Crack Ice Cream Paradise, Wangsimni

This is just a hunch, but I have a sneaking suspicion that my body has two stomachs. One is for regular food and one is for ice cream. I've arrived at such a theory after observing on numerous occasions that it doesn't matter how bloated I am after a meal, my body will just automatically make more room whenever ice cream becomes involved.

Case in point: after stuffing myself silly at dinner yesterday, I was trudging around the shopping mall groaning and feeling sorry for myself. But then, as soon as I laid eyes on this place, I instantly wanted in. Perhaps it was because the name cracked me up? (Yes, pun intended. Hah!) Or, more likely, I suspect it was my dual stomach theory coming into play.

These days soft serve ice cream has been all the rage around Seoul, especially the kind with bits of real honeycomb thrown in. I daresay Crack Ice Cream Paradise is just the same, except with a quirkier twist: you can get yours with a syringe jammed into it.

Here's the menu, courtesy of their Facebook page:

It may be worth noting that not all of the ice creams come with syringes, just the Sweet Syringe, Very Berry, Oreo Crunch, and Crack Bee.

When we ordered our soft serves, we were given the choice of regular milk ice cream or frozen yoghurt. I decided to go with yoghurt for my cup of Very Berry, as it seemed like the somewhat "healthier" option. (*cough* a last ditch attempt to ease my guilt over being such a glutton.)

Crack Bee (4,500 won) & Very Berry (4,000 won)

Apparently they only use native honey from Jiri Mountain in their desserts.

I was a bit surprised because this is the kind of novelty thing I would expect to see in Japan, not Korea, and I thought the concept was pretty funky. I didn't think that the stuff tasted exceptionally outstanding or anything; don't get me wrong, it was definitely tasty, but just not on a holy-smokes-I-need-you-in-my-life-NOW kind of level. (Then again, that may be my own fault for choosing frozen yoghurt instead of proper ice cream. Seriously, who goes to an ice cream shop and orders frozen yoghurt? <__<)

For some reason though, the novelty of using a medical instrument to squirt out liquid all over my food really appeals to me. (I'm just a tad bit weird, I suppose.) So, if you're an oddball like me, or perhaps you're just looking for somewhere cool to go for dessert and you happen to be around Wangsimni, I would recommend checking this place out.

Added bonus, if you're going to see a movie at CGV, you can present your ticket for a 10% discount.

Yum yum, jabby jabby!

Crack Ice Cream Paradise, Wangsimni

Hours: 11am - 11pm
Address: 서울시 성동구 행당동 168-1 엔터식스 4층 (4th floor, Enter-6 Shopping Mall, 168-1 Haengdang-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul)
Website: https://www.facebook.com/Crack.ice.co.kr
Directions: From Wangsimni Station, head into the Enter-6 Mall and make your way up to level 4. Crack Ice Cream Paradise is right outside the food court, in front of the escalators.

Air Cafe (airplane cafe), Hapjeong/Hongdae

I am a self-confessed freak when it comes to themed cafes. I simply adore them. I love analysing the concepts behind their interior designs, I love oohing and aahing over the decor, and I absolutely love that feeling of escaping the humdrum of the regular world to be surrounded by a completely different atmosphere, even if it's only temporarily.

For that reason, I was super excited when I stumbled upon a few different blog entries (such as this one) about a place called "Air Cafe" in Hapjeong. According to the posts, the Air Cafe was an airplane themed place that served food set out like airplane meals, and you could sample different meals from different countries. The pictures showed the food all nicely laid out, as well as a ton of adorable decor that made it feel like you were in an airplane. Also, there were nifty little extras such as a menu shaped like an airplane ticket, with the ticket stub serving as your receipt that you could keep as a cute little souvenir. My themed cafe fetish was instantly aroused, and I decided that I simply had to check out the place. So, off to Hapjeong I went.

Air Cafe tucked away on level 3

50% discount if you get your drinks to go >:D

Awesome elevator decorations

Unfortunately though, the cafe didn't turn out to be like how I'd expected. Yes, the place still had the same theme, with the same layout, and the same gorgeous decorations..

But very much to my disappointment, the menu had changed -- both form and content-wise. Now it was no longer a plane ticket, but an arrival card. (Needless to say, there was nothing you could tear off and take back home with you. Sadface. T__T) Also, there didn't seem to be any airplane style meals, only drinks and a few snacks.

Arrival card menu

Kaya toast (4,000 won) & strawberry juice (5,800 won) 

Because I hadn't eaten lunch that day, I was really looking forward to eating there, so perhaps the disappointment hit harder than it would have under normal, non-hangry circumstances.

I definitely would still recommend this place if you're looking for somewhere nice to kick back and relax while you sip on a latte (or beer.. they do have alcomohol there). The decorations and little trinkets around the place make for a lovely environment to chill out in.. but, if you're hungry, it might be better to fill up somewhere else first before you go.

Air Cafe, Hapjeong
Hours: 11am - 11pm
Address: 서울시 마포구 서교동 404-19 갈물빌딩3층 (3rd floor Kalmul Building, 404-19 Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul)
Website: http://blog.naver.com/the_air_cafe
Directions: From Hapjeong Station exit 3, take the first right and continue straight down until you can't go any further. The Air Cafe will be in front of you.

Yutaro Ramen, Cheonho

Japanese ramen, in my opinion, is one of the best foods to have in cold weather or on rainy days. Of course it's hard to beat the original stuff that you find in the Land of the Rising Sun, but if you've got a hankering for the sodium-infused soup dish, there's not much you can really do, short of rushing to the airport and hopping on the next plane out... Or is there?

Hoho! >:D

Luckily for dwaejis like me, Korea has its fair share of decent ramen restaurants, and Yutaro Ramen in Cheonho is one such place. I remember stumbling upon this particular joint on a day when the weather was exactly as described before. It was on a cold, dismal, grey Saturday in November last year that I set out to go house hunting with Angry Eddie. When we met at the agreed spot, we had an idea of which real estate agency we wanted to visit, but neither of us could function properly because we were both so hangry. (Hungry + angry. Worst combination EVAAAAR.) So, we decided it would be best to fill our bellies first with some comfort food before getting down and dirty with the hunt.

We didn't really know our way around the area, but in an attempt to head towards the general direction of the agency, we somehow found ourselves staring down the entrance of an alleyway with a few small restaurants in it, and Yutaro Ramen just so happened to be one of them.

The place isn't that big; there are only about 10 tables inside, but it's lit with warm yellow lighting and has a lovely, cosy feel to it. The menu is pretty simple:

As it turns out, Yutaro is a chain but at this particular branch there are some cute little hand-drawings on the corners of the menu, and I think these are supposed to represent the staff who work there. The bald man with the quirky moustache rolling out dough is the owner. It's quite cool, because that's exactly what he looks like and the last time I visited, he was indeed rolling out dough to make the ramen noodles with.

Yes, that's right. At Yutaro's, they make the noodles themselves and if your timing is right, you too might be able to catch them churning out the long strands of yellow goodness from the machine near the entrance.

Another very pleasing factor is that the soup is made from pork bone stock that's been boiled for at least 12 hours. This gives the liquid an amazing infusion of flavour that really hits the spot and helps to warm you up nicely.

So... handmade noodles + rich, savoury broth = ??

Shiro ramen (6,500 won)

A very satisfying end result, that's what. Even the egg is satisfying, and it's not just any ordinary egg either. It's been cooked to perfection in a soy sauce concoction, so there's none of that bland, rubbery egg white business, and the yolk is just solid enough around the edges while still being deliciously gooey in the centre.

Okay, so if I'm to be perfectly honest... Yutaro's probably isn't *the best* ramen I've ever had in Seoul, but it's definitely right up there with the good stuff. It's very, very satisfying, and I really love the cosy atmosphere of the place and how friendly the staff are. Oh, and added bonus that you can get free bowls of rice with your ramen.. All you have to do is ask. ^____^ Winner winner, chicken dinner! XD



Yutaro Ramen, Cheonho
Hours: 11:30am - 10:30pm
Address: 서울시 강동구 천호2동 454-44 (454-44 Cheonho2-dong, Gangdong-gu, Seoul)
Directions: From Cheonho Station exit 5, go straight and take the first left after Emart. Continue to the end of the alley then turn right. Take the second alley on your right again and look out for Yutaro Ramen a few metres down from the alley entrance.

Princess Diary Cafe (wedding dress cafe), Edae

Whether or not you consider yourself a trendy fashionista, everyone has something that they wouldn't be caught dead wearing out in public. For some, it could be blindingly bright neon colours, for others perhaps it's baggy sweat pants. For me personally, it's frilly, girly things. Don't get me wrong, plenty of women wear frilly, girly apparel (especially in Korea) and they manage to look stunning. But with my body shape and manlike mentality, flouncy shirts and dresses are the stuff my fashion nightmares are made of. So when I heard about Princess Diary Cafe, a place where you try on fancy wedding dresses and prance around in them, my initial reaction was stuck somewhere in the middle between amazement and horror.

However... Because I'm a sucker for themed places and concept cafes, my curiosity eventually got the better of me and I managed to find a friend who was willing to come along and play dress ups so I wouldn't have to embarrass myself in public alone. (Why suffer in shame alone, right?)

The concept behind Princess Diary Cafe is really simple. Enjoy a nice non-alcomoholic drink, get dressed up to the nines, and unleash your inner camwhore.

Drinks on the menu start from 5000 won and you can have your drink either before wearing the dress, or after. Dress rental is extra, ranging from 10,000 won right up to 40,000 won for the very elaborate, fancy ones.

Foreigner-friendly menu! Hurrah! :D

The majority of dresses available are wedding gowns, but if that's a little too flamboyant for you, they also have some evening gowns that are more simple, yet elegant, and hanbok (traditional Korean dresses). As an added bonus, you can also drag your boyfriend, husband, or other unsuspecting male friend along with you because they have suits, tuxedos, and male hanbok too. Fun times for all, eh? :P

Just one of the rows of dresses available.. o__O

After we'd finished our drinks and picked out our dresses, the very lovely owner of the cafe helped us get dressed in the back room. While perusing the dresses, there didn't seem to be any specific sizes. In fact, they all looked rather large and I wondered how we would be able to wear them without them falling off. It turned out that the cafe owner has years of experience in the fashion industry (having previously worked in Dongdaemun, fashion capital of Seoul) and with her nimble, deft fingers, a pin here and a pin there suddenly transformed a hapless mass of chiffon and lace into a dress with a perfect fit. Amazeballs!

We were told to put on the super tall 12cm heels which she plunked down in front of us (she even knew our shoe sizes just by looking at our feet!) and then she sat us down in front of the mirror to put on some shiny hair accessories.

Sparkle sparkle!

After that, it was time to camwhore like our lives depended on it.

First, the owner helped us take pictures by taking my camera and directing us to pull different poses in various spots around the room.

Then she left us to our own devices to wander around and snap a bajillion selfies.

This here is a frame of lights designed specifically for selfies, 
being utilised by my partner in crime. XD

There are tons of props and items around the room just begging to be used in your photos, but what I really love are the small decorations at every corner. They look great on film of course, but even if you're not taking photos, they just make for a really lovely, quaint ambiance in the room.

So... While I probably wouldn't come here on a regular basis, especially as dressing up isn't really my thing, I think Princess Diary is one of those places that you should visit at least once while in Seoul. Both the atmosphere and the owner are truly lovely, and the cafe brings together gorgeous decorations, tasty drinks, and a brilliant excuse to camwhore shamelessly. Added bonus it's also in the same building as Egg and Spoon Race, so you can have brunch first to boost up your energy for all the camwhoring you'll be doing after. >:D



Princess Diary Cafe, Edae
Hours: 11:30am - 10:30pm (dress rental finishes at 8pm)
Address: 서울시 서대문구 대현동 54-9 이화빌딩 3층 (3rd floor, 54-9 Daehyeon-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul)
Website: http://cafe.naver.com/princessdiarycafe
Directions: From Edae Station, exit 3, walk straight and take the second right. Look out (and up!) for Princess Diary a few metres further on your right.

Beesket juice & smoothies, Dongdaemun

Last week, my awesome-ous cousin Joyce came to visit Seoul. One afternoon, we were on our way to Hongdae when we decided to take a detour to Dongdaemun Shopping Complex. Then on our way to Dongdaemun Shopping Complex, we decided to take a detour to Dongdaemun Design Plaza. What is a shopping expedition without a few detours? :P

Unfortunately though, detouring = walking, and walking = tired, grumpy Asians. However, after traipsing around, we finally found a place to rest our weary soles. (Pun intended. Hah!) It was a cute, funky little "DIY" juice place called Beesket. According to their website, the name comes from a combination of "bee" + "basket", because just like how bees go around collecting nectar from different flowers, you too can go around collecting different ingredients to create your own personalised drink.

When we arrived, the friendly staff gave us little red baskets to put our ingredients in. Each cute little basket was accordingly shaped like a piece of honeycomb. We simply chose the ingredients we wanted (up to 3) from the huge array available and popped them into the basket. Then we presented our baskets at the counter and a few minutes later, hey presto! Freshly whizzed up juice according to our preferences. :D

So many choices!! @__@

Watermelon, carrot, and kiwi for me. Mango, kiwi, and raspberry for Joyce. :3

Even the tables are shaped like honeycomb cells! Cuuuute!

Another really impressive thing is the emphasis they have on healthiness. When you select your ingredients from the plethora that's available, you can see what vitamins, minerals, or benefits each one is good for. Also, each order comes with your own customised print-out of the ingredients you used, how many calories you're consuming, and what vitamins and minerals are found in your drink. On top of that, you can rest assured that there are no other little nasties thrown in, like added preservatives, or processed sugar. It's just pure, natural healthiness in a cup.

Tadah! Plenty of calcium, potassium, and vitamin A for me. Woohoo! (At least I think by "Ka" they're referring to potassium? o__O)

On the same printout you receive, you can rate your drink with a "Beesket score" of 1-5 and pin it to the front counter for other customers who may need inspiration for ingredient combinations.

That being said, though I adore the concept of this place, it was a tad bit pricey (your basic customised, 3-ingredient juices start from 5,900 won, and then some ingredients, such as mango, blueberry, raspberry, etc. have an extra 500 won surcharge). So while it was fun to try out for the novelty of it, it's probably not a place I would frequent, based on me being a total cheapo. However, if you're somewhat of a health fanatic and constantly live your life on the go without time to make your own juice fresh every morning, or perhaps you don't have time to sit down and actually chew on your fruits and vegetables, orrr... perhaps you're just rich, then this might just be the place for you. Added bonus if you happen to live around Dongdaemun, of course. :P



Beesket, Dongdaemun Design Plaza
Hours: 8:00am - 11:00pm weekdays, 11:00am - 11:00pm Sat, 11:00- 10:00pm Sun
Address: 서울시 중구 을지로 281 동대문 디자인 플라자 B1 (Dongdaemun Design Plaza, Euljiro 281, Jung-gu, Seoul)
Website: http://www.beesket.com
Directions: From Dongdaemun History and Culture Park Station, exit 1, enter the Dongdaemun Design Plaza complex (basically a bunch of buildings grouped together) and look out for the building called Dongdaemun Design Market. Inside, you'll find the Cafe Square area where Beesket is located, along with other drink shops such as Gong Cha.

*Note: Beesket now has other locations around Seoul including Myeongdong and Jamsil Lotte World Mall. Check out their website for details ^^

Long Bread, Myeongdong

I think it's safe to say that most people know Myeongdong for its epic array of street food, clothing stores, and scores upon scores of makeup shops, and it's probably not exactly the place that springs to mind when you think of the word "brunch". Fret not, though. If you're in the area and looking for a healthy way to kick start your morning, Long Bread is here to save the day!

Long Bread is actually a subsidiary of The Flying Pan, which is a chain famous for their delicious (albeit slightly costly) brunch dishes. As the name suggests, Long Bread specialises in... bread. Hah! More specifically, though, sandwiches and paninis. Their food is a little pricy, but you can expect the same good quality that comes from The Flying Pan, plus there's also the added bonus that they use organic ingredients.

So back in March, on another of our epic brunch quests, Mae and I hit up Long Bread to indulge ourselves in some delicious, crusty paninis. I ordered the ham, cheese, and pesto panini (7,800 won):

It also came with a side of fresh, green salad, which I think was dressed with balsamic vinegar. Mmm... Tangy!

I didn't get a picture of Mae's order, but it was some kind of seasonal winter special that involved bacon, cheese, sweet potato, and yuja jam (yuja is a citrus fruit, so it tasted a bit like marmalade). I did try a bite of her panini but personally I wasn't a huge fan of the sweet-salty combination. (Bacon, cheese, and marmalade? Hmm... @__@)

On our second trip there, last month, I tried the "Say cheese! panini" (6,800 won), which was supposedly 6 different types of cheese all melted into one very cheesy sandwich:

Look at the gooey, cheesy goodness just oozing out of the centre!

Mae went for the "Long Bread sandwich" (8,300 won), which was made up of bacon, lettuce, tomato, and a fried egg:

Delicious and filling!

Both times that we went, the paninis were deliciously hot, fresh, and crusty. The bread gave way to our teeth with such a satisfying crunch as we bit into it, and the fillings were abundant and full of flavour.

Besides paninis and sandwiches, Long Bread's menu also included soup (which changes daily) and salad. They had a great selection of fruit juice and decent offerings of coffee.

The interior of the place was pretty cool too. I liked that there were plenty of seats to accommodate customers, especially as lots of business people start pouring out of their offices around lunch time.

After eating, make sure to return your dishes and trays to the return counter! ^^

As far as brunch goes, I guess I'm more accustomed to the kind that's greasy and laden with artery-clogging ingredients things like bacon, sausages, and creamy scrambled eggs. So, while I did enjoy Long Bread, it's probably not somewhere that I'd go out of my way to get to, but rather a nice place to visit if I just so happen to be in the area and feel like being "healthy". If you like sandwiches and paninis though, this is definitely worth checking out! ^__~ They also have locations in Yeouido, Gangnam, and Yeoksam.

Entrance to Long Bread, Myeongdong

Long Bread, Myeongdong
Hours: 7:30am - 10:00pm Mon - Fri, 11am - 7pm weekends
Address: 서울시 중구 남대문로2가 123 (123 Namdaemunno-2ga, Jung-gu, Seoul)
Website: http://longbread.co.kr/
Directions: From Euljiro Ipgu (Euljiro 1-ga) station, exit 7, walk straight until you reach Lotte Avenuel Department Store, on your right. You'll see Lotte Young Plaza across the road. Long Bread is part of the Lotte Young Plaza building.
OR
From Myeongdong Station, exit 5, walk straight for a few meters and take the first right. Follow this road all the way to the end, until you reach the main road with Lotte Young Plaza across from you. You can cross the road using the underground shopping arcade.

Momo Steak, Hyehwa

A while ago, my friend and I were out looking for somewhere to have dinner when we happened to stumble upon this little place called Momo Jjang Steak. As we stood outside, gazing up at it in all its yellow-painted glory, I asked my friend if he'd eaten there before and what he thought of the place.

"It's not bad," he replied. "And it's cheap -- 7,000 won."

At that point, I nearly stumbled backwards on the street. 7,000 won for steak? Surely this was too good to be true! Either he was grossly mistaken (70,000 won, not 7,000 won, perhaps?), or.... he was a liar liar pants on fire. I was intrigued, and so up the stairs we went. Lo and behold, we were presented with a menu that proved he was indeed telling the truth, and that the steak did actually start from the low, low price of 7,000 won.

DROOL.

Of course for that price, you can't go in expecting premium stuff like Kobe beef. However, the meat they do serve is definitely plentiful and tasty. It also comes with a generous serving of salad, and unlimited rice and miso soup. Talk about amazing value for money!

 

There were two types of steak on the menu: regular and Hamburg. The basic regular steak was 7,000 won for 150 grams, and 8,000 won for 200 grams. The Hamburg steak only came in one size and was priced at 7,000 won. You could add extras to your dish like bacon, baked potato, sausage, roasted garlic, etc. for between 1,000 to 2,000 won more. Or.... You could be a glutton like me and go for one of the combination sets:

I ordered the 10,000 won "steak topping" set that came with bacon, potato, roasted garlic, and "cheese fondue" (basically just cheesy dipping sauce that tasted kind of like watered down nacho cheese). The bacon wasn't crispy, but it was certainly a lot leaner than some other cuts I've seen, and it made an excellent wrap for the steak before getting dunked into the cheesy sauce. Also yes, the steak came out pre-chopped like that, which was kind of odd, but meh. Saves you having to cut it up yourself. Less cutting time = more eating time. >:D

Pink, succulent, and tender.. Perfectly cooked chunks of medium steak. :3 Om nom nom nom.

As it turns out, Momo Jjang is a chain and there are branches all over Korea. Unfortunately, it has only one branch in Seoul, which is in Hyehwa, and the next closest one is in Guri. Most of the other branches are down south in places like Busan, Ulsan, and Gimhae. Sadly, Hyehwa is still a bit of a trek from my place, but I'd say it's worth it for the $7 steak. >:D
(*Edit: There are now several branches around Seoul, including Gangnam! Check out their website for more locations ^^)

Momo Steak, Hyehwa
Address: 서울시 종로구동숭동 130-27 2층 (2nd floor, 130-27 Dongsung-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul)
Website: http://www.momozzangsteak.co.kr
Directions: From Hyehwa Station, exit 2, walk straight for a couple of metres and you'll find a brown brick building on your left. Look out for a small path between the brown brick building and Marronnier Park next door. This will lead you to a back road, Daehangno-8ga gil. Follow this road straight for 3 blocks, until you can't go any further, and Momo should be in front you.