A quick short post on color study this time. I usually visited Dongdaemun Design Plaza (동대문디자인플라자) during day time, and one night I stayed late enough 'til the lights on the building are turned on. The buildings looks even more like a spaceship, seriously.
To start off, this was the first time I went to a restaurant that has a huge horse lamp statue in the middle of the dining room. So that left quite an impression. Dal Sik Tak (달식탁) is a traditional Korean restaurant that is located at Garosu-gil (가로수길), Sinsa-dong (신사동). The restaurant is located in the basement of a red building. I've past by this place a couple of times, but since I can't really see the inside of the restaurant, I never really tried eating there. I always find it too intimidating to try a new place that I can't see what the inside looks like :P But then, one of my friend recommended to try this place since apparently it's a pretty famous restaurant in Sinsa area. So I went with two of my friends and tried it out.
The food was really good. They serve traditional Korean food, but the taste is very different than the Korean food that I've eaten before. We ordered Mushroom & Tofu Hot Pot (버섯 두부 전골), Grilled Marinated Beef served with Cabbage and Greens (차돌박이 배추쌈), Mixed Rice with Dried Octopus and Bean Paste (부추문어쌈장밥), and Soy Bean Paste Soup (된장찌개). Each dish has a very distinct flavor one from the other so it was nice to try different flavor combinations. Despite the color of the Hot Pot, all the dishes we ordered weren't spicy at all. If you're looking for a place to eat in Sinsa neighborhood, this place is a good place to go to.
DAL SIK TAK (달식탁)
서울 강남구 신사동 541-11 지하1층
541-11 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Another hotspot that has been trending online since last month is the LED Flower Field at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (동대문디자인플라자). There're probably hundreds of pictures of this flower field that you can find online. I went there before sunset, so the lights were still off. But after staying a couple of minutes, it got dark and they turned on the light. It's a pretty cool sight looking at 20,000 flowers lit up by LED bulbs :) If you happen to be visiting DDP, the flower field is definitely worth to look at. Other things you might see as well are security guards guarding the exhibit, lots of individuals and couples posing for selfies, and of course, selfie sticks spread around the field :p
Samgyetang (삼계탕) is probably one of the most well known Korean food amongst the local as well as foreigners. I happened to went to a restaurant that, in my opinion, has better samgyetang than the famous Tosokchon (토속촌) samgyetang that is very well-known amongst tourists. But then again, it could be just me :) I actually ended up going to this place because one of my Korean friend took me there. The place is called Sinchon Nutrition Center (신촌영양센터). I've been here a couple of times and the two things I've ordered are the Samgyetang (삼계탕) and 삼채닭한마리 and they are both delicious. I think the thing that won me over is their broth—it's so light but tasty. Their kimchi is also good, but oh so spicy. I know Koreans usually eat these during the hot summer days to fight the hot weather, but it's even better to eat it during cold days in my opinion :)
Sinchon Nutrition Center (신촌영양센터)
Address: 서울특별시 서대문구 창천동 13-37 1층
Telephone: 02-312-5460
Hours: 10:30 - 22:30 (Everyday)
Cafe Kona Queens in Samcheongdong is one of those places that I find very interesting just by looking at the exterior of the building. So one day, I decided to check out the place and see how the interior looks like. The cafe has 3 floors, the top floor has patio area where you can go if you prefer to sit outdoors. The use of wooden furniture definitely gives a rustic vibe throughout the whole place, yet modern at the same time. This place is probably more of a hang-out-meet-your-friend-and-chat kinda place rather than a studying place. Although I did see a couple of people studying and doing work meeting there. I guess if you don't mind a little bit of background noise, this place will do just fine. And as far as the drinks, I tried their mango smoothie and it was pretty good.
