceivable by the human mind. An armada of expensive decor complement each other to orchestrate a symphony of futuristic allure that is eerily reminiscent of the glamorous cyber sensuality in The Fifth Element.

enough pink cathode LEDs to blind a small dog

Each VIP room is dressed up in unique ways that will leave you wondering if you had accidentally stumbled onto a sic-fi movie set. All in all, the club sports all the bells and whistles that you would come to expect from a high-end nightclub in Gangnam, in other words, its got enough dance floors to accommodate a national riverdance meet in Ireland, and enough hard liquor to put down all the contestants afterwords.

~Marco

Ellui's island-style bar

Wanted to share with you guys a hype mix by our good old Mike Teez. If you haven't already, do yourself a favor and go check him out at his SoundCloud. Enjoy!

~Marco

Try This #1 [족발/Jokbal]

족발/Jokbal - Pig Trotters (feet)

What it is: Feet cooked with soy sauce and spices. Served primarily in dark braising liquid containing soy, ginger, garlic and sometimes rice wine.

Whole Jokbal

How its served: One order of pigs feet is often split among several people to share due to its rather large portion size(aka the whole foot). It could also be wrapped in lettuce if the feet is served in slices. Soju goes great with it as is the case with all anju (drinking snack) of its caliber.

Notable features: Jokbal is an extraordinarily hefty dish, and I mean that beyond its outstanding weight. When you take your first bite into it, Your mouth will instantly be enslaved by a suction of gooey gelatin and tender meat. Every square inch of the foot is densely loaded with collagen, fat, muscle and obscene amounts of flavor.

~Polo

Sliced Jokbal

Lettuce Wrapped Jokbal

POI #1 [Club M2]

friends don't let friends get drunk alone

Situated in Hongdae, our first point of interest is the infamous M2. Opened in 2004, this nightclub prima donna can house a population of 1500 under maximum capacity.

With the self proclaimed "largest dancefloor in seoul", the club is loaded to the brim: split dance stages, three in-house bars, cutting edge audio, giant interior balcony, dynamic audi-visio lighting and the airy ego that goes with its prestige.

being packed like sardines has never been more fun

M2 mainly plays electronic music - House, Progressive, Trance, Breaks. If that is to your liking, you will find a paradise in Club M2.

(Stay tuned for our adventures at M2 in June and for a detailed review of the venue)

~Marco 

Club Rats [prologue]

My co-writer will agree with me on this, but we have never been the type to prowl the night from one club to the next. While we are often occupied with editing work and writing in general, in between busy moments we find ourselves chatting into the wee hours of the night fantasizing about a life saturated with moment being utterly disoriented by strobe lights, and hearts throbbing to the beat of the nightclub. So naturally we did the most logical thing..we bought tickets to Korea with the intent to party ourselves to a stupor...Stay tuned with us for the next few months, and follow our crew in our quest as we go deeper and deeper into fulfill our destinies in truly living the lives of club rats.

~Polo