Yoo Bang Nyeong The Hyundai Seoul • 유방녕 더현대서울점

Yoo Bang Nyeong The Hyundai Seoul (유방녕 더현대서울점) is a Chinese restaurant that is located at the B1 Floor of The Hyundai Seoul Mall (더현대서울). I ended up at this restaurant simply because me and my friend wanted to eat some Jjajangmyeon and Tangsuyuk when we were hanging out at The Hyundai Seoul and this place seemed to have a pretty good options for those. 

As soon as we walked in, we took a seat at one of the empty table inside the pretty spacious restaurant. We put our order into the self-service tablet on the table and not long after, our food was served.

Yooni Jjajangmyeon (유니짜장면) ₩11,000 | 9/10

Black Bean Sauce Noodles with Minced Meat

The noodle is cooked perfectly and it’s very easy to mix the sauce (some places have the noodle clumped up together, but this place definitely cooked their noodle right). The black bean sauce is also really tasty and flavorful. One of the better Jjajangmyeon I’ve had in Seoul.

Black Garlic Tangsuyuk (흑마늘 탕수육) (Small) ₩33,000 | 9/10

Black garlic sweet and sour pork

The texture of the tangsuyuk is so good. Crispy breading on the outside with juicy tender pork meat on the inside. The sweet and sour sauce also hit that middle balance between sweet and sour, making it a perfect pair for the meat. This was the first time I tried black garlic and I thought it’s gonna taste like a raw garlic and spicy. But surprisingly, it tasted sweet. If you like black garlic, you’ll definitely enjoy this dish (my friend who eats black garlic often did).

This is one of those no frill, no fuss kind of restaurant that you can go in and out quickly after you eat your food. And judging by the two menus we ordered, I think it’s safe to say that their food is pretty good. This is place is a good option to try if you’re looking for a place to eat when you’re hanging out at The Hyundai Seoul. As for me, I would definitely come back again to this place if I’m craving for some Jjajangmyeon or Tangsuyuk. 

 

Yoo Bang Nyeong The Hyundai Seoul • 유방녕 더현대서울점

Address: 서울 영등포구 여의대로 108 더현대서울 B1F
Telephone: 0507-1367-0769

Hours:
Monday-Thursday 10:30-20:00 (Last Order 19:30)
Friday-Sunday 10:30-20:30 (Last Order 20:00)

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Emilia Cucina Italiana Alam Sutera

Emilia Cucina Italiana—or more commonly known as Emilia—just opened their fourth location in Alam Sutera last Thursday, 13 March ’25. Known for their authentic Italian dining experience, Emilia is now establishing themselves as one of the go-to places for Italian food in Tangerang area. Their menu consists of a lot of their crowds’ favorites as well as a couple of new dishes and drinks that are only served exclusively at this location. 

Located on the ground floor of Saumata Apartment, the restaurant itself is actually pretty spacious. Decorated with dark wooden furnitures, big plush green sofas, gold and brass lamps as well as wine bottles and vintage prints around the space, the interior gives off an intimate yet friendly and welcoming atmosphere for visiting patrons. The ample seatings also make this restaurant a perfect choice for a lunch spot with friends or coworkers, Sunday brunch with the family, fun night out with friends or a romantic date night with your loved one. 

I went for lunch with my friend during their grand opening day and got to try a couple of different dishes from their menu. One general comment about their food is they are all nicely seasoned, but they’re not too heavy handed with the seasonings (not super ‘medok’ us Indonesians will say). But still, everything is flavorful and delicious. Also, the quality of the food seemed to be consistently good just like their other locations.

Insalata Di Fichi E Prosciutto (175k) | 9/10

Fig, Prosciutto (Pork), Walnut, Burrata, Arugula, Balsamic

The fig and cherry tomatoes were really sweet and juicy. The combination of all the elements in this salad works really well together. They’re fresh, creamy and nutty all at the same time. The amount of balsamic dressing also was just right, making the flavors of every components of this dish shine in every bite. I really enjoyed this dish.

Vita Loca (150k) | 8.5/10

Jasmine Vodka, Aperol, Orange, Ginger 

Took my first sip and the first thing I think about was it felt like I’m in a spa. Like I just finished a session of refreshing spa in one of those resorts in Bali. It’s sweet, refreshing and the Jasmine Vodka is really fragrant. I like this cocktail.

Salsiccia Dei Finocchi Italiani (165k) | 8.5/10

Italian Sausage (Beef), Pomodoro, Red Onion, Mozzarella

Great crispy, airy pizza crust with a little bit of chewiness to the bite. The crust has a nice brown char to it, giving you that added smokiness to the flavor and it has the right amount of sauce and toppings. For Indonesian’s standard though, the flavor of this pizza could be more on the lighter side for some people. But it’s still nicely seasoned and I think it won’t leave you feeling too stuffed if you decide to order a whole pan to eat by yourself.

Pappardelle Con Bistecca (245k) | 8.5/10

Sirlon (100g), Mushroom, Cream

The pasta was cooked al dente. The sirloin was nicely cooked, it was tender and juicy. The creamy mushroom sauce was also really nice.

Hanger Steak (620k) | 10/10

Wagyu Hanging Tender (300gr), Greens, Chimichurri

The Hanger Steak is one of the menus that is only served at this location (I believe. Cmiiw). The meat was perfectly cooked. Every piece was really tender with a slight crisp on the edge but still pink and juicy in the center. The steak also came with a side of salad, Chimichurri sauce and garlic. This was my most favorite menu out of all the dishes that we ordered and I have to say, they really know how to cook their meat (all the meat in the dishes we ordered was cooked nicely).

Conchiglioni Alla Carbonara (330k) | 8.5/10

Conchiglioni, Maple Glazed Thick Beef Bacon (250gr), Grana Padano, Yolk

During our last visit to Emilia Menteng, we had the pork bacon menu so this time we decided to try the beef bacon since the option is available (although there’s an extra charge of 35k if you switch the pork bacon to beef bacon for this dish). The maple glazed thick beef bacon was nicely cooked with a good char on the outside but the meat itself was still tender. Flavor wise, it is definitely more on a sweeter note and kind of reminds me of charsiu pork a little. Also, the pasta was cooked al dente. Overall, it’s a good dish.

Sesame Boulevardier (160k) | 7.5/10

Bourbon Whiskey Fatwash Sesame Oil, Mung Bean Vermouth, Campari

The sesame flavor is really dominant on this one. The overall taste is sweet and nutty with a hint of bitterness to it.

Service was also really good at this place. The staff was friendly, the drinks and food came out promptly and the servers also checked in periodically to see if we need anything. If you’re looking for a place to get good Italian food with a nice cozy ambience around Tangerang area, definitely recommend you to try this place.

 

Emilia Cucina Italiana Alam Sutera

Address: Apartment Saumata, Jl. Alam Utama No.Kav.12-16, RT.001/RW.006, Panunggangan Tim., Kec. Pinang, Kota Tangerang, Banten 15143, Indonesia
Telephone: +6281318884682
Hours: Monday-Sunday 10am-11pm

Instagram: @emilia.jkt

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Pro Soy Crab Sinsa • 프로간장게장 신사본점

Pro Soy Crab Sinsa (프로간장게장 신사본점) is one of the most famous crab and seafood restaurants in Seoul that’s well-known for their Ganjang-Gejang 간장게장 (soy sauce marinated crabs). They use premium grade blue crabs that are caught fresh from the west sea of Korea and marinated them with their own special sauce made from fresh ingredients. Since the opening of this first flagship location in 1980, Pro Soy Crab is considered one of the pioneer of marinated crabs restaurants in Seoul.

If you have watched your fair share of Korean variety shows and K-dramas, you probably have seen a Ganjang-Gejang eating scenes on your screen before. And I bet most of you are probably curious if those soy sauce marinated crabs are really as good as how these Korean idols, actors and actresses who are eating them made them look like to be. At least in my case, me and my friends were definitely really curious, especially since every single one of them always boast on how good, expensive and special Ganjang-Gejang is. And that is how me and my friend found ourselves going to one of the most famous Ganjang-Gejang restaurants in Seoul to try these crabs for ourselves.

Pro Soy Crab Sinsa (프로간장게장 신사본점) is located 153 meters from Sinsa Station (신사역), a short 2-minute walk from Exit 4 and close to the famous Garosugil (가로수길). The restaurant occupies 5 floors of a tall building and accommodates about 320 seats for visiting patrons. My friend and I went for a visit on a Wednesday for lunch. As soon as we stepped into the restaurant, we were quickly seated at one of the empty booths and were given the menu book to look through while one of the staff placed six different banchans and two bowls of seaweed soup on the table. After we placed our order, all the food came up pretty quick so the service was really swift at this restaurant.

Sliced Live Octopus 산낙지 ₩30,000 | 8.5/10

Sliced Live Octopus with Sesame Oil and Salt

The octopus was fresh and seasoned nicely. It wasn’t fishy and the texture was soft and chewy. I also really like the fragrant sesame dipping oil that was served with it. If you haven’t had this before, the moving octopus pieces might look scary. But honestly, after you put it in your mouth and start chewing, you’ll get over the sensation of the pieces sucking and sticking to your tongue pretty fast. Just make sure you dip the octopus in the sesame oil and chew thoroughly. If you haven’t had this before and want to try a good one, I’d recommend this place to try since this is one of the better sliced live octopus that I’ve had in Seoul. 

Soy Sauce Marinated Blue Crabs 간장게장 ₩78,000 | 8/10

2 Female Crabs (Medium Size)

Their famous Ganjang-Gejang (Soy Sauce Marinated Blue Crabs) was actually pretty good. The crabs were definitely fresh with a good amount of meat and roe in them. They were also marinated and seasoned well with the salty soy sauce flavor being up front and prominent in every single bite. You’ll definitely have to eat the crab meat with rice and/or banchans to balanced out the flavor if you don’t want it to taste too salty. Also worth noting, if you are not a big fan of seafood or sensitive to the fishy or briny taste of seafood, this might not be your cup of tea. There was a good amount of fishiness and brininess that I tasted when eating the crabs so if you’re really sensitive, you might not like this dish. 

Sweet and Spicy Marinated Blue Crabs 양념게장 ₩82,000 | 9/10

2 Female Crabs (Medium Size)

For their Yangnyeom-Gejang (Sweet and Spicy Marinated Blue Crabs), I actually like this more than I like the Ganjang-Gejang. The yangnyeom sauce was seasoned really well. It’s a bit spicy for me who has a low tolerance of spicy food, but the spice level was still manageable when I ate it with rice. I also think since the flavor of the yangnyeom sauce is a bit punchier than the ganjang sauce, it did a better job at masking that fishy taste from the crab meat. I actually didn’t really taste the fishiness at all on this one. So my recommendation is for you who’s more sensitive to that fishy seafood taste, definitely try the Yangnyeom-Gejang instead. I think you’ll enjoy it more than the Ganjang-Gejang.

Crab Roe Bibimbap 게알비빔밥 ₩25,000 | 8.5/10

Bibimbap made with steamed rice, fresh crab meat, crab roe, egg yolk, seaweed seasoning, sesame, sesame oil

We also ordered the Crab Roe Bibimbap to eat with the crabs and this was also pretty good. The bibimbap itself isn’t strongly seasoned. You mix the crab roe, egg yolk, seaweed and the rice together and you’ll get a creamy bowl of rice that’s actually a perfect pair for the stronger flavored marinated crab meat. Eating them together in a bite certainly cut the saltiness and spiciness from the marination sauce and gave a more balanced flavors. Wrap it in the seaweed sheet if you want to add a little crunch to your bite.

Overall, would I recommend this place? If you’re looking for a good place to try a good Ganjang-Gejang, Yangnyeom-Gejang or Live Octopus, then yes. I think this place is worth trying, especially if you’re visiting Seoul and you want to try Korean food that is not Korean BBQ or meat. Pro Soy Crab Sinsa (프로간장게장 신사본점) does serve fresh blue crabs that taste good. And judging by the number of photos and signatures of Korean public figures that are hanged on the wall around the restaurants, I believe the locals also love this place. Whether the crabs are really as good as how these Korean idols, actors and actresses who are eating them on screen made them look like to be or not, I’ll let you be the judge of that.

 

Pro Soy Crab Sinsa • 프로간장게장 신사본점

Address: 서울 서초구 강남대로97길 7 지하1.2층, 지상1층(잠원동)
Telephone: 02-543-4126
Hours: Everyday 10:00-23:00

Instagram: @prosoycrab
Menu

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Knots

Knots by Union Group is the newest bakery in Kemang, South Jakarta that specializes in viennoiserie, baked goods and pastries. The bakery cafe also serves a variety of desserts, cakes as well as food and drinks if you want something heartier. 

If you’re living in Jakarta and a fan of Basque Cheesecake, you’ve probably heard of Knots prior to the opening of their flagship store. Knots was first known for their delicious Basque Cheesecake that they sell through online ordering and at their pop-up booth on various bazaars. Now, joining hand with the Union Group, they finally opened their offline store that serves as a place where people can come and experience their more extensive menu fresh out of the kitchen.

“Our Chief Croissant Officer, @thathousehusband, and Chief Pastry Officer, @letaresiregar, are on a mission to roll out the good stuff fresh every day.” —Knots

The bakery cafe is pretty spacious with coffee bar, cake display area and dining area with multiple tables for four to five people that accommodate about 60 people or so. The space is designed by Bitte Design Studio, an architecture & interior design studio who’s responsible for some of the most popular dining spots in Jakarta.

The Ritz (55k) | 7.5/10

Hazelnut, Valrhona Dark Chocolate
We name this pastry “The Ritz” to honour Ritz Le Comptoir Paris, the original creator of the distinctive shape.

The Ritz has a more prominent dark chocolate flavor that’s actually quite delicious. The outside was crispy and flaky, but the inside was a little bit dry when I had mine. Not sure if it’s because it’s been sitting out for a bit since I was taking pictures, but I wished the inside is more buttery. But overall, I think this could be a crowd pleaser for anybody who likes chocolate flavored pastries.

The Knots (85k) | 9/10

Hazelnut, Custard
Our commitment to classic viennoiserie led us to reconsider this whimsical design for the menu. But it became such a hit that we found the little edge we needed among the classics - introducing THE KNOTS.

The Knots was my favorite out of all the pastries I tried. The unique ribbon-shaped pastry is flaky on the outside and soft of the inside. The generous hazelnut filling was also delicious and the combination of that and the Valrhona Dark Chocolate definitely reminded me of Ferrero Rocher. Although I have to say, if you don’t really like sweet pastries, this one might be a tad sweet for you (at least that’s how I feel. But I still enjoyed it).

Parisian Melt (65k) | 8/10

Brisket, Caramelized Onion, Honey Dijon Mustard
Ham in a pastry is common, but using beef brisket brings a new dimension. Inspired by the Parisian melt sandwich, take our word for it - this is truly something else.

A great savory option for breakfast or brunch. All the components of the dish work well together giving you a good mix of umami flavors with a hint of sweetness from the caramelized onion and honey dijon mustard. 

Jet (100k) | 7/10

Valrhona Guanaja 70% Creme, Knots’ Knew Nothing White Coffee Mousse, Cocoa Biscuit, Chocolate Slice
A delightful mystery that intrigues with its shape, concealing layers of flavors within.

Jet is probably the most visually unique menu that they have. A 10 out of 10 for design and execution for me. As for the flavor, since it’s made mainly out of chocolate and coffee mousse, it is very intense and sweet. A little too sweet for my taste and for some reason, the flavor also reminded me of tiramisu. If you’re not a big fan of sweets but want to try it, would definitely recommend you to share this with the table because the portion is also not small. 

Knots Basque Cheesecake (65k) | 8/10

Here’s our version—the Knots Basque Cheesecake—featuring a melted-center creamy filling to give you that ‘ahh’ moment with every bite. We often say that there’s KNOTHING NEW under the sun, much like the timeless Basque Cheesecake. Though it’s been enjoyed for years, we’ve decided to try our hand at making it because it’s something we truly love.

First time trying their Basque Cheesecake and it’s pretty good. I’m not a big fan of cheesecake in general and by no means an expert in cheesecake but I know a lot of my friends also like their cheesecake.

“While viennoiseries and pastries are our heart and soul, people will likely expect us to serve brunch as its pairing. However, we’ve chosen to take a different direction by offering a selection of Asian fusion dishes, Think bold flavors, unexpected combinations and meals that strike the perfect balance between comfort and modern flair.” —Knots

Disco Fries (75k) | 7/10

Miso Apple Sauce, Smoked Brisket, Pickles, Parmigiano Reggiano

Bold flavors and generous portion. This is something that I think will pair really well if you have drinks on the side. But I do wished that the fries were crispier and this dish was overall a little too salty for my personal preference.

Dry Ramen (115k) | 8.5/10

Tare Sauce, Duck Breast, Onsen Egg

One of my favorite dish from the hot meals option. This Japanese inspired dry ramen has a really good, bold flavors. It’s umami and creamy all at the same time. Love that they serve it with chopped kimchi which adds a little kick to brighten up the dish. The duck breast was also seasoned and cooked well. Although I have to say, if you are really sensitive to gamey meat, you might be able to taste a little bit of the gaminess on the duck meat. 

Chicken Chop Butter Rice (100k) | 7.5/10

Dan Dan Sauce, Peanut Crunch, Furikake.

If you like peanuts, you’d probably enjoy the sweet nuttiness of their Dan Dan sauce. The chicken chop has crispy skin with juicy meat. It comes with butter rice topped with furikake that compliments the sweetness of the Dan Dan sauce. I think you have to eat the chicken with the sauce and the rice to get a more balanced flavor out of the dish. 

The Secret Menu (75k) | 8.5/10

Noodles, Chicken Katsu, Kimchi, Furikake, Onsen Egg

Knots’ secret menu is called The Secret Menu. You can order this as long as you know the name of the secret menu. First thing that hit my nose when mixing the noodles was the smell of Indomie Goreng. And turned out, it also tasted like Indomie Goreng, but the flavors are bolder and more complex. Perfect option for a hangover food. This dish also pretty spicy for my spice tolerance (although for my friend who eats spicy food well, she said it’s only a bit spicy).

Noise level at this place is pretty high. The music was blaring pretty loud when I was there. Not sure if it’s because it was their soft opening day so they have special sound system rented for the space or it’s just the regular volume level for their music. Parking is also limited and I believe they only do valet parking if I’m not mistaken. 

If you’re looking for a place that serves good pastries and food in Kemang area, with the numerous options that they have available, Knots is definitely a place worth trying.

 

KNOTS

Address: Jl. Kemang Timur Jl. Kemang Raya No.46A, RT.9/RW.3, Bangka, Kec. Mampang Prpt., Kota Jakarta Selatan, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 12730, Indonesia
Telephone: +6281188811004
Hours: Everyday 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Instagram: @knothingnew

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Pizza Il Focolaio

Pizza Il Focolaio is a wood burning oven pizzeria in Montréal that has been around since 1984. Taking inspiration from the old country, the pizzeria serves authentic Italian pizza with the freshest top of the line ingredients that are made daily. They also have a whopping 77 different pizza on the menu, giving customers plenty of options to choose from.

Ended up at this place because of my friend’s recommendation. She’s been to this pizzeria before and thought their pizza is amazing so she took me here during our Montréal trip. The place was busy when we went for a visit during peak lunch hour rush on a Thursday. There was even quite a long line forming outside the restaurant of people waiting for a table. We ended up waiting for about 15 minutes or so before getting a table. The waiting time wasn’t too bad to be honest. And if you don’t want to wait, you can always order to go and eat it at the park across the street where they have limited tables and seatings available.

The restaurant itself is not too small. There are about 46 seatings inside the restaurant and every table was occupied when we walked in (I took the pictures on this post after the lunch rush was over and when we’re bout to leave so it’s a bit emptier). It’s pretty loud inside with chatter from every table filling up the room. Most patrons looked like office workers who were enjoying their lunch breaks. There are also more seatings at the patio area in front of the restaurant that’s perfect for a good weather day if you choose to sit outside.

Caesar Salad CA$18.50 | 8.5/10

Romaine lettuce with cesar dressing*, croutons, Parmigiano-Reggiano. *Cesar dressing (contains anchovies, mustard, milk and egg in sauce)

For starters, we ordered the Caesar Salad to share. It was fresh and nicely seasoned. Not too salty or peppery or cheesy. Very balanced. The portion was quite generous too.

No.23 Campagnola CA$22.25 | 9.5/10

Sauce, mushrooms, onions, spicy pancetta (Italian bacon), mozzarella, black olives. Meat pizza.

I ordered this one and I have to say this was probably one of the best pizza I’ve ever had in recent times. The pizza was cooked really well with that wood burning aroma whiffing off of the crust that’s slightly charred on different spots. The texture was nice, chewy and there’s a slight bounce to the bite. All the toppings were also evenly cooked and sitting nicely on top of the gooey mozzarella. The portion is quite big and generous and I ended up not being able to finish the whole thing. But I did half eat of the pan before feeling really stuffed and so did my friend with her pizza order.

No.68 A La Griglia CA$22.25 | 9/10

Fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, grilled vegetables (zucchini, eggplant, onions, artichokes, mushrooms, green and red peppers), fresh garlic, Italian herbs, olive oil, Parmigiano-Reggiano. Vegetables pizza.

My friend actually ordered this one and I have the same comment about the overall pizza like the Campagnola. I think their pizza is really solid and you can just order whichever pizza that have the toppings that you like and I’m pretty sure you’ll enjoy it. 

As I was editing the photos and vlog from this place, I was reminded once again on how good this meal was and ended up craving for this pizza again. And now after I’ve tried it, I can totally see why my friend likes this place so much. Their pizza is really THAT good. Next time I’m in Montréal, I would definitely come back to this place again.

 

Pizza Il Focolaio

Address: 1223 R. du Square-Phillips, Montréal, QC H3B 3E9, Canada
Telephone: +15148791045
Hours:
Monday to Wednesday 11:00 am—8:30 pm
Thursday 11:00 am—9:00 pm
Friday 11:00 am—9:30pm
Saturday 12:00 pm—9:30pm
Closed on Sundays

Instagram: @ilfocolaio

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