Tag: wanderlust
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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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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…
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Deux Crèmes | 듀 크렘
Gangnam’s Garosugil is laden with patisseries, cake-shops, chocolatiers and coffeehouses. Deux Crèmes is one of the most popular and renowned pastry houses that occupies a standalone 3-storey building along the main street, drawing in a steady stream of dessert-seeking locals and foreigner everyday, and feeding this steady stream with their very special pie-tart-cake hybrids. Read: Deux…
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50 Fifty No Stress Cafe | 피프티
Reminiscent of a warehouse and appearing somewhat like a garage amidst reformation, the high-ceilinged 50 Fifty Cafe in uptown Apgujeong is hip and trendy with a rustic Junk-Style appeal. Diners can choose between smoking and non-smoking seating areas to enjoy a truly stress-free meal amongst the company of friends and tasteful lounge music. Kick back…
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Bloom and Goûté | 블룸 앤 구떼
“To see a World in a Grain of Sand And a Heaven in a Wild Flower.” Nothing else better invokes purity of thoughts than innocence of youth. In this rustic foliage of greens and florals, William Blake’s Auguries of Innocence springs to mind. Off the beaten track on Gangnam-Gu’s Garosu-Gil is my favorite cafe by a…
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Coffee Chu | 커피츄
What’s good here? Blueberry and peanut churros! A churros specialty cafe was exactly what I was keeping an eye out for. Opened by the CEO of Pledis Entertainment (Afterschool, NU’EST, Son Dambi), the cafe is decked out in signed paraphernalia from their artistes. If you’re looking for a particular cafe on Sinsa-dong, blink and you…
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A Twosome Place | 투썸플레이스
Exploring Apgujeong Rodeo Street led me to CGV Cinema at Sinsa-Dong, Gangnam-Gu. This dessert cafe used to be A Twosome Place by 51k, owned by actor So Ji Sub, until the 1st of January this year when this was turned into a normal Twosome Place cafe. Linked directly to the cinema, you can purchase coffee and…
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Angel-In-Us Coffee | 엔제리너스커피
For the ultimate convenience I tamed my hunger with breakfast from Angel-In-Us Coffee! It’s one of those coffee-chain giants but not as common at every corner as Tom n Toms or Caffe Bene. Had me some Honey and Cheese Thick Toast! And a Blueberry Smoothie. 엔제리너스커피 Hongdae xoxo, Viktoria Jean
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Kona Beans | 코나빈스
Hot Chocolate before heading homewards – ain’t I glad Kona Beans Cafe (as well as many coffee chains along Hongdae) are open 24hrs to keep us well-fed on coffee and happiness. Kona Beans is heavy on the Hawaiian theme, considering they use a premium Hawaiian roast. There are actual trees in the middle of the…
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Cafe Organic | 카페오가닉
Junk and instant food is the bane of my existence and yet I’m a sucker for anything that’s quick, ready-to-eat and hence highly-preserved. In a bid to have something less artery-clogging for a change, I had been eyeing this beautiful cafe at its Hongdae location all afternoon. Cafe Organic is a double-storeyed healthy alternative to…
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Cafe Da Vinci Coffee | 다빈치 커피
Nestled in the artsy-fartsy district of Hongdae (my favourite place in Seoul) is Cafe Da Vinci Coffee, where works of the celebrated artist come alive within these four walls. In this area, there’s practically a coffee-house at every turn. Cafe Da Vinci’s intricate wall art and clear polystyrene sheltered patio caught my attention. The primacy…
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Hello Kitty Cafe | 헬로키티카페 홍대점
Two years ago I was wildly excited to come into Hello Kitty Cafe in Hongdae. Two years later, I’m mildly amused by how ugly their kitty-shaped waffles have become. The insanely pink stand-alone building is still a popular tourist attraction (cue an aggressive horde of multi-lingual Kitty fanatics), and always will remain a novelty this…
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Day One: BLU Home Guesthouse
7:45am – Touched down at Incheon International Airport 8:30am – Claimed all baggage and cleared customs 8:45am – Bought T-Money (Bus, Train, All-In-One Fare Card) and WiBro (incredibly fast and useful portable WiFi egg gadget) 8:50am – Boarded Airport Railroad (AREX) Commuter Line towards Hongik University Station 9:40am – Reached Hongik University Station (Hongdae!) Then…
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TOKYO DIARIES 東京旅日記 III
Momi & Toy’s Crêperie モミアンドトイズ ホテルに戻って行く前に、モミアンドトイズで夕食のためにクレープを食べる。私は驚いている！店舗売りバブルティー。良い！バブルティーは、香港で一般的な飲み物だったが、今では非常にまれである。 トレンドは終わった。モミアンドトイズは、日本の優れたクレープのレストランの一つです。 An early dinner at Momi & Toy’s Crêperie before heading back to the hotel for a nap. Surprised to see bubble tea being sold in Odaiba! A couple of years back it was such a common sight in Hong Kong but nowadays it’s rare to find bubble tea stalls on the streets.…
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TOKYO DIARIES 東京旅日記
How to tell tourists apart from locals in Tokyo: spot the ones with ginormous bags of コンビニ (konbini – convenience store) buys! 観光客が日本で食品に多くを費やす。私が重い袋でお台場から帰って来ました。 今回は、多くのスナック、菓子、チョコレート、大福や化粧品を買った。私は家族が幸せに食べていることを望んで食べ物を買いました。 If ever I were to stay in Japan for a long period of time, snacks and various knick-knacks would consume me. My luggage came home filled with crackers, Starbucks matcha lattes, daifuku…
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Biking the Golden Gate Bridge | Part (I)
In life sometimes it pays to be a little wild and adventurous. On check-out day, we took an early tram to Fishermen’s Wharf @ Pier 39, rented a pair of bikes and helmets, then peddled for a good half-day from San Francisco to Sausalito via the Golden Gate! This is where Part 1 begins, from…
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Caffe Vergnano 1882
A while ago, I got to enjoy some much desired me-time in London! Originally from France, the British branch of Caffe Vergnano 1882 sits right across from Chancery Lane station, a short walk away from the likes of Prufrock and Department of Coffee and Social Affairs. Everybody else was shopping at SOHO or Oxford Circus…
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Victoria Peak, Hong Kong
Friends, I can finally say that I’ve been to Hong Kong. Cannot believe that for the past 4 – 5 times I’ve been here for work / holiday, I’ve never made it up to the highest mountain (1,811 ft) on Hong Kong island!! It was close to 9 p.m. when we dropped Samantha back at our…
Viktoria Jean 