Caffe Moon (calligraphy latte art), Edae

Hear ye, hear ye! Uncle Yenny has finally installed Instagram on her phone! I know, I know. I'm only about five years late jumping on this bandwagon but it was something I kept on resisting for the longest time because I have the mental capacity of 90-year old when it comes to tech-related stuff. Call me ridiculous, but I was pretty sure that my granny-like brain would implode while trying to make sense of all that hashtag and @ sign wizardry. I'm so glad I finally took the plunge though, because Instagram has been life-changing. No longer do I lie awake at night, staring blankly at the ceiling while suffering from insomnia. Instead, I allow myself to be aroused by various forms of food pornography before eventually drifting off into a satisfied slumber. It is magical.

One night, while doing my usual 2am trawling for food porn, I chanced upon a very aesthetically titillating group of pictures under the hashtag 'latteart'. One that particularly stood out, though, was this stunning piece with Chinese characters drawn onto the foam; the work of a calligraphy artist who runs his own cafe in Edae. I knew I simply I had to get myself there to see it in person, so off I set the very next day to find this place called "Caffe Moon".

Located on a back street close to the university, Caffe Moon turned out to be nothing short of delightful. Don't be fooled by the grey, somewhat bland exterior and ambiguous description on the sign. The words 'roastery', 'culture', and 'handicraft' don't really do much to convey the exact level of awesomeness that is awaiting you on the inside.

Push open the sturdy door, step through the entrance, and you'll find that the place is filled with all kinds of wonderful. From the sprawling mural across the wall...

to the pretty succulents on the porch...

to the gorgeous trinkets and fragrant soy candles that line the shelves (and also happen to be for sale!)...

right down to the smell of coffee beans that are roasted in house...

This is exactly the kind of cafe that I would love to call my own some day: a personalised place that is artistic, cosy, and has a homely, welcoming atmosphere.

The cafe owner, a very lovely man who also speaks English well, took my order for a "calligraphy latte" and asked if I had any requests. This came as a surprise because I'd assumed he would just write something generic or whatever random words he was feeling at the time, and off the top of my head I couldn't really think of anything. After watching me stutter and glob like a goldfish, trying to come up with something appropriate, he finally suggested doing my name in Chinese and had me write the characters down on a notepad. Now it was my turn to feel sorry for him, as my Chinese name is somewhat complex and even I still struggle with it. Hah!

Cafe owner concentrating hard on my latte.. XD

Several minutes later, he approached my table with a sheepish smile. "Sorry. Your name is difficult," he said, and then proceeded to place on the table only  the most beautiful latte I have ever laid eyes upon.

Calligraphy latte, 5,000 won

How's that for pleasurable viewing?? It felt like a crime to be slurping down the drink and ruining his beautiful afterwork, but by strategically sipping from various points around the rim of the cup, I made it to the end without destroying it... Kind of.

Satisfaction in a cup.

Apart from coffee, you can also satiate your sweet tooth with servings of cake, gourmet chocolates, and gorgeous little mini-macarons handmade by the cafe owner himself.

Tiramisu, strawberry tart, earl grey mousse

Chocolates for yoooou, chocolates for meeee

Happy face mini-macarons, 1000 won each

Drinks range from 3,600 won to 6,800 won, with some interesting specialties such as the "macaron caffe latte" and "yuja cacao" (yuja being a type of citrus fruit):

At the risk of sounding like a gushing fangirl, there's one more thing I simply have to mention. Along with the amazing coffee, charming atmosphere, and lovely decorations, I think I also fell in love with the bathroom. As the kind of person who likes to inspect people's fridges and bathroom cabinets (don't invite me over to your house unless you're prepared to have your place raided), one pastime I quite enjoy is looking at bathrooms in different restaurants and cafes. (Is that weird? Meh. I am weird!) This one was beautifully decorated with a cream-coloured theme and I absolutely loved that the owner had thoughtfully provided hand sanitiser and hand lotion (which smelled divine!) in such a pretty setting. Little touches make a big impact!

With all the wonderful things going on in such a small, cosy space, Caffe Moon is fast nearing the top of my list of favourite places. I most definitely will be back the next time I'm in Edae!



Caffe Moon, Edae
Hours: 8am - 9pm
Address: 서울시 서대문구 대현동 53-29
Directions: From Edae Station exit 3, take the first right, then the first left. Continue down this street for a few metres and look out for Caffe Moon on your right.

On A Stick (by Molly's Pops), Garosugil

I scream, you scream, we all scream for.... alcomoholic ice pops?! >:D

Not too long ago, I posted about  Molly's Pops in Hongdae, a quaint little store that sells handmade ice cream in all kinds of quirky flavours, including alcoholic ones. As it turns out, Molly's now has a second branch called 'On A Stick', located in Sinsadong's Garosugil. This is fabulous news for ice cream aficionados on the south side, as you now no longer need to journey all the way over to Hongdae for all your kooky flavoured ice cream fixes.

On A Stick is a tad more expensive than the Hongdae store (4,000 won per ice cream, as opposed to 3,500 won.. Gangnam prices, eh?) but it appears to have more alcoholic varieties available, alongside a whole host of other tempting, fruity flavours. These were on offer when I last visited:

Bear in mind that flavours do get rotated and some are phased out while new ones are introduced, just like at the Hongdae store. So, what was there that day may not be there on another day and vice versa.

Flavours tried so far:

Grapefruit champagne, made with real grapefruit pulp.

Deliciously fruity and refreshing.

Guiness beer flavour, rum & raisin flavour

Rum & raisin was awesome and not overly sweet like it usually is at other places. Guiness beer was like a gobstopper with multiple layers -- at first bite it tasted kind of chocolaty, then it started to taste malty, then towards the end the bitterness kicked in.. It was great, and I don't even like beer. Hah!

If you're looking for a quick fix sugar rush and ice cream just isn't enough, perhaps some ice cream macarons will get your juices going:

Various flavours, 4,500 won each

There are also some fancy drinks to be had including Kahlua affogatos and cocktail floats:

Like the Hongdae branch, On A Stick is quite small and only has a few tables but this makes it feel cosy and the decor is quite chic at the same time.

They've also got a cool superheroes theme going and you can purchase some odds and ends like mugs and notebooks.

 

With summer bearing down on us now, I'm preeeeetty sure I'll be back soon to gobble down more of these delectable ice creams! >:D

On A Stick (by Molly's Pops), Garosugil

Hours: 12pm - 10pm

Address: 서울시 강남구 신사동 520-8 (520-8 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul)

Website: http://www.onastick.co.kr

Directions: From Sinsa Station, exit 8 take the second left and head straight until you reach a T-junction. Turn right, then take the first left and keep going straight for about 2 minutes. On A Stick will be on your left.

Caffe Inbus (bus cafe), Gangnam

For a couple of years now, Uncle Yenny has been plagued with a horrible intolerance to yeast. Ingesting any kind of yeast-containing food leads to symptoms akin to a yeast infection, which, my friends, is a very unsavoury thing to experience. Luckily though, there is one time a month when I'm able to eat bread.... Yup, you guessed it. When it's that time of the month. How is this possible, you ask? Well, the blood alters the pH level in that area, the yeast can't survive, and thus I am free to guzzle down bakery goodness without suffering from yeasty repercussions. (TMI? Nah... We're buddies now. No such thing! :P)

Luckily this month, my cycle happened to coincide with a trip to a funky little place called Caffe Inbus, which was just as well because the cafe is famous for its handmade bread and not even Jeebers himself could have stopped me from scoffing it down.

Caffe Inbus, as the name suggests, also has another awesome thing going for it -- there is a bus in the cafe. This hollowed out vehicle with a giant motif of Jimi Hendrix across the front is where the food and drinks are whipped up, and the rest of the cafe is fittingly decorated with bitumen floors, oil drums, road markings, rainbows, and peace signs everywhere. It's like hippie meets hipster in the middle of a parking lot. And it is fabulous.

I ordered a croque monsieur and an Americano because cheesy carbohydrate goodness + piping hot dose of caffeine = WINNING.

Croque monsieur, 5,700 won.

It was made using straight up white bread without any of that extra sugar Korean bakeries often tend to throw in. The fluffy softness of it went amazingly with the gooey, melted cheese.

Americano, 4,000 won. Comes in large size only. MOAR CAFFEINE.

Loving the peace signs all over the coffee cup.

The cafe is split into two parts, one being the main area and another being a smaller, sectioned off "business area" where you can head if you're there to do work. There aren't any speakers in the business area so you won't be disturbed as much by any background music the cafe plays.

Apart from coffee and bread, the cafe has all your tea, latte, and (some) alcomoholic needs covered:

Although I personally found it a tad bit pricey (I'm extraordinarily cheap though, hah) I adored the decor of the place and definitely wouldn't mind visiting again. It's a great place to go if you're in Gangnam and looking for a light snack, or when you just need some time to sit in aesthetically pleasing surroundings and regain your inner peace. If you're on the north side, you can also check out their other locations at Omokgyo's Hyundai 41 Tower and Dongdaemun's Doota Tower. (See their website for details. ^^)



Caffe Inbus, Gangnam
Hours: 6:30am - 11:30pm weekdays, 9am - 11:30pm weekends
Address: 서울시 서초구 서초동 1316-5 (1316-5 Seocho-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul)
Website: http://caffeinbus.com
Directions: From Gangnam Station exit 9, go straight for four blocks and you'll see Caffe Inbus on your right.

Molly's Pops, Hongdae

Ice cream is one of those foods that is extremely hard to say no to. Ice cream in kooky flavours is even more so. Ice cream in kooky flavours that's handmade in a quaint little shop with cute decorations is... GARGHHH.... Get a mop quick before someone slips in my puddle of drool! @__@

Molly's Pops in Hongdae is an uber cute little place that sells handmade ice cream and is run by a lovely, smiley lady whose daughter's English name is Molly. The owner started off making ice cream pops for her daughter in lots of different flavours and eventually decided to open up a store and share her awesome creations with the masses.

At any one time, there are usually about 12-14 flavours on offer including funky ones like Erdinger beer, wine & strawberry, and wasabi, along with unique Korean flavours like injeolmi (powdered soybean) and Kahlua makgeolli (Korean rice wine). At 3,500 won a pop (see what I did there? Hah!) they're a bit more expensive than a scoop at places like Baskin Robbins, but when you consider the fact that they're handmade and there are funky flavours you wouldn't find in regular chain stores, it seems entirely justified. Plus the owner is super nice. I don't know about you, but when I go to a place with friendly staff, I usually feel inclined to spend more money. This meme comes to mind:

XD

Anyway.. As the owner is constantly coming up with new flavours, sometimes things are rotated or eventually phased out, so what you see during one visit may not be there next time.

As an example, in winter last year I saw marscapone cheese:

And I have not seen it again since. :(

In summer, I saw milk tea:

But I haven't seen that again since, either. .___.;;

I'm not sure if those flavours have been discontinued, or if I just have bad timing with the rotations, but I've certainly learned my lesson: If you see any flavours you like, get them right away (even if it means eating several ice creams at once) because the opportunity to taste that flavour may never arise again.

Life is too short to miss out on kooky ice cream!! T_____T

Some of the pops I've tried so far:

Kahlua makgeolli. (Excuse the blurriness T__T)

This stuff is YUM. Couldn't taste much Kahlua but the makgeolli was definitely there. Makgeolli is a fermented rice wine which some people find kind of stinky. With this ice cream, you can taste the makgeolli but there isn't any of the fermented smell that usually comes when you crack open a bottle.

Wasabi. (Excuse the blurriness T__T)

I've heard that people either love this or hate it. Unfortunately, I think I'm in the latter group. For me personally, sweet and creamy + spicy and radish-y was not a good mix. Everybody's tastebuds are different though, so you should definitely try it for yourself. ^__^

Wine & strawberry, mint chocolate.

Wine and strawberry was pleasant -- sweet and fruity thanks to the strawberry, though I couldn't really taste much wine. Mint chocolate was great. This is my favourite ice cream flavour at Baskin Robbins, and Molly's Pops does it really well.

Injeolmi (powdered soybean).

My favourite at Molly's Pops so far. There are actual pieces of rice cake in it, which are soft and chewy, and the flavour of the ice cream is exactly like real injeolmi. 

This is what satisfaction looks like. XD

The store is quite small, so there aren't many seats (only a couple of small tables inside and in the warmer weather a couple more outside). However, they do offer take away if you order four or more pops, and they package it up nicely for you with dry ice. Since winter's drawing to a close and warmer weather is on the way, me thinks I shall be staking this place out a lot more. >:D



Molly's Pops, Hongdae
Hours: 12pm - 10pm, closed on Mondays
Address: 서울시 마포구 서교동 332-21 (332-21 Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul)
Website:  http://mollyspops.com/
Directions: From Hongdae station exit 8, turn right and head up the street until you reach the roundabout. Turn left and walk for a block until you reach another roundabout. Take the first right and then turn right again. Continue down this street a few metres and Molly's will be on your left.

Gami Udon, Hongdae

Several years ago, my co-workers and I used to live in Hongdae in a pleasant little alley called Fuck Street. Okay, so of course that wasn't its official name but someone (a modern day Picasso, no doubt) had spray-painted the word FUCK in huge block letters across a wall near the entrance of the alley, and thus it was branded in our hearts as Fuck Street forevermore.

The good thing about Fuck Street was that although being somewhat hidden away from the public eye, it was still relatively close to all the happening places in Hongdae, including lots of great restaurants. One such restaurant, literally just a single street away, was Gami Udon. When it first opened up, we could not for the life of us figure out why it was so popular. Regardless of the time of day, there was always a swarm of people milling around outside waiting for a seat. Finally, curiosity got the better of us one day and we decided to try it. And BOOM. The answer was clear within seconds of the food reaching our table.

Gami Udon, as you've probably guessed from the name, specialises in one thing -- udon noodles. But these are no ordinary, run-of-the-mill udon noodles. We're talking handmade, nay, handcrafted udon. (Because making noodles that taste that delicious should seriously be considered an art form.) The udon is freshly made in-store and the texture is amazing. It beats the pants off of regular udon served at other restaurants and is quite possibly the best I've ever had in Seoul. If you're at the restaurant at the right time, you can catch the noodles being rolled out near the window by the lovely staff in their cute Japanese-style uniforms.

The first time I went with my co-workers, we struggled a fair bit with the menu as there wasn't anything in English and it was one of those cases where you point randomly at something and cross your fingers that it won't turn out to be indigestible. But now that my Korean has improved (slightly -__-), I can finally understand the menu better (slightly -__-).

The top part of the menu lists the types of udon dishes they have and is split into two: hot on the left and cold on the right. Below them are the sets where you can get your noodles with a side of tempura or fried chicken.

Hot udon (from left to right):
Kake -- basic soup udon, 5,000 won
Wakame -- udon with soup and seaweed, 6, 000 won
Tsukimi - udon with soup and a raw egg, 6,000 won
Kamatama - no soup, but a special sauce made of egg and soy, 7,000 won

Cold udon (left to right, all 6,000 won)
Bukkake -- udon with dashi sauce
Zaru -- udon with dried, shredded seaweed on top
Cold -- The menu literally just says "naeng" which means "cold" in Korean, so I'm guessing maybe it's a fusion of udon with Korean style naengmyeon broth?
Shoyu -- soy sauce


On a recent visit there, my friend and I decided to be ultimate dwaejis and got 2 sets: tsukimi udon with tempura (9,000 won), and bukkake udon with fried chicken (8,500 won).

While the tsukimi was nice, and I imagine it must be perfect on freezing cold winter nights when you need something to warm up your insides, for me the real star of the show was the bukkake:

The noodles were deliciously chewy, and the broth was savoury with just enough of a sweet tinge to balance it out. That and it had a name akin to something out of a porn film, so it was just plain fun to say out loud. XD

It's odd, since it's all the same udon, but I suppose the heat of the tsukimi soup caused the noodles to become softer, while the coolness of the bukkake broth kept the udon firmer, and a firmer texture with noodles is something that I personally prefer.

Apart from the noodles having a most satisfying texture, they were also crazy long and it was extremely enjoyable attempting to slurp them all up in one mouthful.

Yes, that's one single strand of udon.. and doubled over the chopsticks too, so you can just imagine how long the whole thing is. o__O

Food from the sets that also deserve some love:

Deliciously crispy batter on pumpkin, sweet potato, and prawn tempura

Crispy on the outside, tender, succulent chicken seasoned with salt and pepper on the inside

Apart from the food being incredibly scrumptious, another reason for the constant queues is probably due to the restaurant being quite small, with less than 10 tables.

This keeps the lines going during peak hours, but if you have the patience to wait it out, I'm sure you'll find that the food is worth it!



Gami Udon
Hours: 12pm - 9pm (break between 3pm-5pm), closed Mondays
Address: 서울시 마포구 서교동 346-31 (346-31 Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul)
Directions: From Hongdae Station, exit 9, take the first left and follow the road all the way around the bend until you reach the part where it splits into 3. Take the road on your left, a bit like making a semi U-turn. Follow this down a few metres and Gami Udon will be on your left.