Yukmian Yeonnam • 육미안 연남점

Yukmian Yeonnam (육미안 연남점) is a meat restaurant specialized in grilled beef ribs. Located on the second floor of a building in one of the alleys in Yeonnam-dong (연남동), the restaurant is also well-known for their yukhoe (육회) which uses grade 1++ Hanwoo beef.

I found this restaurant when I was searching Naver for a dinner spot to meet up with my friend at. Honestly, the pictures of the torched meat looked really delicious so I asked my friend to go and try this place with me. It was a weekday when we went for dinner and we immediately got a table as soon as we arrived. The interior of the restaurant is quite different than the usual traditional meat restaurant in Korea. It’s definitely more modern and simpler. There are about 26 seatings around the place and the place is pretty noisy with people talking quite loudly on different tables. 

Yukmian Salad 육미안 샐러드 ₩3,000 | 7/10

Fresh arugula, tomatoes, olives with shredded cheese.

The salad came with the signature beef ribs that we ordered. It’s a pretty straight forward side dish that goes well with the meat. 

Signature Beef Ribs 본갈비 (250g) ₩27,000 | 8.5/10

Yukmian’s signature beef ribs (2 servings minimum).
육미안 대표 '시그니처' 진갈비만을 사용 (2인분 이상 주문 가능).

So we ordered 2 servings of the signature beef ribs since 2 servings are the minimum. They served the thick cuts of meat on the plate, already grilled (or maybe half grilled). Then the server torched the meat again table side to get them to the right level of doneness. The sight of the torched meat was pretty mouthwatering. 

They also gave us this stone plate with wasabi, salt, and mustard on it to dip the meat into. The meat itself was as good as it looked. It’s thick, fresh and juicy and very satisfying. The three dippings were also great but I like the salt the best out of the three.  

Snow Crab Innards Fried Rice 대게내장볶음밥 ₩11,000 | 8/10

Fried rice mixed with snow crab innards.
대게내장으로 범벅된 볶음밥.

To complete our meal, we ordered the Snow Crab Innards Fried Rice to make sure we’re full. The fried rice was rich and tasty and definitely didn’t taste like an ordinary fried rice that I commonly found at other meat restaurants. I think the snow crab innards gave the dish an edge over other fried rice out there. 

Overall, I think this place is pretty good spot to go to if you want to have some meat without having to grill them yourself. There are lots of good reviews about their yukhoe as well which make me curious to try it (maybe for my next visit). Noise level at this place is pretty high so you might have to shout a bit when talking to your companions if you come during their busy hours. I also happened to pass by this place a couple of times after my visit during the weekends and the line was pretty crazy (didn’t know that this spot is that popular). So if you want to avoid the line, I’d recommend you to go on a weekday or maybe make reservation first if you’re going on a weekend. 

 

Yukmian Yeonnam • 육미안 연남점

Address: 서울 마포구 동교로38길 5 2층
Telephone: 02-332-3430
Hours:
Mon-Thrs 12:00-22:00 (Break Time 14:30-16:00. Last Order 21:55)
Friday 12:00-23:00 (Break Time 14:30-16:00. Last Order 22:55)
Saturday 12:00-23:00 (Last Order 22:55)
Sunday 12:00-22:00 (Last Order 21:55)

Instagram: @yookmian_yeonnam

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Cheong Su Dang Bakery • 청수당 베이커리

Cheong Su Dang Bakery (청수당 베이커리) is one of the many popular aesthetic cafes in Ikseon-dong (익선동) that has gone viral on social media since the first time they opened their door to the public. Their iconic entrance of lush bamboo trees around a small pond with stepping stones leading to the entrance of the cafe is probably one of the most popular photo spot around this neighborhood and it has been shared thousands of times on social media. And even if you’ve never seen the pictures of this place online, the beautiful facade of the bakery will definitely make you stop in your tracks or pique your interest at the very least if you happen to walk by this place.

Since their opening in Summer 2020, the bakery has maintained their popularity among the locals as well as tourists which led to their space renewal and expansion last year in July. The beautifully designed space is the work of Glow Seoul, an architecture and design studio that’s responsible for many other popular cafes in South Korea. The current space is a combination of 6 hanoks surrounded with bamboo trees and ponds with calm flowing water, giving patrons a tranquil escape in the middle of the city. 

My first visit to Cheong Su Dang Bakery was last year in spring with my cousins (this was 3 months before their expansion). They came pretty early, before the place was even open and immediately got a table when the cafe opened. Maybe because it’s still early and a weekday because usually you’ll need to line up to get a table at this place, especially on the weekends. The cafe has a couple of different indoor and outdoor seating areas—individuals and community tables and table floor seatings—and we picked a table facing the street that’s a little bit hidden between two walls.

Since the dessert portion is pretty big, we decided to order 2 desserts and 2 drinks to share between the three of us. 

Stone Drip Egg Coffee (스톤 드립 계란 커피) ₩7,800

Stone drip coffee with fresh egg yolk cream on top, torched crème brûlée style.
스톤 드립 커피 위에 신선한 계란 노른자로 직접 만든 크림을 올려 토치로 마무리한 크램 브륄레(crème brûlée)식 커피.

My cousin ordered this and since I don’t drink coffee, I can’t really give a review on how it tasted. But she said it was pretty good. 

Black Sesame Fromage Cake (흑임자 프로마주 케이크) ₩15,000 | 8.5/10

Sponge cake soaked in black sesame, topped with roasted walnut, mascarpone cheese, milk cream, and black sesame powder.
흑임자 베이스를 흠뻑 적신 시트 위에 구운 호두 마스카포네 치즈와 우유크림을 얹은 후 청수당의 현무암을 표현한 스폰지 케이크와 흑임자 가루로 데코한 청수당만의 특별한 디저트.

My favorite out of the two desserts we tried. As a black sesame flavor enthusiast, I really enjoyed this chilled dessert. Moist sponge cake with earthy, not too sweet black sesame flavor. The roasted walnut in the middle was a nice little surprise to the bite.

Strawberry Compote Souffle Castella (딸기 수플레 카스텔라) ₩18,800 | 7/10

Soft and warm made to order soufflé castella with refreshing strawberry compote and fresh milk cream on top.
부드럽고 따뜻한 수플레 카스텔라 위에 상큼한 딸기 콩포트와 신선한 우유크림이 듬뿍 올려진 디저트로 주문과 동시에 만들어지는 오더 메이드 디저트.

Honestly, this one is a bit underwhelming for me (or maybe I was just expecting too much). Not that it didn’t taste good or anything because flavor wise it was good and it was a well-made dessert. I think anybody who likes strawberry or souffle castella would enjoy this dessert. It’s just for their signature menu and considering the price point, it felt a little bit ordinary. Like I’ve tasted these flavors before. Also worth noting, this is a warm dessert.

Is this place worth the hype it has on social media? If what you’re looking for is an aesthetic cafe to take nice pictures at, I’d probably say yes. But with caveat that you know how to take a good shot and to properly edit your pictures because from a photographer’s perspective, the lighting around this place is a bit challenging, especially on a bright sunny day. My suggestion is to go during sunset time or on a cloudy day for a better lighting (less harsh contrast on the shadows and highlights and you can pull more colors out of your shot). 

But if what you’re looking for is a nice relaxing place to hangout at, the short answer is probably no, especially if you have to line up for hours for a table. This place is always pretty packed with locals and tourists (I don’t know how it is nowadays but every time I passed by this place in the past it always looked pretty busy) and it can get a little bit noisy when the place is full. The drinks and desserts that I had were also just alright considering the somewhat high price point (although price wise, it’s probably similar to other cafes in the area since cafes in Ikseon-dong are notorious for being on the more expensive side).

My personal take, if you’re really curious to check out the place and experience dining at the bakery then go for it. They do have nice interesting architecture and interior design and their menu is pretty decent. But if you’re traveling, have limited time and have other cool cafes that you want to check out, you can probably just see the cafe from outside and spend your time somewhere else. Would I go back to this place again? If I have friends who are visiting Seoul and they want me to go check the place out with them, then sure, I wouldn’t mind going for their sake. Other reason that might make me want to go back is to check out their new space after the expansion (and only if the place is not busy). But for now, I think I’m pretty content with just visiting this place once.

 

Cheong Su Dang Bakery • 청수당 베이커리

Address: 서울 종로구 돈화문로11나길 31-9
Telephone: 0507-1318-8215
Hours: Everyday 10:30 - 21:00 (Last Order 20:30)

Instagram: @cheongsudang_

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Altdif Dosan Tea Lounge • 알디프 도산 티 라운지

Altdif Dosan Tea Lounge (알디프 도산 티 라운지) is a new tea lounge that just recently opened in Dosan Park (도산공원) neighborhood earlier this year in April. The tea lounge offers a variety of unique tea based menu ranging from milk tea, cream tea, tea cocktails, and tea-based desserts that use Altdif’s wide selection of original house blend tea leaves. 

Altdif itself is a Korean tea brand that’s established in 2016. The name Altdif is derived from the acronym of Art, Life, Tea, Dignity, Diversity, and Freedom which the brand stands for. One of the unique thing about their tea is they pair their original house blend teas with its own theme song and story, encouraging you to enjoy the tea using all of your five senses.

They first opened their tea bar in 2018 in Hongdae (which has just recently closed on July 25) and offered tea course session that’s now available at the Dosan location. The 90-minute tea course explores modern Korean tea ritual, tea mixology technique, tea-brewed dessert, tea cocktail, milk tea and a creative single tea menu that’s already prepared for you to make. The tea course session accommodates up to 6 people per session and available only by reservation through Naver.

I visited Altdif Dosan Tea Lounge (알디프 도산 티 라운지) for the first time earlier this year in May, not too long after they just opened. The cafe itself is located on the second floor of a building, so it’s not too obvious from the street unless you’re looking for their sign. Went on a Thursday afternoon and the place was pretty quiet. The tea lounge itself is pretty spacious with about 30 seatings that are spread around the room. 

As a non-coffee drinker, I immediately got excited as soon as I saw their unique tea-based menu which has options other than the usual matcha latte or hojicha latte. From straight tea, milk tea, tea with coffee and tea with alcohol, I feel like this place is definitely where I can bring all my friends to since there’s at least something that they can order from the menu.

Altdif Dosan Tea Lounge 2024 Spring/Summer Menu (알디프 도산 티 라운지 2024 S/S 메뉴)

(Menu Courtesy of Altdif)

I actually found Altdif in the beginning of my May trip and I’m so glad that I did because I had the chance to go back again for a second visit two weeks later at the end of my trip. Tried a couple of different things and everything was not too sweet (just how I like it) and the flavors of each menu are certainly unique. Here are the things that I tried during my visits:

Dosan Signature Purple Milk Tea 도산 시그니처 퍼플 밀크티 ₩8,000 | 9.5/10

Tea Master’s Recommendation #티마스터추천 (Caffeine Free)
Tea: Space Odditea 스페이스 오디티 • Aroma: Chamomile, Raspberry, Pineapple
Purple signature milk tea with lavender and vanilla flavors.
보랏빛의 시그니처 티에 라벤더와 바닐라를 더하여 차분하면서도 우아한 카페인 프리 밀크티.

Initially, I thought this will taste like taro milk tea just because of the purple color. But surprisingly and interestingly, the strongest flavor for me was actually lavender. But not in a room fragrance kind of way (sometimes lavender flavored food just ended up tasting like fragrance to me, but this one was not). It’s subtle and the combination with vanilla flavor certainly gave it a milkier taste, with a hint of pineapple in the end. The light sweet cream on top was also a nice addition to the drink.

Dosan Signature Black Cream 도산 시그니처 블랙 크림티 ₩8,500 | 8.5/10

Tea Master’s Recommendation #티마스터추천 (High Caffeine)
Tea: Lee’s Breakfast 리스 브렉퍼스트 • Aroma: Empress Tree, Sweet Persimmon, Grain Syrup
Altdif signature cream tea which blends coffee and black tea with savory black cream and persimmon.
커피와 홍차를 블렌딩하고 고소한 블랙 크림과 감태로 감칠맛을 더한 알디프 시그니처 스타일 크림티.

My coffee drinking friend actually ordered this and I tried a couple of sips from her glass. For this one, the coffee flavor hit me first, and then the fragrant black tea. I quite enjoy the sweet and savory cream on top as well. The texture is thicker than the one in the Purple Milk Tea, but still enjoyable and easy enough for me to sip with the liquid part on the bottom. Also, to actually taste the overall flavor of the drink, I think you have to sip the cream and the coffee and black tea blend all at the same time. Even though I don’t drink coffee, I still enjoyed this drink (although now I’m curious to know how it’ll taste without the coffee because black tea with that cream on top doesn’t sound bad at all 😆) . And if you’re curious, my friend (who drinks coffee) gave this drink a 9.5/10. She said it was really good.

Summer Citrus Milk Tea 도산 썸머 시트러스 밀크티 ₩7,500 | 9/10

Ice Only • Caffeine Free
Tea: Habit Plus 더하기 차 • Aroma: Green Tangerine, Orange, Quince
[S/S season only] Caffeine free milk tea with a citrusy flavor of lemon-scented herbs.
[S/S 시즌 한정] 레몬향 허브의 시트러스한 풍미로 상큼하면서도 싱그러운 매력인 카페인 프리 밀크티.

The summer Citrus Milk Tea is one of their seasonal menu and definitely reminded me of a refreshing summer drink. The milk tea is citrusy sweet with a hint of zestiness in it. The sliced orange garnish also goes really well with the drink. The flavor is definitely something that I’ve never tasted before and I quite enjoyed this drink.

Signature pudding plate 시그니처 푸딩 플레이트 ₩12,500 | 10/10

Tea Master’s Recommendation #티마스터추천
Altdif’s signature pudding plate with homemade oolong tea pudding, hojicha pudding, vanilla milk cream, crispy crumble and dried fig.
직접 만든 우롱차 푸딩과 호지차 푸딩, 바닐라 우유 크림, 바삭한 크럼블과 건과일로 다양한 식감과 차의 풍미를 느낄 수 있는 시그니처 푸딩 플레이트.

Their signature pudding plate is really good. I ordered this both times I was there. The pudding texture is closer to a panna cotta, but a little bit creamier. The hojicha and oolong tea flavors on the puddings are really fragrant. Love the sweet crispy crumble and dried fig. Both gave a nice texture contrast to the overall dish. Everything on the plate actually works wonderfully in a bite and I really love this dessert. 

Honestly speaking, there’s not a lot of great tea-focused cafe around Seoul, especially with unique milk tea and tea cocktail menu. Altdif Dosan Tea Lounge is certainly a nice addition to the category, especially with their spacious venue (usually most tea places are small with limited seatings). It has definitely become one of my favorite spot and would totally recommend to check this place out if you’re ever in Dosan Park neighborhood (so it can stay open and I can go visit them again on my next trip 😆).

 

Altdif Dosan Tea Lounge • 알디프 도산 티 라운지

Address: 서울 강남구 선릉로161길 21-4 2층
Telephone: 0507-1389-5034
Hours: Tues-Sun 11:00-21:00 | Closed on Mondays

Instagram: @altdif_dosan

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Beyond The Dough Pizzeria

Beyond the Dough is a small pizzeria in Singapore that specializes in Tokyo-Neapolitan style pizzas. Opened earlier this year in March, the pizzeria has a pretty unassuming facade with a clean, simple, humble interior. The open kitchen concept design gives you a glimpse to Eddie Murakami, the master pizzaiolo who trained at two of the world-renowned best pizzerias in Tokyo—Pizza Strada and Pizza Studio Tamaki—, who often found behind the counter busy making pizzas to order.

What so special about Beyond the Dough’s pizza is the fact that they use high-quality imported ingredients, special proofing techniques for the dough and the use of wood fire oven to fire their pizza. For the pizza dough, they use imported Japanese flour with 30-hour proofing time. They also use Okinawan salt, olive oil from Italy, Japanese water filter for their water and even imported Japanese wood for their fire oven pizza.

I actually found out about this place because a friend who’s living in Singapore told me about it. She said this place went viral on Tiktok and told me to go and see if the food is as good as the hype. She also told me that getting a reservation at this place is really hard. Like you have to reserve 2-3 months in advance hard. But it just so happened that when I walked by this place on a Friday during lunch hour, they have empty tables available so I went in with three of my friends. 

Assortment of 3 kinds Appetizers (おまかせ前菜3種盛り合わせ) S$18 | 7/10

Omakase Style

Started the meal with this dish. First, the left one one the plate is the celery, olives, and octopus with pink peppercorns. Not a big fan of celery in general but the olives and octopus were pretty good. The octopus was cooked nicely, tender and not tough at all. The middle top one is broccoli vinaigrette with shredded cheese. The broccoli was cooked and seasoned nicely. A pretty straightforward dish. And lastly, the right one on the plate is tomatoes, bell peppers, and eggplant in red sauce and shredded cheese. This was my favorite out of the three on the plate. The vegetables were nicely cooked and it’s really flavorful.

Everyone’s Favorites French Fries (フライドポテト) S$8 | 9.5/10

Anchovy Garlic Flavors

This French fries was the BOMB. Very crispy with great anchovy garlic seasoning. Wasn’t expecting much when ordering the fries but turned out, this was one of the highlight of my meal. Would definitely order this again if I go back.

Burrata with Tomato (ブラータチーズとトマトのサラダ) S$22 | 8/10

Fresh Italian Burrata, Fresh Tomato, Balsamic Sauce

The burrata was delicious with nice silk, creamy texture. Overall the dish is nicely seasoned and very fresh.

Home Made Mini Bucket Lasagna (ミニラザニア) S$12 | 8.5/10

*Limited to 1 portion per customer only

Even though the portion is small, this Mini Bucket Lasagna is packed with big flavors. The combination of layered al dente pasta, creamy tomato sauce, minced beef and cheese gave a comforting spoonful of flavors when I tasted it. The size is kind of perfect if you want to have lasagna without having to order a big portion of it. 

Buffalo Margherita (水牛マルゲリータ) S$35 | 9/10

Tomato Sauce, Basil, Buffalo Mozzarella

This pizza was super good. Easily one of the best pizza I’ve ever had in recent times. It has crispy thin (but not too thin) crust with chewy texture on the rest of the slice. The sauce was flavorful with the hint of smokiness from the wood fire oven. The highlight of this dish was the runny tomato sauce covering the slice. It was so good.

Singapore Rampage (シンガポールランページ) S$39 | 7/10

The Sauce is Made From 100 Prawn Simmered for 20 Hours

Ordered the Singapore Rampage since it’s one of their recommended menu and the description of the sauce does sound intriguing. Taste wise, it definitely reminded me of Singaporean food flavor profiles. The flavor of the prawn sauce is pretty bold but it’s a bit fishy and salty for my taste. The flavor of the whole pizza is interesting and definitely something that’s out of the box.

During my meal, the service was pretty good. I found that the table was a bit small though for the amount of food that we ordered so it was a bit cramped when all the food is out. Is the place worth the hype? I don’t know how hyped up this place is on Tiktok but I think I can see why it’s hyped. The pizza is definitely great and I can see myself going back for their pizza (and their fries too actually). Worth noting, the pizza price is a bit on the steeper side and there’s a S$3 charge for water if you don’t order any drinks (if you do, I think the water is complimentary). I think their pizza is definitely worth a try if you don’t have to fight too hard for an empty spot at this place. 

 

Beyond The Dough Pizzeria

Address: 150 Arab St, Singapore 199832
Hours: Mon 5 pm-9:30 pm | Tues-Sat 11:45 am–1:45 pm, 5 pm–9:30 pm | Closed on Sundays

Instagram: @beyondthedough_pizza

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Centre Cheongdam • 센트레 청담

Centre Cheongdam (센트레 청담) is the Canadian celebrity chef Antonio Park’s first overseas restaurant that’s focusing on Eastern and Western fusion dishes with locally sourced Korean ingredients. Drawing from his mother’s Korean heritage and going back to his root, chef Park opened Centre Cheongdam (센트레 청담) in July 2022, offering American and European-style brunch and dinner menu with an extensive wine list to pair them with.

Surrounded by floor to ceiling glass windows, the interior of the restaurant is reminiscent of dining in a garden with a pleasant and relaxing atmosphere. Keeping true to their garden dining concept, the dishes seem to also draw inspiration from nature and the four seasons, reflected in the way each dish is using various colorful fresh ingredients that are beautifully served on a plate.

My first visit to Centre was nothing but a pleasant experience. Came here for a late lunch with my friend and the place wasn’t all that busy. Maybe it’s because we came way past lunch hour rush on a weekday so there were only a couple of other tables with patrons at the end of their meals. 

After immediately being seated on one of the sofas, we’re handed the menu while our server set up the table for us. We decided on two appetizers and one main course to share and the food came 10 minutes after we placed our order. Pretty swift service. 

Fruit Ricotta (₩23,000) | 9/10

Orange, Grape, Tomato, Blueberry, Strawberry, Pear, Raspberry Compote, Mint Pesto, Dill, Ricotta, Pecan, Radish
오렌지,청포도, 토마토, 블루베리, 딸기, 배, 라즈베리 콤포트, 민트, 딜, 리코타, 레디쉬

The Fruit Ricotta was sweet, sour, fresh and nutty all at the same time. Every single fruit was cut beautifully and the highlight of this dish for me was the raspberry compote. Expecting it to be a little bit on the sour side for my personal preference, I’m pleasantly surprised when I found that it was nothing but. It hit the right amount of sourness and the flavor is very balanced and does not overpower the taste of the fresh fruits but rather a great accompaniment to them. Thoroughly enjoyed this dish as the opening of our meal and I think this dish can also be a great dessert if you want something fresh to end your meal.

Pork Rillette (₩19,000) | 8/10

Pork Rillette, Seasonal Fruit Marmalade, Caper, Cornichon, Pink Peppercorn, Sour Cream, Sour Dough
돼지고기 리예뜨, 계절 과일 마말레이드, 케이퍼, 핑크 페퍼콘, 코니송, 사워 크림, 사워 도우

The Pork Rillette was definitely richer and heavier than our first course. The rillette was smooth and creamy with that typical fatty flavor one usually find in a rillette. The whole dish was brightened up by the marmalade and the peeled oranges that are placed prettily on top of the pork rillette, giving it a nice acidic note to the bite. For this dish, you definitely have to eat everything in one bite to get that balanced flavor.

Lobster Linguine (₩37,000) | 9.5/10

Lobster, Avruga Caviar, Garlic, Onion, Parmesan Regiano, Pepperoncino, Italian Parsley, Clam stock, Chicken Stock
랍스터, 아브루가 캐비어, 마늘, 양파, 파마산 레지아노, 페페론치노, 이탈리안 파슬리, 조개육수, 닭 육수

The Lobster Linguine was my favorite out of all the three dishes we ordered. The pasta was cooked al dente with a moderate amount of well-seasoned broth poured around it. The lobster that’s sitting on top of the pasta was fresh, thick and cooked just right where the meat hit that right firm, springy texture. The caviar and parmesan gave a fun additional hit of flavors in every bite. Overall the dish was light, flavorful and fulfilling at the same time. 

After all the food was served, there are two memorable things that I can say about my dining experience. First, the food was great. Everything was well seasoned, a lot of flavors in each bite and the ingredients were very fresh. Second, I really love the plating, the play on colors and the attention to details they put in every dish. Every plate looks like a well-drawn painting and it definitely excites my taste buds just by looking at the plate before taking a bite into the food. Overall, it was a really nice dining experience for me.

 

Centre Cheongdam • 센트레 청담

Address: 서울 강남구 도산대로49길 9 스타크빌딩 1층 센트레청담
Telephone: +82 507 1372 0559
Hours: Tue-Sun 11:00-22:00 (Break Time 16:00-17:00 | Last Order 15:00 & 21:15)

Instagram: @centre.cheongdam
Centre Website

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