Delectable Travels

Delectable Travels is a Seoul-based food tour company run by 8 Birds Tours and Events, with tours led by Daniel Gray, a food writer and long-time Seoul resident who has spent years exploring the city's restaurants and markets. The company's approach is to pair Korean food with local culture, taking small groups to traditional markets and long-standing eateries away from the most obvious tourist streets.

Several tours are offered. The Night Dining Tour is an evening of eating and drinking at local spots, giving a feel for the way Seoulites socialise over food and drink after work. The Ultimate Dining Tour is a more extensive tasting experience, and the Hipster Food Tour explores the younger, trend-driven side of the city's food scene, with newer cafés and restaurants alongside old favourites. Custom private tours can also be arranged for families, couples or groups with particular interests.

Food tours like these are especially useful in Seoul, where many of the best traditional restaurants have no English menus, serve dishes only for two or more people, or follow etiquette that can be confusing for newcomers, such as who pours drinks and how to grill meat at the table. A guide removes those barriers and explains the history and ingredients behind each dish.

The tours suit food lovers, solo travellers who want company for an evening, couples and small groups of friends. Group sizes are kept small. Let the company know about allergies and dietary requirements before you book, as many Korean dishes contain seafood, pork or fermented fish products, and come hungry, as tasting tours involve several stops. Wear comfortable shoes, as there is walking between venues.

Restaurant names and addresses in Seoul are often written only in Korean, so bring a phone or notebook to save the places you visit and any suggestions for the rest of your trip.

Tours are booked through the company's website, which links to its booking channels, and meeting points and times are confirmed when you reserve. Enquiries can be sent by email. Evening tours work well on the first or second night of a trip, as they give you ideas for where to eat for the rest of your stay.