Kko Kko Nara

My colleague and I went to yoga together  one of the friday. 

We went to have dinner together after yoga so we settle in kko kko nara. 

We order the below to share. 

This mix platter chicken wing is so good. I love the garlic soy and spicy flavour, as for the original flavour it is tasteless.

This tteoddeoki is too spicy but damn shiok. I love tteoddeoki! 

Korea Travelogue - Seoul Day 4

Its the last day in korea! 

How i wish i could stay alittle longer because the weather is so good, average about 18degree each day. 

I hate sg weather, it is getting hotter and hotter!

And going back to sg means back to work. Reality sucks. 

But i miss my bf so there is something good to be back too.

We checked out early in the morning, and left our luggage in the hotel. 

We went to bukchon hanok village after we had breakfast. 

This is where alot of dramas are filmed. This village is actually residence area, and was protected by korea government as one of their heritage places. So pretty right? 

If only I lived here, it will be so nice to wake up with this view every morning.

Then we head to gwangjang market for some food because we are feeling hungry. 

My mum bought some ginseng and food to bring back to sg. 

She also bought a few tops for my grandma. Their clothes is really made of good quality material. 

For my grandma clothes, make of awesome material, it cost only 10,000W each, which is about 13SGD.

So how can we not go for cafe for the last day right?

We went for the well known, cafe bene in myeongdong. 

The waffles is so fluffy! And best part, the cafe is 5 storey high.

Each level has different usage. We went to the toilet is at level 3, it is also a books cafe. 

Some of students bought food and mug at level 3. 

I saw level 2 is smoking rooms. Forgot about the rest though. But ya, super cool! 

If only sg got such condusive place to study for exams. But surely, alot of people. -.- 

I guess korea is different because there is too many cafes and students are scattered everywhere. 

Anyway, if you are in korea, do visit caffe bene. The waffle is really gooood! Cake is moist.

AHHHH~ If only I can have it now.

Since we got about 4 hours more before the cab came and pick up us to the airport. 

My mum and I decided to do our hair at juno hair. 

YES! I dye my hair and have a new haircut!

All the hairdressers there are so good. 

All i said to her was I want a korean hairstyle and I wanna dye my hair.

I love my hairstyle so much!

And we make our way to the airport, get our tax refund.

I bought for my mum a sunblock with all the tax money. HAHA.

I will definitely go back to korea again. 

I wanted to visit BUSAN on my next trip and perhaps Gyeongju. 

I really love korean culture, one of the things which spike my interests in learning Korean.

I hope I will be able to communicate better in korean when I visit again.

Time flies, so fast november is coming to an end, and christmas is nearing too.

And december means I am getting full AWS this year! YAY. MONEY MONEY!

Oh ya, Ash and I are planning on where to visit next year together.

We have decided to visit a country together every year. So nice right.

Will update when we plan. (:

Korea Travelogue - Seoul Day 3

I booked a tour to DMZ through seoulcitytour.net. I book the full day tour which includes pamujjeom. It cost 150,000W per person, which is about 180sgd. 

DMZ is the border between north and south korea. This is one of the place I have been wanting to visit when I was studying history back in secondary school. 

You can actually google and read up why north and south korea were seperated. Till today, the war is still ongoing. 

The freedom bridge. 

Doorasan station. 

"Not the first train station in seoul but the first to the north."

The south actually prepare everything to connect both country together if unification happens.

This is one of the attraction where people from the south can see those in the north. Like houses, factories.

Alot of koreans are praying for unification to happen one day because alot of their families were separated. 

The two countries actually had planned unification day before. 

It is the day where the north koreans families would take a bus down into south korea to meet their relatives and families. 

However, it is a one day thing, so by evening they have to return to north. The parting was difficult.

South korea do take it north koreans who ran away from the north to seek refuge. 

They will give them a home and some cash in hand. 

From where i was standing, this is the north korea that i saw. 

As we know north korea is a very poor country but they act as if they are rich, 

therefore, most factories that the south can view are mostly impose. 

I also dont know how true the above view is. 

Bridge of No Returns.

This is the republic of korea soldier who is there to protect their territory. At the border. 

The tour bus dropped us outside lotte hotel and we find our way back to myeongdong, we had ginseng chicken as our dinner and walked around myeongdong. 

On our way back to our hotel, we went cafe hopping again. Its our last night in seoul. 

The cafe we went is call coffee blend house. Look at the interior. So cosy. And the service is so good. 

We order 3 cakes and 3 drinks. The cafe are just so right to chill. 

The cake is so good. Even better than two awesome cafe. 

The weather is super cold that night. 

Temperature was only 7 degree! 

Watch some korean show and pack our luggage. 

As I am blogging this post, I can say I do miss seoul.

The atmosphere, the weather, the food.

So sad, my korea travelogue is gonna come to an end. 

Left with the last day! Still tune. 

Korea Travelogue - Seoul Day 2

We wanted to go namsan tower in the morning. 

When we reaches the cable car,  my dad refused to take because he is scare of height. 

So we cut through the namsan park and climb the steps up. 

But halfway, my mum and I give up. My dad went up himself. 

My mum and i went down to myeongdong area to look for Noon Square, where I can buy my korean-english dictionary. 

I also bought some kids' storybooks to read since my korean teacher say it is good.

I feel so glad I finally bought these books. If you follow my instagram, you will know what i mean. 

Then we meet up with my dad and off we went to hongdae.

We lost our way when we are on our way to trick eye museum. 

But koreans there are abit more helpful. Do ask around if you are lost! 

My dad is a lousy camera man. I shake my head until damn giddy till he got this shot, i told him to use multi shot but he refuse. -.-

The funniest photo of the day! 

After that, we went to yoogane at hongdae for lunch. 

Chicken with squid and cheese. Sooo good! 

There is actually a yoogane outlet in SG at bugis. I haven't try it yet but I heard the queue is insane.

We walked around hongdae and I bought some korean contact lenses to try it out. 

Since koreans love to make themselves looks presentable, I am sure the contact lenses should be good?

Went back to myeong dong to explore for that night again.

Korea Travelogue - Jeju Day 1

I took flyscoot airline from sg to incheon, with an hour transit over at taipei. 

We reached taipei at korea time 9.50pm. 

We set off to a hotel near Gimpo Airport to wash up and set off to jeju via air busan the next morning. 

Flight timing from gimpo airport to jeju is about 50mins. 

I have done research online for the past months and my family and i decided to engage a taxi driver to bring us around jeju due to the transportation in jeju inaccessible. This is one alternative. 

Or you can rent a car and drive around the island, but do note that they are left hand drive.

Dont bother about taking bus. Because it will take forever!

I come out with an itinerary before we left sg. 

So on the day the taxi driver who is also my tour guide fetch us from our hotel, she read through my itinerary and give us suggestions. 

Fyi, jeju is bigger than sg. Therefore, the traveling time is way way longer. 

I stayed in jeju city which is near the airport. Food is everywhere so there is nothing to worry about.

Day 1: 

Manjanggul Cave

After manjanggul cave, on our way to haenyeon museum, we passed by a flea market, we stop by and tried their food and took some photos because the view is just too amazing! 

Haenyeon Museum

This musuem is dedicated to the woman divers by the government of korea as a form of gratitude for their contribution to the economy in the 70s. 

The oldest haenyeon is 91 years old and the youngest is 57 years old.

They are highly respect as they are the last batch of Haenyeon, as there isn't any younger woman who want to work and they do not want their children to take over because this is a tough job!

I have read about how brave the woman in jeju were when they have to dive into the sea to look for abalone and sea animals. 

These musuem shows how they diver into the sea and what tools they used. 

Japan has woman divers too, but their dress code are different from the koreans. 

From the above photo, the pot in the centre is used to store water. 

(If you remember, Da Cheng Jing always carry this.)

In the past, water is very precious to them as the well is far far away, and they has to collect the water and carry it back home.

Which is why, in the past, when they know their friends/family has just moved house, the best gift is always water.

To be honest, I am really proud of them. 

They are super brave and strong! And they take pride in their job. 

According to the tour guide, there are 4500 woman in jeju who are divers. 

I didnt get to see them diving into the sea throughout my trip due to the rough tides but my tour guide said it is common to see them by the sea. She often see them there. 

After the museum, is about noon time. we head to haenyeon restaurant to have fresh abalone porridge, it is sooo good!

Must support them!

Seongsan Ilchulbong

We are able to climb this mountain! My dad and I went to climb up. It is super tiring ok! 

And the below is the view we got when we reach the top.

Jeju Folk Village Museum

This is one of the place where the famous show, da chang jing had acted in. 

Because I visited this village, I understand why the stone statue in jeju is everywhere and why most newly married korean couples wanted to visit jeju as their honey moon place. 

It is also known that this village does not welcome japanese because in the past japanese capture the woman divers from this village and killed all of them.

Stone statue is known as dol hareubang everywhere in jeju because is a myth that koreans in jeju believe that the stone statute protects all the lives on the island. 

They usually come in a pair, not because one is male and the other is female but is because the stones come in left or right hand raise higher. The stone with left hand higher represents the 武, the one with right hand raise higher represents 文. 

Couples love to visit jeju because they wanted to touch the stone statue on the nose which they believe will give you a baby boy, while if you touch the ear, they believe will give you a baby girl. 

This conclude our first day in Jeju.

I am trying to compile everything. Stay tune!

Paik's bibimbap & St. Marc Coffee

Ash and I meet up during one of the days after work because I will be away for korea for 2 weeks. 

I wanted to buy shoes from aldo because most of my shoes died on me. 

Ash is a aldo member. So I get free discount! 

Then we both were cravings for bibimbap at vivo city. It is only $8.90 per set. 

And we add on rick cake for $4.90. The bibimbap is damn shiok. 

Feels so happy that I am gonna eat authentic korean food soon! Love it!

After dinner, we were craving for some dessert. Nothing is completed without desserts. 

I wanted fruit paradise but Ash doesnt want to have tart. 

So we settle at St. Marc Coffee to have this chocolate banana split. 

It was super good, better than what we expected. Alot of surprises in this! 

A nice weekday spend with Ash. So nice. 

One more day to KOREA!!! SEOUL FAR SEOUL GOOD! (:

Chicken Up

I have been hearing alot of good reviews on this restaurant, chicken Up and have been wanting to try it! It is located near the outlet of the yoga practice studio that i went to. 

Ash was tempted when we meet up with his group of friends, one of them is working for nuffnang marketing team and he strongly recommended this place for their watermelon soju and fried chicken!

So Ash and I went to try on one of the weekdays after work. His friend, timothy tag along too. 

One of the unique part of chicken up is to have a camera guy/girl who will walk around tables to tables to take a photo. They upload pretty fast onto their facebook too! 

I was amazed because not many people will wanna hold their camera with oily hands, koreans are just smart to think of this. 

You can choose to go for the ala carte meal or you can choose the buffet style, which is what we choose. 

All you need to do is to choose from the choices of chicken and the quantity you want and they will serve you. 

Andong stew and kimchi fried rice are in the buffet menu too. Do note that buffet serving is by per person. 

I dont suggest you guys to choose the buffet because it is way way too much and there is only 5 or 7 kinds to choose from. 

The kimchi pancake and japchae are not in the buffet menu.

Timothy help us to take a photo.

The highly raved watermelon soju, which taste just like watermelon with soju taste, nothing appealing or wow about this! 

Soya chicken is so so, i find it alittle too oily. 

I love this chicken! Super duper good! The sauce just blend in with the chicken so well! 

Japchae. This isnt include in the buffet menu, we order it separately. 

I dont think this is worth eating here! It doesn't taste good too. 

My korean classmate can make better japchae than this. 

Andong stew. We order the buffet, so this is actually per serving. 

This is definitely not worth the hype. I might go back for the spicy chicken if there is no queue.

They don't take reservations, so be prepared to go early and get a queue number if you are intend to go.