Hi, I’m Your Unnie in Korea š
Whenever I see foreign tourists wandering the streets here, I feel this urge bubbling up inside me that I just can’t shake.
They came all this way out of love for Korea, and that makes me so happy and grateful, that I want to grab them and say, “Not there ā the real local spot everyone actually eats at is here!” or “Nobody tells tourists about this hidden place, but locals swear by it!” But I always hold myself back, worried I might mess up a trip they planned so carefully. š
It happens with reels too. Whenever I scroll through Instagram or TikTok and see foreign friends posting their Korea trips, I love watching them look at things through fresh eyes ā moments so ordinary to me that I’ve stopped noticing them at all. But sometimes I can’t help but think, “Wait, that’s not how you eat that! Do it this way and it’s about 100 times better!” (Koreans really do take our food seriously, haha.)
Honestly, I’m the same way when I travel abroad. I’d rather skip the big tourist-only tours and wander through the back alleys where people actually live ā see what they cook, how they eat, what an ordinary day looks like for them.
And if that’s the kind of travel I love, I have to believe there are foreign friends out there who feel the same about Korea ā who are genuinely curious what a real, ordinary Korean life actually looks like.
So I decided: I want to be the one to show you. Not as a tour guide, but the way a warm unnie would ā sharing what “jipbap” (ģ§ė°„, real Korean home cooking) actually looks like on a normal weeknight, and where real Koreans actually go on the weekend. (In Korean, unnie is what a younger woman calls an older sister or a close female friend ā someone warm, trustworthy, and just a little too eager to give you advice you didn’t ask for. That’s me.)
Here’s what you’ll find on this blog going forward: real Korean home cooking recipes ā the kind you’ll never find on a restaurant menu ā hidden local spots in Seoul that no package tour will ever take you to, and the actual weekend hangouts real Koreans love (K-culture & travel spots).
This is a warm little hangout where we can talk to each other like friends. Whenever you want, just drop a comment and say “Hi Unnie!” ā I’ll always answer with love. š
See you around!