Hwa-dong

I've been to Samcheong-dong a few times, but have mostly stuck to the main street. I didn't realize there was anything to look at along the side streets until my cousin took me to Hwa-dong, a small neighborhood just off of Hwagae-Gil (화개길), towards the palace-end.

Turn right at the police station and you'll find a narrow street crammed with adorable cafes and over-priced boutiques. My cousin N. told me that much of the merchandise is "handmade", so stores may be pricier than average.

While in Hwa-dong, we stopped in a cafe called ICESAND. In addition to the usual coffee shop essentials, ICESAND offers an interesting selection of ice cream/yogurt sandwiches that are good to share. I recommend the Rainbow (Something Something) Sandwich, a super-sized macaron, filled with tart frozen yogurt.




































The ice cream is great and all, but the real reason to hang out at ICESAND is their selection of fashion magazines -- in English! If you've been dying to spend a mindless afternoon, sifting through some fashion magazines, but not pay the high import fee, then you may want to check out ICESAND. Vogue, Cosmo, InStyle -- they got 'em all.

ICESAND also features a nice patio area that will be quite lovely for the days when we're not plagued by winter wind, rain, yellow dust, or mosquitoes.


ICESAND
89 Hwa-dong, Jongro-gu, Seoul
T.02.720.6255
10:30 AM - 11:00 PM

BBQ Samgyupsal. It's as good as it sounds.

If Koreans and Texans combined their superior grilling powers, they'd probably get something akin to the BBQ samgyupsal at 옛골토성 in Yul-dong (about a 10 minute drive from Seoheyon).
BBQ samgyupsal is basically thick slabs of smoked pork flesh. It was mighty tasty, especially when you wrap it in some white kimchi (baek kimchi). Cyndi likens the flavor of the BBQ samgyupsal to bo-ssam. Heng and I concur.

(Correction: It doesn't really tastes like bo-ssam. It just looks like it.)

The samgyupsal has already been grilled, but you'll want warm it up on the metal grill to release all the yummy heart attack juice from within the fatty flesh.












We also had a platter of ribs, which basically tastes like ribs back home, only without all that excessive BBQ sauce.












Despite how yeolshimhae Cyndi looks, she's not a fan of BBQ samgyupsal. She prefers Classic Samgyupsal.












I, on the other had, am a big fan.












By the way, do you like the sharpness of these photos? I used Heng's new Sony A300 DSLR camera. I'm so jealous. I want a DSLR...

Afternoon Tea in Pretty Little Sinsa-dong

At the risk of sounding like a prissy little hipster wannabe, my favorite Seoul hotspot has become Karosogil in Sinsa-dong. Sinsa has even become a regular meeting spot to work on curriculum with my favorite colleague.

I've heard from a number of people that Apgujeong is where all the IT people go, but I think Karosogil in Sinsa is far more interesting. This particular road in Sinsa is full of aesthetically pleasing boutiques, cafes, wine bars, and restaurants. Yes, most of the eateries are foreign- themed. Yes, most of the merchandise is over-priced and can be found at half the price in Dongdaemun. Yes, you have to pay a pretty penny for such pretension. But, you know what? You can only stare at flashing neon signs and poorly designed buildings jam-packed with Love Motels and noraebangs before you starve for a little architectural eye candy.

Karosogil is quite small. It only spans a few blocks, but it feels much more fresh than Apgu. It's also less noisy and not as cluttered. You also don't have to worry about being run over by some foreign sports car leisurely cruising the streets for no apparent reason.

I rarely ever buy anything in Sinsa, but I still enjoy window-shopping and people watching.






































































I've noticed that the pedestrians (mostly young women) walking along Karosogil are very attractive; even more so that the folks in Apgujeong. In my opinion, the trendy women in Apgu seem like they're headed to a music video shoot, while the women in Sinsa are simply fashionably elegant women out for a cup of coffee or some facial cream from L'Occitaine. Meanwhile, the men like to sit near the window or patio, preening like the prized specimens that they are. It seems, however, that most of the women ignore them in favor of the cute dress in the store next door.

You may have to click on this picture to get a closer look, but I snapped this gang of skinny-jean boys. I say "gang," because the only reason for a group of young men to dress in coordinated outfits is because they're in some team or gang. I'm pretty sure these guys were part of an aspiring boy band. Otherwise, young men have no business wearing jeans that tight.














While in Sinsa last weekend, Cyndi and I had some afternoon tea at a little French cafe. The only other time I've had high tea was at the Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong, so perhaps I'm just ignorant, but our tea platter was aju lame.











































The "Tea Platter" consisted of so-called tarts (in America we call these cookies), and a mismatched plate of savory bites.














I'm no tea connoisseur, but I don't think steak goes well with Earl Grey Tea.














Neither does a shot glass of unspecified meat. (I think it may have been pâté).















Despite the disappointing tea, I still enjoy Karosogil. Next time though, I think I'll stick to The Second Factory cafe and their paninis and waffles.

To get to Karosogil, you make take the subway to Sinsa station. Take Exit #8 and walk straight up the street for about 6 minutes or so, until you see a street sign that says "Karosogil." Turn left. You can also take the 1005-1 bus from Bundang and get off at Sinsa Station (Just walk towards Subway Exit 8). Karosogil is also walking distance from Rodeo Drive in Apgu (about 15 minutes). I'm afraid that I'm very bad with directions, so I can't give you any more specifics.

Saju Cafe: Your Destiny is written in a tiny little book

While Ian Oppa was here, we took him to a saju cafe in Shinchon. Saju means "fortune," so as you can probably guess, a saju cafe is a place where you order up a beverage along with your fortune. Or, more accurately, you are forced to purchase a drink in order to get your fortune told.

The fortune tellers are specially trained to read (interpret?) your fortune from what looks like a really worn book of Chinese characters. You must provide your birth date and birth time (Some fortune tellers will ask for your birth information according to Korean time). Then, the fortune teller scribbles down a few illegible characters into her notebook. From these few scribblings, she can then tell you about your personality, health, love life, and finances.

Cyndi & I have been to a couple of saju cafes (usually with Bo Unnie). It's sort of become a hobby. Some people golf. We get our fortunes told. Some people take fortune telling very seriously. I've determined that I go because I'm narcissistic and enjoy hearing about myself. I also believe, or would like to believe, that my birth date and time have some effect on the person that I am.

That's definitely how I felt when we got our fortunes told at Hera, a saju cafe in Shinchon. In addition to a tarot card reading, there are several saju options at Hera. We all debated between the one-year fortune (10,000 won) and the whole-life fortune (20,000). Ian-Oppa went all-in and decided to go for the whole-life fortune. After we heard the eerie accuracy of Ian-Oppa's fortune, Cyndi & I immediately followed suit.

I won't go into the details of Ian Oppa's fortune, but I will say that almost everything she said rang true. She even spoke of a few issues that Ian-Oppa had never even discussed with us. We kept staring at her little notebook and thinking to ourselves, "You got all of that from a few Chinese characters?"

My fortune was also quite accurate and in line with what I've heard from other sajus. I think what particularly stood out about this particular saju is her manner of speaking. She spoke with an authority, and offered more details than I've received from prior readings. Most of what she said were things that I already knew about myself, but hearing her say what she said without any prompting from me was still pretty trippy.

With the success of Ian-Oppa's reading, we decided to take Piliksu to Hera earlier this week. I don't think his reading was as dead-on as Ian-Oppa's, but it wasn't far-fetched either. Piliksu gave me permission to post about his reading, so chingus back home, you can tell me what you think about his reading.

Piliksu's Saju:

• His face and fortune indicate that he is very lucky, particularly when it comes to money.
• He is very interested in making money.
• He gets bored with women very easily.
  
• He is sensitive.
  
• He's close to his mom. His mother brings him luck, so he should always be good to her.
• He also has "wife luck." He will likely marry a woman that is older than him. His future wife will also bring him luck (e.g., money).
  
• He needs a wife that will take care of him.
  
• His future wife will be Asian-American.
• He will have one son (The saju does not reveal if and how many daughters he will have).
  
• He should invest his money (particularly in real estate) or else money will keep going out. His wife may be a big factor in this out flow of cash.
• She could tell that he had started new job a year or to ago. His new job was a good move.
• However, Felix will not be at this company long term. When he's around 35 or so, he'll want to venture out on his own, and perhaps get involved with trade or technology.
  
• His body is weak, so he must exercise regularly.
  
• He should also avoid drinking, because he has a weak liver.
  
• Since he was born in the winter, his body seeks heat (i.e., alcohol). Thus, he can drink a lot.
• Rainy days make him want to drink.
  
• He should NOT live in China. If he lives in Asia, he needs to live in warm climates, such as Singapore or Malaysia.
  
• She advised him to avoid lending money to friends. This will be hard, since he is a generous guy.
  

I can't recall everything that the saju said, but she did keep emphasizing that there was a lot of money and luck in his fortune. So ladies, if you're in your early 30's, are caring, and of Asian descent, please holla at our friend, Piliksu (Don't worry. That's not his real name)

As for the rest of you, if you're interested in getting your fortune told, Hera is located behind the Hyundae Department store, heading towards Edae and Choi's Tacos. It's in a building or two after Mr. Pizza. It's in the same building as Lovely Bar(?). Unfortunately, the saju woman only speaks Korean. Don't forget to pick up a stamp card. You get a free tarot card reading after six saju sessions.

Korean Pancakes & an Unexpected Serenade

A few weeks ago, we decided to take a break from our usual shopping/eating routine, and checked out the "Jazz in the City" concert series at the KT Art Hall in Kwanghwamun. Tickets are a deal at only 1000 won. The KT Art Hall seems like a cool place to visit. In addition to musical performances and art, KT features moving making facilities (backdrops, cameras, lights,computers, etc.) that are free to use. If I ever decide to upgrade from my guerrilla snap and shoot style of production, perhaps I'll check out the KT Art Hall equipment.

After the concert, we stopped by a nearby bindae-ddeok restaurant. Bindae-ddeok is another food item that arose out of harder times, when grains were just way too expensive. It's a Korean pancake made out of mung bean powder, and often mixed with savory meats or seafood. We stopped at a restaurant that claims to be the 원조 or the "original" bindae-ddeok restaurant.

Now, this is the part where I get all Seinfieldian and have to ask, "What's the deal with the use of the word 'original'?" First of all, how can one possibly claim to be "THE Original." How do we know that some cave woman didn't mix together some crushed mung bean, chopped woolly mammoth, and water, and fry it up in her little prehistoric skillet? In my opinion, the title of "original" may only be claimed by the first person or persons to publicize their achievement. So for all you future inventors and visionaries out there, I suggest that once you've created something worthy of merit, at the very least post a notice on your facebook profile or your myspace blog. That way, twenty years from now, when everyone's claiming to have been the "original" creator of the deep fried chocolate cheeseburger craze, you can always refer to your good old blog.

Even if one's claims of being the "original ____________" is valid, in terms of the consumer, this really has little value. I think we're all guilty of confusing the word "original" with the word "best." Just because someone was the first to do something, this doesn't guarantee that they were or are the best. The Wright brothers may have been the original inventors of the airplane, but if given a choice between their rickety prototype and a 747, what would you choose?

In Korea, we're always seeing food stands that claim to be the "original" amongst dozens of other vendors who sell the same exact product. I respect the originator of a food trend, but frankly, I imagine that the following captions would be more eye-catching: AWARD WINNING (I mean, you don't have to specify which award), LOWEST PRICES (10 cents cheaper will do), or DANIEL HENNEY EATS HERE.

I'm not certain if the restaurant we went to was the original of originals, but it certainly looked over fifty years old. Their bindaeddeok was tasty, but also very greasy. The experience was particularly memorable thanks to the impromptu serenade by some random ajusshi. He literally just walked into the restaurant and started playing his guitar. His serenade reminded me of the troubadour on Gilmore Girls, except our guy was a little greasier, and probably more drunk.

Good Eats: Chinese Noodles in Chungmuro

If you're looking for a puppy, Chungmuro is the place to go. Take subway Line #3 to Chungmuro, take exit 3, and you'll find a line of puppy mills, I mean, puppy shops, including the store were Paris Hilton picked up a Pomeranian.

While in Chungmuro, we stopped for some old school Chinese noodles.

Good Eats: French Food in Jeongja (video)

Free at last. Free at last...sort of. The Winter Intensives session is not completely over, but I now have time to dwell on more important matters like posting photos of food, making music videos, and speculating over Heath Ledger's death (R.I.P).

In celebration of my newly regained freedom, Cyndi, Patrick, and I went to check out the fancy schmancy restaurants in Jeongja-dong. Jeongja is a particularly affluent neighborhood in Bundang, and is the place to go for over-priced, yet satisfactory foreign food. This area of Jeongja, which I will hereby refer to as "Restaurant Row," strangely reminds me of Disneyland. It's like stepping into another country.

We decided to check out a French restaurant called "Aix en provence." I was a little apprehensive going in, because Aix en provence vaguely reminded me of Minto. Fortunately, it was levels above Minto (though, that's not saying much). I'm not familiar with French cuisine, but the menu didn't seem very French. I didn't even see any French Onion Soup or ratatouille.

The salad was sloppy and the steak was covered in an overly sweet sauce, but the food overall was tasty, if not authentically French. (I should note that the steak was decent, but not as good as Patrick made it out to be. Patrick is a good actor).

I captured our dinner on video, and am posting the footage for your viewing pleasure.

I think that I'll try to make these Good Eats Videos a regular Annalog feature, but that all depends on my schedule and level of laziness.

Insadong: Well-Being Soju and Batting Practice

이모부: 걱정하지마세요. 학교를 촣아해요. Just sometimes, 학생들이 귀찮아요.

I hate having such a hateful post at the top of my blog, so here are some pics from a recent late night trek to Insadong.

Insadong is well known for its trendy offering of traditional Korean culture. Full of galleries, antique shops, handicrafts, and traditional tea shops, Insadong offers traditional culture with a modern aesthetic. Unfortunately, we got there too late to appreciate any of that.

This is apparently the only Starbucks cafe in Korea with its name written in Hangul. The rest of the cafes feature the name in English.














We stopped in at a little Korean pub and tried some Daepo. It's vaguely similar to white wine, or as Bo unnie explained to me, it's like well-being soju and filled with flowers and ginko biloba... or something like that.














We also ordered a plate of seafood and green onion Korean pancake. I found a piece of plastic in the pancake, so the owner gave us a kimchi pancake.














I was kind of hoping for something a little more different, but who am I to complain about free food?




























After eating all those pancakes, we made a quick stop at the batting cages. 500 won (approx. 50 cents) for each round.

Sadly, all that Wii Baseball has done nothing to improve my pathetic batting skills.














Cyndi is the queen of batting. You can tell from her proper stance that she means business.














I think that Bo would make a better outfielder. Or, she'd be really good at dodge ball.














Even though Heng is so gangster, she held the bat very delicately. I think someone's being a little 내숭...

Hongdae: Where You Get Your Eyelashes Did

Another day spent in Hongdae...I know what you're thinking. Hongdae? Again? Yes, it's true. I enjoy that little neighborhood, but there's a reason for our frequent excursions to Hongdae -- eyelash extensions!

Eyelash extensions are different from those fake, spidery eyelashes that you find at the drugstore. Individual lash pieces are glued to your lash line to create longer, fuller lashes. The end results are basically what'd you get with your favorite mascara (but better), without any smudging or raccoon eyes.

Like the need for a straight perm, eyelash extensions may sound rather silly, but in my personal experience, they're well worth it. Eyelash extensions make me look like I put some effort into my makeup, when in reality, I only spent a minute on my face. Eyelash extensions are ideal for folks who want longer, fuller lashes, but do not wear a lot of additional eye makeup, particularly eyeliner. The constant application of other eye makeup may cause the lash extensions to fall out sooner.

Thanks to EK & HY, we met an 언니 who just got into the lash extension business. Since she's just starting out, she offered us a very generous discounted rate for the time being. The regular price is 50,000 won, which is still significantly cheaper than salons in the U.S. I've heard that the lashes last around six weeks.

If you're interested and in the Seoul area, then you should definitely check out Seum Therapy in Hongdae (Call 02-322-7472). Just ask for Summer 언니. Summer also does nail art. She speaks a bit of English, though prefers to speak in Korean.

Here's a pic of Cyndi with the lash extensions. The difference is not evident in this photo, but it looks great in person.














After we got our lashes on, we headed a few doors down to Yogi for a little snack. There always appears to be a line, so it must be quite popular. It kind of reminded me of Santa Ramen.














거짓말! Why did you keep pushing us outside, mister!














Before I move on to the food. Check out this guy's haircut.














The place is very cozy. It could probably seat thirty people at most. The food was decent and cheap, and I enjoyed all of the sketches posted throughout the restaurant.




























The menu is simple and casual, just how I like it.














Here's Cyndi & HY looking gangsta. Do you think they're getting tired of all my photos? Maybe some folks can drop some compliments in the comments section, so that they don't punch me the next time I snap a photo? Gracias.














This is where all the frying happens; adeptly executed by the ajumma to the left.














Open kitchen. That's what I like to see. It makes me believe that they have nothing to hide.














Yogi is most famous for their thin, handmade noodles. I forgot what this dish is called. It may look harmless, but it definitely packs some heat.














We also tried the 납작만두 (flat mandoo). These pan fried mandoo are stuffed with noodles and nothing else. A little plain, but still interesting. Almost like eating a very oily tortilla. But not really.














My favorite was the jumbo rice cakes, boiled in broth. Overall, the food was all a bit bland, but much tastier once you dipped it in the house sauce, a blend of shoyu and chili paste.














If they use a machine to cut out the noodles, are they still considered handmade? In any case, the noodles are made fresh. That's cool.














After the noodles, I dragged Cyndi and HY to Vinyl Robot, also a block or two from Seum Therapy. We passed by this place previously, and I thought it was a juice bar, until I saw it featured on a TV program. Turns out that it's a bar that serves cocktails in vinyl bags.


















Not only that, you see that little window? You can take your cocktail to go! You definitely don't see this in the States.















This bar totally fit my aesthetic. It was bright, colorful, and full of magazines and an eclectic assortment of posters and knickknacks. As most interesting places are in Hongdae (and Seoul at large), the bar was quite small. But that's not a problem since you can take your cocktail to go!


















The bar's proprietor also serves as the resident DJ, mixing some jazzy, hipster tunes.














Cocktails are around 4000 won per bag. They feature an interesting assortment of mixed drinks, but they are mostly fruity and girly. You can also order appetizers or beer.














Do you think that alcohol in a bag would be popular back home? Someone should tell Randy to consider the possibility.














I wonder if bags are better or worse for the enviroment?














Holla.














Cyndi's drink, Peach something or other was really good. I ordered a drink called "Jungle Juice", but there wasn't enough juice. HY ordered something with cranberry juice.

It's almost like drinking a super-sized Capri Sun. All I need are some graham crackers, and I'm set for snack time.














Open container laws prohibit drinking on public streets in America, so I was surprised to learn that it's kosher in Korea.














Public drunkenness is also not allowed in America.














(When I asked HY & Cyndi to look drunk, that's what I got. This totally would not have been acceptable on America's Next Top Model.)