Seoul - Siloam Sauna, Sigolbapsang, Passion5, Young Plaza and Lotte Department Store

Have not blogged about my travels for a while, especially here. Been thinking of consolidating both the blogs (the other being http://ilovelongvacation.wordpress.com/) because I realise I don't have much time (and content) these days. Will see how - it's tough because both are so close to my heart...

Well, I mentioned briefly about my Seoul trip in end March (we just missed the full bloom cherry blossom by a bit :( ). Went with my sister C and my cousin SS (our first trip together) so it was quite fun :) Took Cathay Airline because it was relatively cheaper and the timing of the flights matched all our schedules. But it was a red-eye flight with a short stop-over in Hong Kong airport so we were a bit jet-lagged when we arrived in Incheon at 6am...



Headed for a local sauna after we left our luggage at the hotel. Siloam is near Lotte Mart (nearest subway station is Seoul Station). Quite interesting. Besides the sauna, Siloam houses many levels of entertainment but we didn't take any pictures inside because we didn't want to intrude into the privacy of the local community - in the changing area, many were walking around in their birthday suits! Haha.

Not really sure what we were doing - the language barrier is quite apparent here because it serves mainly the locals, I think. We soaked in many different types of pools and followed by trying the different sleeping areas set at different temperatures with different setting e.g. salt, jade. We also tried the BBQ eggs and fermented barley drinks - those you see in Korean drama! Haha. There were many other facilities available e.g. gym, karaoke, hair salon, massage spas, restaurants etc. Definitely a place where you can spend a day to relax! Cannot remember how much it costs but I recall telling my sister that the amount is value for money :P



After the bath, we went to Itaewon for lunch and decided to try Sigolbapsang, a small traditional Korean restaurant. There, we tried so many classic banchans for a flat price of 8,000 won each!



Very sumptuous lunch - I think we over-ordered. Should have just ordered 1 more ala-carte instead of 2! Didn't imagined that we will be served so many banchans!



Seafood pancake. I really like this version because it was over-flowing with seafood! Really miss it as I blogged. Yummy!



Spicy chicken stew which was also huge! Thought it would be a spicy chicken soup that will warm us, not fill us up!

After lunch, we explore Itaewon where many foreigners hang out. The area is large with shops, cafes, galleries lining the entire stretch. I'm sure there are many hidden gems somewhere in the gil and dong but we did not really seek them out. Haha. Still suffering from our red-eye flight...



Then we stopped at this place - Passion 5 - for coffee. Didn't manage to take any pictures but the  café was gorgeous with pastries both savoury and sweet! We just had coffee, no thanks to our overfilling lunch. Would have been nice to try some of the sweets... Hmmm...



My mocha - I always have this notion that in a good cup of coffee, the coffee art stays till the last drop if you don't stir it. Haha. Correct me if I'm wrong :P

Left Itaewon for Young Plaza, which was next to Lotte Department Store, which was near Myeungdong. SS checked out the SM Pop-Up Store. First time I heard of EXO. Haha. And this trip, my favourite was Mr.Mr, Mr.Mr. Haha.



While I checked out the highly-raved Style Nanda. Didn't buy any clothes but got away with some 3CE cosmetics :)



SS wanted to go back to the hotel at 6pm! Gosh! So we decided to have dinner at the Lotte Department Food Court to re-charge and to explore the Lotte Department Store a bit more before we call it a day. My cold noodles which was ok. Haha.

We found out that the departmental store closes at 8pm which I thought was really early for a shopping paradise like Seoul. Well, I guess everyone will just head to Nandaemun which we did in the later part of our trip - will share on that later.

It's like only 2 weeks since I'm back to reality. And I think I need a break again. If only we can travel every day...

Big Mama!

Read good reviews about the Korean food at Big Mama but never really knew where it was. Spotted it when I frequented the Tiong Bahru Area during the months I was not working. Apparently this was the restaurant my sister suggested we try last year so the three sisters decided to go last Saturday! :)

Small restaurant in the Tiong Bahru Neighbourhood, off the heritage area. Tucked away, kind of, so you may have to search for it. Nearer the main road leading to Tiong Bahru Plaza, near the condominiums...

Corner shop. Long windows give you a breather from the feast and enjoy the tranquil of the area :)

Staple of Korean food - starters. All were tasty - and fresh, I say!

Our favorite - lotus salad which we asked for a few refills :) Complimented the spicy main course very well!

The recommended dishes were 'advertised' on the wall. We had to try Dakgalbi.

Dakgalbi - spicy grilled chicken in the making!

Drinking the Kim Chi soup while waiting for Dakgalbi to cook.

Seafood Pancake - very thin and crispy! For those who love spicy food, there is a kim chi version available. 

Dakgalbi - Done! It was ok - guess our expectations were high! The rice cakes were very nice though :)

We heard that we could add rice to the Dakgalbi after we are almost done with the Dakgalbi. So we did. It was nice and we were very very full by then!

Here's a parting shot of Big Mama before we ventured opposite for coffee at Drips :)

As I was blogging, I kept thinking of Big Mama as Hot Mama. Perhaps I found the food a tad too spicy subconsciously...Glad the starters and the seafood pancakes helped to balance the spiciness :) At the end of the day, it boils down to the selection of dishes that make a meal, I guess. And there are definitely many dishes I want to try at Big Mama. For its quality food and reasonable prices(we paid over $60), I say yes!

And yes, the area has many good food beyond coffee :) Another reason to check out my neighborhood - Tiong Bahru if you have not :P

Paris Baguette@Wisma Atrium

Found more pictures on Korean stuff in my smartphone! See my earlier post here! Took them when I was queuing to takeaway a ham/egg roll from Paris Baguette, a café from Korea. I was on my GSS spree and decided to have a FIKA but the café was so packed and people did not look like they were going to leave soon...

 

It's funny how I never managed to take a proper picture of the food I have had at Paris Baguette - the last time my smartphone ran out of battery so no pictures taken. This time, I did not take a picture of the ham/egg roll because it was a take-away. But it was very yummy! :) I am beginning to think that the savouries are better than the sweets, so go try and tell me if you agree!

When I was in Gangnam, Korea last year, I passed by Paris Baguette so many times but I hardly gave it much thought. Just popped in to grab a shake, I recall. Prices are much lower there! :( I'm so going to café big time the next time I visit Korea. LOL.

Korean brands - Belif and 4Fingers

Korean brands have been making a dent in my wallets lately :P Decided to shop at Plaza Singapura after visiting my dentist at Singapore Shopping Centre last last Friday. Been to the new wing for food but never really shop.

Belif

 

Popped into belif because I heard that its eye-mask is very good. Thought my eyes are not looking as fresh since I started working again - must be due to the UV radiated by my laptop and the occasional late nights :(  It was a very pretty shop with pretty products - typical Korean style, I must say :)



And what a K-POP! I bought an anti-dark circle eye serum because I wanted my dark circles to look less obvious! Not cheap - almost the same price as premier brands like estee launder... Will give it  a few weeks to see if it's worth it :)

Also brought an overnight mask - my first although overnight products like the Laneige have been quite popular amongst my friends. Was not in my shopping list but the sales assistant persuaded me to hit $100 to get the membership and there was a 20% discount on these masks. Cheaper than I thought :) Tried it once - smell nice and help me relax as I fall into my slumber...



Free samples - typical Korean style again. LOL.



Pretty packaging. Belif - Believe in truth.

 

4Fingers

 

Been a few years since I had 4Fingers Crispy Chicken at Ion. Nice when it is hot...

Close-up! Nice kimchi fries :) Found the chicken a bit too dry but it was crispy indeed :)

Also snagged a pair of shoes from Spurs which was on sales! Have wore it once to the office but forgot to snap. Will upload a picture when I remember :) Only spent a few hours at Plaza Singapura but spent quite a bit - what a happy retail therapy!

Topokki Rice Cakes

Been a good weekend.

Read a few chapters of 告白.

Installed SCV (free for 3 months!) and explored the programmes.

Jogged 3 KM, with solid cool down.

Tried my hands at making Topokki Rice Cakes!Turned out to be easy(although it does not taste as as good as the korean version. YET)

 

Add 100cc of water and 500g Toppoki rice cakes to a frying pan and boil. As it starts to boil, add 150g of Toppoki marinade. Wait for the rice cakes to cook while adjusting the temperature accordingly. May add cabbage, fish cake, scallion, glass noodle or egg to your preference.

:)