House of Vinyl Mangwon • 하우스오브바이닐 망원점

House of Vinyl Mangwon (하우스오브바이닐 망원점)—just as the name suggests—is a vinyl cafe located in Mangwon (망원동) neighborhood in Seoul. The cafe occupies a house-like building with interior set up just like a cozy vintage living room, making coming here feel like visiting a friend’s home. In the main area of the cafe, there’s a record player, sound system speakers and a shelf between the speakers with their current nine picks of vinyl records on display. Next to and above the window that lets in natural light into the space, there are more vinyls that are stored neatly as a part of their in-house collection. 

What makes this cafe unique is on top of the fact that you can listen to LP records that are playing on rotation, guest can also request one song per person to play during their visit (although this is subject to availability and if they don’t have the requested song on their LP collections, they’ll play the digital format for you).

There are about 18 seats that are spread around different corners of the cafe, with almost all of them are for 2-person party. And since the place is not too big, they do impose a 1.5 hours usage time and a 1-person-1-drink-order rule for visiting patrons. For the menu, they serve coffee, non-coffee drinks, tea and a selection of desserts including a pretty uncommon option, the Pavlovas. Due to the pretty loud music playing inside the cafe, noise level at this place is pretty high. While it’s not too busy during the weekdays (at least when I was visiting), the cafe can get busy during the weekends with people lining up to get a seat inside the space. 

With the significant rise in popularity of vinyls these past past couple of years, House of Vinyl Mangwon (하우스오브바이닐 망원점) definitely has its own appeal and charm to LP as well as music and coffee enthusiasts and makes it a unique spot to visit in Seoul. 

 

House of Vinyl Mangwon • 하우스오브바이닐 망원점

Address: 서울 마포구 희우정로16길 23 1층
Telephone: 0507-1321-9546
Hours: Everyday 11:00 - 22:00

Instagram: @houseofvinyl_mangwon

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Heuk Hwa Dang Hongdae • 흑화당 홍대점

Heuk Hwa Dang Hongdae (흑화당 홍대점) is a Korean premium tea and dessert house that first became popular because of their Taiwan-inspired drinks such as Brown Sugar Milk Tea (흑당 버블밀크티) and Boba Milk Tea (버블 밀크티). On top of that, the South Korean franchise also sells coffee, tea fruit drinks, and ice cream that are made with high quality ingredients and local Taiwanese recipes. After gaining popularity in the local market, Heuk Hwa Dang began their international expansion in 2019 and has now opened additional outlets in Japan, Malaysia, and the US.

I first found Heuk Hwa Dang a couple years ago when I was craving for some boba milk tea when I was visiting Seoul. Although milk tea options are usually present in majority of cafe menus in Seoul, finding boba milk tea spots is actually pretty hard back then (there’s more options now in Seoul, but still nothing compared to the options we have in South East Asia or China in my opinion). And so when I found this spot, I was super happy because their milk tea is good AND their boba is also good (if you know, not all places can have both). Since their menu is based on Taiwanese recipes, their milk teas actually taste like the ones you’d find in Taiwan. Their signature ‘Brown Sugar Bubble’ (boba)—which is boiled fresh every 4 hours—also has the right taste and chewiness that I like.

🧋  Jasmine Bubble Milk Tea 쟈스민 버블 밀크티 ₩5,700 • 9.5/10

The tea is fragrant, the ratio of milk and tea is great, the boba is delicious and it tastes like Taiwanese style bubble milk tea. Overall, a solid Jasmine Bubble Milk Tea. Other menus I usually get from this place are the Green Bubble Milk Tea (녹차 버블 밀크티) and the Black Bubble Milk Tea (홍차 버블 밀크티). Both are also solid options in my opinion.

The cafe itself is not very big in this location. Seatings are limited to about 12 seats inside so most people usually do takeouts if they’re buying just drinks. Also, in case you didn’t know, some cafes in Korea don’t allow you to use takeout cups to sit inside the cafe (they’ll serve your drink in regular cups/mugs if you do dine-in). So if you order for takeout, you really need to leave the cafe and enjoy your drinks outside. This place is one of those places. 

What I like about this location is that it’s actually located in the middle of Hongdae (only 132m from Hongdae Station exit 9 홍대입구역9번출구) so it’s pretty easy to get to. And it closes pretty late (11:30 pm) compared to other cafes in general so I can usually get my boba fix after dinner. 

If you’re looking for a good boba or milk tea spot in Seoul, would definitely recommend you to try this one.

 

Heuk Hwa Dang Hongdae • 흑화당 홍대점

Address: 서울 마포구 어울마당로 115-2 1층
Telephone: 02-322-1636
Hours: Everyday 11:00-23:30

Instagram: @heuk_hwa_dang

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Kodak Corner Shop Seongsu • 코닥 성수직영점

Kodak Corner Shop Seongsu (코닥 성수직영점) is probably one of the most iconic and eye-catching shops in the trendy neighborhood of Seongsu-dong (성수동). Their bright yellow store facade combined with the retro aesthetic of one of the most well-known photography brands in the world often captured every passerby’s attention, inviting them to come into the store to explore more.

And more you’ll find as soon as you decide to enter the space. Not only can you find a collection of Kodak vintage cameras, 35mm slides and posters on display, but you can also find clothing and accessories—The Kodak Apparel—inside the Kodak Corner Shop. The Kodak Apparel (different from the Eastman Kodak company) itself is developed and designed by a South Korean firm called Highlight Brands (a division of Modern Works) who licenses the iconic Kodak name and logo to create a clothing line that is inspired by Kodak’s iconic heritage. The collections have that Kodak’s unique retro look but combined with a newer, trendier aesthetic that appeal to the more modern audience. The Seoul Kodak Corner Seongsu flagship store opened in early 2024 and has become one of the popular spots to visit by photography and fashion enthusiasts alike. 

 

Kodak Corner Shop Seongsu • 코닥 성수직영점

Address: 서울 성동구 연무장7길 3-1 1층
Telephone: 0507-1372-7965
Hours: Everyday 10:30-20:30

Instagram: @kodak_seongsu

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3F Lobby Seoul

Walking into 3F Lobby is like walking into the reception area of a small independent architect’s studio. The only difference is the said reception area has been transformed into a cafe where people can walk in, get a cup of coffee (or milk tea in my case) and hang around the space for a bit, even if you’re not a client of the architect.

Located on the third floor of an unassuming walk-up in Yongsan neighborhood (용산구), the cafe’s concept is clearly stated by the tagline printed under the logo on their signage—‘hand drip coffee brewed by architects’. The idea is simple, straightforward and a very good use of the space that they have considering that the architects only use one corner of the room for their private working studio. The rest of the modest space is furnished with minimal modern unique furnitures that give visitors both a collaborative atmosphere where you can discuss your ideas with your table mates as well as a private intimate mood if you want to be left alone with your thoughts. 

Earl Grey Milk Tea (얼그레이 밀크티) ₩6,800 | 8.5/10

I ordered their Earl Grey Milk Tea and was surprised that it was served with an ice ball. I thought that was a nice touch to the presentation of the drink. The milk tea was good and not too sweet. The ratio of the milk and tea was just how I like it. They also give a cube of brownie on the side with the drink which was a nice surprise. 

Other than coffee, non-coffee drinks, tea, and desserts, they also serve Whiskey and Highball on the menu. Since the place is a bit small, it can get a tad noisy when all the tables are fully occupied. I also have an inkling that this place might be busy on the weekends seeing that there are chairs lined up in front of the cafe for people who are waiting for a table (I went on a weekday so it wasn’t a full house. But considering it’s a weekday, the place was pretty packed). But all and all, this was a cool space to check out if you’re looking for a cafe to hang out at around Yongsan area.

 

3F Lobby

Address: 서울 용산구 한강대로15길 19-19 3층
Telephone: 070-8865-1919
Hours: Wednesday-Sunday 12:00-22:20 | Closed on Mondays & Tuesdays

Instagram: @3f_lobby

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Solsot Cheongdam • 솔솥 청담점

Solsot Cheongdam (솔솥 청담점) is a chain restaurant that is specialized in “Sotbap” (솥밥) (or“pot rice” in Korean), a Korean traditional dish where short-grain rice is cooked with various ingredients in a heavy pot placed directly on a stove or over an open flame. The dish has been gaining popularity (or at least I’ve seen more and more clips online of restaurants serving Sotbap) in the past couple of years and in my opinion is one of the food trends that’s pretty popular in Korea in recent times (not recent recent, but pretty recent). I still remember a couple of years ago when it started with one or two restaurants that went viral because of their Sotbap menu. But these days, you can find multiple restaurants that have similar concepts in different places in the country. Solsot is one of the bigger franchise in this category with 77 locations all over South Korea. 

I went to the Cheongdam location (솔솥 청담점) on a Friday for lunch with a friend of mine. We arrived at 11:30 am, right before the lunch rush started and managed to get a table right away. The restaurant is not too big with about 24 seatings available around the room. The tables are for mostly for 4 people, but there are about four tables that accommodate party of two. And good thing we came a little early because minutes later, the restaurant was full with people and there’s even a line forming outside. So yes, the place is definitely pretty popular and you might have to wait for a table if you come during lunch or dinner rush. 

The menu here is pretty straight forward with accompanying pictures so you don’t have to guess what you’re getting. Each Sotbap set comes with sides of salad, soup, banchan, dipping sauce and a Yakult drink. 

How To Eat

First, mixed everything inside the pot. Add the sauce too according to your preference and liking. After everything is mixed together, scoop the rice out and place them on the empty plate they gave with your set. If you want to enjoy the Nurungji (or scorched rice), leave the crispy rice that’s sticking to the pot and then pour the hot tea/broth that they gave you inside the white sake bottle shaped container into the pot and put the lid back on top. You can eat this at the end of your meal after you finish your Sotbap.

Overall Comment

One thing I have to say about the flavors, if you’re imagining Sotbap to have a bold flavors (as in South East Asian standard for bold flavors and strong seasonings for example), you might be disappointed when eating it. In general, I think when talking about what considered comfort food in Korea, most of the dishes are very mildly seasoned, especially if you’re comparing it to the flavors one usually finds in South East Asian cooking. Even my Korean friends have told me that SEA foods are generally stronger in seasonings and saltier compared to Korean food (not all, but majority of it). So for the locals, the flavors and seasonings might already hit their level of comfort, but if you are from South East Asia or prefer a strongly seasoned dishes like those found in the SEA countries, Sotbap could taste a tad under seasoned for your taste buds. Just a heads up.

Abalone Sotbap (전복솥밥) ₩18,000 | 8/10

The abalone is fresh and chewy, not tough at all. This Sotbap tastes very earthy especially with the addition of the sesame seeds. For the Abalone Sotbap, it does come with a pack of seaweed sheet on the side. And they recommend you to wrap the rice with the seaweed, dip it into the sauce and eat it in one bite. Eating it this way does add a layer of complexity to the Sotbap and enhance that sea flavor in your bite.

Steak Sotbap (스테이크솥밥) ₩18,000 | 8/10

The steak is nice and tender with pretty generous portion. The egg yolk added an extra creaminess to the Sotbap which I enjoyed. The sauce for the Steak Sotbap is a bit saltier than the Abalone Sotbap’s sauce so I would recommend you to pour it little by little first and taste it in case pouring everything in all together is too salty for you. 

All and all, my friend and I enjoyed our meal. We were pretty stuffed by the end of our lunch (we didn’t even finish all of our rice, just the proteins cause the portion is actually bigger than we thought) and the Sotbap felt like a very healthy meal. If you’re looking for something warm, comforting and nutritious for your body, I think Sotbap is the way to go.

 

Solsot Cheongdam • 솔솥 청담점

Address: 서울 강남구 도산대로53길 16
Telephone: 0507-1334-6806
Hours: Everyday 11:30-21:00 (Last Order 20:30)

Instagram: @solsot_official

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