[Kyoto: Hanamidori] The Famous Kinana Ice Cream, Gion

Gion is perhaps my favourite place in Kyoto and I would only like to complain that there’s too much to see. there are not just a lot of places to visit but also a whole lot of places to eat at! other than my Jouvencelle, I visited the famous Kinana which were reviewed by many Korean bloggers. I have a friend whom had passed me their card and tell me that I must go there when I go back to Kyoto.

it’s some health ice cream I heard.

so how to get there?

IMG_8149 copy

first, get to Hanami-koji! literally mean place to see flowers. I guess it’s a metaphor for a place to see Geishas hahaha. Continue reading “[Kyoto: Hanamidori] The Famous Kinana Ice Cream, Gion”

[Kyoto: Gion] Jouvencelle, a one of a kind cafe.

after reading about this amazing cafe on kyotofoodie where he said is his favourite cafe, I told myself that I HAVE to come here one day despite how expensive it looks. Jouvencelle, which I believe means young (girl) is a cafe located at Gion, it isn’t located at the brightest place but because it is next to Yakasa Jinja, it makes it a little bit more easier to find.

Directions : basically, just get into Yasaka Jinja (or Yasaka Shrine) and head right and look for an exit on the right side. upon exit, walk straight and you’ll see Jouvencelle.

IMG_8718 copy

Jouvencelle is located on the second floor to this pottery/porcelain shop. see that green cloth? that’s the entrance to Jouvencelle. Continue reading “[Kyoto: Gion] Jouvencelle, a one of a kind cafe.”

[Seoul: Hyehwa] Hakrim Coffee : Popular Drama Cafe

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.

CIMG9613 copy

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

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

CIMG0100 copy

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”

[Seoul: Hongdae] Gelati Gelati

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.

20140316_154719 copy

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

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.

IMG_7022 copy

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] Softree vs. Sweetruck

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!

CIMG8652 copy

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”

[Seoul: Itaeweon] Passion 5 패션5

ever heard of this famous bakery called Passion 5? bet you haven’t. if you’ve not lived in Seoul for a period long enough, you might not even know about the existence of this fabulous cafe/bakery which is ultimately posh; bringing bakery to a whole new level as IT IS THE BEST BAKERY SHOP IN TOWN. the name Passion 5 came from 5 elements namely: bakery, pattiserie, chocolates, cafe and the 5th’s the passion of the pattesiers. and of course, knowing that it is the best, you should already know that it is expensive. there are barely anything that goes under 1,000won. or was there none? forgot. but most of the bread costs around 3,000won and cakes 7,000won. =S.

even though it isn’t very popular amongst foreigners, this place is always packed with people and on the day I went, we had to wait for a seat despite paying so much for just desserts. there’s a posh cafe on the 2nd floor but that cafe’s queue was even longer. you can bring your breads, cakes, chocolate and ice cream to the cafe/restaurant on the 2nd floor =).

if you love cakes. I truly recommend you to stop by this bakery for the ultimate experience!

and here’s a link to the video I took there. you’ll definitely want to go there after watching the video. and.. I am sure you’ll laugh too. D=.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151965745886850&l=4877772332316760093

IMG_6343 copy

from the outside, passion 5 look like every other office building and it definitely do not stand out that much. Continue reading “[Seoul: Itaeweon] Passion 5 패션5”

[Osaka] Pablo Cheesecake VS. Rikuro Cheesecake

I’m a big fan of cheese. and cheesecakes.

so there’s this huge hype over cheesecakes in Osaka and if you’re a foodie like me, you’ve probably heard that Pablo and Rikuro Ojisan (grandpa) are the best in Osaka. these shops often have a long queue outside them but I didn’t stand in line too much as I bought them late since I stayed in Kyoto and I didn’t want to carry the cake everywhere I go. they are really popular in Osaka and each time I pass by their shops I feel like buying another one. D=!

BUT the thing is, you gotta buy the whole cake. which.. isn’t too big. but certainly not for one..

I could only have two slices at one time (out of 8). so we left the rest of it at the refrigerator.

IMG_4104 copy

we first tried out Pablo as the advertisement of it drives me gaga. and at 780yen I’d say it’s a steal. I mean, even a slice of cake at Hongdae at a nice place would cost you around 600yen. Continue reading “[Osaka] Pablo Cheesecake VS. Rikuro Cheesecake”

[Seoul: Sinchon] Choco Blossom

I love chocolate yes. but I do not usually drink hot chocolate. most places serve hot chocolate only nice for a few sips and it just gets really disgusting after that. but the ones here at Cherry Blossom is DA BOMB. I am not even kidding. it is so hard to explain. seriously.

because I can’t take coffee, I’ve always ordered chocolate drinks back in Malaysia whenever friends go to starbucks (and you know the other non-caffeine drinks are just so so.) which had contributed to me being sick of hot chocolate drinks.

when Jia Yii told me about this place I had doubts and I would really prefer something else like green tea latte. but I still gave it a shot anyway since he was really sure I was going to like it. and I did.

CIMG3641 copy

they have these amazing seats upstairs for you to lay down and it is perfect for couples. super duper romantic in my opinion hehehe. and because it is christmas they also placed these huge teddy bears on every seat. but the place is rather small so getting a place upstairs was some real luck. Continue reading “[Seoul: Sinchon] Choco Blossom”