Solsot Cheongdam • 솔솥 청담점

Solsot Cheongdam (솔솥 청담점) is a chain restaurant that is specialized in “Sotbap” (솥밥) (or“pot rice” in Korean), a Korean traditional dish where short-grain rice is cooked with various ingredients in a heavy pot placed directly on a stove or over an open flame. The dish has been gaining popularity (or at least I’ve seen more and more clips online of restaurants serving Sotbap) in the past couple of years and in my opinion is one of the food trends that’s pretty popular in Korea in recent times (not recent recent, but pretty recent). I still remember a couple of years ago when it started with one or two restaurants that went viral because of their Sotbap menu. But these days, you can find multiple restaurants that have similar concepts in different places in the country. Solsot is one of the bigger franchise in this category with 77 locations all over South Korea. 

I went to the Cheongdam location (솔솥 청담점) on a Friday for lunch with a friend of mine. We arrived at 11:30 am, right before the lunch rush started and managed to get a table right away. The restaurant is not too big with about 24 seatings available around the room. The tables are for mostly for 4 people, but there are about four tables that accommodate party of two. And good thing we came a little early because minutes later, the restaurant was full with people and there’s even a line forming outside. So yes, the place is definitely pretty popular and you might have to wait for a table if you come during lunch or dinner rush. 

The menu here is pretty straight forward with accompanying pictures so you don’t have to guess what you’re getting. Each Sotbap set comes with sides of salad, soup, banchan, dipping sauce and a Yakult drink. 

How To Eat

First, mixed everything inside the pot. Add the sauce too according to your preference and liking. After everything is mixed together, scoop the rice out and place them on the empty plate they gave with your set. If you want to enjoy the Nurungji (or scorched rice), leave the crispy rice that’s sticking to the pot and then pour the hot tea/broth that they gave you inside the white sake bottle shaped container into the pot and put the lid back on top. You can eat this at the end of your meal after you finish your Sotbap.

Overall Comment

One thing I have to say about the flavors, if you’re imagining Sotbap to have a bold flavors (as in South East Asian standard for bold flavors and strong seasonings for example), you might be disappointed when eating it. In general, I think when talking about what considered comfort food in Korea, most of the dishes are very mildly seasoned, especially if you’re comparing it to the flavors one usually finds in South East Asian cooking. Even my Korean friends have told me that SEA foods are generally stronger in seasonings and saltier compared to Korean food (not all, but majority of it). So for the locals, the flavors and seasonings might already hit their level of comfort, but if you are from South East Asia or prefer a strongly seasoned dishes like those found in the SEA countries, Sotbap could taste a tad under seasoned for your taste buds. Just a heads up.

Abalone Sotbap (전복솥밥) ₩18,000 | 8/10

The abalone is fresh and chewy, not tough at all. This Sotbap tastes very earthy especially with the addition of the sesame seeds. For the Abalone Sotbap, it does come with a pack of seaweed sheet on the side. And they recommend you to wrap the rice with the seaweed, dip it into the sauce and eat it in one bite. Eating it this way does add a layer of complexity to the Sotbap and enhance that sea flavor in your bite.

Steak Sotbap (스테이크솥밥) ₩18,000 | 8/10

The steak is nice and tender with pretty generous portion. The egg yolk added an extra creaminess to the Sotbap which I enjoyed. The sauce for the Steak Sotbap is a bit saltier than the Abalone Sotbap’s sauce so I would recommend you to pour it little by little first and taste it in case pouring everything in all together is too salty for you. 

All and all, my friend and I enjoyed our meal. We were pretty stuffed by the end of our lunch (we didn’t even finish all of our rice, just the proteins cause the portion is actually bigger than we thought) and the Sotbap felt like a very healthy meal. If you’re looking for something warm, comforting and nutritious for your body, I think Sotbap is the way to go.

Solsot Cheongdam • 솔솥 청담점

Address: 서울 강남구 도산대로53길 16
Telephone: 0507-1334-6806
Hours: Everyday 11:30-21:00 (Last Order 20:30)

Instagram: @solsot_official

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Unvanish Hannam • 언베니쉬 한남

Unvanish Hannam (언베니쉬 한남) is a Korean brand that sells perfume, body oil, hand wash, body wash, and life fragrance. Stumbled upon this store during one of my shopping trip with my friend around Hannam area. Saw their posters plastered on the walls outside the building and we decided to climbed up the stairs to the second floor to check the place out.

Pleasant aromatic scent greeted us as soon as we stepped into the store. The place isn’t too big. But just like the majority of the shops around here, it is well-designed. Their products are displayed around the space that is decorated with modern minimalistic furniture and fixtures. One corner resembles a small living room and on the other they have an open bathroom display area with bathtub and sink where you can use to test their hand or body wash.

Sea of ​​Green Life Mood Spray (씨 오브 그린 라이프 무드 스프레이) ₩59,000

Elegant AldehydeㅣCool MuskㅣSea Beyond the Grass
3.38 fl oz. (100 ml)

TOP     ALDEHYDE, GRAPEFRUIT, MANDARIN
MID     ROSE, MUGUET, VIOLET
BASE   MOSS, SANDALWOOD, MUSK, TONKA

“The elegant and clean aldehyde scent will capture the tip of your nose the moment you apply it. The light floral scent is reminiscent of the sea beyond the grassy plains. The scent of musk and soft sandalwood is finished with  the whisper of a cool sea breeze and the scent of ripples in the earth, bringing to mind memories of early morning walks along the sea.” —Unvanish

Out of all the scents, both me and my friend like the Sea of Green Life the best. But unfortunately, all the Sea of Green products were out of stock when we were there so we couldn’t purchase any. We took it as a sign that we should go back again next time. If you’re looking for perfume around Hannam-dong area, this place is worth checking out. 

Image Courtesy: Unvanish Website

Unvanish Hannam • 언베니쉬 한남

Address: 서울 용산구 이태원로49길 19 2층 언베니쉬
Telephone: 070-4129-3333
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 11:30-20:00 (Closed on Mondays)

Instagram: @unvanish.official
Website

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Yoo Bang Nyeong The Hyundai Seoul • 유방녕 더현대서울점

Yoo Bang Nyeong The Hyundai Seoul (유방녕 더현대서울점) is a Chinese restaurant that is located at the B1 Floor of The Hyundai Seoul Mall (더현대서울). I ended up at this restaurant simply because me and my friend wanted to eat some Jjajangmyeon and Tangsuyuk when we were hanging out at The Hyundai Seoul and this place seemed to have a pretty good options for those. 

As soon as we walked in, we took a seat at one of the empty table inside the pretty spacious restaurant. We put our order into the self-service tablet on the table and not long after, our food was served.

Yooni Jjajangmyeon (유니짜장면) ₩11,000 | 9/10

Black Bean Sauce Noodles with Minced Meat

The noodle is cooked perfectly and it’s very easy to mix the sauce (some places have the noodle clumped up together, but this place definitely cooked their noodle right). The black bean sauce is also really tasty and flavorful. One of the better Jjajangmyeon I’ve had in Seoul.

Black Garlic Tangsuyuk (흑마늘 탕수육) (Small) ₩33,000 | 9/10

Black garlic sweet and sour pork

The texture of the tangsuyuk is so good. Crispy breading on the outside with juicy tender pork meat on the inside. The sweet and sour sauce also hit that middle balance between sweet and sour, making it a perfect pair for the meat. This was the first time I tried black garlic and I thought it’s gonna taste like a raw garlic and spicy. But surprisingly, it tasted sweet. If you like black garlic, you’ll definitely enjoy this dish (my friend who eats black garlic often did).

This is one of those no frill, no fuss kind of restaurant that you can go in and out quickly after you eat your food. And judging by the two menus we ordered, I think it’s safe to say that their food is pretty good. This is place is a good option to try if you’re looking for a place to eat when you’re hanging out at The Hyundai Seoul. As for me, I would definitely come back again to this place if I’m craving for some Jjajangmyeon or Tangsuyuk. 

Yoo Bang Nyeong The Hyundai Seoul • 유방녕 더현대서울점

Address: 서울 영등포구 여의대로 108 더현대서울 B1F
Telephone: 0507-1367-0769

Hours:
Monday-Thursday 10:30-20:00 (Last Order 19:30)
Friday-Sunday 10:30-20:30 (Last Order 20:00)

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Pan Am Seongsu Flagship Store • 팬암 성수플래그쉽스토어

Pan Am Seongsu Flagship Store (팬암 성수플래그쉽스토어) is one of the many cool stores that you can find in Seongsu-dong neighborhood. Opened by a Seoul-based fashion company SJ Group who acquired the brand’s merchandise licensing, Pan Am sells men’s and women’s apparel, accessories, bags and home decor products that are inspired by the airline’s rich history with a modern spin to the designs. The store itself is also a reflection of that same concept. Designed by South Korean architects NiiiZ DESIGN LAB (@niiizdesignlab), they combined the rugged concrete structure left by the old factory who used to occupy the building with more futuristic and sleek fixtures and furnitures decorating the interior, making the store looks like something straight out of a sci-fi movie. 

If you’re not familiar with the brand, Pan Am—also known as Pan American World Airways—was one of the leading and most well-known US airline during the 1950s until the 1970s. The brand was associated with luxury intercontinental travels with little competition on the market during what many Americans considered as the golden  era of air travel. The company was in operational for 64 years before it ceased operation in 1991. But even after that, their blue globe logo—also known as “The Blue Meatball”—which was used from 1973 to 1991 is still one of the most recognizable piece of their history. 

I personally have heard about and seen Pan Am since I was young. But the one thing that kind of cemented its association with luxury travels in my brain was when I watched the Catch Me If You Can movie (one of my favorite movie of all time actually) where the main character Frank Abagnale Jr. who’s a master of deception and excellent forger pretended to be a Pan Am pilot and got away with it. He lived such a glamorous life during that period of his life and the movie does make it looks like working as an Pan Am pilot comes with certain status symbol and privilege.

Seeing how a fairly iconic brand that’s well-known for its vintage heritage designs translated and adapted into a more modern and sporty direction is always interesting. And I have to say they did a pretty good job at adapting Pan Am’s original branding to the product line-ups they have in store (granted they steer towards the more general sporty lifestyle direction instead of the aviation inspired direction). One thing that I like about their apparel collections is they have a lot of pieces with discreet logo, subtler designs and nice materials. I ended up purchasing a couple of t-shirts (pics below) from the store because the materials are pretty thick (not too flimsy but not too thick either), nice and comfortable and they have crewneck that’s not too wide (I even buy another one of the same model just cause this has become one of my favorite t-shirt to wear 😆).

If you’re looking for basic apparels with nice materials, subtle branding, and a somewhat gender neutral colors and styles, definitely check out this store if you’re around Seongsu area. 

Pan Am Seongsu Flagship Store • 팬암 성수플래그쉽스토어

Address: 서울 성동구 연무장길 89 1층
Telephone: 02-3409-5976
Hours: Everyday 11:00-20:00

Instagram: @panam_kr

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Rain Report Croissant • 레인리포트 크루아상

Following the success of their first flagship store in Gyeongnidan (경리당길), Rain Report opened their second location in Seongsu-dong (성수동), an up and coming neighborhood in Seoul that’s has been rising in popularity among the locals as well as tourists these past couple of years. Keeping the same rain-themed concept, Rain Report Croissant (레인리포트 크루아상) gives patrons similar experience they would find at the flagship location but with a slightly different menu selections. Instead offering the same baked goods and cakes that are available at their other location, here you’ll find an array of delicious croissants in all shapes, flavors and colors just like the name of this cafe suggest.

Apart from the croissants, everything else is pretty much what you would find if you’ve visited the other Rain Report location—a cool cafe with impressive interior and branding that offers a variety of good coffee, drinks, and pastries accompanied by the ambience of a rainy day. The place could get busy, but the ample seatings spread through out the two-story building it’s occupying will most likely accommodate visiting patrons who would like to dine-in at this cafe.

I forgot to write down the name of this croissant but it’s essentially a chocolate croissant. Flaky on the outside, buttery soft on the inside and overall it’s not too sweet. An 8.5 out of 10 from me. 

I’ve been to this location a couple of times now and after trying a couple of their croissants, my verdict is their croissants are actually pretty good. The fact that they provide toasters in the cafe to warm up/reheat your order might have something to do with it because it allows you to enjoy your pastries while it’s warm. Another thing that I really appreciate is that they provide scissors for you to use to cut your pastries. Very convenient if you don’t want to make a mess or when you’re sharing your orders with your companions. 

Chocolate (쇼콜라테) ₩7,800 | 8/10

Ordered their chocolate latte (without the coffee) and I actually quite enjoyed this drink. The chocolate drink itself isn’t too sweet but the chocolate shavings topping was a tad on the sweeter side for my personal preference. But still, it’s not too overly sweet. Also, I tried dipping the croissant into the chocolate drink and it was actually pretty perfect. Would definitely do that again next time.

Wind ₩9,800 | 8/10

Citrus, Herbal, Grapefruit, Sweet

This was my friend’s order and she said it’s actually light and pretty good. 

Recent Update:
According to the announcement on their Instagram, as of 17 February 2025, this location is temporarily closed for renovation. In the meantime, you can visit their flagship location at Rainreport Gyeongnidan (레인리포트 경리단) to get their croissants.

Rain Report Croissant • 레인리포트 크루아상

Address: 서울특별시 성동구 성수이로16길 32 주3 1,2층
Telephone: 0507-1373-1322
Hours: Everyday 11:00-22:00 (Last Order 21:00)

Instagram: @rainreport_official

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