EGGDROP Incheon Airport (Seoul, SOUTH KOREA) ★★★☆☆

I am usually not a fan of 4D3N trips (or 3D2N trip for that matters) cuz it always feels like it has ended even before it even started. But I thought this trip to Seoul (also of the 4D3N variety) gave me a sense of achievement for a change. First and foremost, I needed this getaway badly, after a brutal run of meetings and events that took place at work; and secondly, I managed to fill my itinerary up with three very impressive meals and some nice café hopping. Needless to say, I am a little rejuvenated with some good food and Me Time and I am ready to get back behind that desk of mine once a while and do what I do best. 

After taking off for Incheon Airport at around 6am-ish, we hit a bit of traffic on the way but managed to check in ahead of schedule. This allowed us some extra time for breakfast and I am dropping by EGGDROP, a Korean sandwich brand which has taken the market by storm in recent years. 



250 stores in just three years is no small feat but let's see if they are as good as advertised.

They are preparing these sandwiches with great care.

Avo Bacon Street Toast (₩7,400) – This came with a fried egg, bacon, cheese, tomato and a few strips of avocado. Not bad but really nothing to write home about. The tomato-based sauce was particularly underwhelming. Sorry, but I just don't see the hype around it.

Now with my stomach filled, I am ready to return home.

Food Rating: 4.8/10

Price: ₩₩₩

Address: 2840 Unseo-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Tel: +82 0507 1390-8705

Opening Hours: 6:00am - 10:00pm daily 

Cheongsudang 청수당 清水堂 (Seoul, SOUTH KOREA) ★★★☆☆

Cheongsudang (청수당 清水堂) stands out as a captivating Hanok-style café nestled in the charming neighborhood of Ikseon-dong (익선동).



Surrounded by lush greenery, the bakery café has become immensely popular among locals and tourists thanks to its delectable selection of Mont Blanc, soufflé castella and fromage cake.

At 7pm, I decided to find myself a seat here while everyone was still enjoying their dinner.

Mont Blanc (₩14,000) – One of the signature desserts around here.

Unfortunately, there was only fresh cream underneath the thin layer of chestnut vermicelli and nothing more. I actually didn't finish this.

Cheongsudang is just a stone's throw from the famous Nakwon Cafe, an iconic railway-themed café where patrons must traverse the train tracks in order to enter the café.

Food Rating: 5.2/10

Price: ₩₩₩₩

Address: 144 Ikseon-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Closest Metro Station: Jongno 3(sam)-ga

Tel: +82 0507 1318-8215

Website: www.glowseoul.co.kr

Opening Hours: 10:30am - 9:00pm daily

Uyeonhwa Ikseon 우연화 익선한식 (Seoul, SOUTH KOREA) ★★★★☆

When popular Japanese restaurant Hikiniku To Come (挽肉と米) (literally means “minced meat and rice”) opened its first Hong Kong branch in IFC mall back in May, I was among those attempting as walk-in customers without luck. Six months later, I still haven't gotten the chance to check out their charcoal-grilled hamburger steaks but hopefully, I would get a similarly exciting experience at Uyeonhwa Ikseon (우연화 익선한식), a Korean restaurant in Seoul serving charcoal-grilled patties made with Korean beef.

Like many restaurants and cafes in Ikseon-dong, Uyeonhwa is housed inside a hanok-style building.

As the restaurant only offers two kinds of dinner sets (₩25,000), it was easy to do it through the ticketing machine. Simply enter the table number and choose the appetizer and main dish respectively. The menu also offers translations in English and Chinese making it very easy for tourists like us.

We were seated at the bar table which provided front row seats to the open kitchen where the chef patiently placed the beef patties into the grill one after another.

The ventilation system effectively cleared the smoke from the charcoal grill, allowing us to sit back, relax and watch our patties cook through the transparent glass partitions.

While the chef was putting the finishing touch on our patties, it was time to get our sauce ready (only four kinds of sauce to choose from, wasabi, dried garlic, Korean chili paste and tomato).

As a purist, all I needed was an egg yolk and some sweet soy to go with my beef patty.

Each set came with a garden salad or this cod roes dish which has been sprinkled with fresh chives and sesame.

Also included with the set was this bucket of steamed rice.

The first of my two beef patties was there, emanating a robust aroma from the charcoal grill.

Can't wait to enjoy this with my rice!

Well, the patty was less charred than I originally expected. It was incredibly soft, juicy and tender.

Not sure if it was intentional but my second patty was noticeably less cooked in the middle than the first one but equally delicious especially the sweet soy and yolk.

I wasn't sure how it stacked up against the prized hamburger steak at Hikiniku To Come but for me, this meal provided me a truly mouthwatering experience. Highly recommended for any hamburger steak fan! 

Food Rating: 6.4/10

Price: ₩₩₩

Address: 23 Donui-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Closest Metro Station: Jongno 3(sam)-ga

Tel: +82 0507 1490-7984

Opening Hours: 11:30am - 9:00pm daily