House of Vinyl Mangwon • 하우스오브바이닐 망원점

House of Vinyl Mangwon (하우스오브바이닐 망원점)—just as the name suggests—is a vinyl cafe located in Mangwon (망원동) neighborhood in Seoul. The cafe occupies a house-like building with interior set up just like a cozy vintage living room, making coming here feel like visiting a friend’s home. In the main area of the cafe, there’s a record player, sound system speakers and a shelf between the speakers with their current nine picks of vinyl records on display. Next to and above the window that lets in natural light into the space, there are more vinyls that are stored neatly as a part of their in-house collection. 

What makes this cafe unique is on top of the fact that you can listen to LP records that are playing on rotation, guest can also request one song per person to play during their visit (although this is subject to availability and if they don’t have the requested song on their LP collections, they’ll play the digital format for you).

There are about 18 seats that are spread around different corners of the cafe, with almost all of them are for 2-person party. And since the place is not too big, they do impose a 1.5 hours usage time and a 1-person-1-drink-order rule for visiting patrons. For the menu, they serve coffee, non-coffee drinks, tea and a selection of desserts including a pretty uncommon option, the Pavlovas. Due to the pretty loud music playing inside the cafe, noise level at this place is pretty high. While it’s not too busy during the weekdays (at least when I was visiting), the cafe can get busy during the weekends with people lining up to get a seat inside the space. 

With the significant rise in popularity of vinyls these past past couple of years, House of Vinyl Mangwon (하우스오브바이닐 망원점) definitely has its own appeal and charm to LP as well as music and coffee enthusiasts and makes it a unique spot to visit in Seoul. 

 

House of Vinyl Mangwon • 하우스오브바이닐 망원점

Address: 서울 마포구 희우정로16길 23 1층
Telephone: 0507-1321-9546
Hours: Everyday 11:00 - 22:00

Instagram: @houseofvinyl_mangwon

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Heuk Hwa Dang Hongdae • 흑화당 홍대점

Heuk Hwa Dang Hongdae (흑화당 홍대점) is a Korean premium tea and dessert house that first became popular because of their Taiwan-inspired drinks such as Brown Sugar Milk Tea (흑당 버블밀크티) and Boba Milk Tea (버블 밀크티). On top of that, the South Korean franchise also sells coffee, tea fruit drinks, and ice cream that are made with high quality ingredients and local Taiwanese recipes. After gaining popularity in the local market, Heuk Hwa Dang began their international expansion in 2019 and has now opened additional outlets in Japan, Malaysia, and the US.

I first found Heuk Hwa Dang a couple years ago when I was craving for some boba milk tea when I was visiting Seoul. Although milk tea options are usually present in majority of cafe menus in Seoul, finding boba milk tea spots is actually pretty hard back then (there’s more options now in Seoul, but still nothing compared to the options we have in South East Asia or China in my opinion). And so when I found this spot, I was super happy because their milk tea is good AND their boba is also good (if you know, not all places can have both). Since their menu is based on Taiwanese recipes, their milk teas actually taste like the ones you’d find in Taiwan. Their signature ‘Brown Sugar Bubble’ (boba)—which is boiled fresh every 4 hours—also has the right taste and chewiness that I like.

🧋  Jasmine Bubble Milk Tea 쟈스민 버블 밀크티 ₩5,700 • 9.5/10

The tea is fragrant, the ratio of milk and tea is great, the boba is delicious and it tastes like Taiwanese style bubble milk tea. Overall, a solid Jasmine Bubble Milk Tea. Other menus I usually get from this place are the Green Bubble Milk Tea (녹차 버블 밀크티) and the Black Bubble Milk Tea (홍차 버블 밀크티). Both are also solid options in my opinion.

The cafe itself is not very big in this location. Seatings are limited to about 12 seats inside so most people usually do takeouts if they’re buying just drinks. Also, in case you didn’t know, some cafes in Korea don’t allow you to use takeout cups to sit inside the cafe (they’ll serve your drink in regular cups/mugs if you do dine-in). So if you order for takeout, you really need to leave the cafe and enjoy your drinks outside. This place is one of those places. 

What I like about this location is that it’s actually located in the middle of Hongdae (only 132m from Hongdae Station exit 9 홍대입구역9번출구) so it’s pretty easy to get to. And it closes pretty late (11:30 pm) compared to other cafes in general so I can usually get my boba fix after dinner. 

If you’re looking for a good boba or milk tea spot in Seoul, would definitely recommend you to try this one.

 

Heuk Hwa Dang Hongdae • 흑화당 홍대점

Address: 서울 마포구 어울마당로 115-2 1층
Telephone: 02-322-1636
Hours: Everyday 11:00-23:30

Instagram: @heuk_hwa_dang

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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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