[Drinkit Awards] Editor's PICK! 2022 BEST & WORST Awards

Once this week passes, it’s already 2023. Time really flies! Looking back on 2022, a year full of eating, drinking, and traveling around, I feel bittersweet. Especially for DrinKit content, I tried a lot of delicious and not-so-delicious things, and there were quite a few that we said, “We have to include this in the year-end review content!” So we gathered together to prepare the 2022 Awards. We picked the best and worst according to the editors. We categorized them into three: food, drinks, and Michelin restaurants, but these are purely the editors’ opinions, so please don’t argue.

Jjinditer Pick!

Best Food: KFC Scorcher Burger

Photo by KFC website

The Scorcher Burger, which I introduced in the content “Hot Items I Eat Every Day”! Everyone knows KFC as a chicken specialty place, but their burgers are just as delicious. One day, when I was only eating Zinger Burgers, a friend introduced me to the Scorcher Burger, and it was totally my style. The outside is crispy, and inside there’s a whole chunk of tender chicken, with a spicy sauce that cuts through the greasiness. You must order coleslaw too. It neutralizes the spiciness and even gives you a feeling of being healthier!

“Hot Items I Eat Every Day” is here

Best Drink: Jinro Tonic Water Black Tea

A friend gave me a bottle and said, “It’s really good, try it. I ordered a whole box too,” and I was skeptical. But as soon as I took a sip, I ordered a box myself. It’s Ceylon tea with a bit less sweetness and added carbonation. The carbonation is quite strong, so you can drink it with ice, but even without ice, it quenches your thirst instantly. It’s perfect when you’re angry. It’s so tasty that when mixed with soju or whiskey, you can’t tell if it’s alcohol or a soft drink. If you haven’t tried it yet, I highly recommend giving it a shot.

Best Michelin: Kkudang

Are you subscribed to the DrinKit newsletter? I recently visited Daehakro’s famous pork belly restaurant called Daetongryeong (President). The editors and I once debated on “If you could only go to one place, where would it be?” The editors chose Kkudang, and I chose Daetongryeong. But among Michelin restaurants, Kkudang was the most delicious. Okay, I admit I do love meat.

Kkudang is the most recent Michelin restaurant I visited. Honestly, I don’t remember the taste of places I went to before. While recalling Egg & Flower and Mapook, I decided on Kkudang because it made me enjoy the common instant noodles, Jjapagetti, with amazement. The same goes for pork belly and neck meat. Food always tastes better at the restaurant, but the rich meat juices and tender texture made me want to come back with friends and family. I plan to visit again next year, and if you see someone eating three servings alone, that’s me, so say hello.

The Kkudang review is here

Worst Food: Baskin Robbins Pika Pika Pikachu

I go to Baskin Robbins quite often and I really like . So when these two came together, I rushed over. But why is it on the worst list? Because the Pika Pika Pikachu flavor was really disappointing. It’s a sweet banana-flavored ice cream with chocolate flakes and red popping candy, but it was so sweet?sweet + sweet + sweet?that it felt like my mouth was cramping. Of course, for those who love sweet treats, it might have been the best flavor, but that’s just personal taste, so please understand. As always, the Jamocha Almond Fudge (also sweet) is the best at Baskin Robbins!

Worst Drink: Tom N Toms Americano

Photo by Tom N Toms website capture

Americano is like a part of my life. In cold weather, I drink it warm; in hot weather, I fill it with ice, and it makes me so happy I could skip a meal. It clears my mind and lifts my mood. But the one that completely ruined my happiness was Tom N Toms Americano. Whether warm or iced, it just tasted mediocre. I don’t know if it’s different by branch, but I also think their bread items like croffles are really bad. I once tried a croffle that was half cold and half hot. Since then, I haven’t set foot in Tom N Toms again.

Editor Pick!

Best Food: Cup Noodles Rose & Jjajang Flavors

One of my goals for 2022 was dieting. Combining exercise and diet is the most important. I found an exercise routine that suits me and work out regularly, but dieting is really hard. There are just too many delicious foods in the world!♥ When I feel like “I’ve eaten too much lately!” I reach for Cup Noodles as a diet food. The portion is small, which is a downside, but the taste is good enough to overcome that. Of course, I like the spicy flavor the most, but after seeing the newly released Rose and Jjajang flavors this year, I set my 2023 New Year’s resolution again: “I can lose weight with Cup Noodles!”

How to diet deliciously is here

Best Drink: Ediya Black Sesame Cream Latte

I’m someone who drinks iced beverages even in the middle of a snowy winter. Only those who know the thrill of drinking a cold drink while bundled up with a scarf and gloves will understand. But I gradually started enjoying warm drinks, and the reason is this drink. After tasting Ediya’s winter menu Black Sesame Cream Latte, I clearly realized my taste preference. I’m more into savory than sweet. This drink, with its incredibly savory black sesame flavor and smooth milk cream, melts away my cold completely.

Best Michelin: Uyumyeon Gwan

I visited Bib Gourmand restaurants every month, but the reason I chose Uyumyeon Gwan is simple. Not only is it delicious, but it’s also clean and reasonably priced! On a cool windy day last May, I tried beef noodle soup for the first time in my life, and it’s a dish I crave again in the cold winter. The rich herbal flavor rises but isn’t harsh; rather, it’s clean-tasting. It contains brisket, shank, and flank meat, yet it’s not greasy at all and very tender. The chewy noodles, bok choy, egg, and meat all come together for a perfect meal. Especially the cucumber salad made with pickled cucumber and radish was excellent. It was crunchy and tangy, refreshing the palate.

The honest review of Uyumyeon Gwan is here

Worst Food: Ediya Mint Chocolate Fresh Cream Castella

“Eating mint chocolate means donating?” So the mint chocolate fans gathered and headed to Ediya. In July, when the heat was intense, Ediya launched four mint chocolate bakery items, with part of the sales proceeds donated. Among the four, the most disappointing was the Mint Chocolate Fresh Cream Castella. From the name to the appearance, it couldn’t be bad, but it was a big letdown. The essence of castella is softness, but it had a crunchy texture like ice cream. It softened completely after thawing, but still. Also, the amount of mint chocolate fresh cream inside was too little compared to the bread, so I ended up eating the bread separately. Still, I want to give passing marks to the other menu items because they were excellent.

The story of eating mint chocolate and donating is here

Worst Drink: Hoegaarden Fruit Brew Pear Zero

This summer was really hot. I remember drinking a lot of beer to beat the heat. With new beer products released one after another, I encountered many beers with excellent pear flavors to quench thirst, like Malpyo Pear Ale, FIZZ cider Pear, and Hoegaarden Fruit Brew Pear. Among them, the zero-alcohol Hoegaarden was a big disappointment. It had a strong sour taste rather than sweetness and lacked refreshment. It tasted fishy, and after one sip, I couldn’t drink more, so I put it on the worst drinks list. Other team members, including me, also expressed negative opinions.

Worst Michelin: Goryeo Samgyetang

The worst Michelin restaurant both Jjinditer and Editor shouted out! The editor picked it as worst Michelin because it was too ordinary. Also, the chicken was small, which was a big minus. They say it’s because they use a 49-day-old laying rooster called “Ungchu.” The meat itself was very tender, easily separated from the bone, and had a chewy texture. But isn’t it normal to feel so full after eating samgyetang that you can barely walk? Samgyetang is eaten for health, but after finishing, I didn’t feel very full. Maybe because I braved heavy rain to get there, the satisfaction wasn’t as high as expected, which was disappointing.

The honest review of Goryeo Samgyetang is here

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.