Kodak Corner Shop Seongsu • 코닥 성수직영점

Kodak Corner Shop Seongsu (코닥 성수직영점) is probably one of the most iconic and eye-catching shops in the trendy neighborhood of Seongsu-dong (성수동). Their bright yellow store facade combined with the retro aesthetic of one of the most well-known photography brands in the world often captured every passerby’s attention, inviting them to come into the store to explore more.

And more you’ll find as soon as you decide to enter the space. Not only can you find a collection of Kodak vintage cameras, 35mm slides and posters on display, but you can also find clothing and accessories—The Kodak Apparel—inside the Kodak Corner Shop. The Kodak Apparel (different from the Eastman Kodak company) itself is developed and designed by a South Korean firm called Highlight Brands (a division of Modern Works) who licenses the iconic Kodak name and logo to create a clothing line that is inspired by Kodak’s iconic heritage. The collections have that Kodak’s unique retro look but combined with a newer, trendier aesthetic that appeal to the more modern audience. The Seoul Kodak Corner Seongsu flagship store opened in early 2024 and has become one of the popular spots to visit by photography and fashion enthusiasts alike. 

 

Kodak Corner Shop Seongsu • 코닥 성수직영점

Address: 서울 성동구 연무장7길 3-1 1층
Telephone: 0507-1372-7965
Hours: Everyday 10:30-20:30

Instagram: @kodak_seongsu

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Matsunohana The Hyundai Seoul • 마츠노하나 더현대서울점

Matsunohana (마츠노하나) is an authentic Japanese restaurant specializing in Tendon (tempura donburi). Located in the basement of The Hyundai Seoul (더현대서울), Matsunohana serves a variety of Japanese meals centered on crispy Tendon and delicious Donburi with some additional seasonal menus. The restaurant itself is pretty spacious with clean modern design and plenty of two-person tables available making this a perfect place for solo diners and office workers around Yeouido who’s looking to grab a quick lunch. 

I’ve passed by this restaurant a couple of times before during lunch/dinner rush hours and they always seem to have a long line of people waiting for tables in front of the store. And every time I saw this, it always made me wonder on how good their tempura is. So one day when I was craving for some tempura, I decided to give this place a try. I went for a super late lunch on a Tuesday during odd hours (2:45 pm to be precise) to avoid the line. And my plan seemed to have worked because the restaurant was empty when I arrived. Although minutes later, there were a couple of different groups of people who walked in and dined in at the restaurant. So I guess I’m not the only one who’s having a super late lunch at this hour.

But anyways, after I was promptly seated, I placed my order and the food came out 5 minutes after. So service is definitely really quick at this place.

Shoyu Salmon Ebi Tendon (쇼유사케에비텐동) ₩18,800 | 9.5/10

Opted for the Shoyu Salmon Ebi Tendon which includes crispy fried shrimp, soy sauce salmon, onsen tamago and white rice. The salmon sashimi was fresh, nicely cut and seasoned. The soy sauce coating the salmon has the right amount of saltiness. The Ebi tempura was also really good, fresh shrimp that’s cooked just right with their special soy sauce lightly brushed on the outside of the tempura so you don’t have to dip the tempura into a dipping sauce. I also love the crispy breading that they use (the type that doesn’t scar the the roof my mouth if you know what I mean).

Hanwoo Daechang (한우 대창) ₩8,000 | 8.5/10

Out of all the sides listed on the menu, their Hanwoo Daechang was the one that intrigued me the most. Usually having to eat daechang with a friend since the minimum ordering portion is usually 2 servings, I jumped at a chance to eat daechang as a side. The daechang was fresh, pretty big, nicely cut and covered in a red sauce that I thought was going to be too spicy for me who doesn’t eat spicy food well. But turned out, it actually wasn’t too spicy (at least it was manageable for me and for you who eat spicy food, this is probably not spicy at all). The texture of the daechang was also really good, chewy on the outside but soft on the inside. 

All and all, really liked the food that I ordered and will definitely come back again when I’m craving some tempura. If you’re ever in The Hyundai Seoul and have no idea what to eat, Matsunohana is definitely one place to try. 

 

Matsunohana • 마츠노하나

Address: 서울 영등포구 여의대로 108 더현대서울 지하1층
Telephone: 02-3277-0760
Hours: Monday-Thursday 10:30-20:00 | Friday-Sunday 10:30-20:30

Instagram: @matsu_no_1
Naver: 마츠노하나 더현대서울점

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Pungryugak • 풍류각

Pungryugak (풍류각) is a Korean BBQ restaurant located near Hapjeong Station (합정역) that specializes in dry-aged 1++ Hanwoo meat. The restaurant has a clean, modern interior with plenty of seatings around the space. Each table is equipped with its own modern BBQ exhaust pipe that prevents smokes from filling up the room which is always a nice touch to a Korean BBQ restaurant. On the further end of the dining area, there are 2 private rooms that can accommodate 8 people in each room if you wish to have a more private dining experience. The restaurant also seems to have been visited by a number of celebrities and public figures, evident by the number of framed signatures they hung up on the wall of the restaurants. 

If you’re not familiar with Hanwoo, it is a breed of Korean cattle known for its high-quality, marbled beef. For that reason alone, it is usually compared to Japanese Wagyu (if Japan has Wagyu, Korea has Hanwoo). Hanwoo has their own grading system for their quality of the meat and the highest grade is called the 1++ or 투플러스 (투뿔) in Korean. 1++ grade Hanwoo usually has the highest marbling and tenderness and a higher price point compared to the lower tiers.

Just like a lot of newer restaurants in Seoul that just opened these past couple of years, Pungryugak uses the tabletop tablet ordering system. So all you have to do is browse the menu on the tablet, add the menu you want to order to the cart and press order. For this restaurant though, I don’t remember if they have language options. I came with my Korean friend and since we both can read Korean, I didn’t pay attention if they have option to change the language (you can always use Google Translate camera to read the menu if they don’t). Anyways, not long after we got seated, we placed our orders and the food came out soon after. 

Gochujang Beef Tartare (고추장육회) ₩15,000 | 8.5/10

The yukhoe (beef tartare) was nice and fresh. The temperature was also just right, not too cold or too warm. The gochujang (red pepper paste) sauce was a tad spicy for me but it’s a solid yukhoe.

Dry-Aged Hanwoo Beef Tounge (한우 우설) ₩29,000 | 9/10

20-Day Dry-Aged Beef Tounge
한우우설을 20일간 드라이에이징하여 쫀득하면서 아삭한 식감의 스페셜메뉴

The texture of the beef tongue was soft but still has that chewiness in the bite and it was juicy. Also there’s no meaty smell at all (sometimes there’s a certain smell in beef tongue if they don’t prepare or cook it properly).

Assorted 1++ Hanwoo Platter (투뿔한우모듬) ₩69,000 | 9/10

The Assorted 1++ Hanwoo Platter consists of the 1++ Hanwoo Kkotsal (top) and Dry-Aged 1++ Hanwoo Galbi (bottom).

Dry-Aged 1++ Hanwoo Galbi (Short Ribs) | 8.5/10

드라이에이징 투뿔한우갈비살 

The galbi was juicy, chewy but not tough at all. Galbi is usually a safe choice if you want a good, delicious meat for Korean BBQ and this one was no different. 

1++ Hanwoo Kkotsal (Chuck Flap Tail) | 9/10

투뿔 꽃살

The kkotsal has a very nice marbling. It was also the softest and juiciest out of all the cuts we ordered. Definitely my favorite cut of this meal.

After my first visit with my friend, I actually came back again a few days later with another friend. This time we ordered the Hanwoo Dry-Aged Beef Tounge (한우 우설) and 1++ Hanwoo Anchangsal (Outside Skirt) (투뿔 안창살). Didn’t take proper picture of the anchangsal but it was actually pretty good too. A 8.5/10 from me. This restaurant has officially made it to my ‘K-BBQ Restaurants in Hapjeong Area’ list. Definitely worth visiting if you want to get some high-quality Hanwoo.

 

Pungryugak • 풍류각

Address: 서울 마포구 월드컵로 33 1층
Telephone: 0507-1425-9279
Hours: Mon-Fri 11:00 - 02:00 (Break Time: 15:00 - 17:00) | Sat-Sun 11:00 - 02:00

Instagram: @pungryugak

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3F Lobby Seoul

Walking into 3F Lobby is like walking into the reception area of a small independent architect’s studio. The only difference is the said reception area has been transformed into a cafe where people can walk in, get a cup of coffee (or milk tea in my case) and hang around the space for a bit, even if you’re not a client of the architect.

Located on the third floor of an unassuming walk-up in Yongsan neighborhood (용산구), the cafe’s concept is clearly stated by the tagline printed under the logo on their signage—‘hand drip coffee brewed by architects’. The idea is simple, straightforward and a very good use of the space that they have considering that the architects only use one corner of the room for their private working studio. The rest of the modest space is furnished with minimal modern unique furnitures that give visitors both a collaborative atmosphere where you can discuss your ideas with your table mates as well as a private intimate mood if you want to be left alone with your thoughts. 

Earl Grey Milk Tea (얼그레이 밀크티) ₩6,800 | 8.5/10

I ordered their Earl Grey Milk Tea and was surprised that it was served with an ice ball. I thought that was a nice touch to the presentation of the drink. The milk tea was good and not too sweet. The ratio of the milk and tea was just how I like it. They also give a cube of brownie on the side with the drink which was a nice surprise. 

Other than coffee, non-coffee drinks, tea, and desserts, they also serve Whiskey and Highball on the menu. Since the place is a bit small, it can get a tad noisy when all the tables are fully occupied. I also have an inkling that this place might be busy on the weekends seeing that there are chairs lined up in front of the cafe for people who are waiting for a table (I went on a weekday so it wasn’t a full house. But considering it’s a weekday, the place was pretty packed). But all and all, this was a cool space to check out if you’re looking for a cafe to hang out at around Yongsan area.

 

3F Lobby

Address: 서울 용산구 한강대로15길 19-19 3층
Telephone: 070-8865-1919
Hours: Wednesday-Sunday 12:00-22:20 | Closed on Mondays & Tuesdays

Instagram: @3f_lobby

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Sutbul PIK

Sutbul is a new contemporary Korean dining restaurant that just opened in Golf Island PIK February this year. Focusing on traditional menus with a modern twist, Sutbul offers a variety of unique menus that are different from the dishes one usually find in a typical Korean restaurant in Jakarta. They also prided themselves in their meat cooking techniques where they use imported meat grilling rack from Korea with Binchotan charcoal, the purest charcoal on earth that burns with constant heat bringing out the best flavors in the meat it cooks.

The traditional meets modern concept also extends to the design of the interior of the restaurant. Although the choice of furnitures and fixtures decorating the space feel modern, there’s a certain air of nostalgia exuded by the burnt amber ceramic tiles and the beautiful Korean folklore traditional prints adorning the walls. This two-story restaurant feels stylish and modern but still warm and welcoming at the same time, making it a perfect place to go to if you feel like dressing up for a special occasion or for a casual meal with friends and family.

To start off the meal, they provide you with complimentary corn tea and seven different kinds of banchan. The banchan selections change from time to time but some of the permanent ones (at least the ones that I always got during my multiple visits to this place) are the sweet potatoes, fishcakes, pajeon/pancakes and the pickled onions. And I can say that their banchans are really good.

🍞 Makgeolli Bread 막걸리빵 (59k) | 10/10

Korean Rice Wine Bread, Charcoal Butter

Served in a steaming bamboo container, the Makgeolli bread is warm, soft and chewy. The texture reminded me of Indonesian’s Kue Mangkok, but softer and fluffier. The Makgeolli taste in the bread is subtle and not too sweet. For me though, as delicious as the bread is, the best thing about this dish is the charcoal butter. You got to dip the bread into the charcoal butter and get that combination of sweet and salty from the butter and salt. It’s soooo good. Easily one of my best new food finds this year and I’ve been ordering this on my subsequent visits to Sutbul since the first time I’ve had this. Although instead of having this as an appetizer, I now have this as a dessert.

🐟 Salmon Jang 연어장 (30k/slice) | 8.5/10

Soy Marinated Salmon, Onion

In Korean cuisine, “Jang” (장) refers to a family of traditional fermented sauces that are fundamental to Korean cooking. For the salmon jang, they are using Korean fermented soy sauce (ganjang 간장) so the taste of the soy sauce is different than the ones usually served with sushi or sashimi in a Japanese restaurant (don’t expect it to be the same flavor). The sauce tasted closer to the Korean soy marinated crab (ganjang gaejang  간장 게장) if you’ve ever had one of those. Taste wise, I think they really nailed the Korean flavor profile on the soy sauce. And the salmon pieces were fresh and thick with generous portion.

🥩 Yukhoe 육회 (Wagyu Picanha MB7 80g 250k) | 8/10

Raw Beef, Pear, Seaweed

The raw beef is fresh and cut nicely. The flavor of this dish is on the bolder side since they use soy sauce to marinate the beef (thus the slightly darker color of the meat) and the fresh yolk also added to the creaminess of the overall taste after being mixed together. The pear slices were sweet and fresh and worked really well to add a brighter note to the dish. I do wish the beef tartare is slightly colder than the room temperature that it was served on (but also, I was taking pics of the food for a while so it may contribute the temperature of the meat. Not too sure about this).

🍜  Perilla Cold Noodles 들기름 국수 (110k) | 10/10

Capellini Pasta, Perilla Oil, Perilla Leaves, Perilla Seeds, Seaweed

This is their signature menu that I haven’t seen anywhere else in Jakarta (at least as of now when I’m writing this post. If there’s other restaurant that’s serving this, I probably haven’t heard of it yet). Just like the name suggest, the flavor of this dish screams perilla, but in a nice refreshing way. The pasta is cooked al dente and the dish is really nicely seasoned with earthy, umami and creamy (but not too creamy and more on the lighter end of creamy) flavors. The seaweed powder also added a nice savoriness to the dish. If you like sesame oil or black sesame, roasted soybean, Korean mugwort flavored things like me, you’ll probably enjoy this dish. This is also a perfect dish to have during one of the hot days in Jakarta when you want something light and refreshing and it has become one of the menu that I always order on my every visit. 

🥩 Thick Cut Ox Tongue 우설 150g (425k) | 6/10

The Ox Tongue cuts were nice, thick and well seasoned but the texture was a bit tough and too chewy for my personal taste.

🥩 Beef Platter (1,450k) | 8/10

150g Sirloin (Top Left), 150g Chuck Flap (Top Right), 150g Rib Eye (Bottom)

The meat were nicely cooked although some pieces are a bit burnt on the outside so I took some point off for that. The Chuck Flap was the thickest one, has more fat and the juiciest out of the three cuts. I enjoyed this one the most. The other two are more on the leaner side but still enjoyable. 

🍰 Hotteok Ice Cream 호떡 아이스크림 (79k) | 8/10

Glutinous Rice Pancake, Brown Sugar, Cinnamon, Walnut, Vanilla Ice Cream

Pretty good dessert although it’s a tiny bit sweet for my personal taste. The portion is pretty generous though so make sure you leave some room in your stomach if you want to order this dessert or share it with the table. 

Other dishes that I’ve tried during my subsequent visits (when I didn’t bring my camera so I have no pictures of the individual dish other than this one below) are:

🍽️ Sogogi Gukbap 소고기 국밥 (130k) | 9/10

Beef Bone Soup, Beef Shank, Shimeji, Shiitake, White Rice

A comforting bowl of soup with generous toppings of beef chunks, mushrooms, radish, zucchini (I think. Cmiiw), green onions and eggs. Unlike the usual white/clear soup gukbap that I always had, the soup on this one is red and reminded me of jjigae (Korean stew) style soup, only less concentrated and lighter. It is a bit spicy for me who can’t handle spicy food well, but for people who does, this is probably not spicy at all. 

🥩 Pork Belly 200g 삼겹살 (168k) | 9/10

One of the better pork belly in this price range that I’ve had in a Korean restaurant around PIK area. Nicely cooked pieces of meat that were crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside. 

🥩 Pork Jowl 200g 항정살 (168k) | 9/10

Their pork jowl is also delicious. Same comment as the pork belly, nicely cooked pieces of meat that were crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside. And this one is more tender than the pork belly. 

🥩 Marinated Pork Collar 200g 양념목살 (168k) | 7/10

This one’s a bit tricky. The marination of the meat was really delicious but the texture of the pieces of meat that we got were not consistent. When I tried this, I went with two of my friends and the pieces of meat that I had were good and nice, but they got the tougher pieces so it was not as enjoyable for them as it was for me (I took some points off because of this). But we all agreed that the marination sauce is really good.

After my visit, I also recommended this place to a couple of my friends who went and ordered this menu. The result was 50-50. Half of them got great pieces of meat, half of them got tougher meat. I ended up asking about this to the manager during one of my subsequent visits and he told me that as of right now, they’re still continuously trying to address the inconsistency of the meat. So if you want to try this menu, maybe ask the server first if you’ll be getting a good piece of meat or not on that day before ordering (they could probably tell you by seeing the meat they have in stock that day). Honestly the dish is pretty good, it’s just if you got tougher pieces of meat, it won’t be as enjoyable so I just want to put it out there as a disclaimer. 

I have been back to Sutbul numerous times for dine-in and take-out since my first visit and I have to say (apart from the pork collar) their food is consistently good. My go-to menus usually are: Perilla Cold Noodles (you got to try this if this is your first visit to Sutbul), Sogogi Gukbap, and the Makgeolli Bread. For the meat, pork jowl and pork belly are probably the top two meat options right now since I haven’t tried the rest of the beef cuts just yet and their pork meat prices are pretty affordable. 

Service at this restaurant is also really good. Super friendly staff (for introverts it could be bordering on too friendly though since the staff’s energy level is pretty high. Just an FYI) and prompt service. The place is also pet friendly so if you want to bring your furry friends with you, you definitely can. If you’re looking for a Korean restaurant with less than traditional menu, I would totally recommend this place to try. And with how frequent I’ve been to this place lately, who knows, you might bump into me too (say hi if you do!).

Sutbul PIK

Address: Golf Island, Jln Rukan Jl. Pantai Indah Kapuk No.12 Blok J, DKI Jakarta 14470, Indonesia
Telephone: +62896 0371 5091
Hours: Everyday 11:00 - 00:00

Instagram: @sutbul.jkt

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