founder of this website; Jamie is in her final year of university and is very passionate about Japan and Korea.

[Seoul: Hyehwa] Hakrim Coffee : Popular Drama Cafe

Posted on by Jamie Liew

watched “you who came from the stars?” or 별에서 온 그대? the famous drama had definitely brought a lot of new customers to this cafe despite appearing in several dramas before. and because of its old history, this cafe was chosen to be the meet up point of “Do Minjun” and his old friend.

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so back to Hakrim Coffee, this cafe was founded in the 1960s and has been around for a longgg time. not sure if the publicity is good or not but this already popular among old folks cafe is now swarmed by young tourists especially from Asia. so do expect to wait if you’re here during peak hours. Continue reading “[Seoul: Hyehwa] Hakrim Coffee : Popular Drama Cafe” →

[Seoul: Jongro] Melon Bingsu @ Tea Oreum

Posted on by Jamie Liew

as a huge bingsu fan, I mark on my name that this bingsu’s one of the best few I’ve tried.

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the shops located near Jogyesa Temple which is near Insadong. for 16,000won, you get a whole melon to yourself and another cup filled with bingsu for you to pour in when you’re done with the first one. plus, it might seem like there aren’t a lot of melon. but they are secretly buried underneath the shaved ice. not the smoothest shave ice but taste wise? I’ll give it a 9.5 and presentation wise 10/10!!! Continue reading “[Seoul: Jongro] Melon Bingsu @ Tea Oreum” →

Korean Etiquette/Courtesy/Culture and Japan

Posted on by Jamie Liew

since I am stuck in Japan with my friend’s Japanese laptop (my laptop can’t connect to the internet and there’s no adapter yet T_T), I will first choose topics to write about which doesn’t require much pictures and editing.

SO, living in Seoul for about 3 years now, of course I’ve noticed more and more and from my mistakes, I learned even better. Continue reading “Korean Etiquette/Courtesy/Culture and Japan” →

my hair dye secret : mise en scene hair dye.

Posted on by Jamie Liew

If you know me personally you would know that I have ALWAYS had long hair and I am incredulously lazy when it comes to taking care of my hair. with waist length hair, I don’t even use the conditioner on a regular basis. nor do I comb my hair HAHAHAH. but thank goodness for this hair dye which saves my hair every time I dye it.

wait.

what?

the hair dye saved my hair. you’ve read it right!

so mise en scene’s hairdye is so magical it makes your disgusting tangled hair healthy after dye. it sounds too good to be true? well, it is. I have been recommending my friends who visited Korea to buy this hair dye and people whom are poor like me but wants to dye their long long hair, this is the (WAYYY) cheaper alternative. living in Seoul for the 3rd year now, I’ve tried dozens of hair dyes since I dye my hair almost once a month but I try to reduce it to once every 2 months now. and slowly 3. pfft.

anyways, I had always had a hard time trying to dye my hair back in Malaysia because my hair was so thick but Mise en scene dyes it just like that! plus they have some kind of oil mixture to put into your dye which makes your hair silky and nice after dyeing. it might as well be very strong chemicals but if it made my hair feel better, I guess I’m psychologically convinced that it is the healthiest hair dye among all!

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Vanilla Gold. the lightest colour. it isn’t blonde like the picture on the box but it’s pretty light. Continue reading “my hair dye secret : mise en scene hair dye.” →

[Seoul: Itaewon] My Thai to satisfy your Thai cravings

Posted on by Jamie Liew

if you do not know yet. Thai food comes close to being my first place in favourite type of cuisine. maybe just a few points behind the ever so magnificent Japanese cuisine. oh, I do not consider Malaysian food because I grew up eating Malaysian food. but nonetheless Malaysian food is said to be the best in the world. still, they lack in presentation ahahahhaha.

okay enough of crapping. so in Korea, it isn’t easy to find good places for REAL whatever kind of food. because they’d tweak the dishes a little every single time so it fits the Korean’s taste buds. but My Thai at Itaewon, owned by the famous celebrity chef Hong Seok Chon, does their role in satisfying my taste buds. =3.

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but still, they’d still have a small cup of pickle because Koreans just wouldn’t like it if there weren’t pickles. I don’t eat them. not that nice really. not talking about the ones here but basically everywhere =S. it’s a very Korean thing. My Thai is located near Hamilton Hotel and it’s really easy to find. almost impossible to not walk by this restaurant if you’re visiting Itaewon. Continue reading “[Seoul: Itaewon] My Thai to satisfy your Thai cravings” →

[Seoul: Hongdae] Gelati Gelati

Posted on by Jamie Liew

there are tonnes of special ice cream shops around. but most of them will just give you a “it’s pretty not bad” feeling. but this one will just make you craving for more.

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Gelati Gelati located at Hongdae was always packed with people whenever I go there. there’s always a long line and the weirdest thing is that the shop isn’t exactly located at a strategic spot. a spot where shops nearby aren’t really open in the day. Continue reading “[Seoul: Hongdae] Gelati Gelati” →

Kyoto and Osaka in a day

Posted on by Jamie Liew

I am back here in Kyoto. again.

after 4 months. right after midterms. but the only thing was, I had REALLY LIMITED TIME. so this was what I did for a day! it might even be a good reference on where to go from AM to PM =D. I returned to Osaka since I stayed there at around 6pm though =D.

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ahhh. the streets of Gion. I actually like shopping here compared to other places because the OPA and some other malls here were actually pretty good! Continue reading “Kyoto and Osaka in a day” →

[Seoul: Gangnam Station] Bobired

Posted on by Jamie Liew

hello all!

if you’ve followed me on instagram you have probably seen pictures of this Korean fusion pasta place that I go to pretty often back then when I lived in Gangnam. even now, whenever I head to Gangnam this is always on top of my pasta list as it is not too pricey and superbly delicious.

it is called Bobired.

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located near Gangnam Station, this place is quite hidden but it is definitely not difficult to find. even so, it was always packed with people as the pasta’s.. really amazing. Continue reading “[Seoul: Gangnam Station] Bobired” →

[Seoul] Softree vs. Sweetruck

Posted on by Jamie Liew

there’s always something new in Korea.

always.

but I just have to tell you about this glorious invention

THE…

HONEY ICE CREAM!

no, the ice cream itself isn’t made out of honey but it is more like milk ice cream topped with honey/a small comb of honey.

ever since the birth of Softree, there are many “similar” knockoffs. there are some stores which copied Softree’s entire concept. but as for today, I’ll be comparing Softree and sweet truck!

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I love soft tree so much I tend/have the tendency to buy a cup every time I pass by. (the pic above is the Itaewon chain.) Continue reading “[Seoul] Softree vs. Sweetruck” →