Seoul, Day 2
Breakfast is not a thing in Seoul. You can get a cup of excellent coffee on every block, but the food is generally wrapped in cellophane, looks extremely unappetizing, and sickeningly sweet. After a few tries we landed on some scones at Anthracite Coffee Roasters before heading over to the Seongsu neighborhood.
When we got off the subway, I headed into Olive Young; there are multiple stores in every neighborhood with all the cosmetic products you need. The woman suggested I grab this for my dry lips, and after a few uses, she was spot on.
The neighborhood is very chic, and the architecture is everywhere. It was as if the city just kept building as it grew. I particularly love all the brutalist buildings. We went to Tamburins, where I overheard the woman beside me say she came early because there was always a line. Koreans love their products, and I picked up one too.
Nudake is the spot where they make Instagrammable desserts. They are gorgeous, and the details are incredible.
But as usual, the taste rarely hits it. I was enamored with the black squid pastry filled with matcha creme. It’s not bad, but not omg.
This says it all.
EQL is a concept store with a hip atmosphere and various local and foreign designers, from cosmetics to clothing to home goods. I loved seeing how they put the place together.
This gives you a bigger view.
Kith has a store there, and Sadelle has two floors for a dining experience. Brilliant partnership
Aderror is a Korean brand, and it has its own store that is highly tricked out.
You go through one door, and follow the directions in and out.
I like that they use older models for their products. We saw many ads with older models. It makes sense, as Korea has the lowest birthrate in the world, .72 children per woman when it needs to have 2.1 to keep up.
Lunch was at Somunnan Gamjatang for the pork soup. They are open 24 hours a day. They have the system down, and the soup is fantastic. There are a few things you can get but it is all about the pork soup. It is placed on a heater to keep the soup boiling while you partake. I need to figure out how to make this at home.
We hopped on the subway and went to the Hyundai Mall. This futuristic mall has an incredible food court. Why we can’t do this in the States is beyond me.
Fred had a nice interaction with the robot.
Our friend’s daughter-in-law grew up in South Korea and sent us for a local favorite, raw crab marinated in soy. It was a local spot, and Fred loved it. Not for me. It wasn’t the gooeyness of the crab but the taste. I am not sure I like many Korean spices, although I am working on it.
A full day, a few other spots, and lots of walking, and we are definitely getting the lay of the land.