Seoul food and drink Archives

In Incheon

Enjoying Ice Flakes in a Modern Hanok

In a hot summer day, one of the best things to do is to enjoy a bowl of cool ice flake in a nice cafe with air-conditioning. In Korea, there’s no shortage of ice cream, desserts and coffee shops. When there is a choice, the environment and interior design of the coffee shop is an important factor. It’s been a trending thing to have coffee and tea in the converted traditional Korean houses in Seoul. In the newly developed Incheon Songdo Central Park, Hanok house are built for commercial purposes.

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In Korea

Waffles & Coffee : Coffee Smith vs. Beansbins Coffee

Waffles, pancakes and coffee places are getting very popular in Korea. And the choice of coffee and dessert places are abundant! Many of them are chain stores. I’ve learned from the local Korean friends that coffee has become a strong culture. People love having coffee. It’s amazing how big the market is to support all these coffee shops.

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In Gangnam

Monday to Sunday Brunch

There are a number of coffee shops and restaurants identified as favourites of some K-pop starts in Gangnam of Seoul. They are usually a place to see and be seen, with an open view on the road side. Cafe Monday to Sunday is one of them. It is a favorite restaurant of TVXQ, Sunper junior, and f(x). So you may run into these k-pop stars there.

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In Korea

“We Got Married” Cafe in Seoul

Miss Lee cafe is a must if you are a Korean TV drama fan. The second season of the Korean reality show “We Got Married” was filmed in the Insadong branch, one of the three Miss Lee Cafes in Seoul. As you can tell just from the name of the show, this coffee shop was where the actor and actress dated. Like many other film locations, this coffee shop has become famous after the show was broadcasted. Well, there is always a reason why it was chosen as a film location to begin with. The interior decoration and the atmosphere of Miss Lee cafe is indeed nice and sweet. Before I stopped by, I have not seen any of the TV show nor done much research about the coffee shop. I only remember seeing the logo somewhere in a guide book. It was time to have lunch. So I looked at the menu and decided to give it a try. The restaurant is not that small. There is an outdoor sitting area and there are quite a few tables inside. The main feature is the…

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In Korea

Signature Starbucks in Korea

The dome shape glass ceiling Starbucks on top of a subway station in Gangnam is probably the best I have seen not only in Korea, but also in Asia. Celebrating the 15th anniversary of Starbucks and the 800th store opened in Korea, this is a signature store featuring beautiful interior decoration and Starbucks Reserve in Gangnam area (south of the river). Locating in the newly renovated transport interchange called Famille Station in Gangnam, this 800th Starbucks is one of the few premium stores in Seoul that sells upscale Starbucks Reserve. You may find the single origin line as well as some special edition of Starbuck merchandise here. However, it is very crowded. People are sharing tables and there is always a long line at the counter. If you don’t fancy making a trip just to take a look at this signature Starbucks, well, the Famille Station is a trendy gourmet mall in Gangnam. The mall was renovated in 2014 according to the look of a classic London train station, featuring red brick walls, pillars, arched ceiling design, and a London clock. Level 1 features around 30 food and beverage stores, from…

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In Korea

The Raw Crab Cuisine in Korea

When it comes to travel, the last thing you want is to get sick in a foreign country. So I am always careful when eating street food and things that are raw. I like seafood and decided to give Ganjang Gejang a try in this trip. Gejang means marinated crabs in soy sauce and you eat them raw. “Ganjang” is added to Gejang to differentiate it from another raw crab dish prepared with chilli pepper seasoning. The tradition of eating marinated raw crabs dated back hundreds of years in Korea. I think that back in the old days when there aren’t that many choices of food available year round, preserved foods are common around the world. And if you were not living by the sea, you would not have the privilege to eat fresh raw seafood. This tradition has made some of the cuisines unique. The marinated raw crab cuisine is pretty complicated to prepare. The blue crabs have to be marinated with the right sauce with the right ingredients: ganjang, salt, onions, garlic, ginger, cheongyang peppers, water, etc. Otherwise, it will be either too salty or…

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In Korea

Coffee in Korean Traditional Houses

Over the past few years, I have tried all coffee chain stores and seen the evolution of coffee shops in Korea. Starbucks has remained a safe choice for me for the standard of service, quality and variety of coffee choices. It finally reached a tipping point when I feel the difference and will try more independent coffee shops. And there are so many coffee shops in Korea now, more accessible than convenient stores. Moreover, many coffee shops offer unique ambience. Bukchon, iterally “north village” is a traditional residential area with many hundreds of years old traditional houses called “Hanok”. Many tourists would come to the area for a walk after visiting Gyeongbokgung Palace and Changdeokgung. In recent years, more and more of the traditional houses are turned coffee shops, tea houses, restaurants and guest houses, offering a unique cultural experience for both locals and tourists.

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