Sweet Tooth Satisfaction - Bonespe

Bonespe is bakery, a Lotte trade that is in almost all of the Lotte Department stores of Seoul. There is a Bonespe bakery located in Cheonho, along Cheonho Rodeo, a popular drinking and eating street. With freshly baked pastries and breads, Bonespe offers a handful of delicious goodies to be purchased while you're shopping around for everything else. Furthermore, they offer packaged goodies that are extremely popular among Koreans to give as gifts and cakes to enjoy in a group setting.

It is one of the Korean favorites to bring home to enjoy with the family as well as a quick bite while shopping. The best part is the sale price that Lotte Department stores offer for their baked goodies. On average, pastries range from a little over a dollar to two, but they can be picked up as a lot for under a dollar. This is a deal considering breads and pastries are extremely popular in Korea, especially as a snack to share with co-workers. Like many other Korean bakeries, Bonespe offers the same kinds of pastries, but of course with their own twist as well. Be sure to pick up a freshly baked pastry to enjoy with your family or to refuel for a day of shopping!

Sweet Tooth Satisfaction - Cafe Goodovening

Cafe Goodovening is a cafe that is themed around cupcakes. This was on my list for quite a while as one of the must check out cupcake shops in Seoul, what I thought would be the best cupcake in Seoul. There was just so many people raving about the cupcakes that I was dying to dry. With so many branches around Seoul, finding one wasn't too difficult especially because you can pick it up at the major shopping complexes as well. Nonetheless, I still wanted to check out an actual shop and the newest opening is the one in Myeongdong. 

On the second floor off the main shopping street in Myeondong, Cafe Goodovening is themed just like the other stores with a black and white interior. This simple but classic touch is the perfect place to enjoy a coffee break with a friend, especially after shopping. It has an awesome window view of the main strip of Myeongdong shopping and it's across from an awesome H&M that has a creative entrance. They are extremely popular with guests coming in to buy boxes for take out that they even run out of flavors.

Luckily for myself, they had an extra red velvet stacked in the back and of course, because of presentation, I had to go for the early grey tea cupcake. The only thing is the cupcake was not that amazing. For my taste, being that I am so critical with cupcakes, these were a little on the dry end. The flavors aren't as strong as the many other bakeries in Seoul, so there's not too much hype there. I will probably not return again which is a shame to say because it does remind me of Gentle Lady cupcakes.

Life in Korea - Cat Cafe

A cat cafe, which is similar to the dog cafe that I previously blogged about is a cafe with cats running around. You’ll find cats hiding in your shoes, jumping on the tables, running around, and sleeping in all hidden places. Upon entrance, you are required to change into a pair of slippers (cats are indoor animals after all) and clean your hands with a sanitizer before being allowed to interact with the animals.

Once you walk in, you will find a handful of toys to play with and cats everywhere, literally. They are not shy and they will jump around, maybe even go through your things. Some will even snuggle against your legs, but they do not have a habit of scratching so there is no need to worry about that. Like a dog cafe, the cat cafe requires you to purchase a drink that covers the entrance fee. Depending on the cafe, there may be a wide range of menu options. 

There are more cat cafes than dog cafes because cats are easier to manage so it is pretty easy to find one. Simply look for a huge cat sign, they'll point you in the direction of the cat cafe. The one I visited was in Myeondong, but you can also find a handful of other ones in the many other popular tourist areas. Gangnam, Hongdae, Sinsa are a few of the many in town. You should definitely make your way to one to experience what they have to offer, something a little more different. 

Restaurant Review - 하동관 Traditional Korean Eat

One of the oldest restaurants, one hidden treasure, can be found in Myeongdong of Seoul. The big shopping area has more to offer than just beauty goods, it's a great place for food as well which includes one of the oldest restaurants this city has to offer. 하동관 opened back in 1939 and has been in business since. their specialty dish for just $10 is 곰탕 which is thinly sliced beef served over a bowl of rice that is embedded in soup. Top with your own greens garnish, add a bit of salt and pepper and you can enjoy this traditional Korean eat. This popular lunch spot closes at 4:30, caters to all of the local business people and tourists that come to get a sample of their goodies. With unlimited soup, kimchi and radish to enjoy with your food, it is the one recommended place to visit for an authentic and generation going lunch. Service is extremely quick because they only have a few number of dishes on their menu. Because it is a quick service get in and get out kind of restaurant, you must pay before getting your dishes to facilitate the speediness and efficiency of the restaurant. 

Address: Jung-gu, Myeongdong-1-ga 10-4 (서울시 중구 명동1가 10-4)

From 명동역 Myeongdong Station on the blue Line 4, take exit 8 and make a left at the first block. Go straight for about 5-6 blocks and the restaurant will be on your right.
From 을지로입구역 Euljiro Ipgu Station on the green Line 2, take exit 5 and make a right at the second block. Follow the straight path on the left and continue on your left until you see 하동관 on your left with a traditional and black interior.

Street Food Yum - Schneepang

Everyone knows that I am a big foodie and my recent discovery in Myeondong is a handful of new standing venues offering "Schneepang." A hard waffle ball that is topped with different flavors which include chocolate, caramel, strawberry, cinnamon or a plain glaze, originating in Germany. This ball is thrown into a bag and banged by a hammer a few times before given to you. A bag of broken up pieces of a hard waffle cone topped with a syrup, the ultimate sweet snack that is like a cookie mix. For just $3 a ball, it is a cheap street food yum that you can splurge on the calories by making it up with excessive walking and shopping in Myeondong.

This new yum yum can also be found in the Lotte department store food courts. Be sure to look for this goodie when you are shopping around for delicious eats. The only difference is the price in a Lotte department store is a little higher, but just a measly 50 cents. Slowly taking over the market, Schneepang is appearing in many different markets and taking over the food industry. They even have their own stores to specialize in selling balls of fun eats.

Updated:
There is now a store dedicated to Schneepang in Hongdae. From exit 9 of the Hongik station on line 2,  go straight until you hit the light. Take a left at the light and go straight until the end. You will see grey buildings of Hongik University in front of you. At the very end, take a right and take the first street uphill. Go straight and the Schneepang store will be on your right.

Life in Korea - Doggy Cafe

A doggy cafe is exactly how it sounds, it's a cafe full of dogs running around and playing with you. It is the perfect compliment for coffee and animal lovers. For the most part, the dogs are of all ages, all different kinds. It is a great place to go to for people like me who are in love with dogs, but cannot have one. There are a few cafes in Seoul, Sunnyne Cafe, the one I visited is located in Hongdae.

Upon entrance, the dogs will run towards you, bark and go crazy, but once you simply sit down on a seat by the door, they will stop. After that, you will be guided to a seat where you can order a drink. Drinks are a little higher priced than coffee shops because it covers the entrance fee to interact with the dogs. They usually do not exceed the price of $10 so you are still getting your money’s worth.

You can play around with the dogs for as long as you want and most of them are extremely friendly. They will jump and run towards you once you sit down. Like people, there are different kinds of dogs which include more interactive and hyper ones, calm ones, and those who don’t care to interact with others.

Most of them will climb on you, on your clothes and bags latying around, jump on the table and such. Don’t worry about them stealing your drink or knocking it over because it’s least likely to happen. They are usually well behaved and are disciplined by trainers (in a good way) when not.

Doggy cafes also allow for you to bring your own pup to interact with the many new friends that are there. Some cafes also provide grooming services and other care taking items on the menu which allows you to leave your dog to get pampered and play around once done.

It’s definitely a place to go if you are an animal lover. You can have a blast of fun playing with all kinds of dogs and you’ll be surprised at how quickly time passes.