The Original Pancake House Seoul

It's been a long time since my last visit to The Original Pancake House. I am actually a big fan of their whipped cream and choco chips pancake. I always miss the American vibe and the welcoming English-speaking staffs. So I decided to bring my international friends to try the legendary pancake today.

As soon as we arrived, I saw this banner.

Strawberry Fiesta

Not an unexpected surprise. Strawberry fever hit Korea every winter and seems like The Original Pancake House could not resist the wave.

Turned out I visited during the lunch rush. We had to wait for 20 minutes and we decided on the four plates we'd have today while waiting. We chose 2 sour and 2 sweet dishes.

It's a FEAAAAST!

The dishes came at the same time, left us wondering, "Could we finish all theseeee?"

Hussaina chose the Strawberry topping with 6 pancakes. I did not try it as I don't like banana. It was KRW 15000.

one of my fav

Piling listened to my advice and picked the Country Fried Chicken. It's boneless American-style fried chicken with gravy and french fries. They put salt on it, making it even more-American. (I swear I never use salt on my fries and chicken before). This was KRW 17,000.

Now my choice. It was Hash Potato with Eggs. They have 5 kinds of eggs. Scrambled, sunny side up, over medium, over hard, and one more style that I couldn't catch. I went with scrambled eggs. It also came with 3 pancakes and buttermilk. This was priced KRW13,000.

Hash potato and french toast

The last one was Lisa's pick. She ordered French Toast and it was phenomenal! I think it was my new favorite. It was soft, not too sweet and the way they cooked it was just right. The jam was okay, the buttermilk did not go well with it, I prefer to have it plain. It costs KRW9,000.

We spent about 2 hours catching up and enjoying our meals. We haven't met each other for almost a year and it was really nice meeting them! When we were about to pay, I notice the classic American touch they put around the register.

the classic phone

It is always a very nice visit and I would definitely come back again!
They should hire me as their marketing strategist but their Business Playbook says, "Never advertise".

Oh well, they hit it right. I am doing the word-of-mouth marketing on behalf of them :))))

Murmur de Gusto: Fancy Brunch in Anam

I mean it when I say there is nothing in Anam and Korea University area. We have Burger King, McD, Paris Baguette many compulsory chicken places, countless alcohol places and fancy school but that's about it. We do not have Pizza Hut, KFC, cinema or even the famous Artbox, where you can get many cool gifts for your friends.

Good restaurant in Anam is very rare. Well, you have to define what is good. If you just want cheap and tasty college student style of dining, then Anam provides you the basic. But if you want quality stuff, my answer is that Seoul has the best public transportation in the world. I mean, just take the bus to a better neighborhood or take a subway ride to Itaewon. :)

Thank God, recently I found a good and expensive brunch restaurant, hidden on the 4th floor of Starbucks building. This restaurant is called Murmur de Gusto, or we normally cut it to Murmur. You would not likely to visit Murmur by accident as there is no big sign of the restaurant. Yet we had to queue for almost half an hour when we came.

My first impression of the restaurant: classy. They do not have many tables but it was designed in a fancy way. The tables are not that spacious. I recommend the seats by the window. 

brunch set

Murmur serves wine and Italian food like pasta and pizza. I went with two other friends for lunch and we ordered brunch set, a pasta and a pan of pizza. It was bloody expensive.

The brunch set is priced at 9,800 KRW. I like the french toast and pancake, it was fairly sweet to me. I hate their blueberry sauce and the omelet was nothing special. 

Next up is the rose salmon pasta. It was really good and they really give generous amount of salmon. The taste of the sauce matched well with the salmon and asparagus. I totally loved it! Could not recall the price but I think it was about 18-19,000 KRW.

Then the last dish we ordered was pizza!

pizza!

It was not your ordinary round shaped pizza. The crust was not thick, but I would not say thin as well. They put a lot of cheese and cream and I loved it! I am not really sure what was the best part of the pizza, the taste just blended very well. It was also expensive, almost 20,000KRW for a pan but definitely worth it!

We spent almost 50,000KRW for three people in a visit. We were really full and it was worth the money. Overall, I love Murmur de Gusto. They have a very great atmosphere that matches well with their food and classy concept. I would definitely come back but not so often, as the price is too expensive for student's casual lunch.

Recommended gem in Anam, Korea University!

Soft Queen

Churros is always a thing in Korea. Unlike in Indonesia, they sell churros per piece here. I found it weird because I used to eat a portion (or rather a bowl) of churros with overflowing chocolate fondue back in my hometown. Normal price for churros is around 2000 KRW.

I am not a big fan of Korean churros, simply because I find it expensive. One day, I interestingly stumbled upon this Soft Queen stall in Itaewon which combines churros and soft ice cream. It is not a new concept, but I seriously thought we were already passed the soft ice cream trend here :P

I was craving for ice cream and I just went to buy their original ice cream. Tasted nice but it was nothing special. It was worth my 3,300 won. I wanted to buy their churros ice cream for 4,000 won and add choco or vanilla dipping sauce for another 500 won but we were too bloated from the amazing pancakes that we had. (Oh them pancakes are amazing!)

Will hunt for more nice soft ice cream and interesting churros combo!

Ihwa Mural Village: Overrated Spot in Seoul

Kunjungan gue ke Ihwa Mural Village disaat winter lalu merupakan salah satu pengalaman terburuk jalan-jalan bersama club. Bukan cuma urusan suhu yang minus 10, tetapi juga fakta bahwa Ihwa-dong ini belum siap menerima banyak turis.

Ihwa Mural Village adalah projek pemerintah Seoul untuk mentransformasi salah satu pemukiman miskin (mau bilang kumuh tapi gak kumuh...) menjadi apik dan fotogenik. Berusaha meniru kesuksesan Gamcheon Cultural Village di Busan, tampaknya Ihwa Mural Village ini gagal. Akses kesana cukup ribet untuk first timer dan spot foto tidak sebanyak yang dibayangkan. Tapi bagi pengguna Naver Map tentu tidak ada gang yang mustahil ditemukan di Korea.

Spot paling utama adalah angel wings. Ignore my pose, I was freezing.

Seperti layaknya spot-spot lain di Seoul, Ihwa Mural Village juga penuh jalan mendaki.

Ada beberapa spot unik untuk foto, tapi overall, we were done in 30 minutes. Campuran bosen dan beku kedinginan.

Belakangan, ada berita di KoreaTimes bahwa warganya ternyata komplain akibat banyak kunjungan turis. Atau keluhan lain soal sampah di KoreaHerald sini... Agak heran dan speechless, karena Gamcheon Cultural Village juga dipenuhi turis tapi semua tetap damai tuh?

Anyway, gak recommended kecuali memang mau foto-foto ala blogger negara tetangga yang bawa fotografer pribadi kemana-mana sambil sok senyum atau pose ala model katalog.

Bongeunsa Temple

As a penniless student who does not celebrate Seollal, I decided to go on 'budget tour' in Seoul. I checked the list of things to do in Seoul on Tripadvisor and I have visited 25 out of the big 30. Those I haven't visited are palaces, Bukhansan (no thanks, I am not an outdoor person) and Bongeunsa.

Bongeunsa, the famous temple in Gangnam area, is on my list this time. Actually I don't really like temple and I really wanted to go to palaces instead but we need to buy ticket so mmm, no no, next time. Turned out it wasn't bad. Bongeunsa was pretty.

There was nothing attractive on the main gate. But we will be greeted by colorful lanterns aka lampion once we enter the temple area. You will also feel the solemnity of this place in every corner of it. This temple is located just right at a busy road but it was very quiet and peaceful. I have been to Jogyesa, another temple in Insadong, numerous times but it still have the busy-city-feeling and the atmosphere is not as quiet as this one.

Main gate. Source here

Bongeunsa area is pretty big and there are several buildings for praying and education. But nothing attract us more than the 23 meter tall Buddha statue at the back of the main building!

Buddha statue at Bongeunsa Temple

I think Bongeunsa is the second prettiest temple in Korea. The first one? Yonggungsa in Busan!

We spent like 40 minutes exploring and trying to read things in Korean before heading back to Coex. While we were walking down to the main gate, we heard the people/monks reciting mantra (not sure if its called mantra?) and it really gives 'legit' temple feeling. I heard that they also offer famous Temple Stay program here. Maybe I should try it someday :)))

So if you are a businessman or visitor staying in Coex/Gangnam area and have few hours to stay, Bongeunsa is definitely worth a visit. It is located just right across Coex and Grand Intercontinental Parnas. Like most temples in Korea, they are a bit hilly but it's okay - it's nothing too challenging tho :D

If you are staying closer to the city center like Insadong, Myeongdong or Dongdaemun, try to visit Jogyesa. Its fairly small compared to this one but they have a better information center (more touristy, I suppose) and Temple Stay information center is also located just right across it. Temples in Seoul (or maybe in Korea?) will be full of lantern during May-June and make sure to check the Buddha's Birthday and Lotus Lantern Festival date every year for one of a kind temple visit! :)

one last selfie before leaving

O Shake: The Mighty Milkshake

O Shake Devil Shake

I am a huge fan of milk. I was really crazy about milk and I really mean it. My mom used to stop me from drinking too much milk at once because I could literally finish 1 litre of milk in 3 minutes. I still have the same obsession over milk, with a better self control now :))))


Whenever I see milkshake on the menu, I would always order that. Indonesian restaurant would normally have it but not in Korea - as Koreans do not normally order beverages when they are dining. So when I crave for milkshake, normally I'd go for packaged milkshake from Lotte (only 1,200 won) or McD's milkshake which certainly better than Lotteria's. Until recently I discovered this milkshake specialized store called O'Shake.

O Shake menu and price

I went to O Shake Itaewon last Saturday. They have wide range of milkshake choices and I was really tempted with their Devil Shake. But it was really expensive (starting from 7,800 won) so I decided to go with normal Oreo Milkshake which only costs 3,700 won. My senior order Choco Shake for the same price. We can upgrade the size with only 1,000 won and yes, we opted for it.

O Shake Devil Shake

I am still curious about their Devil Shake but could you imagine the amount of sugar and calorie in one glass of that Devil Milkshake...

OMG yes they're indeed a devil for your diet and health.

O Shake Choco Shake

The Choco Shake looked normal but it was very thick compared to normal milkshake from McD or other stores, It doesn't taste bad but I would not order it again tho hahaha,

O Shake Oreo

The Oreo Shake was really good with same level of thickness and right level of sweetness. Their whipping cream was also good, better than Starbucks' actually :P But I wasn't sure if they really use Oreo or Korea's Oreo? (that Lotte-made Oreo which really annoys me)

As for the place, it was just Korean average size. Small and quiet packed but I like the bright lighting. They offer wifi and free biscuits and I have nothing to complain about their staffs. Some table were uncleaned when we came tho.

Overall, I like O Shake for their price and wide range of choices. I would still say Once Upon A Milkshake is my all time favorite milkshake but they're just too expensive :( (well, ada harga ada rupa)

For updated info, check their Facebook page here. Definitely worth trying if you are in Itaewon area.

Just get to the alley at the back of Hamilton Hotel or try naver this address 서울 용산구 이태원로27가길 49. :)

Cheese Octopus

Enak banget, gatau lagi harus ngomong apa.

Makanan Korea plus keju emang duet maut seperti martabak coklat keju. #eh

Tempat terbaik makan 치즈 쭈꾸미 ada di Hongdae area. Harganya? Mahal. Tapi enaknya kebangetan.

Gentle Lady Cupcake Sinchon

Finding decent cake is quiet a hard task in Seoul. There are many cake shops around but normally they only offer normal cake with 'exclusive' price.

I found Gentle Lady Cupcake shop by chance in Sinchon, near Sogang University and Sinchon Rotary.

They have a very good ambience, good price and free infused water.

My favorite is Red Velvet. The frosting was super good! It was served cold and the sweetness level was just right. I really want to taste their Lemon and Oreo but haven't got the chance to drop by again :(

I have been there twice at night and I think their business time is very convenient since they open until 11 PM. They offer free wifi too. Good choice for a date or light study :)

Check this address for location in Sinchon
서울시 마포구 대흥동 105-2

They have several branches in Seoul and other cities in Korea. Check their website for more information at http://www.gentleladycupcake.com/

서울시 마포구 대흥동 105-2서울시 마포구 대흥동 105-2서울시 마포구 대흥동 105-2

Mimi and Kelly's: My Favorite Vegan Cafe

Seoul (or Korea) in general is not a vegan-friendly place to live in. Being a vegan in Seoul could almost instantly mean starve yourself to death, fight endless craving for legit vegan dishes or use up all your paycheck for insanely expensive fruits and not-so-tasty green veggies.

Honestly, the vegan option in Seoul is not that bad. Seoul does have various vegan cafes, restaurants and bakeries. But the locations are generally spread out and Seoul is a big big city. Luckily, I got to live in Sinchon where I could easily walk to The Bread Blue and Loving Hut Sinchon. But my favorite has always been Mimi and Kelly's.

Mimi and Kelly's Insadong - Seoul 

Located in Insadong, my most-visited area in Seoul, Mimi and Kelly's is a newly opened small vegan cafe. Mimi and Kelly's provides comprehensive map on their Facebook so getting there was really easy although they don't have big sign. When I first entered the cafe, the place didn't really leave a deep impression since its relatively small and the menu was limited.

The impression stayed until I tasted their perfect Vegan Mac n Cheese. Yes, it was bloody expensive, KRW9000 for one portion but its worth every single macaroni and vegan cheese drop. I lost word for this creation.

Few weeks later, I came back after seeing their post on Facebook about limited vegan pasta with ingredients brought from Taiwan. There is no way I could miss it. Taiwan is definitely the Asia's Mecca of Vegan. 

I couldn't remember how much the pasta was but one thing for sure, it was so tasty that I kept smiling after finishing my precious cream pasta. I rarely upload food photos on Instagram but I uploaded this one (and not to miss my Facebook too) because I think the whole world should know how delicious it was. Vegan bacon was the bomb.

It only took me a few days after the phenomenal pasta until I decided to come back to buy their limited Vegan Hotdog, again - straightly brought from Taiwan. I was never a fan of sausage, not even the real-legit-meaty-sausage. I always hate the deep and oftenly bright red colour of beef sausage, and chicken sausage pink-brownish color isn't really appealing too. Sausage is one of the reason I turned to completely-red-meat-free-diet. But this vegan sausage was truly an exception.

Vegan Hotdog - Mimi and Kelly's

Everything on the plate was truly delicious. I was a bit sad when I hold the last bite of my hotdog, thinking when could I fully enjoy a hotdog again...

Now I'm thinking, while typing this line, when would I visit Taiwan again? Taiwan is definitely my top food destination. My Taipei Vegan Tour was amazing and unforgettable. These Mimi and Kelly's limited special dishes cured the longing for legit vegan food that I could only have in Taiwan.

Oh I almost forgot about their desserts!

They have few desserts option like soy milk and pudding. I think their vegan soft ice cream is currently the most popular dessert in the house. To be honest, I don't really buy their desserts since I still enjoy normal desserts with milk and all that in regular basis (I am a fool for cakes and cookies). I tried their soy pudding and it was pretty good.

So if you happen to search for nice, quiet and calm Vegan cafe with super friendly owners in Seoul that speaks English, head to Mimi and Kelly's. Be sure to always check their Facebook page here because they might announce another special limited menu soon!

Business hours

Weekday Pm 03:00~09:30
Weekend Am 11:00~09:30
Off: Every Wednesday(수요일 휴무) 

Address: 종로구 인사동 188-4 1층 (하노이의아침 건물 1층)
MAP: https://goo.gl/cyib5S

Desert Pizza: Simple and Classy

I went to Samcheongdong last week for my 'traveling' club outing with a hidden motive to try out one of Samcheongdong's unique and pretty cafe. I have decided to try out 'Woodside Cafe' for their waffle but only to find out that they already closed and changed to other cafe that never been mentioned in any Samcheongdong guide.

So I spontaneously suggested 'Desert Pizza' to my clubmate, Tugce, in a hope of ordering sweet chocolate pizza with ice cream.

it was the name that attracted me

Desert Pizza located at the second floor of the building above. When I first entered the restaurant, I had a very good impression of the ambience. It was a small space, mostly decorated in bright yellow, with quite packed seats. Luckily we went there in relatively quiet hours so it was very enjoyable.

Once I read the menu, I realized I was tricked. It was 'DESERT' not 'DESSERT'. The only dessert pizza menu was almond and chocolate pizza...

Shortly, we decided to order Red Gorgonzola Pizza with tomato-base. But after a bit of discussion with the very kind owner using all the Korean we have learned in class, we switched our choice to White Gorgonzola Pizza with cream-base.

After he took our order, he brought two glass of ice water and the sweet dipping sauce which I suspect as light syrup. It didn't taste nor smell like honey. I really loved how we were able to enjoy the restaurant fully with good aircon, strong wifi, quite ambience and perfectly lighted space while waiting for our order.

White Gorgonzola

The pizza came! It was just as what we expected in terms of size and thin crust. The taste was nothing special but the syrup and tabasco really complimented the pizza well.

Almost all of the pizza menu cost KRW19,900 per pan while pasta is priced at KRW15,800 per portion. They do have set menu, I remember two of them were Pizza + Pasta + 2 drinks for KRW35,000 and Pizza + Salad + 2 drinks for KRW32,000. Normal price in the area.

I really appreciate the super kind owner (they speak English by the way) and I would say they have a good focus by not offering too much menu but I'd appreciate if we can choose the size of the pizza. I wouldn't comeback for the food but rather for the comfortable space offered to have a deep conversation or long catch up session with friends.