5Extracts

It's been a while since my last post. The end of 2015 and the first couple of weeks of 2016 were hectic. With family matters to attend to and traveling for winter break, I had to put a pause to update this blog. Now that I'm back, I'm slowly starting to catch up on back logged pictures and actually have time to edit again. So expect more posts coming your way soon :) 

For my first post in 2016, visited 5Extracts (파이브익스트랙츠) in Hongdae (홍대) with Soo Zee for an impromptu coffee session. Have been hearing about how good the coffee selection is at this place, but never actually been here before, since I don't drink coffee and all. But since Soo Zee suggested the place, we went. The place is actually pretty cozy. Not too big, not too small, and it was pretty quite, which is kinda nice so you don't have to scream at your friends when you talk them. But then again, I came on a weekday night, so things might be different on weekends. Anyways, definitely go try this place out if you want a good cup of coffee around Hongdae.

ps: Hope everybody is having a great first month of the year! Can't believe January is almost over. 

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Welcoming Fall

When the summer heat has finally left the city and you constantly hearing the crisp sounds of those stepped on fall leaves on the pavements, you'll realize that fall is finally here (that and the time it takes you to get out of the house became longer cos you have to put on layers now :P). Seeing the leaves changing colors in Seoul is one of my favorite moments that I think I'll be always looking forward to. I've been to Olympic park (올림픽공원) in spring before and I can definitely say that coming to this place in Fall is like visiting a whole different place. The moment I arrived on this street, I was amazed by the colors of the lined ginko trees (은행 나무) that are neatly standing on both sides of the sidewalk. Maybe it's the change of scenery, or maybe I've just never lived in a city where I can enjoy as much fall foliage, but this view was quite something to me. All I wanna do was just threw a blanket, have a picnic with some friends right in the middle of this side walk, and enjoy this view. Maybe for my next visit ;)

p.s: things have been pretty crazy this past few weeks (and still are), so I'll try my best to post new posts. bear with me :) 

La Lune Violette

Perfectly. Cooked. Lamb. That's the thing I remembered the most about this place. La Lune Violette (라 룬 비올렛) is a French bistro located around Hongdae (홍대) station with great food menu and wine selections. Went there for dinner with a friend of mine to do some catching up. We ordered their Sous-vide Pork Belly with Bacon Wrapped Asparagus (수비드 꼬숑), Apple Chips Salad (사과칩 샐러드), and Sous-vide Lamb Shoulder Rack (수비드 램) to share. The Apple Chips Salad was a nice refreshing opener to the meal. The crispy apple chips were really delicious and gave a nice balance to the dish. On to the main courses, the pork belly was cooked perfectly, with crispy skin on top of each pieces. Although the overall dish tasted a little heavy, it was still good. My favorite dish was the lamb dish. Perfectly cooked, a little crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and seasoned just right. The only thing that was lacking is the portion :p (was still craving for more lamb at the end of our meal). Overall, I would recommend this place to anybody who want to try some good French food with a fairly affordable price. Although the menu portion is a little small, I guess that just means that you'll still have some room for desserts afterwards :)

Hope everybody have a good weekend ahead! :)

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Cafe The Yellow

If you wanna try a not-so-classic burger, Cafe The Yellow (더엘로우) located in Yeonnam-dong (연남동) is apparently a pretty popular joint amongst the locals. Why I called their burger 'not-so-classic burger' you might ask? It's because of the runny sauce that they pour on top of the beef patty that makes the burger tastes (and looks) so much different than the American classic burger that I'm used to eating. And since it's pretty popular amongst the locals, I'm guessing that that's how they like they burgers. The portion is pretty fulfilling and they have good fries. If you are up for trying something new, this place is worth going I guess. But for me, I still prefer the classic burger over this ;)

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PEACEMINUSONE

Went to G-Dragon's PEACEMINUSONE exhibition today at Seoul Museum of Art. A little background about the exhibition: 

"The exhibition name, 'PEACEMINUSONE' is another name for the world which G-Dragon perceives and imagines. It reflects the human form and the world which lacks something while it also pursues a peaceful ideal utopia as the word 'Peace' implies. G-Dragon's music reflects the themes of reality and the virtual world with their contractions and overlaps. In this exhibition, G-Dragon exhibits that world together with artists that represent each genre of Korean contemporary art." (Source: PEACEMINUSONE website)

I rented the audio guide and it's definitely more interesting to know the story behind the artworks. There are a mix of artworks that GD collaborated with different artists and some of the pieces that appear on Big Bang's music videos. The exhibition will be on display until August 23. 

p.s: Any G-Dragon fans out there?

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