Woolf Social Club • 울프소셜클럽

Inspired by Virginia Woolf’s book ‘A Room of One’s Own’, Woolf Social Club (울프소셜클럽) wants to provide a space where one can enjoys good food, good music as well as a place where people can freely voice their opinions and be part of a discussions about different issues. In an interview with NYLON Magazine, the owner stated, “In his book, Wolf talked about ‘the sophistication, temperance, and dignity that luxury and personal freedom and space created.’ It is a material that is necessary to imagine something better than the present. I also hope to enrich the imagination of someone here by filling the space with vinyl, tea, food, and my character that can not be torn by the caustic rain. I would like them to return to their own room with such a feeling.”

My cousin and I went to Woolf Social Club for brunch on Saturday a couple of weeks after they just opened. I really like their space. It’s not too big, but it’s not too small either. The weather was warm and they had the windows open so we got to enjoy the sunlight and the cool breeze while we’re inside. Jazz music was playing on the background and the place wasn’t really busy when we got there.

We ordered Ham & Cheese Jaffle and Pork Belly Bun for our mains and Masala Chai Milk Tea and Mint Chocolate Black Tea for our drinks. The food was good and the staff was friendly (the owner speaks fluent English too). By the time we finished our meal, the place was pretty packed. I guess everybody’s just started their day late on a Saturday. I definitely recommend this place for brunch or if you’re looking for a cozy open-space cafe/restaurant to hang out at. Try their Highball or Espresso Martini if you are having a hard time choosing what drink to order.

Woolf Social Club • 울프소셜클럽

Address: 서울특별시 용산구 한남동 795-2
Hours: 12:00-22:00 (Monday - Saturday) | 12:00 - 21:00 (Sundays) | Closed on Wednesdays

Instagram: @woolfsocialclub

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Underyard • 언더야드

Came to Underyard (언더야드) with my cousin for some late brunch on a Monday and we had to wait for quite a bit for our table cos the place was packed. We weren’t expecting it to be packed since, first, it’s a Monday, and two, the restaurant itself is located in the middle of a quiet residential area that does not necessarily attracts a lot of foot traffic.

After we finally got our seat in one of the tables inside of what felt like a contemporary underground kitchen, we looked through their menu to decided what we’re gonna order. Their food menu is pretty simple. There are sandwiches, salads, and homemade yogurt options, and also Shakshuka to complete the food menu. Their drink menu on the other hand consists of selections of coffee, tea, and soda.

We decided to order their Shrimp & Salmon Sandwich and Shakshuka and to share. The shrimp & salmon sandwich was light and fresh and a perfect choice to open our meal. The combination of shrimp, salmon, cucumber, eggs, dill, and lemon was really well balanced. The shakshuka—which is basically eggs in tomato sauce—on the other hand, came with bread and it tasted wonderful. The fresh juicy taste of tomatoes combined with the eggs gave us a perfect end to hearty meal. If you are looking for a brunch spot in Seoul, I would recommend to give Underyard a try.

Underyard • 언더야드

Address: 서울특별시 강남구 논현동 62-20
Telephone: 02-3443-3356
Hours: 10:00 - 19:00 (Closed on 1st, 3rd, 5th Monday of the month. Closed on Sundays)

Instagram: @underyardseoul

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Tuk Tuk Noodle Thai • 툭툭누들타이

I have heard about Tuk Tuk Noodle Thai Restaurant (툭툭누들타이) for a couple of years now. Recommended by friends and read about it online, it seems like this place has held its popularity for a couple of years now and even made it to 2018 MICHELIN Guide Seoul list. I finally got to try this place a while ago and I have to say, the experience wasn’t disappointing and I ended up coming back to this place on different occasions after that.

Tuk Tuk Noddle Thai serves all the food that you would expect from a Thai restaurant and they taste delicious. Not surprising since the chef is a Thai native. If you wanna try their delicious selections, you might wanna come with friends so you can order a couple of dishes to share. But if you’re more of a solo diner (like me), don’t worry, there’s also plenty of options to choose from.

Tips from me, go during odd hours to avoid the line. I never actually encountered a line since I always went during odd hours, but I’m pretty sure they got pretty busy during lunch and dinner hours since there’s a ticket machine for you to take a number from to wait for tables. Or if you go in smaller groups, there’s a higher probability for you to get seated faster if you don’t mind seating at the bar.

Tuk Tuk Noodle Thai • 툭툭누들타이

Address: 서울특별시 마포구 연남동 223-15 1층
Telephone: 070-4407-5130
Lunch Hours: 11:30 - 3:30 (Weekdays) / 12:00 - 4:00 (Weekends)
Dinner Hours: 5:00 - 10:00 (Last Order 09:00)

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Meet Market • 미트마켓

For my friends who have known me long enough and have grabbed a meal with me on different occasions, they all probably know about my fondness for meat and rice. I have to say, prior coming to this place, I've had a really good piece of steak and a really good rice meal, but never had steak AND rice at the same time. The two don't really go together you know, especially growing up in western countries where rice is not a main staple. I've gotten used to the fact that I usually have my steak with mashed potatoes, asparagus, or salads on the side. But never a well-cooked rice. So imagined my surprise when I had my first meal at Meet Market (미트마켓), where they serve their steak with asparagus AND rice! Seeing two of my most favorite food in one plate, I was beyond ecstatic!

And it didn't stop there. The steak was perfectly cooked—it got some crispy parts on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside—just the way I like it. The meat, asparagus, and rice was perfectly seasoned too. Everything was delicious, including the soup and salad that they served for the appetizers. The service was excellent and they have an open kitchen so I was able to see the chefs doing their thing. This place is probably one of my favorite restaurants in Seoul. Sadly, I think they are no longer at this location that I've visited. I'm not sure if they closed down or moved to a different location but I just found it this place has now been replaced by a bakery cafe. Even so, thought It'd still be fun to share this story ;)

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Izawa • 이자와

Izawa (이자와) is another gyukatsu (규카츠) restaurant that is nearby Atto Gyukatsu that I've shared a couple of posts ago. This place, also in a basement, has a slightly bigger seating area compared to the other place. Gyukatsu (규카츠) is what I always order, and sometimes their Steak Don (스테이시동) if I come with a friend and we want to mix it up a bit and order to share. Their set menu comes with salad, side dishes, miso soup and rice and if you ordered their 2 persons set menu, it also comes with a choice of drink. I personally come here more often cos I like their gyukatsu slightly better. I think the beef is more tender and the stone plate grill that they use makes it easier to grill the meat (plus they change the grill plate for you quite a bit so your meat doesn't stick to the grill).

I've came here a couple of times and the place is pretty packed during lunch and dinner hours (you might have to wait in line for a bit, especially if you come in big groups more than 4 people). But Koreans usually eat pretty fast, so the wait time is not that long. Or you can always come before or after the lunch/dinner rush, like I do all the time ;)

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Izawa (이자와)

Address: 서울특별시 서대문구 연세로 29 지하 1층
Telephone: 02-322-5776
Hours: 11:00 - 22:00
Break Time: 15:30 - 16:30 (Weekdays)