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SEOUL DIARIES 008: CAFES IN ITAEWON
Along the glorious and vibrant district of art museums and galleries are laid-back cafes offering all-day breakfasts and a myriad of flavoured coffees. In close association to the indie Hannamdong Cafe Street, coffee culture in Itaewon is self-directed and expat-friendly. Expect top-notch Americanos and loads of Seoul Design-Spot cafe galleries! Here are some of my favourites! For more…
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SEOUL DIARIES 007: ITAEWON
March 23, 2014: DAY FOUR Itinerary [10:00 AM] Breakfast @ Thanks Nature Cafe 양카페 – Hongdae [10:59 AM] Grabbed Kyeran Bang 계란 빵 from a street stall! My favorite street food from Korea! [11:00 AM] Travel to Itaewon! [11:20 AM] Sat down for a strawberry latte at Glamorous Penguin. Also to leech onto their WiFi for Google Maps. [12:00 PM]…
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Cafe True Us @ Insa-Dong | 인사동맛집 카페트루어스
Lemon and Mint-ade after spending a long afternoon exploring Bukchon Hanok Village and Samcheongdong. Cafe True Us 카페트루어스 is located along the antiques street of Insadong, with the nearest station being Jongno-3-Ga Station. Its triple-storeyed interiors are furnished to match its physical location – Insadong is home to cultural arts and crafts that go way back in time. Polished teakwood tables and…
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SEOUL DIARIES OO6: SHOPPING @ IFC MALL & LOTTE OUTLETS
MARCH 22, 2014: DAY THREE Despite my frequent travels, I don’t do a lot of shopping overseas. Seoul is probably the only place where there’s never enough space in my luggages for my shopping loot! Hongdae’s open-till-late vintage and indie stores are just about my favourite places to go. Right up there on my favourite…
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SEOUL DIARIES OO5: HANGANG PARK
March 22, 2014: DAY THREE I picked the perfect day with a gorgeous weather to explore the Yeouido Park! The trail cuts off at an intersection before leading to Yeouido Hangang Park (여의도 한강공원), which faces the Han River. Following this park trail, you can choose to jog along Han River or cross over to…
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SEOUL DIARIES OO4: YEOUIDO PARK
March 22, 2014: DAY THREE Bright and early, I was up and headed for Yeoinaru Subway Station. When I found Yeouido Park (a short walk away), the place was already filled with morning joggers, cycling couples and the brisk-walking elderly! The park is divided into theme-based sections: the Traditional Korean Forest, Grass Square, Culture Square, and Nature’s Ecosystem Forest.…
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SEOUL DIARIES OO3: CAFE-HOPPING in GANGNAM
Gangnam is, altogether, a fantastic spot for cafe-hopping. I spent the entire day here from morning till early evening, until I headed to KYOBO BOOKSTORE at Sinnonhyeon Station. The area is close to the Jamwon section of Hangang River Park, so take a walk to the famous South Korean river if you feel up to…
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SEOUL DIARIES OO2: GANGNAM
On my second day in Seoul, I travelled to Apgujeong in the district of Gangnam. To catch a trendy side of Seoul without the unexaggeratedly touristy appeal (aka Myeongdong), head to this part of town. Gangnam has been revolutionized by a wave of new-age Koreans. What I loved: this building dressed in a coat of…
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Travel Cafe Hongdae | 트래블 카페 @ 홍대
비행기 타기를 즐기십니까? Do you love plane rides and travelling?Personally I’m a huge fan of the Travel Cafe in Hapjeong/Hongik University district. Amongst an abundance of travel inspirations and books on various attractive destinations, this is the perfect place to plan for your next trip, or simply to relive the excitement of a plane ride. When you order something to…
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Book Cafe Jaeum and Moeum | 자음과모음 북카페
Major Korean publishers Jaeum and Moeum (자음과모음) releases the latest bestsellers via their flagship bookstores, as well as this dainty and elegant book cafe situated in central Yanghwaro, Hongdae. An all-day set menu includes a cup of coffee bundled with new releases. Book cafes are where publishers highlight noteworthy books that haven’t received much publicity or marketing opportunities.…
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Ways of Seeing | @ 한남동 이태원
A perfect collision of art and coffee culture – what better way to kick back in appreciation of art installations with a coffee in hand! Ways of Seeing is a cafe slash art gallery along Itaewon. The local indie artsy-types would definitely know this place – it’s probably their favourite hangout. They have the standard coffee menu plus sandwiches,…
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Glamorous Penguin | 글래머러스 펭귄
Glamorous Penguin is established within the expat-friendly Itaewon locale which is home to a myriad of private and national art museums, and also a walking distance from Hannamdong Cafe Street. Despite being a weekday mid-morning, Glamorous Penguin was already bustling with a caffeine-hungry crowd! Itaewon is the artsy-fartsy neighbourhood similar to Gangnam, but with less self-established private corporations. The entire Itaewon is more or…
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Thanks Nature Cafe | 양카페
Only in Seoul, you get to dine with a lamb! With the proliferation of overrated cat and dog cafes, Hongdae’s first and only sheep cafe (양카페) has been making headlines. Owner of the cafe, Kwang-Ho Lee, is spotted feeding the frisky little ones in their outdoor enclosure. Much to my surprise, the sheep didn’t smell…
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This is HELLO and GOODBYE
Bidding farewell to the room and bed @ BLU Home Guesthouse that has kept me warm and well-rested for the past 6 nights. And this is me saying: HELLO JEJU ISLAND! Embracing the next part of my adventure with KRISPY in Jeju!! Will meet her at Gimpo airport before our flight, and since I’m checking…
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Zoo Coffee | 주커피
Need I say more? The name speaks for itself. It’s a jungle in here! I love this wildlife, amazonian concept. There are different animals and wildlife knick knacks in each Zoo Coffee house. Found this chain coffee house on my walk to Yeouido and popped in for dessert! Tiramisu…my love. Off…
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Neal’s Yard | 닐스야드 홍대점
A little bit of London in South Korea. They also have branches in Itaewon and this one’s near to the bustling crowd at Hongik University! Yep, this one’s for you, if you’ve got a weakness for desserts too. Some lemonade to kick this digestive system into gear. 163-16 Donggyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, Korea xoxo, Viktoria Jean
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Caffe Bene | 카페베네
At the IFC Mall after a walking along the Hangang Park. In Korea, the Caffe Bene cafes (a chain of coffee houses) is stocked with books for its diners to pick up and read. Honestly, there’s nothing special about their food. Much like Starbucks, McDonalds’ and Coffee Bean in a strange foreign land, it’s a…
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Orange Cafe – Espresso of Street | At 여의도
Only in Seoul, you get an insanely good cup of iced latte on the go! Espresso of street, you’ve said it right. Nothing gives a better energy boost than coffee to keep you going on a long long walk in Yeouido Park and across the Han River thereafter. The barista is a kind young man…
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Tous Les Jours | 뚜레쥬르
A shot of caramel macchiato before heading off to Yeouido Park for a long long afternoon! Tous Les Jours is this French-Asian bakery in South Korea that’s wildly popular as breakfast-to-go for the young adults. Coffee on the go!! ^^ The cakes are so pretty, I had to sneak a few shots! The photos from…
Viktoria Jean
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Viktoria Jean 