Category: South Korea

Lusso lab, Jeongdong

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Lusso Lab is located in the quiet historical area of Jeongdong, not far from Deoksugung Palace. The quaint neighborhood is beautiful for a stroll after a meal. The interior is spacious with industrial-style decor. There is an enticing display of cakes by the counter. The staff was friendly but spoke minimal English.

The menu offers Western food such as French toast, American breakfast, eggs benedicts, and more. Brunch sets are also available.

I settled for brunch set C, which consists of an American breakfast set, a Cobb salad, and two cups of coffee. We opted for a latte and cappuccino. Also, I ordered a Tiramisu, brioche bread with bechamel sauce, ham, cheese, egg, grilled asparagus, and Brioche French toast.

The brioche French toast came with homemade ricotta cheese, bacon, walnuts, blueberries, and maple syrup. The French toast was pillowy soft. The ricotta cheese was creamy and smooth with a hint of sweetness, and the bacon was not too salty – a good balance between sweet and savory. The tiramisu could be better. Some parts of the sponge cake were dry, and the coffee tasted weak.

Compared to the other dishes, I did not enjoy the American breakfast. It was a bit bland, and I would have preferred toasted bread. The brioche bread with bechamel sauce was good, and the creamy bechamel sauce paired with cheese and ham – was delicious!

Overall, it is an excellent spot for brunch!

 

Vanilla french toast  12,800 won.

Croque Madame  9,800 won

Brunch set C  25,800 won

 

Lusso Lab, Jeongdong branch

Website: https://www.lussolab.co.kr/main.do

Opening hours: Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. – 20:00 p.m

Saturday & Sunday 9:00 a.m. – 20:00 p.m.

Telephone: 02-772-9935

Address: 17 Jeongdong-gil, Jeong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul

Ibagu, traditional tea house

Tucked away in one of Insadong’s alleyways is a quaint traditional tea house – Ibagu. The tea house is housed in a traditional building. The soft lighting and background music added to the ambiance. Our server was friendly and spoke reasonably good English.

The menu consists of a variety of Korean teas, desserts, coffee, and Western teas. There are also four set menus of different dessert-drink combinations.

We ordered a set menu and a roasted 5-grain smoothie.

The set menu we ordered included a long white rice cake, sweet red bean porridge, and a coffee. The red bean porridge had a smooth consistency and was unexpectedly savory with a hint of sweetness. The rice cake was interesting. Before this, I have only had Tteokbokki (spicy rice cake). The warm rice cakes were covered in soybean powder with a syrup drizzle. If you like the Japanese Kinako mochi, you will like this.

The roasted 5-grain smoothie was the highlight! It was rich, creamy, sweet, and nutty. It was one of those drinks where you have to have another after the first sip. The drink resembles a peanut smoothie but is more fragrant; my most memorable drink here in Seoul.

The prices here are a bit high but worth a visit.

 

Set menu 3 ( 2 desserts and a beverage) 19,500 won

Roasted 5-grain smoothie 8,000 won

Ibagu

Opening hours: Daily 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 a.m.

Telephone: +82 2-730-2088

Address: 5 Insadong 6-gil, Gwanhun-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Osulloc Tea House, Myeongdong (permanently closed)

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Osulloc is a famous premium tea brand in Korea that has been selling tea (mainly green tea) from Jeju since 1979. The Osulloc tea house in Myeongdong has a cafe and a store. The contemporary design reminds me of Starbucks. The cafe offers teas, lattes, cakes, and ice creams. You can purchase gift sets or teas from the store. One interesting thing sold at the store is their green tea milk spread.

The hojicha latte was delicious. It’s like a mocha but with tea. It was creamy with a roasted nutty flavor. Jeju tangerine milk tea is one of Osulloc’s popular drinks.  Both teas were not overly sweet.

Osulloc is a must-visit for green tea lovers.

 

Jeju Tangerine Milk Tea 7000 won

Hojicha latte 7000 won

Osulloc Tea House, Myeongdong

Website: https://www.osulloc.com/kr/en

Opening hours: Daily 10:00 a.m. – 22:00 p.m

Telephone: +82 2-774-5460

Address: 12 Myeongdong 7-gil, Myeongdong 1(il)-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Amiso Korean Restaurant

Amiso is a Korean BBQ restaurant located on the 5th floor of the Polaris building in Myeongdong. The place is spacious, with an outdoor seating area. The restaurant serves Korean BBQ as well as traditional dishes such as Bibimbap, Ginseng chicken soup, and a variety of stews. The waitress who served us spoke very little English but could speak Chinese. Luckily, my family and I could speak Chinese, so we could order with ease.

My family and I ordered dolsot bibimbap (bibimbap served in a hot stone bowl), Doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew), and Sundubu-jjigae (soft tofu stew). As customary at all Korean restaurants, we were served several side dishes before our main meal. They were all delicious!

The main dishes we ordered were all good but not spectacular.

dolsot bibimbap 12,000 won (10 USD)

soft tofu stew 12,000 won

soybean paste stew 12,000 won

 

Amiso

Telephone: +82 2-756-3317

Opening hours: 10:00 a.m. – 22:00 p.m Daily

Address: 25 Myeongdong 4-gil, Myeongdong 2(i)-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea