Hi everyone, this week we’re having a cafe tour around Seoul
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I’ll be going around few different neighborhoods of Seoul
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and checking out some trendy cafes
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first up is this cafe by the railway
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the atmosphere feels like a hidden cabin
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the wooden interior makes it feel extra cozy
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the cafe has large windows looking out on the train tracks
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and seats right across so you can watch the trains passing by
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the coffee itself wasn’t too acidic and was quite refreshing
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it was so relaxing to just sip coffee and watch the view
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just a 15 min walk from the cafe is the national museum
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love this framed view of Namsan tower here
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the museum itself is free entry and spans across 3 floors
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it’s my first time visiting
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and I was really impressed by the collection
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definitely recommend a visit if you’re interested in Korean art and culture
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the digital installation was also worth visiting
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but the most famous display is this Room of Quiet Contemplation
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which features two bodhisattva statues, each designated as National Treasure of Korea
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there’s so many different parts of the museum
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you could probably spend hours here
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also make sure to drop by the museum gift shop
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this is also such a good place to get Korean souvenirs
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you can find unique items with Korean motifs
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love these pearl stickers
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and this incense stove
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they also have this unique T-money for transport and payments while traveling
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we have one more stop for today
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which is near Seoul station
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this area also has a lot of hidden cafes
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you can also see namsan tower everywhere
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grabbing some lunch first
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this kimbap looks so simple but it’s one of my favorites
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off to the next cafe
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this is retro-themed vinyl cafe
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the cafe was opened by a music curator
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so you know the music selection is on point
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overall the mood is quiet and calm
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they serves coffee, tea and some cocktails
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the beans are roasted by Upstanding Coffee which is one of my favorite cafes
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the coffee was rich and nutty
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actually perfect for some work or reading
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or you can just sit and enjoy the music
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I also brought my laptop to do some work
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I really liked this cafe but it is quite small so there may be a waiting list
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starting the day that this new popular salt bread bakery in Seongsu
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the salt breads here sell out fast, so I recommend coming early
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everyone knows of the famous Jayeondo salt bread
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but I think this place is more popular for locals
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so i’m excited to try it
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it was about a 30 min wait to get in
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and there were only a few salt breads left
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with some flavors being sold out
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but I was mostly interested in the original
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the line is long but the staff work really fast
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and finally secured the goods!
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if you like crispy salt bread I think you’ll like this one
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I wanted to check out this new lifestyle store
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this is a popular online store that just opened up this physical showroom
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they have everything from home decor, kitchen items, stationery to fashion accessories
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they have a lot of cute and unique items
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in particular they had a great kitchenware and ceramics section
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the store carries mostly Korean local brands
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and the prices were pretty reasonable
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this is a tea house i’ve been wanting to visit
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the store looks like a museum
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love the spiral staircase
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you can select which tea you want and it comes with a dessert pairing
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and they prepare it for you right in front of you
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each tea has it’s own story
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this one is meant to remind you of walking through a green field
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the tea was quite fruity with a bit of citrus flavours
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which paired will with the peach dessert
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this cafe is also a perfume store
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so you can check out the perfumes on the second floor
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since I was in the area I wanted to check the new store by Gentle Monster
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this is a multi-brand retail store
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the first floor is the fragrance brand Tamburins
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their new scent is meant to smell like the warmth of a puppy
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which explains the packaging
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it actually smelt really cosy with woody and sweet tones
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the building itself is a mix of art, design, and commerce
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the second floor is gentle monster
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it looks like a set of a sci-fi movie
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the third floor is the new tableware store Nuflaat
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they and some really interesting designs
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for the 5th floor you need to take this industrial elevator
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which leads to the tea house
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you can smell and buy some of their tea blends
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the teahouse can be reserved by catchtable or onsite
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I didn’t make a reservation and the wait was about 40-50 minutes
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I didn’t have time but want to try the desserts next time
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there’s one more stop I want to visit today
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Just about 20 minute walk away is this Hangang park
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which is a great area to just sit and chill
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i’m here to check out this vinyl cafe
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which sits right on the water
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the space is quite large and not crowded at all
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the music selection is a bit limited
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but still had some good albums
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got a seat looking out to the river
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today’s album of choice
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there’s a 2 hour limit
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the entry includes a free drink
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and there is also wifi
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this is also one of the stops on the new Hanggang bus
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great place to see the sunset
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the first cafe we’re going to is kind of in the middle of nowhere
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I almost walked past it
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the cafe is built in a renovated clothes repair shop
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and specializes in drip coffee
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they also do cocktails at night
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even though it’s a small store it was packed with locals
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the owner seems serious about coffee
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and hand drips each coffee on order
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I got the India blend which were meant to have notes of dark chocolate
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the cafe had more of a speak easy bar atmosphere
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the coffee was quite rich but did have a bit of acidity
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the weathers been just perfect recently
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the air is getting cooler but the sun is still warm
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which means it’s perfect to walk around the city
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so I decided to walk to the next cafe
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which was a bout 30 minutes away
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this is another speciality coffee shop
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but they also do desserts too
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I ended up getting the decaf but the coffee was still so good
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but unexpectedly this cake ended up being my favorite
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the shop had so many interesting flavor combinations
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I would definitely come here again
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I’m rarely in this area of town
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so I wanted to drop by a record store nearby
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this is one of my favorite record stores in Seoul
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they have such a wide collection of vinyls
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with a good mix of genres
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I always find new records I want when I visit
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you can also find a lot of indie Korean bands
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there’s a small sitting area so you can listen to the albums
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if you’re in Seoul and looking to buy an vinyl this is a good place to start
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today we’re near Gyeongbokgung palace
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this cafe is renovated from the old town post office
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the cafe is all wood tones and warm
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the second floor has these huge open windows
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with views of the palace walls
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I love all the rustic interior
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they’re best known for their signature “Camel Coffee”
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which is a milky/creamy espresso drink topped with cream
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I just got the latte because the camel coffee seemed a bit sweet
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the coffee was really good but the cafe was a bit noisy
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it’s one of those cafes people come to chat
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but a good choice if you’re looking for a good coffee near the palace
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off to the next cafe
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I hope the weather stays like this a little longer
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the back area of the Gyeongbukgung palace is really nice too
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this is another new cafe that seems to have good matcha
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the cafe is in this traditional hanok
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with a little garden in the middle
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the interior is a mix of modern and traditional
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they also had coffee but I was more interested in the matcha
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it’s still quite hard to find real match in Seoul
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but this place looked good
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the staff suggested taking sip of the matcha first before mixing
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the matcha was rich but not bitter at all
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it was slightly sweet, still had strong matcha flavors
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that brings us to the end of the cafe tours :)
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