Get & Show (Lego cafe), Hapjeong/Hongdae

There's this area between Hapjeong, Hongdae, and Sangsu subway stations that I like to call the 'Bermuda Triangle of Cafes', or BTC for short. I say this because this triangular area is filled to the brim with more gorgeous cafes than you could possibly shake a stick at, and you could easily get lost wandering down all the lovely little alleys that are lined with these places. My theory is that even if you were to visit a different one every single day for a year, you probably still wouldn't be able to cover all of them. The Bermuda Triangle of Cafes is just that infinite.

A couple of weekends ago, I was wandering around the BTC with a friend, looking for a nice place to have coffee and dessert after dinner when, lo and behold, we somehow found ourselves staring at a place called Get & Show. There was a giant Lego man above the door with his welcoming arms open wide, and we were instantly sold.

As it turns out, Get & Show has two branches and both are on the same street within a few metres of each other. The one we happened to stumble into was the second branch. It wasn't that big, with only about 15 or so small tables, most seating only two people each. But what it lacked in size, it made up for with its awesome atmosphere, funky wall hangings, and vast collection of Lego merchandise.

The black sign says you can get a 2,000 won discount for take-away drinks >:D

Not sure how The Simpsons are related to Lego, but hey.. I love The Simpsons, so no complaints here. XD

Awesome VW and Mini Cooper Lego sets!

Lego makes even the evil Orcs look super cute. :3

The most expensive Lego set in the store... 756,000 won. o__O

There were a few people who'd bought Lego sets and it looked like they were having lots of fun building things at their tables, perhaps reliving fond childhood memories. Although my friend and I didn't buy any, we settled instead for oohing and aahing over the different collections, and watching other people work while we chatted over our food.

Strawberry yoghurt smoothie (6,000 won), cake and coffee set (7,500 won)

It was all pretty tasty but admittedly my inner cheapo did find the prices a little steep. Much to our delight though, our order came two free pieces of  Lego man chocolate. This definitely helped to assuage my greedy soul.

Almost too cute to eat. Almost.

All in all, I'd say this cafe is definitely worth checking out if you're into Lego and even if not, it makes for a nice place to go on a date or sit and have a chat with company if you don't mind forking out a little more cash.

Don't forget to check out the funky vending machine in front of the store.. for all your Lego needs on the go!

Get & Show Cafe (2nd branch), Hapjeong
Hours: 9:30am - 11:30pm
Address: 서울시 마포구 도막로3길 25 (25 Domak-ro 3gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul)
Website: http://www.getnshow.com/display_user.php?idx=5848
Directions: From exit 5 of Hapjeong Station, take the first right and then the third left. Continue down this road for 3 blocks and Get & Show's 2nd branch will be on your left. To get the first branch, continue walking straight for a few more metres and look out for it on your left.

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.