seoul Archives - Foodology

In Airplane Meals

Korean Air: Vancouver to South Korea

February 1, 2014

Up up away! Another visit to South Korea this month. This time we decided to take Korean Air because all other flights were sold out on such short notice. We booked it a day before we departed. From Vancouver to South Korea, it took about 11 hours to fly. I always dread these flight but I found that sleeping through everything except for meals makes the ride less long.

I usually get really annoyed after 4 hours because I am sitting in the same position. I need a lot of entertainment to keep me occupied.

The configuration of this plane was 3 – 3- 3 so, it’s a packed plane. I definitely like Air Canada a bit better because they have 2-3-2.

Take off was pretty smooth, but I found the in-flight entertainment console to be a bit dated. You have new movies and games, but I generally spend more time on my laptop. As they don’t have plugs, my computer died after a few hours.

An hour after the plane takes off, we are given a beverage and a pack of Honey Roasted Peanuts. I wasn’t a fan of the peanuts since they were encrusted in sugar. I like my peanuts with salt only…so I gave the rest to M to eat.

You can choose anything for your beverage. You can even get wine or beer, but I decided not to since I find drinking alcohol on the plane gives me a headache.

Bibimbap is an iconic and popular Korean dish. Any time I ask people about Korean Air food, they rave about this dish.

It also come with pickles, fruit and seaweed soup.

You mix the rice, vegetables, gochujang (chili pepper sauce), and sesame oil. This is what you get! It’s definitely satisfying but still not as good as what you would get at a restaurant.

Another option is the beef dish with vegetables and potatoes. You also get fruit, a salad, and bread. It’s definitely not as exciting as bibimbap. If you have the choice, definitely go with the bibimbap.

For our second dish, we got a choice between beef, chicken and fish. M and I both chose chicken. It has a celery salad, cheesecake and bread on the side. It was not that interesting. The cheesecake was warm and it ruined that whole experience. My salad was also a bit warm.

Throughout the flight, they go up and down the isles offering complimentary juice or alcohol. It’s a nice touch.

As the plane made it’s final destination to Incheon Airport, I was happy I could enjoy some good Korean food. The only highlight of Korean Air’s food offerings is the bibimbap. 11 hours on the plane and my butt was already sore.

Website: koreanair.com

In American

Bennigan’s in South Korea

December 7, 2013

Doing some research on where to eat in Korea, M wanted to go to Bennigan’s. It’s an American chain restaurant that serves up Irish and American food. After doing a debate of dining choices, I reluctantly agreed to come here for lunch. They serve Monte Cristo sandwiches here and M has been searching far and wide for this sandwich.

The restaurant is located on the third floor. There is also a Bennigan’s Kids on an alternative level for just kids. Adults can watch them from a monitor on the third floor and have their privacy.

This is what we came for.

Complimentary Bread arrived.

Sweet Pickles came as the side dish.

World Famous Monte Cristo (10,000 won) has honey wheat bread layered with tender ham, roasted turkey, Swiss and American cheeses. Batter-dipped, gently fried and coated with powdered sugar. Served with red raspberry preserves for dipping. Fries came on the side.

This dish was huge and very filling. It was hard for M to finish the whole thing.

Soup and pop combo (+ 4,000 won) can be added to your meal.

Chicken Quesadillas (10,000 won) has Garlic-marinated chicken with Colby and Monterrey Jack cheeses, flavorful spices and crispy fried onions folded in a flour tortilla.

It is served with salsa, guacamole, and a lime sour cream sauce. The quesadilla was decent.

Chicken Stir fry (10,000) is served on a hot skillet with rice, vegetables and chicken.

Sweet Potato Pan Cheese (10,000 won) is a very korean inspired dish since Koreans love sweet potato. You won’t find this in North America. You definitely want to share this because you’ll get sick of the taste quite quickly.

Overall, the food was ok, but the Monte Cristo is always the sinfully delicious item to get. The place was pretty busy during a Friday and with lots of families. The prices are comparable to the states. The menus here have english, so you won’t have any issues ordering.

If you want to explore Korean cuisine while you are traveling in Seoul, this is probably not the place you want to go. M and I went here because we don’t have one in Canada.

We Rate Bennigans:

Address:
3F, 94, Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea

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

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=3F,+94,+Nonhyeon-dong,+Gangnam-gu,+Seoul,+South+Korea&t=m&hnear=94+Nonhyeon-dong,+Gangnam-gu,+Seoul,+South+Korea+(334+Dosan-daero)&z=14″]

In Four Beakers

Curry House CoCo Ichibanya: Omurice in Seoul

December 1, 2013

M was on a mission for omurice, which is rice covered in an omelette. It’s very hard to find in Vancouver, so when we came to Seoul, it was on the top of our list. We didn’t know which place had the best omurice, so we enlisted the help of his cousin to find us a place for lunch.

As we approached Curry House CoCo Ichibanya, I had no idea what this place served except for curry.

This particular location is inside Y’ZPark just outside of Honkik University station. It opens at 11am till 10pm.

There’s lots of seats but as we came here a a few hours past noon, it wasn’t too busy. There’s also other restaurants located in the floor of the mall too.

Creamy Mushroom Omelette Curry (9,300 won)

Comes with the rice covered in yummy omelette and smothered with their curry sauce and creamy mushroom sauce. It was really good! One of the best omurices I’ve had. The sauces were amazing a smothered every inch of the rice.

I also have a secret love for mushrooms, so this was music to my tastebuds.

Pork Cutlet Omelette Curry (10,800 won) has a panko crusted pork cutlet that is just crunchy and so delicious. M said this was very good!

Beef Omelette Curry (9,300 won) has the same curry sauce as the others but with shreds of beef.

Tomato and Asparagus Omelette Curry (8,900 won) similar sauce with with vegetables.

You can also upgrade to a combo with a drink and a salad.

In Hongdae, the Curry House CoCo Ichibanya is located inside Y’ZPARK. There’s a few shops like Uniqlo inside as well as other restaurants.

Overall, the food was very good! There are a few locations around Seoul. If you happen to pass by one, definitely go have some omurice there!

We Rate Curry House CoCo Ichibanya:

Address:
166-15 Donggyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea ‎

Website:
http://www.cocoichibanya.co.kr/main.jsp

In Hongdae

Hello Kitty Cafe in Seoul, South Korea

November 30, 2013

Hongdae is filled with a variety of speciality cafes and independent shops. There was one place that sparked an interest and that place was the Hello Kitty Cafe. It’s big, pink and has a huge bow. It’s very popular among tourists, so you will see tons of people taking picture in front of it. Sometimes even in huge tourist groups.

We came on weekday in the morning, so it wasn’t too busy. They open at 11am till midnight.

They have hot coffee, iced coffee, yogurt, cake and other hot beverages on their menu.

All their drinks are cute but the prices can be a bit expensive. Ranges from $3 to $5.

Many types of lattes with many types of characters on top. It’s made by sprinkling coco powder.

Yummy waffles shaped like Hello Kitty’s face.

Cakes with Hello Kitty’s face on it.

The shop has 2 floors and there are a bunch of seating areas.

Adjacent to the ordering counter is a bunch of loungy seats.

Huge Hello Kitty seats.

This area is a second area on the bottom floor.

The second floor is much brighter and open compared to downstairs. It’s better for large groups.

Every little girl’s fantasy.

When we ordered at the counter, they give you an electronic device with a number. When it begins buzzing, you know your order is ready. Just bring it up to the counter and grab your food and drinks.

Yogurt Ice Cream with Mango Syrup (4,500 won) M thought it was ok, but the mango syrup was artificial and very sweet.

Earl Grey Latte (4,500 won) had the cute hello kitty image on the top. The latte was very sweet and not very good.

We also had the Hello Kitty Mousse cake, but it was decent.

One thing you have to know about the cafe before ordering everything is that the food and drinks suck! The cafe is a great place to take photos and chill with friends, but you will probably not love the over-priced food. It’s still a great place to visit if you are in the Hongdae area. Lots to see in the area and

We Rate Hello Kitty Cafe:

Address:
358-112, Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu,
Seoul, South Korea

Website:
hellokittycafe.co.kr

In Japanese

Big Room Sushi House 대방횟집: Sashimi Feast in Seoul

November 22, 2013

When we arrived in Seoul for the last few days of our trip in South Korea, M’s relatives took us to Big Room Sushi House (대방횟집 dae bang hwe jip). I clearly had no idea where I was going, so having them lead me to food is just great.

We got a set meal that came with SO MANY dishes. It was about 20,000 won or 30,000 won per person. It’s a pretty good price since we did get so much food.

When we sat down, there were a few sauces, quail eggs, edamame, and veggies for us to nibble on before the rest of the meal came.

Assorted sashimi

You won’t find any of the normal stuff here. There was abalone and a bunch of other fish I could not identify. Everything was fresh and tasted great.

Roasted ginko beans are great to munch on.

Raw Oysters was all eaten up by me. I like ousters in all shapes and forms.

Sea Squirt Sashimi tasted like the ocean. Not my favourite seafood by a long shot, but it was alright.

Shrimp tempura was deliciously crunchy and light.

Grilled Prawn were a tad dry and there is a hidden skewer that goes through them, so you have to make sure you don’t eat that. Take it out before you eat it.

Grilled Mackerel has little bones inside, so its quite hard to eat if you aren’t good at picking the little bones out.

Vegetable pancake was good! Very simple but satisfying.

Hot spicy soup was really good and had lots of flavour. If you aren’t into spicy food, they can make it non-spicy too.

Cucumber roll with some fish eggs are poorly put together, but tasted fine.

Kyoho Grape also know as slip skin grapes are very unique and very different than the type of grapes we have in North America. You just put the opening of the grape against your lips and then use your fingers to push the flesh out. It’s a pretty weird process and no one eats the skins.

The flesh of the grape is like jelly, but there are some seeds inside. You just easily spit them out and start on the next grape.

Overall, a pretty good place for a feast. It’s close to the station and has some cool shops near by. I would definitely call ahead to make a reservation so they have everything prepared before you arrive.

We Rate Big Room Sushi House:

Address:
349-3
Sindaebang 2(i)-dong
Dongjak-gu, Seoul, South Korea

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In Gangnam

Awesome Restaurants in Seoul, South Korea

September 5, 2012

I spent 5 days in Seoul, South Korea but I did not have enough time to visit all the places that I came across. Below are a few places that I thought were really cool and wanted to share with you.

Have you been to any of these places before? or is it now on your list of places to visit?

CNN opened their first CNN Cafe in Seoul. They are slowly expanding throughout the country. The concept of the cafe is to give people a space to work and enjoy coffee. They have free wi-fi, computers and printing services. Imagine doing all your work and staying up to date on breaking news around the world.

They also have locations at the local universities too. This is a student’s/ entrepreneur’s dream come true! Wouldn’t it be so awesome to have this in Vancouver?

More information: http://www.cnngo.com/seoul/play/cnn-cafe-opens-500-square-meter-flagship-seouls-busiest-street-163365

Daiso is a large franchise of cheap household items at very affordable prices. It has even been dubbed the “Walmart of Asia” or the “Asian Dollar Store”. With over 2,500 stores in Japan, and 522 in the rest of the world they will continue to expand further into North America.

The prices in Daiso Korea range from 500 to 5,000 won. The one pictured here is a smaller store, but they have another location in Sinchon that is 3 floors.

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

Dunkin’ Donuts is huge in Korea. It’s not as big in Vancouver, but Koreans love this place to chill and have coffee. There are a lot of locations scattered all over Seoul.

They have very different flavours from the Dunkin’ Donuts in North America. For example – tofu donuts, green tea donuts and sweet potato donuts.

More Information: http://www.dunkindonuts.co.kr/main.html

Ding Dong Cafe is a Traveler’s Cafe. When I passed by this place, I thought it was a scam to get tourist into the cafe. It turns out ding dong cafe is a restaurant that has a tourist theme. The interior is decorated with pictures from around the world and maps.

It was named one of the top 5 cafes in Hongdae by CNNgo and apparently has some good brunch.

Address:
333-24 Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu (마포구 서교동 333-24)

More Information:
http://www.cnngo.com/seoul/eat/top-five-hongdae-cafes-387537

In Gangnam

Tria Hotel in Gangnam, Seoul: Review and Travel Tips

September 2, 2012

My travel agent in Hong Kong did a horrible job at finding me a decent place to stay in Korea. The hotel that they wanted to book me in looked really rundown and was way overpriced for what it looked like. I decided to find my own accommodations and Trip Advisor suggested Tria Hotel for a nice budget hotel in the Gangnam area. It was under 100,000 won per night.

Since I was traveling on my own, I needed to find a nice and safe hotel that was affordable.

If you are wondering, I didn’t see anything related to the Gangnam Style song by PSY. I actually didn’t hear about this song till weeks after I came back home. (It’s a pretty good song FYI)

A lot of people complained about how the streets are filled with “sexy” hotels in the area. They aren’t wrong, there are a few around, but no one really bothers you during the day or night. There are lots of restaurants in the area, so it’s convenient if you want a snack or a meal.

Since I did book very last-minute, there was only a double bed room available.

The bathroom is very weird in my opinion. The wall and doors are frosted so you can kinda see into the bathroom. I was so glad I wasn’t travelling with anyone because this would be awkward seeing someones silhouette in the washroom.

They provide you with a TV and computer, but I didn’t use them since I brought my own laptop. There is wifi access in the room and there is no password to it. Just connect to the network with your room number.

They provide you with complementary combs, hair product, shower caps, hair ties, and mosquito repellant.

They also have toothbrush, toothpaste, a razor, and shaving cream. If you forget anything, they have you covered.

They also have shampoo, conditioner, and body wash.

They have a kettle for you to boil hot water for tea and coffee.

There was also a fridge in the closet. When I opened it, there were 2 bottle of water, a can of orange juice and a can of coffee. It was complementary!

I took all the coffee, juice, tea, and bottle of water. I hid them all in my suitcase so the cleaning ladies would replenish my fridge. It was complementary, so might as well take it all right?

If you need anything else like additional drinks or meals, they have a menu that you can order from their cafe. Do keep in mind, you do get complementary breakfasts every morning in their cafe. Unfortunately, I never went for the breakfasts since I wanted to go out for food.

On the last day, they have breakfast delivered up to the room. They will call you once you are back and they ask you for a time you want the food to be delivered. It was a sandwich and a coffee.

The coffee was drip coffee and you can add your own sugar and cream.

The sandwich is really big and it has a lot of vegetables, egg, chicken, and cheese. It was a decent sandwich. I think it tasted better because it was breakfast in bed. It was a lovely touch!

Travel Tips

Buy a T-Pass from the convenience store once you get out of the arrival gates. Having it will save a lot of time and effort of figuring out how to pay for transit. Just load it up and tap it everytime you get on the buses or subway. I would suggest taking the 6703 KAL Limo Bus from Incheon Airport since it takes over an hour to arrive at the hotel.

It costs 14,000 won and it saves the trouble of overpaying for a taxi or switching subway lines. You can also take a nice long nap! The bus is air conditioned and the seats are confortable.

Get off at Renaissance Hotel and walk a few blocks. It’s not very far.

After getting off the plane, if you need a cell phone. The Incheon Airport has a few companies offering rental cellphones. I chose S-Roaming since it was one of the cheaper option. Plus, you get 50% off when you reserve a day before. You can rent smartphones or regular phones. I chose the smartphone since I wanted data to look at maps and use travel apps. It was a fair price and comes in VERY handy.

Final Thoughts

Tria Hotel was a nice hotel to stay at especially when having a last minute booking. The staff was very helpful and could help me store my luggages since my planes came at strange times. There are other cheaper options around town, but compared to other hotels, this is a good option. It’s nice looking, clean, and has a lot of amenities.

The location is far from most tourist locations, but the subway is very convenient and the green line does go to most tourist places, so not a lot of transferring.

Address:
677-11 Yeoksam 1(il)-dong,
Gangnam-gu, Seoul,
South Korea

Website:
http://www.triahotel.co.kr/html/ENG/AB/w_AB_010.html

Number:
+82 2-553-2471 ‎

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In Myeong-Dong

Street Food in Seoul: Namdaemun Market and Myeong Dong

September 1, 2012

I had a day to check out Myeong-Dong and Namdaemun Market to get some shopping done and eat some yummy street food. After going to these 2 places, I just kept coming back to buy more stuff.

Namdaemun is a traditional market close to the Great South Gate. I wanted to see the gate but unfortunately it was under restoration so I wasn’t able to get a look at it. Nonetheless, Namdaemun market was still awesome since it’s the oldest and largest market in Korea. It dates back all the way to 1414, so it definitely has a lot of history.

You can only access the area of the area by walking as the street isn’t built to accommodate cars. It’s open rain or shine and will still attract a crowd of people. There are lots to see and lots to buy. I was able to haggle for some traditional Korean folk masks.

There are lots of streets in Namdaemun Market, so be sure to have a map because I got lost and ended up somewhere else.

Besides shopping, they are known for the abundance of street food. They have some very creative items like sausages wrapped in fried fish paste.

You can even find Sikhye, a rice beverage for 1,000 won, which is equivalent to $1 CDN.

There is also freshly made dumplings too. This particular stand was very famous because a lot of notable celebrities have visited, plus it’s been showcased on several TV shows.

I also saw some outdoor BBQ stands. You can pick whatever items you want to put into your pot.

A few blocks away is Myeong-Dong, a popular shopping district with affordable retail stores like adidas, Forever 21, Uniqlo, and several cosmetic stores. The area dates back all the way to the Joseon Dynasty as a residential area, but overtime, it became a major commercial and financial district.

I was told by a few friend to do all my shopping here. There were not wrong at all! I bought a lot of cheap face masks, a ton of earrings, clothes, and a few souvenirs.

They also have street food too. The one place I tried was a stand selling twirly fried potatoes. In Vancouver, we have something similar, but we call it hurricane potatoes because of the shape.

The potato is deep-fried and sprinkled with cheese. I actually didn’t like the amount of flavouring they put into it. It was too cheesy for my liking.

It was a very very long snack. It was so long that I could only take a vertical picture of it. I was kinda afraid I would accidentally stab someone in the face with this, so I stood on the side of the street eating this.

There were lots of other types of street food around, but I wasn’t feeling in the mood for a lot of food.

If you are looking for good cheap shopping and street food, definitely check out these 2 areas in Seoul – Namdaemun Market and Myeong-dong!

In Four Beakers

Sanchon: Vegetarian Temple Food From Korea

August 31, 2012

Sanchon or “Mountain Village” is one of the most famous restaurants that specialize in traditional vegetarian food served in Buddhist temples. The food is made from organic vegetables fresh from the mountainside. If you are tired of all the fried and grilled food in Seoul, this is definitely a great place to go to.

The location was a few restaurants away from my hotel – Tria Hotel. I came to dine here during lunch with M’s relatives.

The restaurant is located on the second level and instead of sitting on chairs, you sit on the floor. For those who are cannot cross their legs or not accustomed to sitting on the floor, you may feel uncomfortable dining here.

We ordered a set meal and a bunch of banchan arrives at the table. There are over 10 small dishes that arrive at the table made out of different vegetables. Even though these portions are small, it was a lot of food! Each dish had its own unique taste. Some spicy and some non-spicy.

Next, they gave us a plate with pork, perilla leaves and some other vegetable. We ate these together and it was so good!

There was even kimchi stew and a side of tofu that came along with it. There was a lot of food and it just kept coming.

There was also tofu soup.

Then there was more soup and then rice. By this point, we were SO FULL. I haven’t eaten this much in a long time. The meal was my favorite in Korea. It was a tad pricey than other meals in Korea, but it is so worth it to try this experience. I haven’t had this type of dining experience before and I loved it!

After the lunch we headed on up to Seoul Tower to check out the view of Seoul. It’s just amazing how large the city really is. We were fortunate that the monsoon storm disappeared so we were able to see most of the city clearly.

On one of the windows it shows how far away from home I really was. 7,174.20km to be exact.

Overall, this day was pretty awesome. I had incredible food at Sanchon and got a great view of Seoul from Seoul Tower.

We Rate Sanchon:

Address:
677-11 Yeoksam 1(il)-dong,
Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea

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In Four Beakers

Mad For Garlic: Yummy Pizza from South Korea

August 30, 2012

I asked a friend where I should eat in Korea and she suggested Mad For Garlic. They have locations all over Korea as well as Singapore. They are an Italian restaurant that specializes in wine and garlic. It’s one of Korea’s most famous chain restaurants for the food and atmosphere.

The location I went to is located between Yeoksam and Gangnam station. The entrance is easy to miss as the whole restaurant is downstairs.

The inside has a very nice atmosphere with lots of wine bottles and wine glasses everywhere. I came here for lunch and the place filled up quickly. I am pretty sure they are quite busy during dinner times too.

Margarita Pizza has fresh tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and basil. I had a craving for pizza when I saw it on the menu.

Theres a blob of cheese and a basil leaf on every slice. It was a simple pizza but it was really really good.

The pizza was thin and crunchy as well. Koreans sure know how to make good pizza.

They also give you some pickles on the side.

The pizza at Mad for Garlic was really good. Since it was just me, I didn’t get a chance to try any of the pasta or the garlic items on the menu. I’ll definitely be back in the future.

Words of Wisdom:

Delicious pizza and pasta
Good service
Can get busy during peak hours
Can be expensive compared to other food in Korea

We Rate Made For Garlic:

Address:
648-19, Yeoksam Dong, Gangnam Gu
Seoul, South Korea

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In Cafe

Kona Beans: Chilling at a Cafe in South Korea

August 29, 2012

Kona Beans was the closest coffee shop to my hotel. On my last day in Seoul, I decided to chill here before my bus arrived to take me to the airport. It has 2 level, upstairs is smoking and downstairs is non-smoking. It’s great that they give people this option.

Kona Beans is a cafe that originated from Hawaii. There are several franchise locations all over Seoul.

When ordering, you get the electronic beeper to indicate when your order is ready for pick up!

It’s really relaxing inside and you can do your work and have a drink. Its a good place to work since wifi is available.

Kiwi smoothie tasted alright. I don’t know why I didn’t order a coffee at a coffee shop, but I guess I felt like juice.

If I do come back next time, I will definitely order coffee instead. Nonetheless, it’s a nice cafe.

Words of Wisdom:

Another location at 42 Apgujeongro-gil is opened by a few of the mothers of the Super Juniors group
Non-smoking area
Friendly staff

We rate Kona Beans:

Location:
All over Korea

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In Fast Food

KFC in South Korea: The Best KFC I’ve Ever Had

August 28, 2012

I’ve been told the KFC in Asia is crazy good because of the quality of chickens. I heard KFC was even better in Korea, I really couldn’t pass up the opportunity to eat something “finger lickin good”. I had a good amount of time before I had to head to my gate to take the plane back to Hong Kong.

I ordered a 2 piece meal with a coke. I had the option to have it original or spicy. Of course I had it spicy since I was in Korea.

I could not put the chicken down! It was so good! It was very crispy on the outside and the meat was very moist. It wasn’t too spicy, but it did have the right amount of kick to it. YUM! I was very proud to be lickin my fingers at the end.

Even Colonel Sanders want you to lick his fingers. This statue looks a bit awkward, perhaps someone stole his box of chicken.

Address:
Various locations in South Korea, and all over the world

Website:
http://www.kfckorea.com/

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In Bakery

Paris Croissant Cafe: Yummy Pastries at Seoul Station

August 27, 2012

After going to Seoul Tower, we decided to relax at Seoul Station to wait for a train to arrive. M’s Mom asked me “do you like bread”? I thought this was a strange question, but I said I enjoy pastries. She told me Paris Croissant has the best blueberry tart she’s ever had. Whenever she has the change to come to Seoul, she buys a bunch of blueberry tarts to bring back home.

Paris Croissant was created in 1986 and creates classic French bread and pastries. They also own Paris Baguette.

The interior of this location has seats available for customers to sit down. The bread products are located along the side and at the front counter.

They have a lot of pretty cakes and tarts! Very beautiful!

They have a large variety of buns! They aren’t all traditional french pastries, but they have a lot of Korean type of pastry items. The prices are a bit expensive compared to smaller bakeries.

M’s mom clearly bought a lot. Red bean sesame balls, blueberry tarts and pecan pie.

She bought me two items to try – the blueberry tart and the red bean sesame ball.

The Red Bean Sesame Ball was very delicious, there was a lot of red bean paste in the center and wasn’t too sweet. So goo!

The blueberry tart was also delicious. I’ve never had anything like it. There were lots of blueberries inside, so every bite has a berry.

Overall, this place has great items, but it a tad expensive. I would definitely go back to Korea to try more of their items.

Words of Wisdom:

Expensive
Good amount of seating
Blueberry tart is awesome
Relaxing atmosphere to talk with friends

We Rate Paris Croissant:

Address:
Various locations all over Korea

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

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In Bakery

Paris Baguette Cafe: Fetching Milk Bread

August 26, 2012

I was running around the airport at Seoul International Airport in Incheon and M kept telling me I had to try the milk bread at Paris Baguette.

Paris Baguette has over 2,900 stores across Korea and with several locations around the world. The bakery was founded in the 1950s as a small family business, but grew over the decades to become what it is today. They specialize in Korean and Japanese-style breads.

The Milk Bread is one of their most popular item and it’s made of flour, butter, sugar, salt, water, milk, egg, and yeast. I grabbed a loaf of it and hand carried it back to Hong Kong. My mom kept telling me to just stuff it into a bag, but I took a lot of care into making sure it didn’t get squished. After the 3 hr flight and a long bus ride, the Milk bread made it safely on our dining table.

The bread does taste a little bit different, but it’s very delicious. I can’t put my finger on why it was good, but I would definitely get some more. It’s good by itself or toasted. My little sister love it so much that she ate half the bag.

Address:
Various locations in South Korea, and all over the world

Website:
www.parisbaguetteusa.com

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In Cafe

Starbucks in Asia: Red Bean Green Tea Frappuccino

August 25, 2012

I was strolling through the international departures of Seoul International Airport before my flight back to Hong Kong and I stumbled upon a Starbucks! I noticed they were promoting 2 of their new drinks -Red Bean Green Tea Frappuccino and the Soy Green Tea Frappuccino. Since I had 20 minutes left till departure, I thought I might as well kill time trying something new.

These drinks are also available in Hong Kong as well. I am not exactly sure about other Asian countries.

Red Bean Green Tea Frappuccino was pretty good. The beans were not too sweet and balanced nicely with the green tea. I usually dislike red beans, but the way they cooked the beans were very firm and enjoyable. I would definitely order this again.

Even though they don’t sell these in Vancouver, Canada. You can still get something similar from a few local bubble tea cafes in Richmond. If you do encounter this drink on your travel, definitely give it a try!

In Cafe

Piano Cafe: Patio, Coffee, and a Grand Piano

August 20, 2012

After having Samgyeopsal, Steven and I walked around several blocks to find a nice cafe with a patio. We walked through the wet monsoon weather and found ourselves here. It was a nice little cozy cafe with a grand piano in the middle of the room.

There are lots of tables inside too. As we were here, there would be lots of couples celebrating anniversaries and playing the piano to impress their girlfriends. Lot of happy memories are made here.

Even Steven tried impressing the server at the cafe.

Steven ordered the Iced Coffee and the Affogato. If you are a coffee lover, those are a few of the items you should order! They are good items to cool off from the hot Summer weather.

I got the Caffe Latte. I enjoy it and it was pretty good.

Overall the experience was great! Chilin on their patio and catching up over coffee…as we spy on the couples inside the restaurant.

Words of Wisdom:

Great coffee
Great place to take a date
You better learn piano before coming here if you are on a date

We Rate Piano Cafe:

In Dessert

Burger King: Patbingsu served in South Korea

August 17, 2012

Burger King in South Korea serves different desserts than in Canada. Since I heard they had patbingsu (팥빙수) – shaved ice dessert, I needed to go see how it compared to other places. Eating patbingsu is very popular during the hot humid Summer time.

The menu had a lot of different desserts. Lots of ice cream and cold drinks. I was very tempted to order everything, but I only have one stomach.

Patbingsu comes with a bed of shaved ice, topped with canned pineapples, red bean, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries and a dollop of ice cream. I was more impressed by the patbingsu at Burger King than at Miss Lee Cafe.

It tasted ok, but the red bean was very strange to me…but it’s probably because I don’t like red bean. The canned fruit was ok considering it was a fast food chain.

I wasn’t use to eating this type of dessert, but it was ok to me. It’s still cool to see the different desserts around the world offered at Burger King. If you are in Korea, definitely try Patbingsu at other restaurants that specialize in it….probably not Burger King.

In Insadong

Insadong: Finding Sikhye in Ssamziegil and the Famous Starbucks

August 13, 2012

In Vancouver, Insadong is just a Korean restaurant, but in Korea, it’s an awesome shopping/eating area. During my time in Korea, I knew I had to wander down this street. People have said it’s a good place to buy old antiques and folk items. Walking around this area, I found it to be a little bit pricey compared to other areas.

Walking down the street, I stumbled upon Ssamziegil, an outdoor shopping area that has a spiral walkway all the way up to the top of the building. There are a lot of unique shops, galleries, and restaurants!

It was a very hot day so I needed a drink to cool down. I spotted a shot on the bottom floor selling Sikhye. Sikhye is a sweet traditional Korean drink.

Sikhye is made from rice and sugar water. It very delicious and refreshing! Very healthy for you too. Apparently good for digestion.

In the drink, you can see the little grains of rice on the bottom. If you are ever in Korea, you should try out this drink! It kinda reminded me of sugar cane. I got it for 2,000 won, but you can find it all around town for as little as 1,000 won.

As you walk down the stairs of Ssamziegil, you will see tons of graffiti lining the walls. Some are love messages and some are awesome drawings! Do you see the Michael Jackson image?