What is a Food Tour?

Most people have heard of a food tour, but many are still not aware of just what a food tour is. Basically, what this tour is, is a tour where you are taken around a neighborhood or other area, and where you get to try out different foods. Typically the point of a tour like this is to introduce people to a certain type of food. For instance they can be offered in Chicago so that tourists can come to the area and taste the different type of food that is available in the area.

A food tour can be greatly enjoyable, and is fantastic for culinary students who are getting the chance to taste perfectly made food by gourmet chefs.

There are even Food Network tours that are offered, and these are presented by the Food Network which is one of the most successful culinary cable television specialty channels available today. They offer some of the best recipes and have some of the best chefs from all around the world who work for them.

How to Sign up

Now if you are interested in taking a food tour, whether through the Food Network and via any other means, you are going to want to get started on that right now because these food tours tend to book up quickly. When people are celebrating a birthday or other event, and even just for the sake of it, people really enjoy going on these food tours and so you are going to want to sign up as soon as you can to make sure that you are going to get a spot on the tour.

There are different types of food tour that you can go on. There are some where you will just be eating at the same restaurant or location and where you are going to taste different foods and then there are other tours where you will actually be taken around to a few different places and enjoy different foods.

It is up to you what sort of food tour you decide to sign up for, just make sure that you get your name in and as well all the other people that are going to be going with you on the tour, as soon as you can.

A food tour can be a lot of fun, and something that you really enjoy. There are always great tours that are available no matter where you are.

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Food Network Tours: Some of the Most Popular Out There

Sure there are a ton of different, great food tours that you can go to, but if you really want to check out one of the best food tours available today, then you are going to want to sign up for one of the Food Network tours that are set up. These are Food Network studio tours where you are actually able to see the sets of the different chefs that appear on television via the Food Network channel.

Best of all, when you go to one of the Food Network tours you are able to see how these professional chefs prepare their food and learn about how they got so skilled at their craft.

Just make sure that you are ready and that you sign up for one of the Food Network tours as early on as you can, because, obviously they get booked up pretty fast.

About the Tours

The Food Network tours features people like the cast of Iron Chef, and so you not only get to meet the different people who work on this set but as well you are going to see the area in which they cook. For anyone who is training in culinary arts, they are going to understand just how amazing an opportunity this really is, because chances are that they are striving to hopefully one day end up in this same position and be working in a top of the line kitchen just like this.

These tours are very detailed and the people giving the tours always offer a lot of useful information to those who are attending the tour. There is usually the option of going on a public tour where there may be a few other people on the tour with you but you can also sometimes take a private tour which means that you and only the people that you invited are going to go on the tour.

These Food Network tours are always a lot of fun, and especially if you are training to be a chef you are going to want to allow yourself this opportunity because you are certainly not going to regret it. This is something that you are never going to forget, and it is going to help you to dramatically improve your cooking skills. You can read reviews and see what other people have thought and they are all glad that they decided to go on the tour.

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How to save more with Seoul City Pass or T-money card?

My T-Money

I urge you to get the Seoul City Pass or T-Money card.

Seoul City Pass (as of now is 3,000 won each).
All types of T-money cards have a zero balance at the time of purchase. So, you need to top up the value before using the card. You can buy the card at any convenience store (with T-money signboard) or any subway stations.

It will save you a lot; time or money, if you come from Malaysia or other lower value currency countries.

Why?

1 - If you purchase one way ticket, it will charge you 1,000 won per ride, for the first 10 km. However, with Seoul City Pass you will only pay 900 won and goes up 100 Won every 5km after.

2 - You will receive some other discounts such as; 10% to N Seoul Tower, 10% to Lotte World, Free admission to Seoul Museum of Art, 10% to Nanta theater and many more. Once you purchase the Seoul City Pass, you will receive the discount booklet. So, use that!

3 - If you stay at touristy area eg Myeondong or Insadong, just walk to the nearer district like Myeongdong, Insadong, Jongno, Namdaemun or even Chonggyecheon. They are just near to each other. Read your map and go figure. Don't simply take the subway cause it will cost you 900 won each ride.

4 - Transfer discounts using T-money are available for transfers from bus to subway, from subway to bus, from bus to bus, from bus to shuttle bus (or maeul bus), or shuttle bus to bus. Discounts are not offered for transfers from subway to subway, however. Transfer discounts are offered only if your transfer is made within 30 minutes of your last transportation use. If you are transferring from a shuttle bus to the subway, you will be charged 500 won for the shuttle bus and 300 won basic fare for the subway. After that, you will be charged any additional fares for distances exceeding the the basic distance.

For example - I took a bus from Yeoido park to Ewha University station. After that take Subway from Ewha University Station to my hostel at Yaksu Station which cost me only 900 won.

For this, you need to learn HANGUL cause the bus schedule will look like this:


But I am glad that I took the time to learn.

5 - You can use the card to make local calls however you can only use on telephone which has T-Money sign on it. Hence, it is not necessary to purchase a separate telephone card. If you want to call oversea, use skype. It's super duper cheap. Only cost me MYR0.50 for 10 minutes talk with my family. I didn't rent any phone here!

6. It can also be used for taxi fares, buses, storage lockers, etc. Hence, save your time.

7. DO NOT FORGET - to touch the card against the panel/sensor before you drop off from the subway or bus! IF NOT - you will be penalized have to pay a full fare without discount for transfers or you may be charged the longest-distance fare as a penalty. If you are not sure, observe how the Koreans do it.

Check my post on how to calculate subway fare from Naver interactive map. If you use T-money, you will save 100 won immediately for every ride.

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My budget so far..

I have used around MYR500 (from 27th Sept - 7th Oct)

Seoul Metro - 35,000
Bus ticket - 18,000
Food - 50,000
Accommodation - 45,000 (3 nights)
Clothes - 15,000
Tour Admission - 4,000

I visited Hye Won on 28th Sept, stayed at Happy Guesthouse for 3 nights until 30th Sept for 45,000 won. Then I stayed with Chi Won (Couch Surfing - free) and now stayed with Joy Farm (practically free but with a yearly fee of WWOOF of 50,000 won).

18,000 won used for ticket from Seoul to Chunyang.

Food is somewhat differs from individual but I try to find Halal food which is more expensive compared to normal food. So, basically it depends on your 'desire' hahaha..

Clothes - I bought a 15,000 won sweater from a warehouse sale in Myeongdong which was cheap. Later, got to splurge to buy a better winter jacket.

Tour admission - Changdeok palace - 3,000 won, Deoksu palace - 1,000 won, Chi Won's mother paid for me a 12,000 admission for Yongin's folk village. She is really a kind mother.

There is a method on how to save on your Seoul Metro expenses but I will tell in another post.

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