SPRING AT YEOUIDO HANGANG PARK (여의도 항앙공원)

So my detailed post came more than a month later, but it's better late than never. 

Last April was my fifth time to South Korea. This may sound mad but truthfully it really isn't, but I have been trying to go on yearly visits to this country ever since my first visit in 2009. That first trip on 27th December 2009 which I went with my dad and siblings really opened up my eyes to Seoul, especially, and I totally fell in love with the place.

This year, we decided to go in April in order to catch the Cherry Blossom season. One thing you must know is that this particular flower season only lasts for a week or so. It's timing is unpredictable - yes, science allows one to predict it's blooming dates but then again, sometimes even science fails on us. Which was what happened this year. We booked our flight tickets before the official blooming dates for 2014 came out. This was a huge risk that we took, but in order to secure cheap(er) flights and accommodation, this had to be a game. We based it on last year's blooming dates and decided to go a week earlier than that because QQ's friend told us that it will bloom a week before than last year's date).

 

Different cities had different blooming dates because of their temperature difference. The two major festivals that people always go to were the Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival and of course, the one at Yeouido. When the official dates were released, we were so relieved that the dates for Jinhae's festival fell on our travel dates but were pretty bummed that the start of Yeouido's festival will be our last day in Seoul. 

However, a few weeks later, the dates for Yeouido's festival got revised to one week earlier! We were so elated because Nad could catch it as well and we didn't have to rush because our last day is usually reserved for last minute shopping. //

So that's the story behind choosing of dates and how incredible lucky we were that the two festival dates coincide with our stay in Seoul.

Finally, one strike off on my list.

벚꽃 (CHERRY BLOSSOMS)

Been almost a week since we got back from our Spring vacation to South Korea, and I'm already thinking of the next possible visit. If this is not crazy then I don't know what is.

Detailed post on the trip will be up soon.

Of matcha and patbingsoo

Besides green being my favorite colour, I am also an avid lover of matcha. To be precise, matcha is actually fine green tea powder. Being so, it is an anti-oxidant, an energy booster, a good source for detox and even burns calories.

This is why I am trying my best to inculcate the habit of drinking green tea every day. Not the bottled ones, of course. Those that comes in tea bags.

Since we are on the topic of matcha..

Patbingsoo (taken with Panasonic Lumix GF2)

This was what we had during our trip to Seoul two months ago. Green tea patbingsoo (Bingsoo means shaved ice). The green tea is barely visible thanks to the generous amount red beans given. The white cubes are actually rice cakes. It does look similar to our local ice kachang, but I assure you the taste is different.

Honestly, I've yet to find a reasonable tasting patbingsoo in Singapore, and I doubt I will ever find one. Nothing beats the original, anyway. But if anyone who is reading this and knows of a place, please do share. 

Wander.

I can't believe it's been 2 weeks since my trip to South Korea. This trip was so different from the rest due to so many reasons. Firstly it was an all girls trip as Paps and my brother didn't manage to join us due to work and school. Secondly, it was Mams' virgin trip to South Korea. Thirdly, I finally finally went to Jeju. Last but not least, it was our first trip where we did not have to pack any winter clothing because yes, it was summer. And it was freaking hot. 

Shall do a proper post about the trip soon when I am not feeling utterly miserable that it has finally come to an end and what I have looked forward to for the past couple of months is actually over. 

Seoul Series II - Cafe hunting in Seoul

The one thing I love about Seoul is its abundance of independent cafes. The coffee/cafe culture there is so prominent, that at almost every street and every corner you would find at least one coffee joint.

This was great news, for a cafe lover like me. There's just something about going to a cafe, soaking in its ambience and setting, and of course, not forgetting the coffee itself.

Before I left for the trip, I did some research on the cafes which I meant to visit and came up with a whole list, and I thought, it was impossible to cover all of it, but I will try my best. 

1. Cafe 커피 마시는 고양이, Samcheong-dong
19-1 Anguk-dong  Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
02-720-8162

I have never seen a more elaborated exterior than this one. Doesn't it just look so welcoming? One thing that you must know, Koreans love paying attention to details, right down to the minute ones. I love the window displays and how the menus are so DIY. 

I took the interior mostly with my iPhone. We sat at the ground floor at first as I didn't know the cafe had seats at the attic. We moved up and I never regretted.

Photos taken with iPhone 4S, Pudding app

This sinful thick toast. Drizzled with caramel, topped with whipped cream and strawberries. Perfect. Or as I would call it. Mmm.. 대밬!!

Samcheong-dong is lined with plenty of cafes and to say that we were spoilt for choice is an understatement!

4. Cafe Rachel, Hongdae


QQ and I were actually full from dinner but we figured after a round of shopping at Hongdae, we still had a tiny space in our stomach to fit some desserts in. The plan was to head down to one of our favourite cafes in Hongdae, Coffee Lab, but while walking, we decided to try some place different and right there and then, we passed Cafe Rachel.

Photos taken with iPhone 4S, Pudding app

We decided to try its bestseller, Chocolate cake sundae. The secret to this is the moist chocolate cake. I would think that this particular cafe's specialty is chocolate, since most of the selections in the menu were chocolate-based. I am definitely coming back again to try the other desserts.

3. W.e (west 'n east) Cafe, Garosugil
518-8 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea
02-3445-0919

I read that w.e cafe was more of a fusion cafe. It wasn't in my priority list but QQ really wanted to go here as she didn't managed to during her study exchange. The cafe wasn't visible to me, probably because it wasn't one of those that lined along the streets, but rather, it was hidden beneath the lanes, if you get what I mean. Once again, it doesn't look like a typical cafe from afar. A small white block, or 'tentage'-like structure as I would aptly call it, this cafe didn't disappoint.

Jihyun's mountain berries tea and my red bean latte. I will never forget the taste of it. Rich and creamy, but yet not too overpowering. I told myself I had to try something different this time around, instead of the usual coffee.

To me, this seemed like a magnificent piece of art. Fusion hotteok! Topped with caramelized banana and pistachios. Absolutely perfect. In both taste and visual.

4. Table B, Anam

A stone's throw away from Anam Station (안암 역) lies Table B. We met QQ's buddy during her exchange, Kristin, there for a short lunch. Table B is a quaint cafe that lies in the basement along the shophouses. I thought it seemed quiet but Kristin told me it gets noisy at night as Table B also serves as a bar.

We had the bulgogi sandwich (didn't snap a pic of it), which was a thumbs-up.

 Photo taken with iPhone 4S, Pudding app

Christmas decorations were still up, although it was already January. Us, with Kristin.



5. Cafe 5Cijung (오시정), Samcheong-dong


I initially wanted to visit this cafe at Garosugil, but I came across the Samcheong-dong branch by chance instead. Cafe 5Cijung is a gallery cafe with several branches in Samcheong-dong, Hongdae and Sinsa-dong.

 Photo taken with iPhone 4S, Pudding app

This was sitting by the window, and I just thought it was an innovative idea! The thing that you actually use to water plants is being used as a plant pot itself.

 Photo taken with iPhone 4S, Pudding app

The mini-gallery was filled with toys, miniatures, cute stationery. It was something different for me, as I have never seen a cafe such as this before. I thought it was really interesting.

Our coffees, served with love and a whole load of cuteness. As I have mentioned before, its all about the details, details, details. I can never emphasize this enough, but this is something that you don't just get anywhere. A rarity. Something worth mentioning, the drinks were pricey as compared to other cafes , but I did not mind paying that price for something presentable such as this, plus every drink orders came with two mini-scones each.

6. Hoho Myoll (호호 미욜), Hongdae

93-44 Sangsu-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea

02-322-6473

One of my new favourites. I fell in love with this cafe. Its interior design was top-notch. Visually pleasing and it is the type of cafe where you can spend the time with your friends just chilling for hours. 

The Volkswagen mini-van that serves as Hoho Myoll's signature mascot. And what lies in this, is the cashier. Ingenious!

Oreo cheesecake + caramel macchiato. Not too rich and overpowering, we were able to finish this generous serving of the cheesecake.




Looking forward to my next visit for the next round of cafe-hunting.

Seoul Series I - Changdeokgung (창덕궁)

SEOUL 2012.

It has become a yearly visit, unintentionally. One fine day, I had this feeling to ask Mams about my miles redemption, and it was between Seoul, South Korea or Tokyo, Japan.

An obvious choice, an obvious question that goes without asking.

The itinerary this time was planned by QQ, and if you have read my Seoul posts before, you would realize that the last thing I would do is to engage myself in some tour.

Even though it was our third visit, I find that there are still things that have yet to be discovered. And each time, I get awestruck by what Seoul has to offer.

Chandeokgung (창덕궁). It was Seollal when we went there so Seoul was pretty much like a dead town as everyone heads back to their respective provinces. It was peaceful at Chandeokgung, there weren't even that many tourists. We opted for the Secret Garden (Huwon) English tour just so we knew the significances of the various buildings. This is about the third palace I have visited in Seoul, and each time I always learn something new.

Changdeokgung remains to be the most well-preserved palaces among the other five remaining royal Joseon palaces. The palace was actually set on fire in 1592. Who would have guessed? The restoration was done marvelously, and up till now, efforts are still being made to preserve this UNESCO World Heritage site.

The King's study hall. Makes me wonder how life was back then. Simple? Tranquility at its best, and it got me to stop and think about the hectic life that most of us are living now. Our standard of living has definitely increased as compared to back then, but what about the quality of living? Can we say the same for that?

Passing through the gates of longevity. The most beautiful time to visit is during Fall, when the autumn foliage is at its peak, and the leaves start to fall. The guide told us that it gets crowded during that season as well, because nobody wants to miss the sight. 

Such magnificent architecture. And I realized I was quite colour-coordinated with the palace.

The three gates at the entrance of the study hall. The existence of the smaller gates shows how significant and emphasized the hierarchy system was, and still is.

One of the many pavilions.

Seoul Shopping.

Updates from my recent Seoul trip this time round will come sprouting up randomly, so bear with me.

I was reading QQ's exchange blog over at Seoul Sunday (where the sis is blogging about her awesome exchange experience) and was pretty much feeling sour about her buys. No reason to actually, since I will acquire partial inheritance to them once she gets back here. Yes, I consider myself extremely lucky for being the exact size as her, right down to our pretty feet. Except for.. that's for us both to know. 

Seoul, in my opinion, is one of the best places to shop, in terms of options and price. I know many might cringe at the sight of Asian fashion as it is commonly seen to be 'cutesy', but if you scour through the shops and analyze some of the street fashion in Seoul, you will be pleasantly surprised.

1) Hongdae (홍대)

A lot of independent shops exist here, and it is very much like an outdoor Far East Plaza, only better. A pretty extensive range of options and the prices here are very reasonable. Plus point ? A great place to see Korea's very own streetstyle. A pity I did not snap any since I was too busy umm.. shopping ? 

You can also find plenty of small cafes and dessert shops. Very quaint. Oh, beneath here lies Coffee Lab, which makes one of the best coffees in Seoul. I am not kidding. 

2) Edae (이대)

Edae, houses a women's university, called Ewha Women's University. Imagine an entire university just for girls. I digress. The main point - there are plenty of little shops here. Just like Hongdae, they are of an outdoor concept. What I really love about shopping in Seoul is that you find yourself walking in these little lanes, unsure and uncertain where you might land next or what you might find next. 

3) Dongdaemun (동대문)

I have to admit, during the recent trip, I did not shop as much at Dongdaemun as I did during my trip back in 2009. This is partly due to the fact that I had done enough damage at Hongdae and Edae. However,  Dongdaemun remains in my list because for one thing, if you love shopping at night and I really mean late night, till the wee hours of morning, here is the perfect place for you. Average closing time is about 4 am in the morning. So, yes, you can definitely go crazy. The malls present here are APM, Good Morning, Migliore and Doota. Unlike the conventional malls, you can actually bargain at these places, with the exception of Doota. Doota stocks more of higher-end designer apparel.

4) Myeongdong (명동)

(Pictures from my trip in '09)

Next, I present to you the streets of Myeongdong. I love walking around here, in general. However, I find the things here to be a tad more pricey as compared to the others I have mentioned. Here, you get to see more tourists as well, and that is probably why they jack up the prices. You can also find a few international brands such as Forever 21, ZARA and H&M over here. Pretty much defeat the purpose of shopping at these places since we have them over in Singapore, in my opinion. Except for H&M, of course !

5) Apgujeong (압구정)

A high-end district. The first picture depicts a shopping mall called Galleria which houses luxury brands such as Chanel. As QQ is still a student and I am fresh out of university, shopping here was not an option.

6) Insadong (인사동)

(Pictures from my trip in '09)

Insadong is all about the Korean culture and delicacies. Where else is the best place to get souvenirs ? Here it is. Visit Ssamzie-gil for handmade handicrafts. Stop at a teahouse and enjoy the extensive range of teas.

I am counting down to the days till I step on Seoul ground again.