[Seoul: Dongdaemun] Spicy Chicken Feet

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oh glorious dakbal/chicken feet. I know I give off the vibe that I do not eat anything “disgusting.” truth is, i have an “ajae ibmat or 아재 입맛” (which stands for an older man like an ajosshi/uncle) tastebud. I love all food which appeal usually in particular to older men. example: sundae/blood sausage, gopchang/intestine, yukhoe/raw beef… and chicken feet of course. I never understood how some younger Koreans don’t like these food, because to me, they are the food which I REALLY crave for when I am away.

and a little funfact on dakbal: there are really two ways to eat chicken feet in Korea. one’s like this one, where they cook the chicken feet for you and put it on a grill or a steamed pot; another is the great soup dakbal which is usually in a thick spicy soup. I can’t really say which I like better as they both taste really good and as spicy.

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[Seoul: Ikseon-dong] Ida Seoul

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although I now live in Hong Kong, I still keep up to the up and coming restaurants in Seoul. 뭐랄까.. it’s always been my hobby looking at amazing restaurants and I’ve always been very open to try new things. so this trip back, I made it clear that I want to make the most of it by visiting all these restaurants that I’ve been drooling on my computer for so long. truth it, it’s impossible to go to all.  but for a great after exam celebratory brunch with my best friend, this quaint little restaurant in Ikseon-dong was it! (and because it was really good, I am so excited to share my findings with you!) not to mention my current obsession with the Scandinavian style small plates obsession I currently have (for people in HK I recommend Okra! blog post for that soon..!!!)

I was intrigued by this new restaurant mainly because it is somehow opened by a restaurant owner whom owns another successful (and beautiful) restaurant around the corner and how the ingredients are so colourful and attractive in the pictures I saw online. also one of the chefs an adoptee whom’s not afraid of expressing his own version of modified Korean food which makes everything a whole lot more interesting.

NOTE: this place do not sell authentic Korean food, but instead a creative twist (the style here might come across odd for people whom are not as adventurous) on Korean ingredients therefore if you are looking for the traditional and local Korean experience, I recommend you to read my other food posts as I have a lot of them! 

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[Seoul: Ikseon-dong] Beautiful Hanok Cafes in Seoul

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while I was in Seoul last autumn, I finally got to go to this new hipster-ish area near Bukchon Hanok Village; Ikseon-dong. unlike Bukchon, this place isn’t situated on the hill but all the homes here, like Bukchon are the only few areas in Seoul where people actually still live in Hanoks. while I have an obsession with Hanoks, I also love Hanok cafes because they seem to be Hanoks at its best.

I guess I was always very fascinated with these Korean traditional buildings because they are sturdy although built without nails, look absolutely phenomenal, normally have a 마루 (Maru; a flat elevated deck) in their yard where people can chill at and great great heating systems; the 온돌 (Ondol).

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[Seoul: Bukchon] Layered – Cake Cafe

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so right before leaving Korea, I went to one of the most amazing (and hip) cafe I’ve ever been to. unlike many other cafes’ that’s only pretty and ONLY instagram worthy, this place is a little different because not only is it great for instagram, it has one of the most delectable cakes in Seoul — baked FRESH. Continue reading “[Seoul: Bukchon] Layered – Cake Cafe”

[Seoul: Gongdeok] Sasimgadeuk Cafe; a beautiful cafe to chill at.

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so last month, I visited my senior’s newly opened cafe and it was.. one of the most beautiful cafes I’ve ever been to. maybe because I know how much work and effort they made into designing this cafe, but whatever it is, I absolutely loved it.

it’s located at a new park area in Gongdeok (near Sogang Univ.!) and when I went, there was a coincidental bridal shower and it sparked me, if I have a bridal shower in the future, I would love it to be at this place too because it is just SO BEAUTIFUL. I mean, like REALLY beautiful. along the street there are quite a number of hipster and beautiful cafes as well so I really recommend checking the area out if you have free time in Seoul! especially if you would just want to chill out and have a relaxing day.

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[Seoul: Noksapyeong] Brunch at Little Neck 리틀넥

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I FINALLY FOUND A PLACE TO HAVE GOOD BRUNCH IN SEOUL!

I mean, REALLY. if you TRIED looking for breakfast in Seoul, the only places you may stumble upon are probably the 24 hour places. there are absolutely no breakfast places in Seoul which I find very weird despite living here for the 6th year now. recently, there are many hip brunch places in Seoul but I haven’t found any that I liked yet. most were very basic; toast, scrambled eggs. nothing special. but not at Little Neck. not only are they visually pleasing, they are also very, very delicious.

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[Seoul: Sinsa] Whoo Spa Review

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last week, I was invited by eastasy.com to do a review on the Japanese-dominant spa: Whoo Spa, which is formerly known as OHui Spa. this spa is known to be popular even amongst celebrities and it uses only the finest Korean products available in the market! if you’re planning a relaxing trip to Seoul, why not consider getting yourself a pampering session at a local spa?

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[Seoul: Gwanghwamun] Spicy Eel 공평동 꼼장어

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recently discovered this place while walking around Gwanghwamun in search for a good restaurant and uh.. well, this place has the highest rating in a Korean foodie app so I thought I’d give it a try. they mainly sell eel, but they also sell many other things like mini octopuses, pork, chicken feet, pig’s skin, huge prawns… but most of them are spicy. the best dish there’s the eel so you don’t have to consider anything else if you’re visiting for the first time haha. Continue reading “[Seoul: Gwanghwamun] Spicy Eel 공평동 꼼장어”

[Seoul: Hongdae] Bonita Di Cafe; a Raccoon Cafe

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okay, I have to admit, I went to see Raccoons but I was more attracted to this cute little baby Corgi in the end.

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anyways, here’s a baby Raccoon!

PS: this is a long post with a lot of cuteness overload pictures. so brace yourself for all that cuteness!

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