One place not to be missed in Seoul,
Myeongdong
Address
30, Eulji-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul-si
서울특별시 중구 명동2가
Directions
Myeongdong Station (Seoul Subway Line 4), Exit 5, 6, 7, or 8
Euljiro Il-ga Station (Seoul Subway Line 2), Exit 5
Myeongdong is a must-go shopping district for Korean skincare and makeup products. You can find famous Korean cosmetics brands like The Face Shop, Innisfree, Etude House, Nature Republic, Missha, Skinfood and many other brands!
Before I get started with the shopping, let's talk about food first!
What to eat in Myeongdong
What to eat in Myeongdong
Bonjuk
본죽
Address
65-2 Chungmuro 2(i)ga, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Directions
Take Exit 6 of Myeongdong Station
Turn left and turn right at the first turn
Bonjuk is located opposite Starbucks on Level 2
One of the recommended Korean food to try - Traditional Korean Porridge.
It's always a good idea to start a chilly morning with a pipping warm bowl of porridge.
Got myself abalone porridge (₩10,000 - $11.90) and it was so flavourful.
Bonjuk sells more than 10 varieties of porridge, from veggie to meat to seafood kind.
It's really very unique, the taste that you couldn't get it in Singapore. And I believed this isn't something that is easily available in Singapore. So when you're in Korea, give it a try!
Miss Lee Cafe
별다방 미스리
Address
Star Miss Lee Cafe Season 3 Myeongdong Seoul Jung-gu 199-12 Floor
Directions
Myeongdong station Line 4, Exit 6
Walk straight through the main shopping street
Turn left at the main road
Turn right down the bigger alley
Miss Lee Cafe is located on the left
Definitely not hard to miss this interesting themed cafe.
Miss Lee Cafe is famous for their dosiraks (lunch boxes that Korean students used to bring to school) and also the filming location of an episode of We Got Married (Yonghwa and Seohyun episode).
Contrary to the exterior, the interior of Miss Lee Cafe is furnished with simple furnitures and decorations.
This is the well-known dosirak and seaweed soup (₩6,000 - $7.20)
Kimchi, egg, seaweed and spam.
Here's what you have to do.
Cover the lid and shake the lunch box vigorously to mix everything together.
Yeah, vigorously is the word. It's quite tedious to mix everything together by shaking.
And this is what you'll get!
They say, the messier it is, the nicer it taste.
And yes, it really taste good!
Kimchi, egg, seaweed and spam, what is there to fuss about.
A very simple meal that I truly enjoyed.
O'Sulloc Tea House
오설록
Address
Seoul-si Jung-gu Myeongdong-gil 48
(Myeongdong2-ga)
서울특별시 중구 명동7길 12 (명동1가)
Directions
Myeongdong Station (Seoul Subway Line 4), Exit 6
Upon exiting the station, turn left onto Myeongdong 8-gil
Go straight about 400m, until you see O´sulloc Tea House on the right
O'Sulloc Tea House is a cafe that specialises in green tea (my fav!!!)
They are well-known for their green tea desserts.
Got this green tea parfait that consists of matcha frappe, matcha ice-cream, matcha cake, azuki beans and whipped cream. I can't remember the exact price, but this cost us around $8 bucks?
I thought I was in heaven . . .
It's not overly sweet and the green tea taste is pretty distinct, you won't get sick of this every after 10 mouthful. It was indeed quite pricey but definitely worth the money.
If you need a break from the shopping, be sure to visit O'Sulloc to grab a dessert a rest your legs.
Myeongdong Gyoja/Gyoza
명동교자
Address (Main Store)
25-2 Myeongdong 2(i)-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea
서울특별시 중구 명동2가 25-2
Directions
Take Exit 8 of Myeongdong Station
Turn left and walk straight for 3 to 5 minutes
Keep a look out to your right and you should be able to find Myeongdong Gyoja
If the main store is crowded, try your luck at their branch which is located near the main store:
33-4, Myeongdong 2(i)-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea
서울특별시 중구 명동2가 33-4
MUST MUST MUST visit restaurant to dine.
There are only 3 food items on the menu.
Star of the restaurant - Steamed Gyoja!
They looked like xiao long bao.
Every piece of these juicy not too mini gyoja is fully packed with minced meat.
The thickness of the skin is just right, neither its too thick nor thin.
Just 5 of these balls, and I'm actually pretty full.
Knife sliced noodles that is similar to ban mian/handmade noodles.
Nothing special about this bowl of noodles. The dumplings are similar to the steamed gyoja.
And the last dish would be cold noodles that we didn't order.
All 3 dishes are priced at ₩8,000 each ($9.55)
Gyoja overdosed. This is a really filling meal that can feed up to 3 mouths.
Oh, and the kimchi is really good. Very different from what we've tasted at other places in Korea.
Super spicy and garlicky.
This restaurant is always crowded especially during meal times but food was served very quickly.
Even if you need to queue, the gyoja is certainly worth the wait.
So these are the places that I pigged out at Myeongdong.
Moving on to shopping now!
Shopping in Myeongdong
In Seoul, at every corner even the subway stations, you get to find Korean cosmetics stores easily. However be sure to get your products at Myeongdong instead because these stores throw in more freebies when you made a purchase.
Myeongdong is an interesting shopping district.
The streets are pretty complicated and you can find like more than 5 Etude House stores in the area and the different outlets are running different type of promotions and the products may even be priced different. But not to worry, there isn't much of a difference.
Most of the store assistants are able to speak fluent Mandarin and some can even converse in English. So shopping there is a breeze.
However, do beware of hard selling. Most store assistants will stand outside their shops and lure you into the shop with by handing you freebie which may be a piece of mask, small box of cotton pads or some product samples. Then they will start to hard sell. Or even up sell you by throwing in more freebies and getting you to buy more stuffs. It's really pretty annoying.
Nonetheless, the products are still much cheaper than what you get in Singapore.
During evening time, many roadside stalls owners starts to setup their stalls.
You can find street food, bags, clothes, accessories and many other items!
Do dedicate 1 full day there when you're planning your itinerary!
Tips for getting around and shopping in Myeongdong
1. Search for discount coupon for cosmetics store and maybe if you're lucky you can find discount coupons for restaurants.
Something like this:
2. If you're lost of you're looking for a specific shop, get help from the 'Myeongdong tour guide'
They are usually walking around the streets and they can converse in different languages.
Do get a map from them to navigate around the place better.
5. Ask for tax refund
Most shops offer tax refund for tourists (ask or check out the tax refund sticker at the shop front), if you spend more than 30,000 won, remember to get the tax refund receipt from the shop assistant!
4. Look out for H&M and F21!
Better selection at cheaper prices.
Lastly, bring more money when you're at Myeongdong!
This is the place where I spent most of my money *headache*
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