➹ all night shopping itinerary at myeongdong!

Well, not really all-night... but NEARLY ㅋㅋㅋ.

Because I am helplessly obsessive compulsive, I kinda planned to NOT have any major plans during my vacation in Seoul. I had about 2 days to my (gloriously amazing) self and I wanted to just waste it away wandering around anywhere hahaha~~ Just that I had to make sure to properly complete my extensive shopping list, have a feast on street foods ... and do more shopping to fill my 45kg baggage allowance.

Hence, staying at Myeongdong was just a perfect decision. All my semi un-planned shopping are nearby so I literally can visit ALL the shops I wanted to. And in fact I did. At least twice maybe! I started off around lunch time - I had a late night watching a concert the previous day and I only crawled back into my hotel room at about 3am hahaha~~~ Anyway, I did want to stay in bed for longer but ofcourse, that would have been a waste of shopping hours. So I was off and about at about 12:30pm... with my empty stomach leading the way.

I stopped by a few clothing shops before grabbing a quick lunch at Lotteria. I thought I'd burn a LOT of my money at the WHO.A.U sale but I'm glad I held it in. After finishing my all-time favorite Lotteria shrimp burger, I was back on the streets shopping.



My high-level "non-plan" was to do all my clothes and cosmetics shopping first--> And then when I'm feeling famished, buy food for an early dinner --> then head out to the Myeongdong underground shopping center to get my final kpop stuff --> bring back the heavy stuff to the hotel --> rest and recharge --> head out for shopping part 2!





Spent some good time at SPAO and Uniqlo before hitting the small side streets. I already came from the H&M shop twice in the previous days so I had "research data" on the "sale situation" haha! Anyway, I took to the side streets and had a fill of accessories, phone cases, and memorabilia. Silk buttons FTW hahah!! I am just unable to resist they cosmetic shops so even if I already bought my "essentials" from skinfood and etude house, I still had to stop by all the other shops and pick up a mask and nail polish here and there. By the time I got to the huge 8seconds store on the major intersection, it was almost 4pm! So I made my religious walk all the way up to the Euljiro 1-ga station and then turned back craving for a shopping break!

Ofcourse, I didn't forget to go down the Myeongdong Underground shopping to re-visit my kpop stores heheh... One final set of calendars, albums and whatnots and then I'm headed out again.

So I thought I will get an early dinner and rest a while at my hotel room. Luckily, I found the tteokbokki stand on my way back. I was just happily overwhelmed with choices so I had to feast on all these amazing street food!!! I was back in my room by 6:30 and having one of the best meals ever.

Chatted with my family, took a quick rest, freshened up and then headed out again at 8pm for part 2 of my shopping day! This time, I thought I'd take it a little easy. I wanted to go back to the small shops to look again at their lovely products (ehem Artbox, Naughty Cat, Forever21 among others). And I found more accessories from the new stores being set-up on the streets. I really just wandered about at this point. I was just turning around corners when faced with the crowd of shoppers so I literally was going around in crazy circles. I overheard one salesguy telling another person how I keep coming back again and again heheh ... so they noticed huh?





Anyway, the lovely streetlights, the smell of perfectly sweet strawberries and just the winter chill were all embracing me with so much delight. I don't know how but I managed to walk around for another 2-3 hours ... until the shop doors started closing. I didn't really think it was possible but I did just fill my afternoon and night with MYEONGDONG.



Ahhh, what a lovely day that was. Of course at 11PM, I started packing my bag and realized how I bought TOO MUCH! I had to stay up until the wee mhours (2-ish?) to figure out a way to pack everything hahaha. I was bone-tired, nearly bankrupt but really just blissful. I wish to do this kind of shopping again when I come back!

➹ seoul souvenir shopping

SOUVENIR. I've learned that the meaning and significance of this word evolves with the traveler. For some, it could mean small gifts to give friends and family back home … while for others, this could mean a personal memento to save from an extraordinary experience. The curious thing with Seoul is that the city seems to invent fun new souvenirs with each year. I've been to Seoul more than once, and I managed to find new treasured souvenirs with each vacation!

Friends planning to visit Seoul as first timers would often ask me what and where to buy cheap yet good souvenirs in the city. My default answer has always been Namdaemun.



Right off the subway exit, tourists can find this store chock full of adorable Korean souvenirs of all kinds.






Key chains, magnets, bookmarks, chopsticks, pouches, and whatnots … everything is just too cute and tempting, to be honest. Just walk around the market and you will find all sorts of knick knacks. Food packages like teas, ginseng, and other traditional fare can also be purchased. There are also T-shirts emblazoned with Korean flags, words, and landmarks. Or if that is not your thing, check out some Red Devils merchandise (shirts, jerseys, and even the red horns haha!). And then ofcourse, hallyu merchandise! Non-official calendars, notebooks, socks, posters and what nots are all over the place.

The selection would match a shopping list filled with office peers, friends, and extended family members. So I highly suggest coming here prepared with your budget and shopping list haha! Else, you'll have a tendency of leaving with more than what you intended to buy. My personal favorite thing to buy here are the bear key chains in hanbok (they never get old for me) and the huge fans with really pretty Korean designs. I still use the fan I bought from 2008 (especially during brief power outages) and later on I bought one for my mom and grandmother as well!



Namdaemun is a primary default. The next default souvenir haven would be Insadong. The main street is lined with curious souvenir shops with pretty store front displays. I do think that the options in Insadong are more special than those in Namdaemun though you'll find a lot of similar items as well. I remember buying a shirt with special Hangul printing off one of the stores from there. I've always wanted to get the rubber stamps with my carved Korean name on it so I do need to go back to Insadong next time… And someday I'll buy that pretty music box with my own choice of design and kpop song! This music box store can be found inside Ssamziegiel. I did find this music box sold in that huge bookstore in Time Square but the selections are more overwhelmingly cute in Ssamziegiel.




After Insadong, I'd recommend the Korea Tourism Organization office along Cheonggyecheon (somewhere between Jonggak Tower and Cheonggye Plaza). Sure, this isn't exactly a tourist DESTINATION but there are amazing souvenirs here! Last year, there was an online survey conducted by KTO on the best Korean souvenir items and most of the candidates are available for purchase here. The products are a bit more pricey than Namdaemun or Insadong since they are more exquisite too. How I wanted to get those flash drives with the beautiful Korean enamel designs… And then there were these pretty tea sets which we wanted to get for a dear friend… Sooo irresistible, right?





There are also hallyu souvenirs from the KTO office. You'll find a lot of official goods like photo books, file folders, stuffed toys and what nots from famous dramas and singers. There is also this photo area with lots of hallyu star standees hahaha … HEAVEN haha^^.

But my personal favorite places to shop for hallyu souvenirs would of course be the official stores (SPAO, Everysing, record stores) and the Myeongdong Underground Shopping!



So let's go there … and you'll find some more souvenir shops with pretty much similar goods with what you've seen so far in Namdaemun and Insadong. Except that, the souvenir and merchandise stores are more mainstream than traditional Korean and the hallyu stores in Myeongdong underground are more into kpop (so ADDICTING). You'll find ALL SORTS of kpop goodies here~ from albums to calendars, photo books, stickers, fan lights, banners, towels, posters, shirts, CONCERT MERCHANDISE and T-MONEY CARDS! Needless to say, I can go bankrupt if I linger too long in these shops. You'll also find some random Pororo goods, cute accessories, and clothes which you can (I think) bargain for. This is a smaller scale Dongdaemun … less trendy than Dongdaemun but not as errr mature as Namdaemun.

Now going into mainstream souvenirs, I'd have to mention at least 2 places ~ 1st is the Haechi Shop at Gwanghwamun. They have uber cute Haechi merchandise from magnets, bags, bookmarks, to stuffed dolls. 2nd would be the souvenir stores at N Seoul Tower. Ohhhhhh, cuteness extreme?!?!?!





I don't think words are necessary for that haha… Just don't miss the souvenir stores at N Seoul.

Wow, this post has gotten longer than I originally imagined. And the thing is, there are MORE places for souvenir shopping which I did not mention. So I'll just namedrop those which I've visited so far ~ Hongdae! Gyeongbukgung Palace! Artbox! Bookstores (Bandi & Luni's, Kyobo, etc)! And Incheon International Airport (oh yeah, LOTS of goodies here)!

I hope to find more remarkable souvenir shops in the future and I plan to come back to all those I mentioned above for another round of treasure hunting haha! Seoul is just an incredible shopper's haven ^^.

➹ lunch at school food

I was very much intrigued with School Food's concept and their take on Korean street fare. I browsed the menu on their website (www.schoolfood.co.kr) and wanted to try out soooo many delicious dishes! And then I even won a KRW 20,000 School Food voucher from the Seoul MICE promotions but sadly, it expired before we can confirm our travel dates to Seoul. Even so, I was resolved to try it out during my trip.

I was eyeing 2 locations~ Myeongdong or Garosugil. We ended up at the Myeongdong branch 서울시 중구 명동 2가 31-1 M PLAZA 5층. The interiors were simple and chic and we were easily led to an empty table by the attentive staff.

I already knew what I wanted to order but I still had fun browsing the menu. I asked my friend to choose the mari flavors for our combination platter. She selected 고추멸치, 불고기, 베이컨마늘 (Chili Anchovy, Bulgogi, and Bacon Garlic). It was served prettily like this:




They actually looked too cute to eat ㅋㅋ. The taste is ok though not very memorable. The fusion works well for the mari but I liked the traditional kimbap better ㅋㅋ. Still it was worth trying out the fusion flavors for fun!

I ordered the 치즈떡순이모둠 (Cheese Ddeokbokki, Sundae and Mandu). And the serving was huge:



The waitress kept confirming if I really wanted 치즈떡순이모둠 because it was very spicy. My spice tolerance has significantly increased since I started eating Korean food so I felt confident that I can enjoy my spicy ddeokbokki.

At first, I thought they forgot to include the cheese. But after looking closely, we figured that the cheese has already melted into the hot ddeokbokki creating a cheesy, sticky, flavorful plate. I had to try out the sauce first… and YUM! The red pepper taste is absolutely delicious! There was a burning sensation on the after taste but it was tolerable on my initial bites.

Next, I tried the sundae. I was never really much of a fan of sundae though it does taste nice. I like how it balances off the spicy flavorful ddeokbokki with its chewy glass noodles. And then of course, mandu is mandu ~ crispy yummy goodness.

At first I thought I could finish the entire plate especially since the eomuk was just too addicting! Ahhhh, but the spicy sensation builds with every bite. And indeed it was deadly spicy! My face was blushed from the heat in no time! It was cold outside but my face and tongue were burning slowly from the red sauce. I had to give up after finishing all the eomuk!

I want to go back next time and try the other fusion dishes. My Korean friend commented that the place was a bit too pricy though. Still, it was an interesting experience to taste these delightful concoctions!

➹ seoul autumn cosmetics haul

My growing love for cosmetics shopping in Seoul is now directly proportional to the growing luggage space I've had to allocate for these buys. Here's what I bought for myself on the recent trip (gave away some gifts already):






Some freebies from my purchases (except for the face masks)


This one is just a box full of cotton pads ... but the box is ehem ^^.


I used to be totally ignorant on this fascinating sub-culture until I was drawn into that Skin Food shop in Dongdaemun last 2008. I even played it safe and just picked a body essence and a cologne. I could not risk any face or hair products at that time. But I was sold with the samples they dropped into my bag and resolved to muster up my courage to try new things on my next trip.

On my next trips, I fell in love with more essences, face masks and nail polishes! I was still mildly intimidated though whenever I browse through the endless pretty selections. I couldn't decide which ones to pick and I am usually too shy to use my limited Korean to consult the salesladies.

So before I left for Seoul last autumn, I took time out to educate myself on Korean cosmetics via beauty blogs! I didn't realize how extensive the resources are on the web on cosmetic reviews. I can't pick any one favorite since these beauty blogs each has its own style and charm. Just trust your google search and click on the massive selection of "Korean cosmetic reviews"!

Reading through the bloggers' assessments and comparisons of various Korean cosmetics raised my shopping confidence for my Seoul trip. Clearly understanding which brands and products I wanted to try, and how much they would set me back, I am able to walk into most of the cosmetic stores in Myeongdong … and come out with my pretty selections! I'm definitely hyped to try them all out now!

➹ dosirak cravings

I'm now back at work from my November Seoul vacation. Aside from struggling to settle back into work-mode, I'm also nurturing a serious craving for savory Korean dishes during lunch hours! Ahh, how sinfully amazing it would be to have some dosirak for lunch ...

The dosirak version we had on this last trip was composed of flavorful and tangy kimchi and fried spam on warm white rice topped with fried egg and dried seaweed (gim). It looks pretty appetizing when neatly arranged like this:



You're supposed to shake the metallic box to mix everything up before eating. We watched how some locals on the next table shook their boxes rigorously before digging in. But we were a bit cautious that the kimchi sauce might spill so we didn't really shake our boxes so much. So ofcourse, the contents weren't mixed as it was supposed to but we were fine with that.

As for the taste, I thoroughly enjoyed how the spicy kimchi matched so well with the salty egg, spam and gim. It was absolutely YUMMY for a school meal I must say! Ahh, I would be so spoiled if I can pack a set like this for myself every day.

I thought the serving was a bit large since I couldn't imagine carrying this size of lunch box out of the house ... but in end, me and my friend were able to finish almost the entire thing! My friend is not too fond of spicy food so she had a good portion of her kimchi left. Me, I wasn't too fond of rice so everything else was cleaned out except for that. We ordered some coffee with our meals (ahh, yes not exactly traditional and it took a while for the staff to complete our orders because of that), and they gave some complimentary soup which was also amazing.

We had our dosirak fix on the famous 별다방 미스리 Miss Lee Café. The place is just too adorable! The colorful tables and chairs fit perfectly into the whimsical décor of the place. My own school memories were most certainly not as charmingly cute as the setting here.




There were messages left everywhere which is most definitely very Korean.




There were also pictures of WGM couple Yonghwa and Seohyun on the walls which added to the cuteness of the ambience. In addition there is Miss Lee herself (i think) sitting alone invitingly on the store front and ready for a photo op!

I'd say this is a must try in Seoul just for the novelty of it. And for me, I would want to have it again because the taste just grew on me! Would be utterly awesome if I can prepare one on my own though ... so yeah, that will be on my 2012 to-do list!

Where to Try: 별다방 미스리 Miss Lee Cafe along Olive Young Myeongdong near Euljiro 1-ga Exit 5-6.

➹ naughtycat collections

(warning: GIRLY-ness overload)
I LOVE accessories! I have a long delightful history with colorful earrings, cute pendants, and adorable hairpins. I used to have that mannequin-doll accessory stand where I displayed all my lovely treasure finds and marvel at how pretty and unique they are. But now that's gone since I had to be minimalist in my room space. I had to let go of my cute collections and be practical of my living area. I also had to rationalize which ones I could still actually wear that would fit my career and yeah, there were only a few qualified pieces. So at some point, I had to say goodbye to my girly fascinations and be content with just keeping a simple and appropriate set of earrings.

But all those struggles with my corporate image and my minimalist style came to an end on my summer 2010 visit to Seoul. I walked into NaughtyCat in Myeongdong and my reservations melted in an instant! No wonder girls of all ages flock to this store! Everything was so adorable that I can't help turning the displays and adding to my small basket. Though I knew my heart longed for all the cute and colorful pieces, I still had to hold back a bit ... and so my loot last year was all silver and just moderately cute:


Ah, I had to let go of my cat earrings after wearing them for a while ... I lost the bling on one of the cats (sigh). In any case, this only tells me that I had to come back and bring home a new set of cuties for 2011.


Here's a peek at my loot this year. I gave a few to my cousins and nieces hehe, so this is what's left for me. The cat and fishbone on top is also from this latest trip.


The feeling is the same this year as it was with last year ... while I was rummaging in the store, I was too overwhelmed with choices that I felt like I had to come out soon else I would overspend and regret it. But after getting home and looking fondly at my loot, I get that feeling that I didn't buy enough stuff! I'm pretty sure that if I came back to that store a few hours after my first stop, I would STILL have some(or a lot) of stuff to purchase!

So yeah, color won me over ... cuteness too ㅋㅋ. So much for corporate. I just have to keep telling myself that I should wear all my cute stuff now while I can still mildly pull them off. At the end of the day, what matters is I'm happy happy happy!!! ^^

Official Website: http://naughtycat.co.kr/

➹ 3 must have chicken dishes in seoul!

I took a break from my regular KFC-Mcdo chicken fix and had a thoroughly satisfying chicken food trip in Seoul!

1! 닭갈비 Dalk Galbi
Cooked at your table like this:


And looks like this once done:


Spicy and tasty and just a tad bit addicting! My friend claims to be not so fond of spicy food but she managed to finish off this dish! That tells you how good this is specially on a chilly autumn night. I personally thought pairing it off with Cola helped ease the spice ... but looking around the restaurant, we were the only ones who actually had Cola on our table ... so I don't know.


[Where to Try?] Myeongdong's Yoogane
With at least 2 branches on the Myeongdong shopping area, you'll surely find a seat!

2! 후라이드치킨 Fried Chicken and 마늘치킨 Garlic Chicken
Yum yum yum!!!


Again paired with Cola:


We made sure to try out new chicken dishes this round after loving last year's honey chicken:


And the half-spicy half-original fried chicken the year before:


And indeed, Korea's chicken offerings never fail to leave a lasting impression that would definitely entice us to try more on our next visit!

[Where to Try?] Two Two
We found one at Myeongdong too ... but this franchise is scattered just everywhere ^^.

3! 안동찜닭 Andong Jjimdalk
And finally, this uber savory chicken dish is perfect for everyone!


Chicken in a sweet-spicy sauce with onions, sweet potato and glass noodles ...


Surely, it can only end up like this!


[Where to Try?] Times Square