Even for meat restaurant aficionados, the place to go to for the thinly sliced marinated beef known as bulgogi is Sariwon, the legendary restaurant that has been around for more than 30 years. Sariwon started as a labour of love - a wife experimenting with an alternative bulgogi recipe based on fruit juices and other natural sugars to cook for her diabetic husband. When you go to Sariwon, try its deungshim bulgogi, which is bulgogi from top sirloin beef.

For excellent kalbi (barbequed short ribs), go to Samwon Garden, which is owned by the parents of famous professional golfer Grace Park. The restaurant is nestled in a green garden with its own waterfall, which can seem a bit touristy but is better than peering out onto the busy street.

Be warned: the service here is efficient. If you can eat at the pace in which they serve you, you will easily complete your meal in less than an hour. After several courses of barbequed kalbi wrapped with lettuce and Korean bean paste, finish your meal with a refreshing bowl of naeng myun, cold buckwheat noodles in soup, a classic North Korean dish that is loved in South Korea. Sam Won Garden serves some of the best naeng myun in Seoul.

Korea may be the most ethnically homogenous country in the world, but there is a minority Chinese population here. They are the remnants of a people who had little choice but to settle on the Korean peninsula when the border closed in 1948 with the victory of the Chinese Communist Party. Like so many overseas Chinese, many initially made a living operating Chinese restaurants. Over the years, Chinese dishes in Korea have become a distinct cuisine of their own.

For the best Korean-Chinese food, go to Palsun at The Shilla (pictured), one of the top five-star hotels in Seoul. The Palsun does not typify most Korean-Chinese restaurants, which are known for inexpensive home or office deliveries. While the Palsun charges more than double the going rate for a regular bowl of the classic Korean-Chinese noodles in black bean sauce - jajang myun (the Korean version of the northern Chinese noodles, ja cheung meen) - the food at Palsun, together with its ambience, is in a class of its own.

When at Palsun, also try the Korean version of sweet-and-sour pork or beef that comes in a clear sauce instead of the orange-coloured sauce you see in Cantonese restaurants, and which you dip in a sweet and spicy soy sauce. If you have room, sample the gam poong ki, fried spicy garlic chicken, and Palsun's prawns in mayonnaise sauce, which are also excellent.

The hit Korean drama series Dae Jang Geum introduced traditional royal Korean cuisine to the rest of the world. Step into a scene from Dae Jang Geum by entering into the time warp created by Phil Kyung Jae, a former Korean palace that was transformed into a restaurant that serves traditional royal foods. A 'royal' dinner is usually a 14-16 course meal consisting of food that was only served to the Korean emperor and his royal family. Phil Kyung Jae is the most incredible and authentic royal Korean dining experience.

Not everything in Korea that tastes great is expensive. Go with a Korean speaker to Darakjung, the famous hole-in-the-wall restaurant known for its dumplings, which Koreans call mandoo, stuffed with kimchi, seasoned meat, tofu and fresh vegetables. (For those who don't know, kimchi is spicy pickled cabbage and is recognised as Korea's national dish.) Try the kimchi mandoo jungol - a kimchi dumpling casserole in a rich kimchi soup with vegetables and rice cakes. The jungol is warmly satisfying in the freezing Korean winters. Other than the various dumpling dishes, the nokdujun fried green mung bean pancakes are especially good as well.

The east-meets-west concept of fusion cuisine was popularised more than 10 years ago, and Korea has its own version of fusion food. For Korean fusion go to Do Ga Hun, where eating is just as much of an experience as absorbing the beautiful fusion decor complemented with huge works of art. If you want a break from regular Korean food, try the more western-style dishes of anti-pasto-style salad, baked scallops and beef tenderloin.

After all this flavourful Korean food intense with garlic and chilli, top a meal off with good coffee or tea and dessert. Koreans love their sweets, and there are many great cafes to choose from. Coffee houses and lounges play a critical role in modern Korean culture. Go to a lounge cafe on a Saturday afternoon, and at almost every table will be a couple on a blind date. Many of these people have been set up through family, friends or even match-makers and are on their first date, almost like an interviewing process to check each other out.

If love is to blossom within an hour, the ambience of the cafes is just as important as the quality of food and drinks served. For the most splendid cafe decor and exotic cakes go to Cafe Mou, where each little detail exudes creativity and even the way tea is served seems like an elegant ritual.

Harue may not be the trendiest cafe, but it is a Seoul institution. There are so many desserts and drinks to choose from: the milk shakes are so rich and thick you can stand a spoon in them. If you like waffles, try the waffles with everything that come with a variety of fruit, whipped cream, and large scoops of Haagen-Dazs ice cream.

Koreans have refined taste buds when it comes to frozen yoghurt, because they've been eating it for years. This is the country that started the frozen yoghurt franchise Red Mango, which led to Pinkberry in the United States and more recently Berrygood in Hong Kong. One of the very best frozen yoghurts in Korea is the yoghurt sherbet at Etang Clair, which also has a wide selection of cakes, and all look scrumptious on the illustrated menu. If nothing jumps at you, order the crepe cake. You can't go wrong.

Korea may not have incredible historical monuments like the Forbidden City of China, or the white beaches of Thailand, but there is an enticing buzz there. Food plays an important role in all the experiences Korea has to offer, so walk the streets, be daring and try new Korean foods, and dine in some of the most fabulous restaurants and cafes Seoul has to offer.

At a glance

Bamboo House 135-080 Yoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, +82 2 5660870, Non-marinated high end beef, $$$$

Cafe Mou 650-9 Park View Building 2/Fl, Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, +82 2 34446069, Exotic cakes, $$

Darakjung Samcheong-dong 127-2,Chongro-gu, +82 2 7251697, Kimchi mandoo jungol, $

Etang Clair 79-21 Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, +82-2-547-5574, Yoghurt sherbet, $$

Harue Puwon Bldg, Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, +82 2 5469981, Dessert and coffee/tea, $$