Foreign tourists visiting Korea are always looking for interesting Korean products to take home. These days, one unexpected item is attracting attention: the yellow container of sweet sauce associated with Isaac Toast (이삭토스트).
Seoul has countless cafés, but Brian’s Coffee (브라이언스커피) in Dogok-dong is one that I return to again and again. In fact, it may be my favorite bread shop in Korea.
The coffee is excellent, but what keeps bringing me back is the bakery. Brian’s Coffee specializes in beautifully made scones, madeleines, financiers, salt bread, cakes, cookies and other pastries. Everything is displayed simply and elegantly, making it difficult to choose just one thing.
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Near 뱅뱅사거리 (Baengbaeng Sageori) in southern Seoul, 무화잠 강남점 is a long-running Korean seafood restaurant specializing in 대게 (snow crab), 킹크랩 (king crab), and 랍스터 (lobster). The Gangnam branch is at 서울 강남구 강남대로 292, close to the office-heavy area between Gangnam and Yangjae.
If you’re flying from the far end of Incheon Airport Terminal 2, there’s a Korean Air lounge that is easy to miss.
The Korean Air Prestige Garden East Lounge is located on the 4th floor opposite Gate 281, making it especially convenient for flights departing around Gates 281–283. It opened as part of Korean Air’s major Terminal 2 lounge expansion and renovation project.
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On a very hot and humid Seoul afternoon, I tried 초계밀면 (chogye mil-myeon) at Somyeon Sanghoe, a tiny local noodle shop in Yangjae-dong. The dish arrived beneath a small mountain of frozen broth, accompanied by wheat noodles, shredded chicken, crisp vegetables and boiled eggs.
Korea’s hangover-remedy shelves keep getting more inventive. Dong-A Pharmaceutical’s 모닝케어 프레스온 (Morning Care Press On) looks like an ordinary drink, but several tiny 환—traditional-style pills—are hidden separately inside its cap.
Chains such as Mega MGC Coffee, Compose Coffee, and Paik’s Coffee specialize in large drinks at small prices. An iced Americano generally costs around ₩1,500–₩2,000, while an iced latte is usually ₩2,700–₩3,500. Ordering is normally done at a counter or touchscreen kiosk, and drinks are prepared within minutes.
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