We headed to Insadong for lunch. It was my first time there and I immediately understood why people like hanging out here. There's a gentle atmosphere that reminded me of Japan the most; when you felt happy just being there. Also, the many shaded areas just makes everything so much better. At Insadong, you can find a lot of genuine cultural souvenirs and even learn about tea ceremonies. However, we just went here for a traditional lunch. Haha!
Keena had picked out all the places we'd be eating in and I'm so glad she did. Jirisan was the most memorable place we'd eaten at in this entire trip. You'll see why later.
Gorgeous succulents greet you by the door!
The restaurant is super cozy and relaxing. It felt like going back in time. There's also an adorable dog that stands guard by the doorway!
Finally, lunch! We opted for the set meal that costs 15000 won per person. Definitely left here incredibly satisfied. I can't name every dish here as I can't understand Hanggul, but you pretty much get a huge variety of traditional dishes that are all guaranteed to be good for you!
Afterwards, we headed to Bukchon Hanok Village. We got slightly lost, but basically, don't expect a grand gateway to say you're in the village. It's an actual community where people live in the traditional hanok or traditional Korean house.
Thanks to modernization, you can also see a lot of houses here retrofitted to become shops and cafes.
Traversing the village can be quite tricky as the roads can have gentle slopes like the one above to very unforgiving ones.
Random Philippine-themed cafe!
There are spots in Bukchon Hanok Village where you can dress up in traditional wear and have your photos taken.
Once you get past the highest part of the Bukchon Hanok Village, you can see stairs that bring you down back to the commercial area - Samcheongdong.
Samcheongdong has a lot of Insadong's traditional charm but it's definitely a shopping district.
Expect a lot of cute and random landmarks like this.
Independent fashion brands will be everywhere here.
The Art Sonje Center is also here but it was closed! I was particularly excited to explore this place because of the beautiful modern art it houses. Next time, for sure!
For dinner, we had the legit Tteokpokki dinner at Mukshidonna! This place has got to be most well-known Tteokpokki in the city and with good reason!
The food here is affordable and very good. We ordered Tteokpokki with Cheese, hotdogs, and Ramyeon noodles. Here, you order by the ingredient that you want. You can even choose the flavor of your soup!
Ending this post with some Korean #foodporn! Haha! Stay tuned for the final leg of my Seoul travel series! :)
Lots of amazing food and shopping finds here! It's sad that we didn't get to visit Bukchon anymore because it was raining and it's hard to walk on wet streets that time.
ReplyDeleteIt's so cool that they have a Philippine themed cafe. The town makes me feel the places I've seen in those korean series.
ReplyDeleteI like that lace top in one of those shop windows. :) You also had a lot of food for lunch. Yum. The place is so instagrammable! -katrina centeno
ReplyDeleteSuch a lovely trip.. I'd like to travel to Korean again.. Wonderful place!
ReplyDeleteOf everything I like the village the most. The peaceful, laid back attitude without the hustle and rush of the city..
ReplyDeleteLooking at the picture it seems that some of the location, like the Hanok Village, very familiar in most of the Korean drama I've watched.
ReplyDeleteThe laid back lifestyle of the people and food are some that I like(want) to experience personally.
I`ve heard and read that Korean food in general is quite healthy. Korea is definitely one of the top countries I really hope and pray I can visit soon. I wonder what`s the weather in Korea at this time of the year.
ReplyDelete❀ Grace ❀
I have been to Insadong. Nice quaint artistic area with small shops. I have not been to the others. I have not seen a Philippine cafe during our trips there before though.
ReplyDelete