Finger Lickin' Good! Korean Fried Chicken Hot Spots - Hapjeong /Hongdae, Seoul, South Korea

The Cafe BBQ - Hapjeong

Chicken platter - 27,000 won

Koreans sure know how to make fried chicken, some of the best fried chicken I've ever had has been in Seoul. Well seasoned and super crunchy! 

The first place, well I'm still kind of unsure what this place is called so I'm gonna go with "The Cafe BBQ".

We ordred the "chicken platter" which consisted of chicken, a small side of fries, corn chips and a free garden salad which fed three people. 

Check them out - Right outside Hapjeong station exit 3

Outdark Chicken House - Hapjeong

First restaurant in Seoul to actually have customer service, I was stunned. Though the service here was better than most places they still mixed up our order. 

After repeating twice that we only wanted the fried chicken and not the half and half combo, we still got served the half and half combo which consisted of both fried and marinated chicken. 

As we were starving we let it slide and dug in. The chicken was super crunchy and well seasoned I couldn't have been more satisfied, the marinated chicken was better than I expected so I guess it was a win win situation. 

The only negative about the marinated chicken was that it's messy and they don't provide any wet towels here.

Half and half chicken (fried and marinated) - 17,000 won

Our chicken came with a decent amount of fries and wedges topped off with tteokboki(fried glutinous rice which it could have done without). By the end of it we were stuffed like two christmas turkeys!

Outdark gets pretty busy during dinner so make sure to get there early to avoid waiting in line.

Check them out [here]

Betty Jane x

Yetnal Matjip 옛날 맛집 - Ginseng Chicken Soup (Samgyetang) - Hapjeong,Seoul, South Korea

Samgyetang - 10,000 won

I went to this little restaurant down the road from my apartment, owned by the cutest little korean ladies, they were so friendly and explained how to eat the dish.

This is now my new favourite korean dish, most probably because it is so similar to congee (an asian rice porridge). 

A whole young chicken is stuffed with rice and mung beans, then cooked in the ginseng broth. Some people find this dish a little messy as you need to pick the meat from the bones, and dip it in a little mixture of salt and black pepper. 

I did'nt find it messy at all, the meat was so tender it practically fell off the bones.

Also a great cure for a hangover!

To find this place exit Hapjeong station from exit three and you will see a 7Eleven with the chicken sign above it. Go up to the second level.

Look for this sign 

Hope you get to try this dish, it really is wholesome and delicious.

Check them out Yetnal Matjip 옛날 맛집 [MAP]

Betty Jane x

Looks Can Be Deceiving - Decoa Balim - Hongdae, Seoul, South Korea

I walked past this vintage dessert cafe and instantly thought to myself "what a sweet little cafe, I must try!".

As I walked through the door the owner was taking photos of this gorgeous layer cake, I smiled and thought "this place is perfect!". 

What caught my eye was this sweet little number behind the glass window, the strawberry cheese tart. 

It all went downhill from there.

Strawberry cheese tart

Looks can be deceiving, I was not expecting this tart to taste the way it did.

The tart was filled with whipped cream cheese, which I had never had before nor will I ever have again. I was not a fan of the taste and texture of the filling, the more I ate the more sickened I felt. 

If only they had filled the tart with creme patissiere it would have been a total knock out. The tart shell on the other hand I cannot fault, it was nicely cooked and crumbly.

Cafe latte, Iced mocha and strawberry cheese tart.

This is probably the worst latte I have had on my trip to Seoul. As I was sipping on my latte I noticed something nasty in my mouth, it was burnt milk film! There is nothing worse than burnt milk while having my daily coffee.

The iced mocha, had about five ice cubes in it, so it wasn't even cold. We were sitting outside so it just melted and diluted the mocha. 

You can tell how  disappointed in this place I am right? I had such high hopes.

The exterior

From a glance you would think it looks all vintage and shabby. When I actually sat down and looked around, I realised it was just a hodge podge of mismatched old furniture salvaged from a yard sale.

Nothing vintage about this place, random junk lying around and bad coffee!

Seoul seems to have a huge coffee culture, everywhere you turn there is a cafe, finding a good one on the other hand seems to be a mission. I thought I was going to hit a new spot everyday and drink loads of great coffee. 

To my demise I have only been to a handful of decent cafes.

If you'd like to try your luck at dessert roulette, 

check them out [here]

Betty Jane x

Monster Cupcakes - Itaewon, Seoul, South Korea

I'm not one to rave about cupcakes, well I have never had a cupcake that has ticked all the boxes, always too sweet or too dry. That was until I found Monster Cupcakes in Itaewon, this place was the bomb!!

I came here mainly for the theme, my love for monsters, getting to eat them was a bonus. The shop is quite small and only has seating for about six people, and they only offer drip coffee so don't go expecting a cafe style shop.

So many choices, what to choose?..

Vanilla Jack Skellington cupcakes & chocolate mint monsters - 

All cupcakes are 5,000 won.

I ended up going with the R.I.P tiramisu & the lemon eyeball, the owner reccommended these as they are some of the best sellers. 

The cake was moist and fluffy, the cream was sooo good minus a tonne of sugar and the flavours tasted as described. The perfect cupcakes, now I wish I had bought a box to take home. 

Cute collectables on display, isn't this the most perfect E.T figurine you have ever seen?

Some more monsters and err Pooh bear?..

Make sure you go to the sweet little shop.

Check them out [here] or [MAP]

305-7 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul 140-200, South Korea

Betty Jane x

Anthracite Coffee Roasters - Hapjeong, Seoul, South Korea

Always a super cool place to have coffee, the building was an old factory which has been converted into a coffee roastery.

Some of the gorgeous treats on offer.

Cinnamon rolls - 5,000 won

Assorted scones - 5,000 won

Panna cotta - 1,500 won

Brownies - 5,000 won

Blueberry tart - 6,000 won

The coffee roasting room, this is where the magic happens.

You can also sit at this conveyor belt to watch and appreciate the aroma of the coffee beans roasting.

Cafe latte - 6,000 won

Double espresso - 4,000 won

Blueberry tart - 6,000 won

This is my second time at Anthracite and the quality of the coffee is consistently superb. Strong, bold coffee with a great choice of baked goodies to have on the side. I would come here more often but it is a little out of the way, it's definitely worth going to time and time again.

This is most probably the best blueberry tart I have ever had! I don't say it often but it was sheer perfection! The pastry was thin and crumbly, the frangipane was soft and moist. All the elements worked in perfect harmony, neither flavour over powered another. This is whats going to keep me coming back. Bliss.

Make sure you don't miss this place when in Seoul, you will be sad if you did.

Check them out [here] or [MAP]

357-6 Hapjeong-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul

Betty Jane x

Namsan Jjigae (Korean Soup Kitchen) - Hapjeong, Seoul, South Korea

Great traditional korean food suitable for any budget, this place is known for their kimchi jjigae which is basically kimchi stew with pork and tofu. Don't worry just because kimchi stew sounds spicy it was quite mild.

The restaurant is located in the bustling neighbourhood of Hapjeong.

Pajeon - 6,500 won

This pancake had great texture, thin with crispy edges. Though this is my second time eating korean pancakes and I have come to the conclusion that I am not a fan.

Jeyuk bokkeum - 10,000 won

There was nothing average about this pork stir fry, juicy, spicy and seasoned well kept me coming back for more.

Kimchi jjigae - 6,500 won

This is a dish I make quite often when we are having korean night at home, so it was good to finally try it and compare the authenticity of mine. The stew was good but they were a bit stingy on the filling (meat, tofu etc), it also didn't have that kick I was expecting to get from a kimchi stew. A bit of a let down for me.

Overall the food here was good and cheap as chips, great traditional korean cuisine.

Check them out

412-19 Hapjeong-dong (8 Dongmak-ro 3-gil) Mapo-gu, 

Seoul, South Korea

Betty Jane x

Publique Traditional French Bakery - Hongdae, Seoul, South Korea

A quick afternoon tea break today at the cutest little french bakery. This would be my go to place if only they served decent coffee.

Some of the bread on offer at Publique.

Whether you prefer it long, short, with cheese, figs or berries they have some samples ready to try or grab a few of your own. From what I tried it was light, fluffy and moist. So simple yet so good.

Pear tart - 4,500 won

The perfect afternoon treat, the pear was soft and not too sweet, topped with lightly crushed pistachios, the pastry crisp and delicate. 

Go for everything but the coffee, and remember to take a few goodies home.

Check them out [MAP]

311-1 Sangsu-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Betty Jane x