Egg Dang • 에그당

I visited Egg Dang (에그당) when I was exploring Hapjeong (합정) area. When lunch time came around, I passed by this place and took a look at their menu board to find that they actually serve pasta here. So in I went and I found myself in a small restaurant with an open kitchen next to my left and small tables on my right. There were only three tables and bar seatings on the main area of the restaurant, but I later found out that they have more seats at the back.

I look over their menu and decided to order their signature dish, which is the Poached Egg Pasta (수란 파스타) which costs ₩14,900. It is essentially a spicy linguini pasta with Egg Dang’s special cream sauce topped with chives, garlic, red pepper powder, bits of bacon and poached egg. I was actually craving for a creamy pasta so this was perfect for me. The portion was generous, the pasta was well cooked, and it tasted good. The cream sauce wasn’t too overwhelming. Maybe the spiciness from the sauce cut the creaminess of the overall dish, at least that was my guess. And the egg was perfectly poached as the yellow yolk oozed to the pasta after I cut into it, which I appreciate. The bacon bits might be a little bit on the salty side for some people, but I like food on the saltier side so it wasn’t a problem for me.

Overall, I quite enjoy Egg Dang’s Poached Egg Pasta and I probably come back to this place again the next time I have a creamy pasta craving.

Egg Dang • 에그당

Address: 서울시 마포구 서교동 396-4
Telephone: 02-3144-3170
Hours: 11:30 - 21:30 | Closed on Mondays

---

Ellie • 엘리

Ellie (엘리) is one of the many cafes in Ikseon-dong (익선동) that retained the older hanok structure of the building and transformed the space into a modern cafe. The mix between old and new is a common theme for cafes around Ikseon-dong and I’m kinda liking it. Places like this gives a somewhat nostalgic and homey vibes when I walk into it. Ellie is actually one of the cafe that I visited during my early days of Ikseon-dong exploration before the area was as popular as it is now. I remembered the things that I love from my first visit were the natural lighting that came through from the glass ceiling and the overall layout of the space. Their drinks and cake selections are pretty good and seatings are plenty inside the cafe. I usually came here on weekdays so seating wasn’t a big problem, but the place do get crowded during weekends and you might have to wait for an open spot.

Although there’s no soft cushioned chair available at this cafe that could make sitting down for a couple of hours more comfortable, I found myself coming back to this place on different occasions already just for the cozy ambiance. One time I came to read, the other time just to get dessert, and last time I was there was when I had a night cap with a friend of mine after having dinner in the area. The only downside is probably they closed kind of early on weekends so you have to move somewhere else if you want to hang out with your friends after 10.30.

Ellie • 엘리

Address: 서울 종로구 수표로28길 21-6
Telephone: 02-2135-3360
Hours: 12:00 - 22:00 Sun to Thu | 12:00 - 22:30 Fri - Sat

---

Maison de Sculp • 메종드스컬프

Maison de Sculp (메종드스컬프) is a cafe that is located on the quieter side of Hapjeong (합정). The cafe itself shared a two story building that resembles a house with its store section called Musée de Sculp (뮤제 드 스컬프) which sells curated high-end products. You can find foreign brands like Aesop, Maison Kitsune, AALTO, as well as local brands like one of their own, MUSÉD, in their shop.

As for the cafe itself, it’s obviously not as big as the store area. Although they do have an additional outdoor seatings if you wish to enjoy the weather outside. The interior is nicely decorated with prominently monotone colors and marble tables and it was pretty quiet when we were there. I went there with my cousin in the late afternoon and we decided to order a milk tea and a dessert to share so we don’t spoil our appetite for dinner. They were pretty good. After we’re done, we returned our tray to the counter and headed out to look for dinner.

Maison de Sculp • 메종드스컬프

Address: 서울 마포구 토정로3안길 17
Telephone: 070-8865-3017
Hours: 11:30 - 20:30 Tuesday - Sunday | Closed on Mondays

Instagram: @museedesculp

---

Un'icon • 언아이콘

If you’re a fan of a white minimalistic cafe, Un’icon (언아이콘) might be worth checking out if you ever found yourself around Mangwon-dong (망원동) area. I visited this newly opened cafe during one hot summer day after having lunch nearby. The place is not that big and seating is a little bit limited. But since I was there during weekdays, I got a seat right after two guys who finished their drinks left when I came in.

I made my way to the counter to see the menu and have no idea what’s good here. So, like any other times I went for a first visit to a place I never been before, I usually ask whoever is behind the counter for their recommendations on their signature non-coffee menu. The guy wearing the red shirt recommended Melting Gray (멜팅그레이) to me. He said it’s their popular non-coffee menu, so I ordered one following his recommendation.

To be honest, I was a little bit skeptical when I saw what it looked like. Sure, the black syrup-like liquid that’s slowly dripping down the white milk looked cool and totally Instagrammable. But from past experiences, this kind of ‘Instagrammable drinks’ usually don’t taste very good or overly sweet. Still, I gave it a try. That’s the whole point of going to new places anyway right? Trying new things and hopefully discovering good stuff along the way. The black liquid that goes into the Melting Gray itself is handmade and made out of seven ingredients. What those ingredients are, I’m not sure to be honest. Maybe I should ask next time I’m there.

I gave the whole thing a good stir before taking my first sip of the cold grey liquid. And what do you know, it actually tasted good! I was genuinely surprised and I remembered I even hummed unconsciously after my first taste. It wasn’t too sweet and was actually refreshing. Wether it’s because the ice ratio was perfect or perhaps the fact that I let it set for a bit since I was taking photos of it before I drink it made the whole thing refreshingly cool, I’m not entirely sure. Either way, I like the drink and it’s been a while since I tasted something different that I like. Next time I come here, I might try their other non-coffee menu. We’ll see.

Video of the space:

Un’icon • 언아이콘

Address: 서울 마포구 월드컵로13길 19-23
Telephone: 010-4186-0131
Hours: Tuesday - Saturday 13:00 - 21:00 | Sunday 13:00 - 20:00 | Closed on Mondays

Instagram: @uniconcoffee

---

Gentle Monster The Salvation Moon • 젠틀몬스터 플래그십스토어

Visiting Gentle Monster Sinsa flaghip store (젠틀몬스터 신사동 플래그십스토어) to check out their new installation has somewhat became a tradition for me every time I visited Garosugil (가로수길) after I haven’t been to the area for a while. Since they always change their interior almost every season, it almost feels like visiting a new store every time I stepped into their newest campaign. But at the same time, the place also gave me a sense of familiarity since the location, the layout of the building, and the products they are selling remained unchanged. Here’s what the current campaign is all about:

Gentle Monster kicks off the ‘13’ Campaign in Korea through a reimagined Sinsa Flagship named, ‘The Salvation Moon’, The new space tells a story of the world impacted and changed after the 13th Month, painting the stories of survival of different life forms. The Sinsa showroom illustrates an oriental hope-filled message behind the struggles and desperation of those whom worship and pray to the new moon for salvation.

— Gentle Monster website

The one thing that struck me the most when I stepped into the store was that the installations reminded me of Stranger Things for some reason. The combination of the outer space elements with creatures that resemble monsters, or aliens really, gave me a strong Stranger Things vibes, especially the flower-shaped-claw-machine like installation that opens and closes slowly on the second floor. It really reminded me of the head of the Demogorgon. Anybody else think so too or is it just me?

Gentle Monster Sinsa Flaghip Store • 젠틀몬스터 신사동 플래그십스토어

Address: 서울특별시 강남구 압구정로10길 23
Telephone: 070-5080-0196
Hours: 12:00 - 21:00 Daily

Instagram: @gentlemonster

---