Where to see Super Bowl Sunday on Monday

Who will take home the Vince Lombardi Trophy this year?
Super Bowl XXXVIII ― that’s 38 for those not up on their Roman numerals ― pits the Carolina Panthers against the New England Patriots in a battle for the silver cup.
For fans of American football in Korea, however, Super Bowl festivities tend to bring on a bout of homesickness. While the standard Super Bowl fun starts Sunday afternoon or earlier in the United States, a whale of a time difference makes it 8:30 a.m. Monday, Seoul time (with pre-game shows starting at 1 a.m.!). Before spouting off on the inconveniences of life far from home, read on to find the silver lining in Super Bowl Monday.

3 Alley Pub in Itaewon
When Gunter Kamp, a German chef, came to Korea in 1994 to work at a hotel restaurant, he had no inkling that he’d one day be dishing up a Super Bowl special in Seoul. A decade later, however, Mr. Kamp runs his own small but cozy bar in Itaewon, where he’s gearing up to prepare Super Bowl treats for expats’ tastebuds.
While Mr. Kamp does not call himself a typical football fan, this hospitable chef knows how to entertain customers on Super Bowl Monday. He kickstarted this football special three years ago, after an American friend and regular customer dreamed it up. For Monday, Mr. Kamp has set up two 80-inch screens in his restaurant, with a medium-sized television for added measure. Super Bowl day is the one time that Mr. Kamp opens his doors at 7 a.m., quite a bit earlier than his usual 4 p.m. opening time.
For 3 Alley’s 10,000 won ($9) package, Mr. Kamp cooks up an all-American breakfast of bacon, eggs, sausages, baked beans and grilled tomatoes. To go with brunch, beers are offered from 2,500 won to 7,000 won a bottle. “Last year, more than 80 football fans filled the bar with roars and cheers,” Mr. Kamp recalled, adding that it was “so fun, definitely different from a standard Monday morning.”
This year, Mr. Kamp is expecting a larger crowd. He’s hoping that a few more ladies will stroll in, as just about every seat was occupied by a man last January.
3 Alley Pub is behind the Hamilton Hotel in Itaewon, central Seoul. Take subway line No. 6 to Itaewon Station and use exit 1. For more information and a reservation, call (02) 749-3336 (English available).

O’Kim’s at the Westin Chosun Hotel
Also in central Seoul, another Super Bowl special is brewing. On Monday, the Irish pub O’Kim’s will open about four hours earlier than usual, at 7:30 a.m., to greet Super Bowl enthusiasts.
Two 63-inch televisions and a projector screen will show the game of the year. The pub has arranged this Super Bowl special for years; last year, more than 60 customers showed up. Park Kyung-mi, an O’Kim’s staffer, remembers two groups of foreign company staffers dressed in suits and ties last year. This year, visitors are offered two special menus: a continental breakfast buffet for 18,000 won and a Super Bowl breakfast for 24,000 won, both before tax. Assorted breads, jams and fruit juices will accompany the main courses of bacon, eggs and hash browns.
“Now that the game starts at a time when other restaurants and bars in the hotel start business, we have more leeway in turning up the volume for real Super Bowl fun,”s Mr. Park said.
To reach O’Kim’s, take subway No. 1 or 2 to the City Hall Station and use exit 6, or Euljiro 1-ga Station on line No. 2 and use exit 7. For more information, call (02) 317-0388 (English available).

by Chun Su-jin