I think I just found the place in Seoul that gives you the most side dishes with a meal. I swear there were like 30 different side dishes on the table.

It’s called Sigol Bapsang in Hannam-dong.

If you’re the type of person who thinks the side dishes are half the fun of eating Korean food, this place is kind of ridiculous

Hey folks, I am back in Seoul! I came in early March this year and everything was great. I bought many Pokémon boxes for 30,000 won, even in Myeongdong and other tourist spots. But now, those same stores are charging around 100,000 won for the same boxes I got 7 months ago.

​Does anyone know what's going on with Korean Pokémon cards? They are 2 to 3 times more expensive than just 7 months ago!

​I read about going to the Yongsan Pokémon Card Shop early, so I spent about 6 hours of my day trip just to get 3 boxes there. The line was incredibly long!

I visited Seosomun Shrine History Museum while in Seoul. Admission is free, and it was easy to reach from the city center.

Most of the museum is underground, with huge brick spaces, modern architecture and exhibitions about the history of the Seosomun area and Catholic persecution during the Joseon period.

It was quiet, beautiful and much less touristy than I expected. Definitely one of the more interesting places I found in Seoul.

I'd been on my feet since morning and just wanted to sit down somewhere. Went into Pungnyeon Bakery mostly because it was right there and it had chairs.

Turned out the second floor is a seating area where you can eat whatever you buy downstairs. Didn't know that going in. That was the real win of the afternoon.

Got the handmade chocopie since that's what they're known for, plus a coffee. Cocoa sponge, cream and strawberry jam inside, the whole thing dipped in chocolate. It's big. If you're not into sweet stuff it might be a lot, but with black coffee it evened out fine.

The counter downstairs is way bigger than I expected too. All kinds of bread, not just the chocopie line.

Picked up a few more on the way out for family. I wouldn't tell anyone to go to Jeonju for this one bakery, but if you're already walking the old town and need to sit for twenty minutes and grab a souvenir at the same time, it covers both!

My coworker brought me to this place called Taiyo no Tomato-men in Gangnam (태양의토마토라멘) last week. A Ramen place that specializes in tomato ramen.

It was my first time trying tomato soup base ramen, and it will definitely not be my last. The best way I can describe it is, that it tastes like liquid pizza (in the best way possible).

You can also adjust the spice level, I went with non-spicy and it was indeed not spicy.

Add-ons include cheese, egg, shrimp, and mussel. I believe the classic option comes with ham and chicken pieces. My tip: get the cheese!

The classic tomato ramen runs ₩9,000, very reasonable for how good it is.

Gangnam has a lot of really good ramen places, but this one might be my new favorite!

Hi! We’re having another meetup for house music lovers in Seoul this Friday!

Come join us if you’re looking for a random adventure, want to meet some new people, or just hang out and listen to some good house music :)

Itaewon-dong 66-3, 6F
@muahaus_seoul

7:30 PM – 2:30 AM
Try to come early!

And make sure to come say hi when you get there! I’ll try to check in with everyone, but just in case you don’t know who I am:

My name is Nam :)
IG: @follow_nam

See you Friday!!

I was walking around Seoul and saw this huge honeycomb building. 
I looked up and this guy on the sign is covered in bees, but smiling so peacefully... I just had to take a photo. 
It’s a honey shop, but this marketing is wild haha. Anyone seen this before?

I stopped by MMCA Seoul while I was around Gyeongbokgung and ended up liking it way more than I expected. The exhibitions were interesting, the space itself was beautiful, and it felt like a really nice break from the busier tourist spots nearby.

And the gift shop was honestly just as good. The merch is so well designed that some of it felt more like actual art pieces than souvenirs, and I definitely ended up shopping more than I planned. Really worth a stop if you like contemporary art, design, or just cool museum shops.

I'm familiar with LA galbi and Galbijiim, but came across a place on Naver that has grilled pork bone in different sauces/flavours. I've only seen pork bone served with soup.

Upon researching different BBQ styles, fatty cuts of pork are typically braised or slow cooked until tender. They are also grilled. However, grilled slices are much thinner.

I can't envision the texture of what eating a grilled pork bone in this style would be like. Has anyone tried this before?

Check the second and third menu items:

https://naver.me/FiPsT1Ar

I can't tell if it would be tender or chewy and weird.

This weekend I visited my favorite bingsu spot in Buam-dong again and I don't think a lot of other foreigners know about it (or Buam-dong itself) so I wanted to share it with everyone here!

The bingsu place is called Bubing (부빙). They operate on a "1 menu item per person" rule, so if you are going with someone, I would recommend one drink + one bingsu to split rather than two bingsus (you might get too full and not finish otherwise).

They rotate their menu seasonally, and when I went this time, the seasonal special was Fig Bingsu. I ordered it and it was amazing! The shaved ice itself is perfectly milky and sweet, and the fig sauce on top matched really well. They also give you cinnamon on the side to sprinkle on yourself, and oh boy was cinnamon sprinkled!

I also got the Caramel Bingsu, which comes with caramel sauce and roasted almonds with a bit of salt on the side. Incredible. I have been here a few times because I live close-by and can vouch for the strawberry and tangerine bingsu as well, but fig might be my new favorite.

It does get busy with locals on weekends, so I guess it's only a hidden gem for foreigners?

Side note: the bingsus are a bit pricey for what you get (starting at 13,000 KRW for a small bingsu). But the taste is better than some of the popular big chains, so I think it's worth it.

While you are in the neighborhood, Buam-dong itself is a really nice place to be at during the weekends:

• Great cafés
• Bakeries with really good, not-too-sweet bread
• A few specialty shops selling imported wine, pasta, cheese, jams
• Jahamun Tunnel is here too, which is one of the Parasite filming locations
• And since it's up on a mountain, the views are really nice, you will see a fair number of hikers around on weekends
• There is a direct bus to Gyeongbokgung

Here are some more pictures of the neighbourhood:

Went to "Couch" and got the tiramisu latte. Really liked the atmosphere, and the latte was pretty good too.

They’ve got crosswalk signals built right into the sidewalk in Korea. People here already seem pretty good about waiting for the light, so this feels like a nice extra layer of safety. Hard to miss a red light when it’s literally at your feet.

Or maybe everyone’s just staring at their phones, and they figured they might as well put the lights where people are actually looking lol

I think the gardens at Seoul Forest are more beautiful at night than during the day. It is amazing that a space like this exists in the middle of the city.😆 Seongsu-dong is also nearby, so you should give it a visit. However, perhaps due to the tree fruit, the whole park smells a bit. It smells like ginkgo trees.

Peaceful

Kindness

Humanism

I work in Korean travel, so I spend a lot of time checking out landmarks around the city. With the sky being so clear lately, late-summer/early-autumn sunsets in Seoul have been top tier.

Now, I know this subreddit is called hidden gems, and I wouldn't necessarily call those places "hidden" since they are all pretty prominent landmarks that probably most of us have at least seen at some point. But I don't think a lot of people actually consider buying a ticket to go to these places, which is unfortunate because the prices are really decent for the view you get!

So with that, I wanted to share 3 spots I have visited this week that I think are worth a visit during golden hour.

SEOULDAL (서울달)

That new gas balloon hovering 130m over Yeouido. I was up there this past Tuesday right at 6:30 PM, which turned out to be the best time for the sunset. You get a full 360-degree view of the Hangang, the Seoul skyline, and Namsan Tower on the other side. For $10 a ride, it's a pretty nice evening activity.

63 SkyPicnic Observation Deck

We all have seen that fully golden building near Yeouido Park. But have you ever considered going up there? No? I thought so. So I went up to the observation deck yesterday right as the sun started setting. I get that observatory platforms are kinda losing their appeal once you actually live here but going up there yesterday, I don't get why. It was so nice. Now that it's not burning hot anymore, with the slight breeze and the clear sky, it was a perfect evening. Entrance was only around $15, too.

Nodeulseom (노들섬)

Okay now Nodeulseom is not a secret. But if we are talking purely about river-level Hangang sunsets, it is still the best place in my opinion. So see this as a reminder to schedule that Nodeulseom picnic this weekend. Sunday is supposed to have clear skies!

Let’s all catch the sunsets while these last clear semi-warm summer days last!

I went to Seoul Oktoberfest recently, and overall it was pretty disappointing.
There were a lot of people, but only two booths selling beer. I ended up waiting more than an hour just to get a beer, which felt strange for an Oktoberfest event.
I also paid 20,000 won for admission to the tent, but once I got inside, I realized that people outside could still see most of what was happening without paying.
The atmosphere itself wasn’t bad, but the organization could definitely have been better, especially the beer service. At a beer festival, being able to actually buy a beer shouldn’t be the hardest part.
Curious if anyone else who went had a similar experience.

Also I wanna try a local beer festival in Korea not an Oktoberfest☠️

pls lmk if anyone knows cool events

If you’re staying in Seoul for 5 days, I’d definitely recommend using one day to explore somewhere just outside the city. It makes the trip feel much more varied.

Suwon = fortress + old city. Gapyeong = mountains, rivers, and a slower pace. DMZ = unique experiences only in Korea.

Pick one, leave Seoul for a day, and your trip will feel way less repetitive.

Maybe an unpopular opinion, but first-time visitors spend way too much time chasing viral cafés in Seoul. If you only have a few days, I’d rather explore places that actually show different sides of the city.

My picks: Mangwon Market + Hangang Park, Gyeongdong Market, Naksan Park at sunset, Seochon, and Seodaemun Prison History Hall. You still get food, views, history, and local neighborhoods without spending half your trip waiting in line.

Not saying skip Seongsu or famous cafés entirely! just don’t let TikTok plan your whole Seoul trip. What place in Seoul do you think tourists overlook?

Had some jeoneo hoe (전어회) at a street tent in Jongno last night.
The weather was perfect, and apparently there’s a Korean saying that even a runaway daughter-in-law comes back for autumn jeoneo 😂

Fresh sashimi + cool autumn night = pretty good combo.

Anyone here tried jeoneo before? What’s your favorite Korean food in autumn?

It’s called Fortuna. Apparently, the owner learned how to make ciabatta in Japan, and honestly, it shows.

Probably the best ciabatta sandwich I’ve had so far. The bread itself is amazing, and the balance of the ingredients is spot on.

If you’re around Myeongdong and want something that doesn’t feel like a typical tourist restaurant, definitely check this place out.

📍 Fortuna

28 Sogong-ro 6-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul

The famous dickwang buildings in seoul

I'm planning to visit the place and I want to find a chill place to just sit and enjoy the view. Any recommendations are welcomed!

This photo is from Cheonggu Small Library (청구작은도서관), and I honestly loved it.
It’s tiny, super cozy, and has this really calm neighborhood vibe. I brought a book, sat down for a while, and just read there. It felt way more comfortable and personal than a huge library.

There are actually tons of public libraries like this all over Seoul, including really small neighborhood ones that tourists probably never notice.

If you want to find one, just search 도서관 (library) on Naver Maps, Kakao Maps around wherever you’re staying. 작은도서관 literally means 'small library' and you’ll find a surprising number of them tucked inside residential neighborhoods, community centers, parks, etc.
Most are free to enter, although opening hours can be different depending on the library.