Granhand Seochon • 그랑핸드 서촌

My very first encounter with GRANHAND (그랑핸드) was when I passed by their store in Bukchon (북촌) during my first visits to Seoul. Located in the midst of a residential area on the main path leading up to the heart of Bukchon Hanok Village (북촌한옥마을), the small store immediately attracted my attention and I ended up browsing through different perfume bottles and scents minutes later. Not long after my initial visit, I encountered another one of their stores in Samcheong-dong (삼청동). Since then, GRANDHAND has been on my radar and I’ve bought their perfumes on several different occasions

Started in 2014 with their first location in Bukchon Hanok Village, GRANHAND has now expanded into six beautifully designed stores located all over Seoul. On top of offering a variety of selection of fragrances for daily use, GRANHAND also prides themselves in creating memorable experiences for their customers through their offline stores where people can smell their scents and touch their products.

GRANHAND Seochon (그랑핸드 서촌) is (I believe) the third location that they opened. The store definitely feels like an upgrade from the two previous ones that I’ve been to. While the other two occupies a smaller space, GRANHAND Seochon occupies a more spacious area with modern minimalist interior where they display their products.

A couple of interesting things that I found out from my visits are, one, if you’re a tourist and you pay cash, they offer a discount/tax-free option for your purchase (they asked for my passport for proof that I’m not a local resident). Two, you can get a free name-stamping service for the products you purchase. I don’t know if they’re still doing it today, but at least on my last visit, they did. So if you’re planning to buy something from the store and want to take advantage of these perks, make sure to ask them if they are still offering them.

 

Granhand Seochon • 그랑핸드 서촌

Address: 서울 종로구 자하문로4길 14-2
Telephone: 02-333-6525
Hours: Everyday 11:30-20:30

Instagram: @granhand_official

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Oneunjeong • 오는정쪽갈비

Oneunjeong (오는정쪽갈비) is probably one of my favorite galbi restaurant in Seoul. I was first introduced to this restaurant by my friend, Winny, who took me to their Gwanghwamun location. This time around, I was craving it again and decided to check out their other location near Gyeongbokgung (경복궁) area.

Their recommended menu is Jjok Galbi (쪽갈비) which costs ₩15,000/per serving and it said on the menu that the meat is imported from France. Typical of meat restaurants in Seoul, they have a minimum order of 2 servings per table. So even though I came alone, I ordered 2 servings of the Jjok Galbi. 

First, came the banchans which consist of kimchi (김치), acorn jelly (도토리묵), pickled radish (단무지), and macaroni (마카로니). And then came the Jjok Galbi which are placed on top of the small portable pan on the table that’ll keep the meat warm. The galbi itself is super delicious. The seasoning is perfectly right on the spot, the meat has the right amount of chewiness without it being tough and the smokiness from being cooked on the charcoal grill really brings out the flavor of the meat. And if you eat if with the banchans, they actually enhance the flavor of the meat and make it more juicy (imo). At first, I was worried that I wasn’t going to be able to finish the two portions of the meat, but hey, I finished it all in the end. It was that good. All and all it was a very delicious meal and my craving was satisfied.

If you’re in Gyeongbokgung area or visiting Sejong Village Food Street (세종마을 음식문화거리) where the restaurant is located, I would definitely recommend you to try Oneunjeong (오는정쪽갈비), especially if you’re overwhelmed by the many food options you can choose from since the area is practically covered with restaurants.

Note: These photos were taken before the pandemic.

 

Oneunjeong • 오는정쪽갈비

Address: 서울 종로구 자하문로1길 22
Telephone: 02-735-5718
Hours: Everyday 11:00 - 23:00

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Bear Café • 베어카페

Bear Café (베어카페) is a hanok cafe that is located in the quiet neighborhood of Seochon (서촌), just west of Gyeongbokgung Palace (경복궁). I actually found out about the cafe because of its publication, Bear magazine, that I’ve seen multiple times whenever I went to a bookstore or a ‘Kinfolk’ influenced/hipster cafes in Seoul. I did a little research and turns out that the magazine is pretty well-known amongst the locals. Almost feels like the Korean version of Kinfolk magazine if you know what I mean. The search results also then led me to discover this cafe, which in the beginning I wasn’t really sure if they’re even owned by the same company, but turned out they are. Here’s an excerpt from Timeout that explains a little about the place:

“Seochon’s Bear Café’s been getting a lot of hype from culture-savvy crowds of Seoul. Created by Design Eum, a publishing group that issues Bear magazine and Kinfolk Korea, Bear Café serves up specialty coffees paired with a tranquil ambiance and culture-related activities; housed in a charming 70-year-old hanok, it juxtaposes tradition and modernity with the well-preserved garden and quality café menus.”
—Timeout.com

Just like any other hanok cafe I’ve visited in the past, Bear Café (베어카페) also retains its original hanok structure for its cafe area. Going into the cafe feels like visiting a friend’s house actually. You go in from the car port at the entrance to the building into a small garden area where outdoor seatings are available before finally arriving at the main building of the cafe. Also, turns out this cafe also serves as an exhibition space where they would have different exhibitions or products on display throughout the year.

If you’re planning to visit this cafe and want to avoid the crowd, going on a weekday might be better because it usually gets busy during the weekends.

Note: These photos were taken before the pandemic.

 

Bear Cafe • 베어카페

Telephone: 070-7775-8001
Address: 서울 종로구 자하문로24길 24
Hours: Wednesday-Sunday 11:00-19:00 | Closed on Mondays & Tuesdays

Instagram: @bearcafe.new

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