The Seoulite

Summer is over and that means that most restaurants and cafes that served ‘pat bing soo’ (팥빙수) or Red Bean Ice dessert have taken it off their menus! But what’s a Seoulite to do in the dead middle of fall or winter when you want this icy treat?

Go to Hyundai Department store in Apgujeong. There is a famous cafe that has been serving pat bing soo as their main dish for years. Who knows what the name of that place is… real Seoulites tell each other to find obscure places without the use of store names, street names or phone numbers. You should too!

Just go to the top floor of the department store where there is a group of restaurants. Look for the cafe that is designed to look like it’s outdoors. The Seoulite had no idea if he was in the right spot so he started looking at people’s plates and voila! Everyone was eating pat bing soo!

This is THE place to see upper crust Korean baby mamas and baby mamas in training spending the afternoon.

And how is the pat bing soo? EXCELLENT. The ice shavings are permeated with whatever flavor you choose to get. The Seoulite got the Pomegranate flavor. The rice cakes are the best part. They are delicately handmade fresh and they just melt in your mouth.

Here’s a picture of the Hyundai department store. Line 3, Apgujeong Station.

The Seoulite is on the hunt for the perfect cupcake in Seoul… otherwise he has to open up his own bake shop… and he is half serious! Business partners please send your proposals. Here are cupcakes to avoid… no matter how good they look or seem to remind you of Sprinkles or Magnolia’s: Good Ovening (Hyundai Department Store) and One (Shinsegae Department Store).

A decent cupcake place is called Lynn’s Cupcakes in Hannam-dong near the UN Village. The actual UN Village is a set of apartments perched on top of the hill. Originally it is where many diplomats lived as many of the world’s embassies are nearby… on the same street as Lynn’s. It is not subway accessible… but you can get there on bus. Or if you’re in a car, it’s right after the Hannam Bridge if you turn right.

Here is the street. If you close one eye, it seems like Paris on a cloudy day.

You won't need any eyes to see this place. Dang girl... are there going to be a million barbies in this place?

Inside the atmosphere is a restrained exuberance.

This is where bad little kids go if they are in heaven. Stare at yourself in the wall and eat a cupcake!

This is the 'small' red velvet cupcake for 3,500 won. You can get a plastic carrying case if you get the large cupcake for 5,000 won. The girl still offered one for my small cupcake, but I told her I didn't need one. Good thing because I overheard Mama Lynn telling the employee not to give away the store.

Why is Red Velvet red? It’s supposed to be beet juice… and the cake itself is an American Southern invention. It roared in popularity during the 1960s, then tapered off after reports of carcinogenic food colorings began to surface. Not all red velvet is real… I could taste the food coloring in Lynn’s red velvet. The cream cheese frosting was decent. Overall, the cupcakes left an impression. Just not an amazing one.

Lynn’s Cupcakes
Hannam-dong, UN Village
(02) 792-0804

Food: 4/5
Ambiance: 4/5
Service: 4/5

Where do fancy Seoulites go grocery shopping? At the department store of course! If you’re looking for something of high quality or imported and can’t find it anywhere else, you can go to the basement level of any major department store (Hyundai, Lotte, Shinsegae) where you will find a paradise of food.

There are also grocery stores at discount stores like E-Mart. E-Mart and Shinsegae are owned by the same company and sometimes the two grocery stores of each are linked together. They seem to almost have the same products but just charge more at the department store! For a real bargain, shop at the little family owned grocery stores. There’s one across the street from the Lotte Department store at Hanti Station in Daechi-dong. It’s a big long alleyway of home-prepared banchan, fresh produce, fresh fish and meats, and also Korean pastries.

The following photos are from the Hyundai Department store in Apgujeong. (I just took pictures. The Seoulite doesn’t cook much these days.)

Delicious fruits and vegetables. Make sure you get your bag of vegetables or fruits weighed on the spot. The saleslady will put a sticker with the price on the bag. There are no scales at the checkout counter and they will send you back to get a sticker.

Sample the meat before buying!

Variety of meats.

Cook your own deep fried pork cutlets.

Premium pork!

Choose your own kimchee.

Of course who doesn't miss their nacho cheese sauce? Two different kinds too!

Olive oils from every country!

You'll find some imported goods from Europe, Asia and America all mixed together. So it will still be a taste of exotic foods even in this section!

You can also find prepared foods and treats... like this Rotiboy store!

The Red Velvet Cupcake craze has finally made it to Seoul.

These are the fancy cupcakes everyone 'tasted' at the Thanksgiving party!

Quality is high most of the times at the department store. But sometimes it seems a waste of money. However, I have to say that over the summer, the cherries my aunt bought me at the Lotte food hall was amazing. I thought they were only 4,000 won for the package. But turns out it was 4,000 won per 100g. That made the bunch of cherries over 30,000 won! I saved the seeds so I can one day plant them and eat these cherries for free. So be careful! Koreans will pay much more for food than you might expect.

Hi, I’m Sean Lim, an American expat living in South Korea.  This is my blog about becoming a Seoulite.

What is a Seoulite?
A ‘Seoulite’ (서울깍쟁이) is a citizen of Seoul, just as a ‘New Yorker’ is a citizen of New York. Of course the label ‘Seoulite’ doesn’t simply denote a place of residence [...]