It’s been two months since I arrived in Seoul, and half of my exchange semester is already gone. 🙁 I can’t believe how quickly time has flown by; it feels like I arrived in this bustling city just yesterday.
Seoul has so much to offer and has treated me well with beautiful weather, incredibly kind people, and exhilarating activities. In this post, I want to reflect on some of my favourites, from food to markets. Here are my favourites from the last two months!
Impact-Site-Verification: c63bf5e6-518a-4f19-8d5b-cbee3033572b
Favourite Restuarant: Gimbap Restaurants
It is incredibly cheap to eat out here, and it even costs less than cooking yourself. Of course, you must scavenge and find the right places to serve you nutrients – but they do exist.
In Seoul, many “Gimbap” restaurants serve traditional Korean food that is cheap and fast. I found one right around the corner from my house – it’s too tempting to not say no.
I often eat here; I’m surprised they haven’t kicked me out yet. They also have unlimited banchan (side dishes) consisting of kimchi and fermented radish! It’s so yummy. You snack on those before your meal arrives, and it’s so fresh – I love it!
I also love that you are not judged if you eat alone; it is culturally accepted at this restaurant to sit by yourself, watch something on your phone, and eat.
My favourite meal there is the cheese ramen or the dumpling soup. I order the cheese ramen most nights, and it’s probably from a packet, but it’s the perfect spice level (Koreans eat crazy spicy food) and salt.
The dumpling soup feels like comfort food, warm and filling for when it’s cold or you have a cold. 😛
My favourite side? Probably the kimchi dumplings. I’m usually a vegetarian at home, but finding veggie food here has been challenging. The kimchi dumplings are perfect for vegetarians.
P.S. The cheese ramen is only 4,500 WON = 3.3 USD!! It may seem like a lot for ramen, but it’s a big bowl.
Favourite Cafe: Rhododendron
OK, so it’s going to sound like I don’t leave my area a lot, which is not entirely true – but my next favourite place is a cafe also in my area (I promise I’ll put some suggestions that are far away)!
It’s the perfect level of cosy with such a beautiful interior: old leather seats, dark wood tables, antiques in every corner, and oversized windows to let the sunlight in.
The coffee and pastries are more pricier for Seoul, between 6,000 – 7,000 WON (around 4-5 USD). But the vanilla lattes with oat milk (which is hard to find in cafes here!) are too good to pass up.
You can even get a stamp card every time you visit; you get a free cup on the tenth visit!
It’s a great place to study with free wifi, plenty of tables to put your laptop out, and pastries to choose from.
Most of all, I love the staff, they are so lovely! They always remember me (probably because I’m there too often, haha) and are so polite.
Favourite Market: Dongmyo Flea Market
This is my favourite flea market for cheap clothes and accessories, but I would not recommend going alone as a girl. When I went with some girlfriends, we were approached a few times, nothing too scary, but I can’t imagine what it would be like if you were alone.
Usually, I’ve felt very safe in Seoul, but this area felt a bit dodgy. Maybe it was the day? I’m not sure, but it might be good to go with a friend if you are a foreigner!
They have everything you need, from summer clothes to hiking gear to people’s thrown-out (but complete) toiletries. Jeans can be as cheap as a dollar.
Besides regular street-side vendors, there are more “high-end” stores with curated pieces such as vintage Carhartt clothes – but these are expensive.
I’d recommend bringing cash with you as most of the street-side vendors don’t have card readers.
Favourite Bar
I‘ve found it hard to find bars that I like here – I guess because I’ve been in the centre of the city where most of the bars are cheap going out bars, rather than ones to sit and enjoy a drink while talking to some friends.
But, my sweet friends organised a bar hopping for a group of us (how cute!) outside of our neighbourhood and introduced us to some nice and relaxed ones. This one is in the Mangwon area, unfortunately I can’t find the name – but as soon as I do I will add it here!
This bar had great music; it’s more of a chill bar. They played artists like The Smiths – I loved it! Also, there are a lot of indie vibes with the music.
The bar’s aesthetic makes me think it’s where rock stars used to meet; it’s pretty grunge-looking, with old guitars hanging on the wall and loads of records on it.
The cocktails are yummy a bit more pricey, but they are signature.
It’s also tiny, so maybe it’s not the best place for a big group, but 2-3 people instead. If I remember correctly, there is one long table, but I think it’s best for small groups.
Seoul Spoils Me
There is so much to love about this city, from the crazy-themed cafes to the beautiful mountains; you can do everything here.
This is a snippet of what Seoul offers and the only places I have regularly gone. I still have so much to explore, but hopefully, by my following monthly recap, I’ll have new content to share!
Thank you, Seoul, for these two months; I look forward to the next half. <3
