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!

Hidden Treasures - The Baker's Table

The Baker's Table
is one place by the Noksapyeong station of Itaewon-Haebangchon area that has all of the foreigners raving. Baking up fresh bread daily, it is the go to place for a handful of bread and pastries that range on the menu. The best part is that this small cozy shack uses their fresh breads in their menu with selections of panini, sandwiches, and breakfast goods that is the most popular option for many.

Incorporating the all American and European breakfast, many of the locals and foreigners visit the Baker's Table. The only problem is the small number of seating that is available which means that it is always packed. For this reason, many locals drop by to have sandwiches and baked goods for takeout. 

In regards to the menu, everything is listed at an affordable and not outrageous price which is how most brunch locations price their foods. There is a lot of rave behind Baker's Table. The only problem is I didn't find much hype behind some of their food. The chicken and cilantro panini seemed to be on a little of the dry end with not so much of a cilantro kick. The bread was definitely on point, but the combination did not do it for me. 

The potato wedges on the other hand is a must order. Fresh potatoes are sliced, coated with seasoning, pan fried, deep fried, and served with a side of salsa. This unique kick definitely offers something different and because it is made fresh, it may take a bit of time to whip up, but definitely worth the wait. 

On average, sandwiches cost $7 and breakfast plasters around $11. Portions are average, but satisfactory for the price. Breads and baked goodies range in price that start at $2. With great combinations and a wide option that does not subject to just the Korean take of bakery items, grabbing a few pieces to go is recommended. Their goods are extremely fluffy and tasty, something that is worth sharing with others. 

Directions: Take exit 2 of the Noksaypyeong station and go straight until you see an underpass to go across the street. Take the underpass going down to the other side. Take the exit on your left and go straight across the street. Walk straight for almost two blocks, past Craftworks and Once Upon a Milkshake and you will see the Baker's Table on your right.

Address: 244-1 Noksapyeong daero Itaewon-dong Yongsan Gu, Seoul, Korea
녹사평 대로 이태원동 용산구 244-1
Phone: 070-7717-3501

Restaurant Review - VivaPolo

VivaPolo is an Italian restaurant in Garosugil of Sinsa-dong that creates an urban touch to their dishes. Their creativity revolves around their pasta dishes where a whole crab is served on top of a plate of spaghetti. VivaPolo is one of the fewest restaurants in Seoul that serves up a tomato meat sauce. The most common in Korea is a cream sauce which is available at VivaPolo as well. The suggested dish is a seafood bread bowl where cream pasta is served inside a baked bread by removing the inside. 

Dishes range from the price of $16-20. Portions are considered to be small in size, but are extremely filling. It is the one recommendation to be made for anyone looking for a full on Italian meal in Korea with dishes full of flavor.

Straight from exit 8 of Sinsa station on line 3, take a left when you reach Tous Le Jours bakery on the corner. Go straight along the famous Garosu-gil shopping street until you see Viva Polo on your left. It is upstairs on the corner after walking about four or five blocks down.

Sweet Tooth Satisfaction - Rotiboy

Rotiboy is a bakery that originated in Malaysia and made its way to Seoul, bringing the signature rotiboybun with a butter filling and coffee flavored topping over a freshly baked round bun. For just a measly $2, this delicious bun is the perfect snack or even meal taken fresh from the oven with a soft and moist interior, crispy coffee topping. It is one of the most recognized coffee buns that has made its way into the hearts of Korean and a bun that many Korean bakeries incorporate in their menu as well. Rotiboy is the original and nothing can compare to the fresh delicious coffee bun that you can find in a Rotiboy shop so be sure to stop in the next time you see one of these franchises around!

Life in Korea - Convenient Store Goodies

There is one good thing about the handful of convenient stores in Korea. Located in all areas which include popular tourist areas and hidden alleys, these convenient stores can be the biggest life saviors. Not only are they opened late hours, heck 24 hours, it is the one spot to go to for cheap goodies (including amusement parks and other family places Americans would raise the price at). They offer all kinds of daily necessities, making traveling and everyday life that much easier. A few of the more popular convenient stores in Korea are Family Mart, Buy the Way, GS 25, CVS, and 7-11 (but its nothing like the ones back at home).

Although the name varies, they generally all have the same goodies inside. Depending on the size and location of the store, you may be able to find more goodies than in other locations. Basic toiletries like any corner store can be found: tissues, pens, toothbrushes, cups, utensils, and a handful of packaged foods that can be cooked in the comfort of your own home (spam, rice, cereal, sauces and such). Moving on to the more important goodies in these convenient stores is the food of course!

For starters, Koreans love breads and baked goods so you can always find some sort of pastry for those who are in a rush. You can find the weirdest kinds sometimes which makes me wonder if there is anything that Koreans can NOT come up with? Although most packaged pastries we at room temperature, some stores offer warm breads fill with red bean jams and such.

One of the more popular goodies to have is the ramen of course. There is hot water available to cook up a bowl of ramen. The best part is being able to upgrade your ramen with sausages, eggs, fish cakes, and the many other microwaveables that are available. Each convenient store has their own microwave that is ready to be used so you can be as creative as possible. You'll be amazed at what you can find!

For those who aren't looking for a full on meal with their ramen can pick up a kimbap. There are cheap triangle kimbaps that are less than a dollar or even a two dollar roll! In addition to kimbaps there are cold cut sandwiches with all kinds of flavors and even half half selections. Yeap, half ham and cheese sandwich, half spicy chicken, my all time favorite to get the best of both worlds.

Looking for warm goodies? There are microwaveable burgers that are in the bag. Simply microwave and grub. Talk about fast food! They also offer hot dogs, pizzas, and a whole bunch of random microwaveables that you can consume within minutes. If you're looking for a healthy option, many stores offer fruits and such. It is definitely the place to go for a quick, cheap meal.

The one thing that the States should adapt from the Korean convenient stores is the warm fridge. Yes! The warm fridge. Ever go to the store and just want a hot drink that is not powdered or is not as fancy as a Starbucks cup of coffee or tea? There's an invention here in Korea that keeps drinks warm. This is not limited to coffees, teas, vitamin drinks and juices. You name it, they have it. It's a high controlled temperature box that keeps bottle and canned drinks warm. Usually this fridge is by the microwaves, but it differs from store to store. There is even some open fridges that are fancy and have different temperature rows. One row of coffees may be cold whereas the other is warm. This is probably my one obsession with Korean convenient stores other than a low priced lunch. There's nothing better than being able to pick up a can of hot tea to soothe a sore throat as easy as 1-2-3.

Moral of the story is do not underestimate what you can find in a convenient store. You'll be surprised how you can live off of your corner store for a week of travel. Be sure to be health conscious of what you are consuming though. After all, these packaged goods have been sitting around for a while and they must be packaged in a certain way so there is a high concentration of sodium. Of course a meal a week wouldn't hurt, unless you're dieting!

Street Food Yum - Banh Mi Bros

One of the only Vietnamese Banh Mi (bread) places that I have seen in Korea is this Banh Mi Bros food truck in Itaewon. Heck, it is even one of the only food trucks that I have seen in Korea. It was an automatic given to grab a sandwich when I laid eyes on the enormous "Banh Mi" sign. 

Banh Mi is a Vietnamese bread served with vegetables, meat, and a Vietnamese paste. Every restaurant's bread varies with the types of ingredients used and one of the best breads is that in Chinatown, New York under the Brooklyn Bridge. Nonetheless, Banh Mi Bros was able to satisfy my temporary craving in Korea for the Vietnamese bread.

The bread is still warm when served, with sweet and sour vegetables as well as fresh vegetables. The meat is cooked fresh in the truck so you know you are getting the real deal. The best part about this sandwich is it being available at a late hour, perfect for those who are looking for a midnight snack, especially after a night of partying in Itaewon. 

Because ingredients are a bit difficult to get in Korea, there were some alterations made to the traditional bread. For just $5, it is an extremely cheap eat that can fill you up and "bring you back home" for a moment of comfort food. Be sure to look out for one of the only food trucks in Korea and grab a sample of the Vietnamese traditional eat!

Sweet Tooth Satisfaction - Tous Les Jours

Tous Les Jours is a French Asian bakery popular chain in Korea for their baked goods. Measurable to the popular Paris Baguette, many of the breads are the same type with their own twist. Because I have previously blogged about it, I wanted to solely concentrate on their other baked goodies. 

In addition to the breads, there are sandwiches, cold refreshing summer drinks, bingsu desserts, ice cream and of course cakes! I love the bakeries in Korea because they are fully equipped for any and every event. This birthday cake was well packaged with a knife, candles, matches, and even poppers for a birthday celebration. Talk about an all in one! The best part about bakeries in Korea is their absolutely gorgeous designed cakes. Everything in Korea is just so pretty that sometimes it is too pretty to eat. I had a bit of trouble cutting into the cake, but of course no one had a problem eating the cake. Unlike cakes back at home, Korean cakes are less sweet. From countless blogs before, it is evident that Koreans are not a big fan of extremely sweet pastries, the cakes alike. This chocolate mousse cake tasted more like a chocolate bread, but that is the culture here and sometimes, you just have to learn to accept that. 

Sweet Tooth Satisfaction - Café Iceberry

After a hike and a long walk over transportation, I couldn’t help but to pay a visit to Café Iceberry in Gangnam. The café contains all sorts of food which include sandwiches (hot and cold), refreshing drinks, dessert, and more. Prices are fairly average, but the food is delectable. It is well worth eating back all the calories that were burned off that very same morning.

For starters, the drinks at Café Iceberry are freshly made. There is such a large selection of drinks that it may be difficult to find the right one. I definitely suggest their coffees and fresh smoothies. In addition to refreshing drinks, their dessert selection is amazing. From waffles to gelatos to soft serve ice cream to bing-su (fruit and ice dessert) to a combination of the two, there is a wide range of goodies waiting to be consumed. Everything is just so good, the calories will be packing on.

In regards to their foods, their bread ball is a freshly baked and unique ball of bread that is chewy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. I recommend the cheese bread ball which is sliced open and topped with melted cheese. Their tomato and cheese tortilla is also mouth watering. Freshly baked on the premises, it is made up of a crispy tortilla shell topped with fresh tomatoes and melted cheese. It is a great compliment and too good to be true from a café.

I am a little disappointed when it came to their sandwiches. It does not measure up to everything else on the menu. Worst of all, the sandwich you receive does not compare to the one on display. There is a lot less meat, mostly vegetables but the bread is fresh and soft. Nonetheless, the café is amazing for the many goodies it whips up and I would return!

Sweet Tooth Satisfaction - Tous les Jours

Tous les Jours, is one of the popular bakery chains in Korea. Its pastries and breads are comparable to the famous Paris Baguette here in Korea. One of my favorites of the Tous les Jours bakery is the beautifully designed cakes that they have. It is a small size, that ranges from $12-20. It is perfect for those who have a random craving and would just like to stuff their face full of goodies. Koreans aren't big on sweets and therefore, their pastries tend to be less sweet. They are a big fan of filling they breads with some type of creme or jam so plain bread is a little uncommon here. 

Pastries and coffee are delicious. They range in price depending on what type you get, comparable to the Paris Baguette prices. It is good to switch around between the two, but I admit that I am more in love with the cakes at Tous les Jours than Paris Baguette. 

On another note, I wanted to point out this cute single serving cheesecake. Koreans use a blend of cake powder and cream cheese. Its hard to find a traditional cheesecake in Korea, but luckily I did find one at Vecchia & Nuovo. One thing that I did want to point out is the skinny candle and match that comes with the cake. A big thing in Korea: fit as much candles as you can on one cake!

Sweet Tooth Satisfaction - Paris Baguette

A Korean bakery chain with locations across the world, Paris Baguette is an extremely well known bread and pastry store. Paris Baguette is one of the most popular coffee places in Korea. The prices are pretty much the same in all chains, including those in America. The only difference is those in Korea have a more versatile selection of bread, which is amazing!

Many breads are stuffed with a cheese and sweet jam, but there are many other options as well. A few of my favorites at Paris Baguette is the Tapioca Bread, Stewed Bread, Chocolate Croissant, Strawberry Tart, Lava Cake, Garlic bread which is topped with a bit of sugar. In fact, all breads in Korea is topped with a bit of sugar. It is a little different, something to get used to, but I admit that it is pretty good. In addition to the breads and pastries, the royal pudding in a glass bottle is amazing as well. The best part about it is having a souvenir that you can use around the house for other liquid goods. 

A simple pastry store with walk in and pick up the exact goodies you want with a paper box and tongs. When ready, all you have to do is go on line and pay (order drinks here as well) and you are well on your way to a great breakfast, and or snack. I do not recommend eating these pastries over night because it takes away from the texture and flavors, although it is still delicious! For those back in New York, hit up Ktown on 32nd street to satisfy these cravings.