Seoul (South Korea) Day 5 and 6: Starbucks Seoul Wave Art Center + GOTO Mall + Ssada Gimbab

Sunday 6/10/24

We headed out again at 1.15pm to continue our itinerary. We took a cab to Jamwon Hangang Park, spending our afternoon relaxing by the Han River, away from the city. It was about 25 minutes ride from our hotel.

We came here for Starbucks Seoul Wave Art Center which was a floating coffee house. It was drizzling when we arrived, we already felt blessed for the great weather over the past four days where we cleared most of our itinerary.

Seoul Wave Art Center is a three-storey exhibition museum that floats along the South banks of the Han River. At one glance, the structure looked like lego bricks to me. It has become a popular spot among locals seeking a serene spot after exploring the park.

The food selection was very limited, their specialty was their drinks. Since we had sandwich for breakfast, we decided to skip them for lunch and opt for something else.

After collecting our order, we went up to the second level as first level was full. Fortunately, we found a seat with river view because that's what we came for.

I had Earl Grey Vanilla Tea Latte at ₩6,900 (or S$6.78) that was only available in Korea. It had a balance of the aromatic earl grey notes, followed by a sweet vanilla aftertaste that lingered.

We shared a bag of Mini Leaf Pie at ₩3,900 (or S$3.83). These treats were tasty, featuring a crispy, sugar-coated exterior and a buttery interior shaped like a leaf.

The cafe was well positioned, offering a panoramic view of the Han River through the glass windows. It was an ideal spot to unwind with a drink, rejuvenate and enjoy the visual treat of being beside the river. Fully relaxed, I watched the gentle waves on the water.

I also had White Chocolate Cowboy Cookie at ₩2,800 (or S$2.75). The cookie had a crunchy texture with sweetness from the chocolate. I had lots of cookies these few days and sugar level overdosed.

After spending a relaxing 1.5 hours over here, we left Starbucks to continue with our plans. It was still drizzling when we left.

Starbucks Seoul Wave Art Center

145-35 Jamwon-ro, Seocho District, Seoul, South Korea

Operating hours: 8.30am to 9pm from Mon to Fri, 7.30am to 9.30pm on Sat and 7.30am to 9pm on Sun

Due to the drizzle, we took a cab down to Express Bus Terminal Station, which took less than 10 minutes drive. We reached here around 3.40pm. Since we were already in the area, we decided to visit GOTO Mall, the largest underground shopping mall in Seoul conveniently located at the station.

GOTO Mall had many stores lining both sides of two parallel corridors, offering a variety of items, including clothes, accessories, flowers, and more. However, most of the clothing available was thick and catered to winter, which was not what I was looking for. I managed to find a light jacket at this store for ₩6,900 (or S$6.78).

We finished shopping at 5.20pm and wanted to take a cab back to Myeongdong. However, there was no prominent location to pin on the map so we walked around trying to find a spot. We eventually walked until JW Marriott Hotel Seoul to take the cab.

While waiting for cab, there was an Ajumma that approached me and asking something in Korean language, probably asking for direction. So I just replied Anniyo (No) and she immediately said oh tourist.

We reached Myeongdong at 6.30pm and began our final round of shopping. I purchased two packs of plasters from Wellness Pharm at ₩25,000 (or S$24.58) and multiple packs of HBAF snacks from HBAF Almond Store at ₩47,700 (or S$46.90).

We were feeling hungry since we did not had a proper lunch. We chanced upon Ssada Gimbab along the stretch we were exploring. The menu appealed to us so we decided to dine there. We came at 7pm and most of the tables were already occupied, luckily we managed to secure one of the last few available.

I had Shrimp Omelette Rice at ₩12,000 (or S$11.80). The dish was simple yet packed with flavour. It was drizzled with curry sauce that added a hint of spice, complementing the fried rice hidden beneath.

We also ordered Fried Dumpling at ₩3,500 (or S$3.44). It was my first time seeing such a long dumpling, it was nicely fried to a golden brown with crispy crust.

Ssada Gimbab Myeongdong Station

26 Myeongdong 8ga-gil, Jung District, Seoul, South Korea

Operating hours: 24 hours daily

I chanced upon a 1-for-1 sale on got aloe vera gel at Missha and could not resist picking it up. I also bought a makeup remover, the total cost was ₩10,800 (or S$10.62).

My hands were full of shopping bags, so we decided to go back hotel to offload before continuing our night. We reached hotel at 8.30pm and took a short 20 minutes rest to recharge. With our hotel's central location, getting to Myeongdong was convenient.

We went to LINE Friends Flagship Store and spotted BTS handprints on display. The BT21 collaboration between BTS and LINE Friends Corporation featured cute characters created by the BTS members themselves.

We passed by Myeongdong Police Substation that attracted my attention with its 3 storey red brick house structure. The unique architecture stood out from the bustling surroundings.

We chanced upon this roadside stall and I got a t-shirt for ₩10,000 (or S$9.83). With this final purchase, we felt ready to wrap up the day. 

We reached hotel at 10pm and spent some time packing our belongings, preparing to head home the next day. Here were my purchases from Dongdaemun and GOTO Mall.

Here were my purchases from Myeongdong. It took me a while to arrange them in my luggage, which was already full. I regretted bring my thick jacket along which I never wore.

Monday 7/10/24

I slept at 12.30am but woke up at 3.30am and took a while to sleep back. The next time I woke up was 6.15am, just nice to start getting ready for the day.

I ate the Chocolate Chips Cookie at ₩2,900 (or S$2.85) from Dunkin' Donut, which we bought during the second day of our trip. It was quite a large and I could not finish it at such an early hour. We were ready to check out by 7.30am and head to the airport.

Instead of dragging our luggage to the bus stop for the airport limousine bus, we took a cab to Incheon International Airport. The ride took about an hour and cost ₩66,000 (or S$64.90). We arrived at 8.45am.

After clearance, it was 9.30am. We had Burger King for breakfast. We ordered Chicken King Burger (one ala carte and one meal) at ₩14,800 (or S$14.55), something not available in Singapore.

Our flight was on schedule, and the plane began to taxi at11.10am.

After half an hour into the flight, I was served with a cup of apple tea and a small snack, just perfect as I watched Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

Lunch was served at 1.45pm. I had Jja Jang Bap, braised pork and onion in black bean sauce, served with fried egg and steam rice. The meal also included marinated prawns with salad as an appetizer, along with the usual bread roll and spread.

The dessert was a fish sandwich vanilla ice cream with a layer of red bean paste. The exterior waffle had a firm texture to hold the ice cream inside, a sweet and pleasant end to the meal.

We landed in Singapore at 4.30pm after 6 hours flight. This trip to Seoul was amazing and the duration was just right. It was filled with delicious food, beautiful scenery and fulfilling shopping, the kind of vacation that I like. I can't wait to explore more of this country in the future.

Seoul (South Korea) Day 5: Dongdaemun Design Plaza + Isssac Toast + Migliore

I slept at around 12.30am but stayed awake until 1 plus. The next time I woke up was 5 plus and subsequently at 7.20am. Considering my usual sleep pattern during overseas, this was quite a good rest for me.

We finished preparation by 9.30am and were ready to head out. As I was wearing a long-sleeve shirt today, I decided to leave my jacket behind at the hotel.

We took a cab down to Dongdaemun, reached the place at 9.50am Upon alighting, the chilly weather hit me and I instantly regretted not bringing my jacket along.

Here at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), a complex that serves as a museum and event venue for exhibitions, conferences, and more. The architecture was designed by the world-renowned architect Zaha Hadid, blending futuristic design with culture.

One interesting feature of DDP is the exterior making up of over 40,000 aluminum panels to form the iconic curves. The innovative design blended well with its surroundings.

I spotted a piano and could not resist going up to play a tune. It brought back memories of my childhood when I had a mini piano for kids and a little scorebook. I used to play it when I had free time.

The piano is one of the instruments I wanted to learn, can I use my SkillsFuture credits to take piano lessons?

We made our way toward Hyundai Department Store as we wanted to have our breakfast somewhere near there.

Isssac Toast was on my must-try list and I was happy to find an outlet conveniently located near Hyundai Outlet Mall. The store was run by two ahjummas, offering a menu of five items. The toast was freshly prepared on the spot, with multiple hotplates to cook different ingredients at the same time. Our order was ready in just 5 minutes.

After getting our toasts, we went to look for a spot to enjoy the breakfast. We found ourselves at Hyundai Outlet Mall where there were cushion seating along the staircase, a perfect place for us to settle down.

I had Ham Cheese Potato Toast at ₩4,200 (or S$4.13), it also contained an omelette and a slice of cheese, making each toast packed with a variety of ingredients. Each ingredient complemented well with each other, adding layers of creaminess and savoury goodness to every bite.

Isaac Toast & Coffee Migliore

43 Jangchungdan-ro 13-gil, Jung District, Seoul, South Korea

Operating hours: 8am to 8pm daily

We finished our breakfast by 10.30am, just in time as the shops in the mall began to open. Since we were already at Hyundai Outlet Mall, we decided to explore it first. However, after browsing awhile, I did not find anything that caught my eye. There were some other shops lining up the street too.

Next, we went on to Migliore which turned out to be my favourite mall for shopping. The fashion retail centre offers a variety of items across different floors. While the prices were not exactly cheap, they were more affordable compared to those at Myeongdong and Hongdae.

I picked two tops and one black skirt from a shop here at ₩40,000 (or S$39.33). I liked the design here but most of them were thick clothing that I rarely get the chance to wear. So, I controlled myself to just three pieces.

I chanced upon a small section selling clothes at ₩10,000 (or S$9.83) and bought a shirt from here. Dongdaemun is a fashion shopping haven, with countless clothing stores though many shops were selling similar items.

We moved on next to Hello apM, another fashion mall located besides Migliore. This mall caters more to the young adults in their 20s. With so many malls to explore in this area, comfortable footwear is a must, as there will be plenty of walking involved.

I got a t-shirt here for ₩5,000 (or S$4.92). Although the cutting was not good, the price was too tempting. Even if I wear it only once or twice, it will still be worth the price.

We continued walking around Dongdaemun until around 12.30pm, we decided to take a cab back to hotel to offload my shopping bag and have a short rest. The ride was within 10 minutes.

Seoul (South Korea) Day 4: Starfield COEX Mall + Vanner's Fansign Event + Starfield Library

We took a cab to Starfield COEX Mall which was quite a distance from our hotel (an hour journey if we take train). We alighted at the Gangnam Style Sculpture at 6.45pm, a popular photo spot to celebrate the global success of PSY's hit song 'Gangnam Style'.

After snapping a quick photo, we noticed a group of tourists came to crowd the spot. Not wanting to queue in the cold, especially since I left my jacket at the hotel, we quickly made our way into the mall.

As we walked around the mall, we noticed a crowd gathering around the railings. We peeked down and saw a stage set up for a fan sign event for Vanner's 3rd mini album. I decided to join in and wait around to catch a glimpse of the K-pop group.

After 15 minutes of waiting, Vanner finally arrived at 7.05pm, greeted by cheers from their fans. They are a boy group that debuted in 2019 consisting of five members. They are currently promoting as a four member group as Sungkook is enlisted in the army. They are now back with their third mini album 'Burn'.

From left to right: Taehwan (leader), Gon, Hyesung and Yeongkwang (maknae). Taehwan and Gon were looking at our direction.

After the greeting, the fan signing event straight away began. Gon was still waving at us.

I like how the setup allowed for a more personal interaction between the idols and their fans. Seats were arranged for fans to sit down and have one-on-one moments with the boys, making the experience more memorable for the fans.

After staying for several minutes, we left to look for dinner. We passed by an eatery selling lunch box and rice bowl, it caught our attention and decided to settle for it.

I had Pork Bulgogi with Rice at ₩10,900 (or S$10.72). The pork bulgogi was quite flavourful and the accompanying kimchi carried a hint of spice that added a kick to the meal. Our dinner was settled in half an hour time.

SPAO is a well know Korean fashion brand often endorsed by K-pop idols, I got my bro a brown sweater at ₩39,000 (or S$38.35) as his souvenir.

One of the reasons for visiting Starfield COEX Mall was the iconic Starfield Library, a two level library featuring 13 meter tall floor-to-ceiling bookshelves that draws countless visitors.

The Starfield Library is more than just a library, it is the blend of literature and architecture. Many visitors came here to immerse themselves in a good book or enjoy a peaceful moment in the serene atmosphere.

It brought back memories of my younger days when I loved borrowing books from the school library. One of them was reading the entire Harry Potter series. As technology evolved and eBooks released, I stopped visiting the library and opt for the convenience of eBooks.

It was nearly 9.30pm and the fan sign was coming to an end, we managed to catch one last glimpse of Vanner as they bid farewell to their fans. 

We took a cab back to the hotel, a 30 minute journey for about ₩18,000. We reached hotel at 10.10pm, ready to rest after another fulfilling day.