Seoul Round 2

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I decided to stay in Gangnam, the flashier and more modern part of Seoul for my second time in the city. This is the same Gangnam as the song "Gangnam Style." After my Wonju experience, the gleaming glass and steel buildings nearly brought a tear to my eye.


I set out for the COEX mall, one of Asia's largest underground malls. I saw some cool sculptures and fancy hotels along the way.



The mall itself was modern and so fun to wander through. I love Asian shopping malls.


I swung by the Starfield Library, filled with impressive (though inconvenient) 30 foot tall modern bookshelves.


To top off my mall experience I helped myself to some truffle jajangmyeon, a Chinese-Korean fusion dish. These were my first (and probably only) truffles of the trip! I waited an hour for this restaurant, and it was well worth it. This was one of the richest meals I have ever had. It was a battle to finish but obviously I came out on top.


As a final treat I watched Dune II in my fancy hotel room. I could get used to this, ahem, Gangnam Style.


I woke up to a fresh sprinkling of snow.


This trip has been so hectic and jam-packed with experiences that I've rarely indulged in local cafe culture. Seoul is known for its cafes, so I helped myself to a pastry and cappuccino to fuel a morning blog-writing session.


I took a bus over to Itaewon, a former US Army base turned ex-pat neighborhood. I found an amazing used bookstore and then began my walk over to the Seoul Forest Park. 



Apparently the park has deer enclosures.



I want to shoutout Ryan "Kimmy" Kim, a fellow Beta '25. He gave me so many Seoul recommendations, including my next stop - the neighborhood of Seongsu. This area was full of quirky consumer goods stores.
On my last night in Seoul I finally got around to trying some Korean barbecue. I realized that I ordered a set meal meant for 2-3 people, but I was not about to let my pride take the hit of not finishing my food.


I ate slightly under a pound of pork (450 grams) accompanied by many sides and a final dish of fried rice. Fantastic.


My final stop was Haus Nowhere, an art exposition and retail showroom love child.


This place was funky.





My last Seoul hurrah was trying some Korean fried chicken. Yet again, I accidentally ordered a family's portion of fried chicken. At least three birds must have died to provide the sheer number of drumsticks in that box. I finished the glutinous serving of food over the course of my travel day to my next destination. Stay tuned to see where I end up next.


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