I visited Busan to give a congratulatory speech at a friend's wedding.
I only had a day to look around, but there were so many interesting places.
I have fond memories of that time, so I went on a summer vacation with my wife this time.

It was really hot.
Because of the humidity, sweat is pouring down
The hot air made it hard to breathe.

Large men passed by on fancy motorcycles.
For some reason, people in Busan seemed indifferent.

The night we arrived, the heat in the alley near our accommodation was incredible.
I didn't know it was a place where clubs were gathered, but it was bustling with people.
People who look like they're wearing something they like, but whose fashion style strangely suits them
I went to a store with a style of unknown origin.

My first impression of Busan was that it was a hot, rough place with its own style.

The Mecca of Vintage

The most memorable area is Jeonpo. When I first came to Busan, I was amazed by the wonderful vintage shops hidden everywhere.
I also liked the interior of the famous brunch cafe and goods shop at the corner.

It is said that Busan's vintage began in the Gukje Market alley in Nampo-dong.
As an international port, clothes from various countries gathered in one place.
It is said that since ancient times, thieves have been scooping up valuable clothes by considering even the optimal route.

Kids who loved clothes from the Nampo-dong era became independent
He started opening his own stores one by one throughout Busan.

Seoul has a lot of vintage items from the US and Europe, as well as vintage items from luxury brands.
Busan had a lot of 'Americanaji' vintage, which is a reinterpretation of American style to suit Japan.
It was also interesting to see that each shop pursued different directions.

Some shops pursue brands, some pursue styles.
There are stores that pursue American Western style, avant-garde core style,
There were also stores that reinterpreted modern brands like Porter or stocked vintage items from brands built up in their archives.
It was also a great pleasure to see the interior decorated to match the clothing style.

I never really cared about clothes
I was deeply inspired by amazing vintage clothing and opened my eyes to the world of fashion in a new way.
As expected, there is a strong energy conveyed by creative works that were carefully selected and created.

Local brands growing together

They say that in Busan, there are many local brands instead of large corporations.
I have heard stories about Momos Coffee and Samjin Fish Cake through various media.
I decided that I absolutely had to visit the roastery during this trip.

Momos Coffee is a representative brand of Busan, famous for its specialty coffee.
The story of barista Jeon Ju-yeon, the first Korean winner of the World Barista Championship, is famous.
In 2007, I started working part-time at Momos Coffee and achieved the goal of making the world's best coffee.
When one's name value grows, there are many cases where one becomes independent and opens a cafe.
It was cool that you said you would be with Momos until the end.

Momosu breaks away from the typical cafe operating style.
Baristas often work in cafes for low wages.
They say they are trying to create an environment where employees are treated at least as well as employees of good mid-sized companies.
I really felt the philosophy that if you've been around for over 10 years, you should have employees who have been around for over 10 years.
The management philosophy was refreshing, different from that of startups based in Seoul and Pangyo, which quickly replace people based on meritocracy.
I felt that a true team is one that achieves a goal together.

Following in the footsteps of Terrarosa, the specialty coffee shop 'Black Up Coffee', which is representative of Buulkyung, and the indie coffee icon 'Berg Roastery', which has a unique interior and attractive design, were also enjoyable experiences.

In addition to coffee, a new food that has emerged in Busan is 'fish cake'. The challenge to break the perception that Korean fish cake is cheap food was attractive. It started in 1953 near Yeongdo, Busan, and has been passed down to the third generation, following the first generation founder, Park Jae-deok, and the second generation, Chairman Park Jong-su.

According to an interview in 2022, sales increased from 2.5 billion to 80 billion and the number of employees increased from 30 to 600 compared to 2011, nine years ago.

Korean fish cakes are generally considered to be of lower quality than Japanese fish cakes.
It has established itself as a premium brand with good quality.
In its third generation, it created an impact with a fresh method called ‘bakery-style fish cake.’

If I get the chance, I would also like to visit ‘Gents Bakery’, a premium bakery representing Busan, and ‘Songwol Towel’, which has been in business since its establishment in 1949.

Super quantity made with dumpling fighter

There are many delicious restaurants in Choryang across from Busan Station.
Passing through Texas Street, which has a strange atmosphere
You can discover Chinatown.

In this area where many Chinese people gather, dumplings are especially famous.
I'm not attracted to 'Jangseonghyang', the military dumpling restaurant that appeared in Oldboy.
I visited the 'Shoe Store' where the line was always too long and I failed.
Luckily, I was able to get in just before closing time and finally get to try it.

The dumplings at Shinbalwon have less moisture and chewy dumpling skin.
I ordered the dumpling set and the fried dumplings separately and I thought it was a good decision.
Meat dumplings, steamed dumplings, and shrimp dumplings came out together.
The shrimp dumplings had unexpectedly large shrimp in them.
It was full of flavor and fun to eat.
The dumplings were crunchy like cookies, but not rough.
It held its shape almost like a fortune cookie.

Another delicious restaurant right next door, ‘Maga Mandu’
The juicy Chinese dumplings were also attractive.
The shoe store was more to my taste.

Besides dumplings, I think I've been craving a lot of cool soups because the weather has been so hot and sticky.
I was looking for Chinese food that wasn't modified to suit Korea.
'Hongseongbang' was the least Korean.

I ordered samseon tangmyeon and fried rice, and it was so delicious that my mouth is watering just thinking about it.
Samseontangmyeon is a clean combination of rich broth, sea cucumber, and vegetables.
The noodles were chewy and almost felt like udon.
Fried rice isn't just a mixture of rice soaked in oil and cocktail shrimp.
It tasted like authentic fried rice cooked in a wok, so I ate it up in no time.
There are two branches, but I think the main branch is better than the main building.