Best Cupcakes Yet @ Royal Cupcake, Cheongdam.

I interrupt the Halloween themed news to bring you my latest love, Royal Cupcake in Cheongdam.

Cupcakes themselves are not a new love for me. I was previously a big fan of Good Ovening Cupcake store but in recent months I've started to notice it going downhill. When I first sampled their offerings, a couple of years back, they were much softer, prettier and even a tad bigger. Now it's a bit hit and miss depending on the day you go. A good day and they're fine but get the wrong day and you could end up with a dry and crumbly cupcake. Not the funnest gambling ever. The decorations have become less and less colorful lately too. I don't know how you feel about this, but I feel pretty passionate about cupcakes and believe a cupcake should not only taste great it should look great too. That's the whole point really, otherwise you might as well just get...well...cake.

I was still going to Good Ovening, playing the cupcake lottery, because...quite frankly...I didn't have a better option! You'll see a lot of imposter cupcakes (cream topped sponge buns, hate those little cheats) in Seoul but the real deal butter-cream type are not that common.

I finally found my answer. Royal Cupcake. The cupcakes are simply put...incredible! The cake part is soft, springy and light. The buttercreams come in a variety of different flavours and are all so smooth you wonder how they do it. Not only are the cupcakes pretty as can be but the store itself is exactly how a cupcake store should be, truely charming. It's very whimsical and girly. Not the place for a guys trip but bring your date or girlfriend here and she'll be smitten, I promise!

Double Choco Fudge Cupcake - Chocolate sponge with chocolate fudge butter-cream.
Miss Cookie Monster Cupcake - Chocolate chip sponge with strawberry butter-cream.

Next on my cupcake hit list - Coconut Panda...too cute to eat?? No, I don't think so.

Cupcakes & Coffee @ Sky Garden, Hyundai.

I've been to my local Hyundai Department Store more times than I care to imagine and no doubt many more times than I should have been. At least that's what my purse would tell you. In all these times I'd never known about one fantastic little secret it holds. Tucked away on the roof is a garden, or rather 'Sky Garden' as they call it. It was a complete surprise to me. It's a beautiful space where you can enjoy some outdoor air away from the chaos of the store and city. There's a strange phenomenon that I've observed a few times before, when your right in the heart of a busy city, slightly quieter spaces seem to take on a heightened sense of tranquility. Here it feels like you're a million miles away from the bustling basement grocery store and the snooty looks of the middle aged women browsing the designer rails.

Sky Garden @ Hyundai Department Store

There is a small coffee stand situated in the far corner of the garden. Although the coffee was quite pricey it tasted pretty good and the added value to me was in the garden itself. For anyone who lives in the city, you will know how nice it can feel to get away from the imposing concrete jungle and the constant noise! This place is an unexpected breath of fresh air right in the heart of Apgujeong!

Authentic Nepolitan Pizza @ The Kitchen Salvatore Cuomo, Seoul.

The Kitchen Salvatore Cuomo opened a few years ago by Dosan Park near to Apgujeong. When it first opened it was instantly a hit and was always busy. A few years on and nothing has changed. The restaurant is bustling with people and the atmosphere is great.

It's taken the place as my 'go to' Italian since, sadly, Antonio's in Cheongdam closed it's doors. This restaurant offers slightly more contemporary food choices in a bright, airy and youthful interior. I like it. A lot.

Inside The Kitchen Salvatore Cuomo @ Apgujeong.

    

My most recent visit was this last Saturday night. My boyfriend made us a reservation, which is a must on the weekend as the place gets packed with groups of friends and young trendy couples. Since the evenings are still fairly warm in Seoul right now we decided to make the most of it and dine on their lovely outdoor terrace which will probably be for the last time this year. It got pretty chilly towards the end of the evening.

Outdoor seating area @ The Kitchen Salvatore Cuomo.

After being promptly seated we selected a sparkling rose wine to drink and were brought their lovely homemade bread. It seems like my favorite restaurants always have one thing in common, they bring me something to nibble whist I make my dinner choices!

Home-made focaccia bread. Breadsticks. Basil Pesto. Butter.

 

Panzerotti served with Olives.

The Panzerotti came as a complimentary dish with the bottle of wine we had chosen. We also ordered a salad to start.

Moreish Mexican @ On The Border

Sometimes I get a craving for some yummy Mexican food, last night was one of those nights. When that happens there are two places I head to in Seoul. Firstly there is Dos Tacos, it's a very casual, cheap and cheerful. This is the place to come for a quick but awesome burrito. The second place is On The Border, a restaurant with four locations in Seoul. It's a better place if your looking for a wider choice and a real sit-down dinner.

Apgujeong branch outdoor seating area - On The Border

There's so many reasons I love this place. Firstly when you arrive they give you free nacho chips and salsa. These are re-fillable and a nice way to stave off the hunger pangs whilst you look through the extensive menu.

Free chips and salsa - one of the many reasons On The Border rocks.

Next up is their drinks. They offer a selection of flavoured margaritas and you can choose from a regular size or the awesome 'schooner' size. It's 6,900 won for the regular and 7,900 won for the later so as you can imagine you never see anyone drinking the regular size.

Strawberry Margarita @ On The Border

Me enjoying the Mexican experience ;)

If margaritas aren't your thing then...you're crazy! No, I'm kidding. If they really aren't your thing then you can choose from plenty of other drinks including various flavors of Mojitos, non-alcoholic drinks and beer.

Mojito

Cerveza Beer Bucket

Now usually I would start with showing you the food, since that's the reason you go to a restaurant after all. In this case though I wanted to save the best till last.

Carne Asada Steak Tacos served with re-fried beans and rice - On The Border

Chicken Fajita Salad - On The Border

Chicken Burrito - On The Border

Steak Fajita Salad - On The Border

This isn't gourmet cuisine but if it's Mexican your after then this hits the spot. The quality is good and the portion sizes are pretty big but they should be because the price isn't cheap. Most dishes come in around 18,000 - 20,000 won and 'From the Grill' items like Fajitas and steak go up to 28,900 won. The chicken burrito is a cheaper option at 14,900 won. Everything I've eaten here has been tasty and the only reason we ever leave any food is because we're too full to finish it!

As I mentioned there are four locations of On The Border. These are at Apgujeong, Coex City Air Terminal, Shinchon and Times Square Mall. The service at the restaurants is mixed. I think it depends entirely on the server you get. In my experience the Apgujeong branch has much better service and I prefer the atmosphere at this restaurant too. In the summer time you can sit outside in the open air and it's smaller in size than the other locations.

Coex Branch of On The Border.

If you want to make yourself even hungrier then I probably just have, take a look at their menu online.

To view maps of On The Border locations in English and Korean visit the On The Border website and click the left hand tab saying 'Store'.
  
On The Border Telephone Numbers

Apgujeong: 02 518 0682
Coex CALT: 02 565 0682
Times Square Mall: 02 2672 0682
Shinchon: 02 324 0682


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Enjoy!

Possibly the Best Cocktail Bar in Seoul - Cafe 74

There's plenty of places to get a cocktail in Seoul but finding a well made one is much harder. One of my favourite bars to visit and possibly the best for cocktails is Cafe Seventy Four (74) in Cheongdam.

From the front Cafe 74 looks a lot like a nice Italian restaurant. You'd be right, the food here is good but as you'd expect in this area and setting slightly overpriced. The true greatness of Cafe 74 is hidden down the small side alley of the building.

Walk down the alley and you'll go round to the back of the building where you'll enter the bar. Back here the interior is completely different. Gone is the light and airy cream marble interior and ornate European styling. In it's place is an dark uber trendy room, dimly lit by a wall of colored bulbs and the projection screen behind the bar.

The bar tenders here are all trained mixologists. That's the official term for someone who really knows how to mix the spirits and liqueurs. If you want to drink a fantastic cocktail you've come to the right place.

Just a few of the cocktails @ Cafe 74.

The bar has a very extensive cocktail menu. It includes all the cocktails you can possibly name and a lot more to boot. As I said, this is my favourite bar and I always try to choose different cocktails but I've probably tried less than a quarter of them.

And a few more.

There is one that I do like to return to every time I visit though. It's the white chocolate martini. Simply put, it's like heaven in a glass to me! It's blended with fresh strawberries and the chunk of white chocolate they garnish it with never fails to put a smile on my face either.

White Chocolate Martini @ Cafe Seventy Four (74), Seoul.

Me, Seoulsome Girl ;) enjoying my favourite alcoholic indulgence.

Inside Cafe 74, Cheongdam, Seoul. Menu on an iPad.

As I mentioned it's very very cool in here. So much so that they don't give you a paper menu but an iPad instead. The music like many places in Korea is a mix of House and Electro. It's upbeat and played at a good volume, not too loud so you can't hear yourself speak. On the projector screen behind the bar they play videos of Victoria's Secret (basically lots of attractive semi-naked ladies to you men) Fashion shows and iconic music artisits' concerts.

Needless to say cool doesn't come cheap. The drinks here top the price range of Seoul bars. You'll pay between 18,000 to 22,000 won for a cocktail and on top of that you'll pay tax and service (as with most of the upscale places these days). You could order a beer which would be considerably cheaper but let's face it, if you want to drink beer you might as well go do that somewhere else. Come here for fantastic cocktails mixed by professionals and the very swanky atmosphere.

Cafe Seventy Four 74 in Cheongdam, Seoul.

Cafe 74 can be found up the street that's opposite Rodeo and next to Once in a Blue Moon jazz bar in Cheongdam. Check out my interactive map of Cheongdam if you want to see the exact location.

Cafe Seventy Four (74)

83-20 Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul

Telephone number: 02 542 7412

Website: Cafe74.co.kr

Enjoy!

Diner Pub @ Garasou Gil

If only more bars in Seoul were like this. From the outside Diner Pub looks nothing more than a shabby pub/restaurant but you'd be wrong to pass this up based on appearances. The fact that it's busy every day is proof that it's doing something right. In my opinion it's because they've found the perfect balance for a place to go hang out casually with your friends. The price is right for what you get, especially given it's in a notoriously more expensive area (Garasou Gil). The music's good and there's no pretence here. It's relaxed. I love it.

I favor this place as a casual spot for a drink and some grub. I say grub because that's what you'll get here. It doesn't try to be fancy, if you want a sophisticated dinner go elsewhere! Instead of attempting to outdo all the other restaurants in the area this place serves a simple menu of things like burgers, nachos, basic pastas, fish'n'chips and a platter of assorted fried potatos.  The fanciest things on their menu are the smoked salmon with cucumber raita closely followed by their bruchetta. The thing is though this actually works because it does them right!

There's a choice of a few different burgers including this one which is the mushroom and cheese burger. The burgers are all priced around 8-9,000 won and I can tell you worth every won. I won't lie, they can't be good for your health (if I ate more than one every so often I'd be seriously concerned about not only my weight but also my arteries) but man are they juicy! They're all served with a side of potato wedges and a home made relish that has a little hint of spice, delicious!

I often visit this place but on this particular occasion I was there with my lovely friend (above) on a Friday after work. As always there was a wait for a table but we just left our number and went for a drink elsewhere first. If you prefer to you can prop the bar up until a table comes free.

To drink there's a good selection of beers, a choice of red or white house wine, sangria by the glass or pitcher and mojitos! I have to be honest and say these are not the greatest mojitos, I've had much better but they were also about double the price if not more in some cases. These are 8,000 won which is actually less than I've paid in Itaewon and we all know that's pretty much the cheapest place you can drink in Seoul.

What the pictures can't really convey is possibly one of the best aspects of this bar, the atmosphere. Because it's busy there's a constant hum of excited chit chat and laughter. The music here is good too, none of the all too common lounge music, electronic or Jason Mraz type stuff. This place plays popular tracks, mostly American Billboard type stuff, all upbeat and pretty current just adding to this places simple casual style.

Actually now that I'm writing this I'm not sure if I want to tell you where it is, it'll only mean I have to wait longer for my table :( It's one of those places that I almost want to keep secret.


I guess that's not the point of this blog though so I'll tell you...


Diner Pub is located on the street running parellel to Garasou Gil. You can get to Garasou Gil from either Sinsa or Apgujeong station on line 3. If you come from Sinsa it's the street to the left of Garasou Gil if you come from Apgujeong it's the one on the right hand side. If you walk along that street you'll see it somewhere in the middle. You can also check out my map of Garasou Gil if you want to know the exact spot you'll find it.

Diner Pub
Seoul, Gangnam-gu, Sinsa-dong 524-17
Telephone number: 02 3446 2422

Maybe I'll see you there. Enjoy!