So I'm back in Seoul after three days of traveling, and I'm now trying to go through all my pictures and catch up on blogging! I'll have to break up the trip into a few posts... starting with Day 1:
On Monday morning, even though I had a billion things to do before catching the KTX to Busan, I made sure to pack myself a nutritious lunch for the train ride. I probably could've just found something to eat at the station before boarding, but I wanted something yummy, wholesome, and satisfying.
So before I headed out, I quickly mashed up some 'eggless egg salad' with the addition of finely diced carrots, red onions, and pickles, and spread it between two slices of 'Samlip Natural Bread.' I also made sure to stash some cherry tomatoes for added freshness. Once I boarded the train and got settled in my seat, I pulled out my lunchbox and savored my sandwich while watching the green mountains of Korea pass by my window. :)
To make my humble lunch look a little more glamorous, I bought a fancy bottle of 'Eau' water at 'Paris Croissant' inside the KTX station.
Here's what got mashed up together to make this tofu-egg salad sandwich:
- 1/4 block of medium/firm tofu
- 1/4 red onion, finely diced
- 1/4 cup carrot, finely diced
- 1 dill pickle, diced
- 2 Tbs nutritional yeast
- 1/2 Tbs vinegar (I used brown rice vinegar)
- 1 Tbs yellow mustard
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
It was the perfect packed lunch. It's been a while since I last packed a meal because I started working from home, and I gotta say, I kinda miss using my little lunch box container. I should do this more often.
On an unrelated note, I just wanna say that even though there's nothing traditional about high-speed trains that go 300km/hr, don't you think there's still something romantic about traveling by train? It gives me a sense of old-school glamor, what with the station, the platforms, the conductors, the smooth ride, the countryside views... is it just me?
Anyway, I arrived at Busan station, met up with the rest of my family, and headed straight to a buffet for the big relative gathering. Here are some photos from the buffet:
The salad bar is my friend.
Ofcourse, the majority of the spread wasn't vegan, but there were still plenty of things for me to feast on.
Plate #1: lots of green leafies, japchae, tomatoes, grilled asparagus, a mini kimbab roll, sea vegetables, mushrooms, and a few random items.
Something stuffed with figs.
Plate #2: Soba noodles, more asparagus, mushrooms, sea veggies, some pear slices, pickled ginger, a Korean pancake with sweet bean filling, yubu cho-bab, and pickled garlic cloves.
Close-up of the red bean pancake thingymabob
I also got two different porridges in one bowl: sweet pumpkin porridge, and black sesame seed porridge. I wasn't a big fan of the latter, but the pumpkin one was yummy. Especially the lumps of ddeok and red beans in it.
One of several dessert plates: Ddeok, rambutan, lychee, pineapple, watermelon, and grapes. I went back for second and third helpings of fruit! And on the side, there's a bowl of cold soybean soup (꽁국) that has little strips of vegetarian jelly in them (not made from gelatin).
My peeled rambutan. Tastes just like lychee. :)
Adorable
So that was Day 1. Stay tuned for more pics from my Busan/Cheonan trip!