Sweet Tooth Satisfaction - Gentle Lady Cupcakes

Gentle Lady Cupcakes is one of the newest cupcake shops in Sinsa-dong located off of the popular Garosugil shopping street. The most popular flavors include the red velvet and carrot cake. Going for the earl grey which is not offered in many coffee shops, the cupcake was a little on the dry end. Topped with an extremely light whipping and chocolate flakes, the Gentle Lady heart is made of a white chocolate. 

Although the cupcakes are not something "to die for" the one recommendation to make is to purchase their "cookie" which is served in a packaged container to go. The almond cookie is literally to die for. Made with pieces of almonds, these bite-sized cookies melt in your mouth with consumption. They are made of fluffy air and deliciousness, a little too much sugar maybe, but totally worth the splurge. 

The shop is small in size, offering seating for roughly 10. It is worth it to take a break from all the shopping on Garosugil and pop into Gentle Lady Cupcakes for a drink. Served in over sized mugs, the earl grey latte is one recommendation to make with fluffy steamed milk that is not as bitter as earl grey tea and not extremely sweet to taste.

Contact Information Phone: 02-790-0259 Address: 533-14 Sinsadong, Gangnam-gu Seoul. 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 Garosu-gil shopping street until you see the Fossil store and take a left into the small block. Gentle Lady Cupcake will be on your right. 

Sweet Tooth Satisfaction - Bens Cookies

Ben's Cookies is a new store that recently opened in Itaewon serving soft freshly baked cookies. Soft is emphasized because Koreans do not believe in soft cookies (even those at Subway are over baked compared to those back in America). All cookies are baked daily on the premises with traditional flavored cookies and new mixes. It is the one recommendation to be made for anyone looking for a hot cookie fresh from the oven with melted chocolate chips, yes it is that good. It is totally worth paying $3 a cookie because it is impossible to find soft baked cookies in Korea! Cookies are rather thick compared to those found in America which is why they are soft. It is the closest thing to an under baked cookie so settle for the thickness of it!

This small shop is baking up goodies right behind the cashier, attracting all guests with their open window display of cookies and red interior. Soft, fluffy, crispy on the outside, they are all worth a taste. Straight from exit 2 of Itaewon station, go straight for about three blocks and it will be on your left.

Update: There is now a small shop right outside exit 9 of the Hongik station on line 2. Bear a left at the exit and you will see it on your left!

Sweet Tooth Satisfaction - Grains Cookies

Grains is a healthy option for those foodies who are looking to splurge a little on their diet. Made with healthier grains and flours, these hard cookies are extremely cheap and freshly baked. For just three dollars, cookies are weighed on a scale and roughly eight to ten pieces for the price of one bag. You are able to select and mix up your batch of goodies and the best part is, samples are offered before you purchase! The luxury of shopping in Korea always blows my mind. 

Served and packaged in a resealable bag, these cookies are made to last for a period of time, but I can never last more than a day without consuming all of them. Definitely an addiction that I have to sweets, but I am normally not a fan of hard cookies. Grains changed my mind with just one sample and dunking it in a cup of milk or coffee takes the taste to a whole new level. Be sure to check out the food court of the many department stores in Korea where you can find a Grains stand. This was picked up at the local Lotte Department Store in Kongdae.

Sweet Tooth Satisfaction - Momofuku Milk Bar

Momofuku Milk Bar, one of the quickest spots of the Momofuku chain to get food is known for their dessert and sweet goods. With a twist on every traditional dessert of pies, cookies, cakes, and even cookies, it is a must visit location to try one of the best snacks in town. Momofuku Milk Bar is known for their unique take on every dessert named possible. One of the dishes that you can find in the Momofuku restaurants is the cake truffles which are bite-sized balls of cakes.

My one recommendation to make is the crack pie and candy pie. It may be a bit too sweet for a lot of people, especially the candy pie, but it is literally a pie version of a snickers plus more! It is something that I just can't get enough of, but can't finish in one sitting either. There are a lot more favorites of the locals, but there's always something to try at Momofuku Milk Bar.

The best part of the small shop is that you are able to make orders online. For those who are not within proximity to the store, simply make your order and have it shipped out. For others who are making a big order or want a custom cake, be sure to order online for pick up. Skip all the lines and the many tourists that are waiting around for these goodies!

Sweet Tooth Satisfaction - Carlos Bakery

Carlo's Bakery of Hoboken, New Jersey, is known for the show Cake Boss on TLC. Furthermore, the Italian bakery has been around since 1970, famous for the freshly baked Italian baked goods and Buddy Valastro, fourth generation baker. 

Carlo's Bakery is a short walk, located two blocks from the Hoboken Path station along the main road of Washington. When walking to the bakery, you can barely miss it because there is practically always a line outside, many times reaching the next block. I definitely got lucky today with just small a line inside the bakery. The best part for locals is being able to skip the line and ordering goods, be sure to have your ID ready to show for though. 

Because there is so much hype behind the bakery, I was definitely excited to try it. I admit the cakes are extremely appealing and looks delicious, but I am a bit disappointed with the taste. I was warned prior to entering the bakery. I decided to take the risk anyway because I was already there and didn't have to wait in line. 

For a bakery in Hoboken, pricing may seem to be a little high, eight bucks for a cupcake, brownie and a cookie. I am definitely a fan of icing on a cupcake, but Carlo's Bakery uses whipped cream, with the exception of beautifully designed cupcakes. I ordered the chocolate peanut butter cupcake which has very minimal peanut butter taste other than the peanut butter cup that is placed on top. I feel that the baked goods are average, but everyone goes because of the hype of the show. I have yet to try the Italian pastries and I highly doubt I will return if there is a line just to try their other baked goods. 

Sweet Tooth Satisfaction - Ceci Cela

Ceci Cela, a bakery known for its croissants is baking up all things delicious starting as early as 6:30. Serving the early morning breakfast crowds, afternoon snackers as well as the night time desserts, Ceci Cela is open all day into the night providing French goodies for every meal, every hour of the day. With so many baked delicatessens to choose from, it is easy to find something that caters to the taste buds of all. 

The most recognized croissants are the traditional, sweet and salty ones that are all stuffed with a mix of  vegetables, meats, and even cheese. My ultimate favorite are the sweeter ones which include almond, chocolate, and the original glazed. In addition to the fluffy croissants, there are a handful of cakes, tarts, cookies, macarons, and all that feeds the heart of New York.

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.

Bottoms Up - Homestead Coffee

Homestead Coffee is a popular coffee chain in Korea, but what was least expected was the good food in addition to the delicious drinks and sweet goodies. The burger and fries are freshly whipped up and served immediately which feels as if you are dining in a restaurant rather than a cafe. It is difficult to find a good American burger in Korea because the meat they use is different. Most beef in Korea is either Korean or Australian which is a better grade than America's, but the taste is different. 

Homestead offers one of the closest burger meat to America's, with its patties being a level higher than fast food chains. The best part of the meal is probably the fries which is a fresh cut up potato, seasoned and battered. Who would've ever thought a burger would be the number one recommendation in a cafe?

One thing that is not recommended is the chocolate chip cheesecake because it is nothing like cheesecake. Most Korean cheesecakes are infused with cake and a different kind of cheese which means it is not cream cheese and the texture is different. This cake is actually mostly cream and chocolate chips, very little cake texture. So unless you are all for cream, do not get tricked by presentation!

The same also goes for the cookies which is a bit softer than other cookies, but they serve a cereal cookie and chocolate marshmallow cookies, not chocolate chip and double chocolate. It is different from those in America, not as sweet and not as soft, but the cereal cookie is tasty in its own ways! The next time you visit a Homestead coffee shop, be sure to give the burger and cereal cookie a try!

Restaurant Review - Kyotofu

The dessert bar and Japanese yum is a popular restaurant back in New York for its famous desserts. Opening one by Itaewon at the Hanganjin station in Hannam, this spot has been on my list for a while now. Finally paying a visit to the restaurant, which is extremely easy to get to from the train station, it is a place I recommend for small groups, especially dates.

This restaurant is extremely small and cozy in size, but there doesn't seem to be any long lines. They offer reservations online which can be made for the more popular nights, but wait should not be a problem. They also have a takeout menu for those who are on the go or looking to have some goodies, but would prefer not to eat in a restaurant alone.

In regards to the food at Kyotofu, every dish is spot on with a modern twist on each American selection. I love the infusion of Asian and American, recommending practically every dish at Kyotofu. For starters, the recommended is their sliders which includes the prawn, crab meat, and chicken-tofu slider which is palm size. As for the main course, you can never go wrong with sushi, but it can be a bit pricey for something that is not so fresh. Then again, dinner isn't the main course here; the best part about the restaurant, of course, is the dessert.

Unable to decide what I wanted, I ordered the chefs special, Dessert Omakase Season, which practically included a sample of each dessert. It was a perfect three course dessert to share between two. The starter included a fruit jelly that is paired with a confetti sugar. Next course consisted of three desserts which included an orange chocolate creme brûlée, a blueberry cheesecake, and the match green tea ice-cream. Every dessert is blasted with flavors, not enough to go around. The last course of the dessert consisted of four mini pastries which included Japanese flavored fudge and cookies. The one part of the dessert which did not provide any hype was the mini cookies and cakes because it was a little on the dry end. I prefer cookies that are soft and chewy, but these cookies are best paired with a cup of coffee. 

Not getting enough of the desserts in the restaurant, I had two take home goodies as well. This includes the extremely popular Yuzu Tofu tart and the Miso Chocolate cupcake. I sure wanted to take home a few more goodies, but I just couldn't help it.

Exit three from Hanganjin station on line 6. Go straight and it will be on your left.

Address: Yongsan-gu, Hannam Dong 682-1
Phone: 02-749-1488

Today's Lunch - Au Bon Pain

I have been super excited to try out the Au Bon Pain’s new menu for quite a while now. Being that I was under the weather yesterday, I got a little sick and actually threw up everything that I ate. After sleeping ten hours today, I decided today is the day to reward myself with the Lobster Salad Sandwich. Today’s lunch was probably the most expensive at $17 after tax, that I’ve ever had alone, but it was worth every penny!

I’m not going to lie, I was a bit hesitant to try this sandwich since it was priced at $12. When you hear the word salad, most people, like me, will think the sandwich is loaded with vegetables. I was skeptical and worried that it would have a lot of celery, but to my surprise, it was literally a quarter pound of lobster like advertised. Seasoned perfectly, loaded on a croissant, and topped with salad, this sandwich is only around until September 23^rd so I do recommend to give it a try if you’re a lobster lover like I am!

 

Of course every lunch goes well with cookies! I have the ultimate sweet tooth and I absolutely love little cookies so I got suckered in since it was placed right next to the cashier. Ah, the joy of last minute check outs! I wish my pictures look better, my sandwich got squished as it was getting wrapped, but you can see the chunks of lobsters! Yum!

Prepare for the Hurricane with SNACKS !

Considering that I went to Pathmark to stack up for the Hurricane, I really didn’t buy much can foods or water. I only got two cans of Chef Boyardee and a whole lot of junk food. Junk foods are non-perishable, works out to my favor anyway! Excuse the opened package, I couldn't wait to share it with you.

With that said, I picked up two new snacks which I am so obsessed with. First is the new Keebler’s Mint Creme Middles with chocolate graham cookies. For anyone who loves cookies as much as I do, as well as mint and chocolate, this is the perfect CHEAP cookie. My all time favorite is the Andes mint cookie, but that is impossible to find in New Jersey, so I’ll just have to settle with this and it's only $2.50 on sale!

Next off, I am the ultimate juice person and I love drinking juice more than anything. I guess this is better than drinking soda. I just discovered Langers Strawberry Peach juice cocktail. I was obsessed with Ocean Spray’s White Cranberry Strawberry juice cocktail, but that is growing to be too sweet for my taste. This new discovery is just perfect for me. All I hope is that there will be some more in stock after this hurricane passes!