On my recent trip to the 12th annual Pusan International Film Festival, I was watching movies, trying to confirm the appearance of a star at the Hawaii International Film Festival and scouting out the best places to eat. I admit, I am a hard-core food nut and do my best to find restaurants popular among the locals when I travel.

After a few weeks in South Korea and a few pounds added on, here is the list of must-try restaurants in Busan.

Oenyang bulgoki is thinly sliced rib-eye beef marinated with the special sauce that the owners of Jin Mi Oenyang Bulgoki, in the Kwang Al-e area, would die to protect; it is sweet and heavily dosed with minced garlic. Throw the meat on the grill and a sweet smell will fill the air. When the beef is ready, grab a hand-sized lettuce leaf and wrap the beef in it. Place a small portion of bean paste on the beef and pop it in your mouth. The beef is so tender that you don't need any utensils other than chopsticks. HIFF programmer Anderson Le accompanied me on this dining experience and after three servings he said it was the best bulgoki he ever had.

The best bang for the money in Busan is a dish called mil myun. If you have ever had neng myung (chewy buckwheat noodles in a cold beef broth), mil myun is a spinoff: Instead of using buckwheat noodles, flour-based noodles are used. Both are in a cold beef broth and the red pepper sauce adds a small kick. Mil myun is found only in Busan and is the most popular lunch dish during the hot summer months. A hearty serving costs just over $2 and you get kim chi on the side. For another dollar, you can get extra noodles. It was my first time trying this and I had to have a second serving. I was full through dinner time and the whole meal was less than the cab ride from my hotel.

The Pusan International Film Festival is held mainly in the Haeundae area of the city, analogous to Waikiki, the tourist area. I was staying at the Paradise Hotel along with many Korean stars. Nearby is Geum Soo Bok Gook, known for its puffer-fish soup. Bok is Korean for puffer fish, aka swellfish, blowfish, and what Japanese call fugu. Costing $10 per serving, the dish is accompanied by many side dishes. There are two versions — a regular clear broth version and a spicy version. I went for the spicy version and although the soup was spicy and temperature hot, I couldn't stop eating. Sweating profusely, I finished off the soup which included puffer fish, radish and bean sprouts in a light broth. As I left, the line of people waiting to get in went halfway around the block.

The most famous and well-liked restaurant is the Haeundae Am So Kalbi. It's known for kalbi, but not like the kalbi we know of in Hawai'i — the marinade is very light.

Almost as famous as the beef is the potato noodles served at the end of the meal. A potato noodle is to Koreans what gnocchi is to Italians. Served in a light sweet soy broth, the potato noodles have the texture of pasta and are a great way to finish a meal. One bit of warning: There is an imposter restaurant a stone's throw from the Paradise Hotel with the exact same name; keep walking for about 10 minutes to find the real one (ask hotel staff for directions).

Lastly, my personal favorite is the seafood in Busan. A port city, Busan has many fresh, live seafood options.

Right in front of my hotel, along the beach walk, were restaurants featuring huge tanks of live seafood. There was one place of which I took particular notice. It had a cold tank packed with live snow crab and Alaskan king crab. I could not let this opportunity pass to visit Busan Young Duk Crab.

I ordered fresh steamed snow crab (which weighed in at just over 3 pounds) along with many side dishes and trimmings and a beer. The total? About $44. The meat was naturally sweet and flaky soft. The restaurant served the crab pre-cut so it is easy to peel open to enjoy. I cracked open every last part of the legs and got all the meat out. It was an unforgettable dining experience. The next day, my last in Busan, I had to go back for more crab.

THIS WEEK'S K-DRAMA SYNOPSES

'BRIDE FROM VIETNAM,' EPISODES 21 AND 22

Tonight at 7: Han-suk and Wu-nam are taken aback by the fact that Dong-gu is not the dentist Won-mi has been dating. Han-suk tells Dong-gu and Won-mi she'll never give them her permission to marry. Ji-young is under a lot of stress, trying to be an obedient daughter-in-law to Ok-kyong, but her attempt proves to be detrimental to her health. Tonight at 8: As Jun-wu's condition improves, Jin-ju can't help but fear that he'll no longer need her and leave her someday. Young-min asks his father to allow Ji-young to work again. Young-su takes Se-mi home to introduce her to his family.

'KING & I,' EPISODES 1 AND 2

Tomorrow at 7:50 p.m.: The new period drama "King & I" starts during the reign of King Sejo, who had banished his nephew King Danjong to exile and seized the throne. Kim Ja-myung, King Danjong's loyal subject, attempt to kill King Sejo fails because of his longtime friend Jo Chi-gyeom's betrayal. Tuesday at 7:50 p.m.: As a reward for saving the king's life, Jo Chi-gyeom becomes the head of the Department of Eunuch. Kim Ja-myung is killed, and his wife gives birth to Cheo-sun on the run, and jumps off a cliff.

'THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR,' EPISODES 15 AND 16

Wednesday at 7:50 p.m.: Mr. Cha tries to make a deal with Mr. Ko after he discovers confidential materials. Mr. Cha is attacked and suffers partial memory loss. Yoon-hee is humiliated at a company gathering. It makes her realize her fate and she decides to leave Joon-suk. Thursday at 7:50 p.m. Joon-suk proposes to Yoon-hee and tells his mother and Mr. Ko that he won't marry Hye-mi. Yoon-hee's family is against their relationship, but after Joon-suk pays them a visit, they support them. Hye-mi's ex-lover's sister keeps harassing Hye-mi about her missing brother.

'KARL & SUJUNG,' EPISODES 11 AND 12

Friday at 7:50 p.m.: Su-jung leaves Woo-tak at the altar, and runs into Man-su. Su-jung professes her love for Man-su, and he kisses her. Dae-soon suggests Woo-tak join forces with her to separate Su-jung and Man-su. Saturday at 7:50 p.m.: Su-jung overhears Man-su and Dae-soon talking about a deal, but Man-su tells her it's nothing to worry about. Man-su begs Woo-tak not to tell Su-jung about their deal, and Woo-tak promises not to tell, for Su-jung's sake. Dae-soon plots to reveal the secret to Su-jung.