Korea Trip Day 7 [ 한국여행 - 일곱째날 ]

Did not do much sight seeing today as Nurfa gonna do her last minute shopping before she returns to Singapore. 
Went to Namdaemun Market [ 남대문시장 ] in the earlier part of the day. 

Namdaemun Market [ 남대문시장 ], opened in 1964, is the largest traditional market in Korea. There are various things such as clothes, bags, accessories, household ware, children's clothes and toys, etc selling in Namdaemun Market [ 남대문시장 ]. All products in Namdaemun Market [ 남대문시장 ] are sold at affordable prices and the stores also function as wholesale market at the same time. 

One of the entrance at Naedaemun Market [ 남대문시장 ]

While taking a walk in Namdaemun Market [ 남대문시장 ], there are lots of shops selling clothes and bags but personally I feel that all these clothes and bags are not suitable for the younger people but more for the middle-age people or older, but that means that your wallet can be at a rest while you are shopping in Namdaemun Market [ 남대문시장 ]. 

One of the alleys

Namdaemun Market [ 남대문시장 ] opens from 11am to 5pm and is closed every Sunday ( though some of the street vendors will still be open Sunday ). This market is crowded at all times so be prepared to get 'knocked' into during your tour at the market. 

There are also lots of street vendors in Namdaemun Market [ 남대문시장 ] selling street food such as Ddeokbokki [ 떡볶이 ], Odeng [ 오뎅 ], Fried Snacks [ 튀김 ], Hotteok [ 호떡 ], Egg bread [ 계란빵 ] and much more, so be prepared to get your wallet and stomach ready and tried out the different street food at affordable pricing. 

How to get to Namdaemun Market [ 남대문시장 ] :
Hoehyeon Station [ 회현역 ] , Line 4 [ 4호선 ], Exit 5 [ 5번 출구 ]


After touring at Namdaemun Market [ 남대문시장 ], decided to go to Myeongdong [ 명동 ] since it is just one stop away. 

Myeongdong [ 명동 ] is one of the busiest and main shopping street of Seoul and is one of the top tourist district. There are different kind of shops in Myeongdong [ 명동 ] from high end fashion to causal attire and as well as the different brands of cosmetic shops located in Myeongdong [ 명동 ].

Entrance of Myeongdong [ 명동 ]

Entering into Myeongdong [ 명동 ]

Myeongdong [ 명동 ] is full of beauty outlets and every Korean cosmetic brand has at least one outlet in Myeongdong [ 명동 ]. Most of the beauty products are selling at inexpensive pricing but of high quality. There are always sales going on at the different beauty outlets in order to attract more costumers. You do not have to worry of communication problem while shopping in these beauty outlets as there are staffs who are able to speak Korean/Chinese/English and even Japanese for the convenience of international tourists. 

Beside the different Beauty outlets, you can also get different brands of clothes such as Zara, Forever 21 or even casual clothing for the alleys of Myeongdong [ 명동 ]. These casual clothing might not be famous for the brands but they are fashionable and also affordable at the same time. 

Myeongdong [ 명동 ] is not only famous for the shopping experiences but also well-known for the choices of food. There are lots of different options for you if you intend to have your meal in Myeongdong [ 명동 ]. There are lots of Korean restaurants in Myeongdong [ 명동 ], but if you intend to go for other choices such as Japanese food, Western food, Chinese food or even fast food, you will not be disappointed as you will sure to find something that you like in Myeongdong [ 명동 ].

There are also lots of street vendor on the main street and alleys of Myeongdong [ 명동 ] and if you decide not to go for main course, you can also try out the different street food and you will get spoiled for the choices that they offered. 

Do drop by Myeongdong [ 명동 ] if you have the chance to experience one of busiest street of Seoul. 

How to get to Myeongdong [ 명동 ] :
Myeongdong Station [ 명동역 ] , Line 4 [ 4호선 ], Exit 5/6/7/8 [ 5/6/7/8번 출구 ]

Went off to Wangsimni Station [ 왕십리역 ] to meet I-jin for dinner. She brought us to one of the fried chicken shop in the area and she told us that fried chicken is really famous in Korea and popular for all people. 

Personally I felt that Korean style fried chicken is more crispy as compared to the normal fried chicken but it is nothing special as fried chicken can be commonly found in different countries ( Sorry but that's how I feel personally ). 

It is also a must to order a mug of beer to go with fried chicken while you are eating. 

Recommend you to go for a try of Korean fried chicken if you wanna live like a Korean.

Went off to the E-mart located at Wangsimni Station [ 왕십리역 ] after dinner. E-mart is a discounted supermarket operated by Shinsegae. The E-mart is really big and you can find everything that you need in the E-mart, from household item, clothes, cosmetic, food and snacks and much more. 

Do consider dropping by this E-mart if you need to do some grocery shopping. 

How to get to E-mart :

Wangsimni Station [ 왕십리역 ], Line 2 or 5 [ 2 / 5호선 ], Exit 5 [ 5번 출구 ]

Final photo before saying bye

Stay tune for my next update. 

Korea Trip Day 2 [ 한국여행 - 둘째날 ]

I did not do much on day 2 due to the rain. It was raining the whole day and I couldn't get out since I did not have my umbrella with me. 

Went out to the nearby shops to grab my lunch. Saw this small little eatery that's look really quiet and local and went in for my lunch. Ordered a Bibim guksu [ 비빔국수 ], which is a kind dish made with wheat flour noodles. 

Bibim guksu [ 비빔국수 ]

The noodle came and the portion of the noodle was really a lot. The noodle was chewy and was cold. The boss actually rinsed the noodles with cold ice water after the noodle is cooked. Although the noodle look red and spicy but it actually tasted a bit sweet. The vegetables used in the noodles were really fresh. 

Would actually recommended people to try out this dish especially if you are the kind that enjoy bibimbap [ 비빔밥 ] but do bear in mind that the sauce used  in Bibim guksu [ 비빔국수 ] is not as spicy as the sauce of bibimbap [ 비빔밥 ]. Bibim guksu [ 비빔국수 ] is extremely popular in Korea especially during summer. 

Went back to the apartment and slacked while waiting for the rain to stop. Went to Myeongdong [ 명동 ] to meet Vanessa for dinner. We decide to have Yoogane [ 유가네 ] for dinner. 

Myeongdong [ 명동 ] brunch

To get to Yoogane [ 유가네 ] :

Myeongdong station [명동역] , Line 4 [ 4호 ], Exit 6 [ 출구 ]. Turn right after Uniqlo [ Uniqlo에, 우회전 ] Yoogane is on your left [ 왼쪽 ]

There are actually 2 outlets of Yoogane [ 유가네 ] in Myeongdong so you can always drop by the other outlet if the first outlet is full. 

We ordered mixed octopus and chicken galbi [ 쭈닭갈비 ]. 

Mixed octopus and chicken galbi [ 쭈닭갈비 ]

The serving was big but it is a must that you had to order 3 serving if you have a group of 3 people. We had a hard time trying to finish the food as the serving was really big and we couldn't request for 2 serving since we are a group of 3 people. 

The food was served and you do not have to worry about how you should go about cooking it as the waiters in the restaurant will help you with it and ensure that the food is cooked before they off the fire. 

When we started eating, the octopus and the chicken had already absorb the taste of the sauce into it. And the first moment that you tasted it, you will feel that the spiciness of the food is acceptable, but as you continued to eat, you start to feel the spiciness of the food remaining in your mouth and it gets hotter and hotter for every mouth that you eat. 

However, you will not feel any burning sensation inside your stomach despite of the spiciness. You can actually soothe the spicy taste by drinking water. 

Yoogane [ 유가네 ] in Korea definitely taste better than the brunch in Singapore despite of having the same menu. And the price in Korea is much more reasonable. If you have the chance to visit Korea, do try out their Yoogane [ 유가네 ]. 

Walk around Myeongdong [ 명동 ]  after dinner and bought some masks as most of the brands are having a 1 - 1 sales. Gotta myself 10 masks plus another 10 masks free. It's a must to replenish your facial stuff whenever you are in Korea. 

Did not have much photo for this day. Will try to capture more photos next time.