Korean Food Trip, March 2015

After several months of lagging with my Korea trip posts, it has finally come to an end! Wuhoo!

Can you imagine it took me 9 months to finish?? bwahaha blame it on my lazy gene =P

Anyway as a tradition, I decided to make a photo diary of all the yummy goodness I consumed during the trip! I already did the same thing last year! You might wanna check it out to know more of all the delectable dishes Korea offers :))

The very first authentic Korean dish we had in Jeju was Mandu (pork dumplings) and Tot Bomal Kalguksu (noodles with sea snails)

~The noodles were a bit spicy but still very tasty, perfect combo with the Mandu! YUM

Samgyetang (ginseng chicken)

It was my first time to eat this and it did not disappoint!

The broth was perfect for the cold season and fyi, there's rice stuffed inside the chicken!

Jjangmyeon (black bean noodles)

While it may look unappetizing with its appearance, I actually find it flavorful and delicious! NOM

Cherry Blossom White Chocolate Frap + Latte

~first time to try this flavor!!!

Gyeran bbang (Korean egg bread)

~aside from odeng and hotteok, this is one of my fave Korean street food!

how the filling looks like =P

our breakfast at Paris Baguette

another breakfast at Paris Baguette lol

Croque Monsieur + Hot Choco from A Twosome Place

Strawberry cheese and Fruit waffles + hot choco and Manuka honey latte from Beans Bins

Budae Jjigae (army stew)

-stew with kimchi, noodles and processed meat like spam, bacon and sausage.

Strawberry bingsu

Green tea latte + tiramisu cheesecake + iced hallabong!

Samgyeopsal buffet in Hongdae

and loads of Bibimbap!!!!!

Bibimbap 2

-from Incheon airport. This was my last meal before going back to ph =P

Bibimbap 3

-from Jeju airport

Bibimbap 4

-from Myeongdong; eaten with Samgyeopsal!

Bibimbap 5

-from Dongdaemun

Aren't Korean dishes so photogenic??!!

Also, it's so healthy that it relieved my constipation! LOL =P

Dongdaemun Design Plaza, Seoul March 2015

Dongdaemun Design Plaza or simply DDP, is a huge modern plaza connected to several buildings which consists of museums, conference hall, shops, cafe etc.

This wasn't actually part of our itinerary but one night while on our way home, we noticed how cool the structure was and the lights accompanying it so we decided to come back the next day hihi

We just took pictures outside coz it was still early when we went.

All of the exhibition halls/museums were not yet open =/

Oh well, next time!

Not sure if you could imagine how big it is but it's really gigantic! LOL

There's also a hop on/hop off bus stop here! Perfect*

*Of course* I had to camwhore in this area lol

my LOOKBOOK shots haha =P

Myeongdong, Seoul March 2015

It's not a secret that Myeongdong is considered a shopper's paradise in Seoul.

Soooo many restaurants, cafes, beauty/clothing shops etc. can be found here..

you name it, they got it! LOL

Now you know the perfect place where to stay on your Korea trip *ehem* 

Just a dose of your regular morning rush...

thought of taking a pic of my fave money changer lol

they really have the best rate imo!

what the stores are like in the morning...

was so happy to see these two here, though unfortunately didn't find anything i like! =/

it was less chaotic during daytime but...

completely transforms at night!

it gets really crowded like any other shopping district ;)

All the popular makeup/skincare brands are here side by side! :))

But don't get too excited yet!

Though it looks like a treat for all you beautyholics, it was actually quite disappointing. 

Let me tell you why...

Since Myeongdong is considered a tourist spot, most stores expect a lot of foreigners/tourists to shop til they drop. And as a marketing strategy, most of them sell many of their products ONLY in bulk argh =/

So if you're not planning on hoarding the same kind of bb cream, mask and whatnot, then I suggest you skip Myeondong and shop elsewhere.

anyway, you can still buy some cute clothing!

or some interesting street food!

who wants fresh pomegranate juice?!

galbi meatball

very cute pastel rainbow cotton candy

perfect trap for a tourist nyahaha

and some other random things to buy...

Lotte Young Plaza for your Stylenanda/3CE products!

"the haul"

Insadong + Hongdae, Seoul March 2015

After Bukchon, we headed straight to Insadong for a more "relaxed" sight seeing lol.

I've never been here before so I made sure to include it in our itinerary.

Insadong is also a popular shopping destination.

There's a lot of antique stores, clothing, accessories, crafts and cafes around here!

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

suddenly, the most intricate origami designs I've ever seen! O_O

If you're a tea lover like me then I highly reco u check out O'sulloc Tea House!

It's a cafe specializing in traditional Korean green tea from Jeju Island.

 love love love <3

Greentea latte + tiramisu cheesecake and Iced hallabong!

The iced hallabong was sooooo good

A famous shopping complex in Insadong is Ssamziegil.

It's dubbed as the "special Insadong" within Insadong.

Most stores here offer tax refund for foreigners btw! Yay <3

Ssamziegil's spiral-like staircase

Love this store!

They sell cute musical boxes in cute designs <3

Perfect souvenir item!

 I also love the fact that it has a "Made in Korea" stamp beneath it  -i'm all about buying "authentic" stuff abroad lol

what do you know, another hanbok rental available here too!

the rooftop is the best! make sure to come here~

there's like a mini park full of letters written in round stationaries

the holy wall of love(?) messages hihi

LOL

obviously, a couple spot

After Insadong, I went to Hongdae to meet up with my student.

Ah, this is why I'm so envious of Korean and Japanese' subways!!! it's soooo easy to transfer from one place to another without getting stuck in the damn traffic! -_-

(sorry, just wanna let that out since this post is so timely with all the traffic mayhem happening in ph right now =P )

We shared this humongous strawberry bingsu <3

and took a purikura ;)

Hongdae is also filled with many shops and restos.

Since it's near some universities, a lot of students hang out here.

Yea, it's a hipster place like that lol

Then it's dinner time with my friend who's an Asiana cabin crew hihi

She treated me to a BBQ buffet resto in Hongdae. YUM

samgyeopsal overload!!

super cute coffee shop  <3

there's also some artistic walls you could see here too!

Now im missing Korea!!!