Seoul of the South: A First-Timer’s Guide

A Korean Food & Cultural Tour in Gwinnett, Georgia

One of my favorite things about living in Metro Atlanta is how diverse it is — the people, the culture, the food, the shopping — you can find the whole world here!  Gwinnett County is a perfect example, with one of the largest Korean communities in the Southeast. In fact, Korean is the third most spoken language in Georgia, and the Seoul of the South Tour offers one of the most unique ways to experience it.

One of the stops on the tour for Korean BBQ

The Seoul of the South tour has been on my bucket list for a long time! It's an incredibly popular experience and sells out quickly, so despite living nearby, I’ve never actually had the chance to go. So when Explore Gwinnett invited me to join their most recent tour, I jumped at the chance.

I left this tour with more food than I could imagine — both in my belly and in my cooler! — but it was about so much more than just the food.

Tour leader Sarah Park brings so much humor and passion to the experience. She’s deeply committed to introducing people to Korean culture and, hopefully, breaking down some walls along the way. She wants guests to leave feeling comfortable enough to come back, explore more on their own, and bring their family and friends with them.

The tour guide, Sarah Park, is a Korean native, foodie, and very involved in the local community.

The Details

The Seoul of the South is a trolley-based food and cultural experience that occurs a few times a year. Hosted by Explore Gwinnett and led by Korean native and local foodie Sarah Park.

During the tour, you’ll make four stops at Korean restaurants and cafes while Sarah shares stories about Korean culture, traditions, history, and the connection between Korea and Georgia — and, of course, you’ll eat lots of delicious food!

The tour begins at the Explore Gwinnett office (6500 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth, GA), where you can park for free before boarding the trolley.

Tours sell out quickly, so be sure to check the Explore Gwinnett calendar for upcoming dates. If the trolley tour is sold out, you can also experience the participating restaurants on your own with the self-guided Seoul of the South Pass.

BONUS: Guests receive a goodie bag, and you’ll likely be taking leftovers home, so bring a cooler!

Each guest received this goodie bag with Korean treats

(Please note that restaurant locations can vary.)

Stop 1: Korean Home Cooking

Our first stop was Chung Dam (2550 Pleasant Hill Rd, Duluth), a home-style Korean restaurant where Sarah walked us through every dish we were served — from the dotorimuk, an acorn-based jelly, to the perfectly marinated bulgogi.

Korean home cooking at Chung Dam

One of the things I loved about the tour was how Sarah explained not just what we were eating, but why we were eating it. She explained that Korean meals are all about combining different flavors and textures, which is why you’ll often find a wide variety of side dishes served alongside the main dishes. And yes, they’re complimentary and unlimited at Korean restaurants!

TIP: You do not need to know how to use chopsticks on this tour.  You can use them, of course, but one of the things Sarah stresses at the beginning of the tour is that she wants everyone to have fun and feel comfortable — not intimidated. So if chopsticks aren’t your thing, grab a fork!

Korean home cooking at Chung Dam

Stop 2: The Korean BBQ Experience

If you live in Gwinnett, you know we are spoiled with an incredible selection of Korean BBQ restaurants, and Honey Pig (3473 Old Norcross Rd, Duluth) is one of the oldest and most established in the area. Here, the grill is built right into the table, and you can either barbecue the meats yourself or have the servers prepare everything for you.

On our tour, we were treated to having everything cooked for us right at the table, from marinated pork and pork belly to beef and chicken, along with a huge assortment of grilled sides like sprouts, kimchi, and peppers.

Honey Pig Korean BBQ

And as if the grilled meats and veggies weren’t enough, we were also treated to an assortment of side dishes and starters, including soup, steamed egg, and my new favorite: corn cheese — a popular Korean BBQ side made with sweet corn kernels and melted, gooey cheese.

Corn cheese at Honey Pig

TIP: Water and non-alcoholic drinks are available throughout the tour. You can also purchase beer and wine separately. If you do want a drink here, the Soju Bomb was a recommended choice.

Honey Pig Korean BBQ

Stop 3: Made-in-House Comfort Food

Our third stop was at Yogi Asian Fusion (80 Horizon Dr, Suwanee), where we learned that almost everything is made from scratch in-house. Sarah was particularly passionate about this, stressing the care that goes into preparing the food here — especially their beef patties — which were delicious!

Yogi Asian Fusion

At this point, our bellies and our coolers were getting pretty full, but that didn't stop us from feasting on vegetable tempura, ramen, chicken wings, beef patties, kimbap, and more.

Yogi Asian Fusion

This was also the stop where I asked Sarah how she decides which restaurants to feature on the tour.  It’s not something she takes lightly!  She wants to make sure each restaurant is well established, often giving new restaurants at least a year to find their footing before reaching out about potentially joining the tour.

Yogi Asian Fusion

Stop 4: Something Sweet

Our last stop was Cafe Mixx (2925 Lawrenceville-Suwanee Rd, Suwanee), which I assumed would be all about the sweets. But, to my surprise and delight, we arrived to find samples of crispy fried chicken and sausages waiting for us — followed by the most delicious iced coffee!

Cafe Mixx

One thing Sarah reiterated throughout the tour is that Koreans are especially passionate about two things: fried chicken and iced coffee. Which coincidentally happens to be my love language 🙌

We also got to sample milk and matcha ice cream, house-made fruit drinks, and several different flavors of tiramisu, including purple sweet potato, matcha, and soybean powder.

It was definitely the perfect way to end the food portion of the tour — especially if you’re anything like me and have a sweet tooth!

More Than Just a Food Tour

One of the things that makes the Seoul of the South tour so special is getting to spend the day with Sarah — hearing her stories, learning about the Korea-Georgia connection, and watching her patiently attempt to teach us how to say “hello” and “thank you” in Korean.  We did our best.

On the trolley ride back to our cars, we heard more stories from Sarah’s childhood in Korea — including a humorous tale about her weekly bathhouse visits. That led us into a conversation about Korean bath culture and the local Korean bathhouses.

If you’re interested in learning more about Korean bath culture, I have a First-Timer’s Guide to JeJu that you can check out.

JeJu Korean Spa

Even if you’re already familiar with the area, this is such a fun way to see it from a different perspective, fill your belly, and meet some new people. One woman on our tour had actually done it twice before, which I think says a lot about the experience!

I also loved not having to worry about driving from restaurant to restaurant. I could sit back on the trolley, enjoy the food, listen to Sarah’s stories, and actually focus on the experience.

I already want to do this again. I hear the evening tours include karaoke…

Me with tour leader extraordinaire, Sarah Park