Poop Cafe in Korea

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Poop Cafe in Korea

My bestie and I get our digestion on at Ddo-Ong Cafe (또옹카페). We called it the Poop Cafe. It's located on the 4th floor of the Ssamziegil building on Insadong-Gil. Come for a chill conversation with friends or if you need a place to study.

We were hoping the cafe would be super brown and cartoony. To our dismay the interior was pleasant and tame. Fortunately there were old-school squat toilets placed on the wooden floor. That made me feel more excited about life.

poop cafe interior 1

The Poop Cafe used to sell 3D doodoo-shaped bread. But they stopped serving them. There's a vendor outside that sells 2D poop-shaped bread though. One for 1,000 won. It tastes like booguh-bbang.

poop bread

The cafe sells cute dolls. They are the cross between an animal and a snail with spiraled poop shell. The doll on the right (above) at first appears to be Santa Claus, however flip him upside-down and you'll see a pig's butt with round tail.

dolls

The Poop Cafe tree is decorated with plungers.

toilet plunger tree

Chamomile tea and chocolate latte~ Nothing quite like enjoying hotties on a winter day.

drinks

Another interior shot. Looking towards the entrance door.

poop cafe interior 2

More dolls. This one may be ideal for couples.

snails

The sun sets early during the winter. By the time we got out of the cafe it was dark. We head back home before too many troublemakers come out to play. Actually my bestie and I are troublemakers ourselves, but are kind enough to make space for others to have fun ;)

ssamzigil


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10-Course Vegan Meal at Baru

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10-Course Vegan Meal at Baru

While there aren't too many vegan restaurants in Korea, Baru Gongyang--also known as "Balwoo"--is a heaven for vegetarians of Seoul. Baru offers various courses of temple cuisine, ranging from 10 to 17 dishes. Check out the menu here: page 1, page 2/3 and page 4.

My friend and I ordered the 10-dish course Paramita (10 바라밀상). It was more than enough food.

Three Colored Pancakes with Seasonal Vegetables (삼색전 = Samsaek Jeon).

Three Colored Pancakes with Seasonal Vegetables (삼색전 = Samsaek Jeon).

Three Combinations Dumpling, Tofu with salt-pickled herbs and rice wrapped with wild herbs (계정혜삼합 = Gye-jeonghye Samhap).

Three Combinations Dumpling, Tofu with salt-pickled herbs and rice wrapped with wild herbs (계정혜삼합 = Gye-jeonghye Samhap).

Mushrooms and Vegetables with Korean chili paste sauce (버섯강정 = Buseot-Gangjeong).

Mushrooms and Vegetables with Korean chili paste sauce (버섯강정 = Buseot-Gangjeong).

Rainbow of banchan (sidedishes).

Rainbow of banchan (sidedishes).

Soup made of Temple's Homemade Bean Paste with seasonal veggies.

Soup made of Temple's Homemade Bean Paste with seasonal veggies.

Rice Porridge topped off with Sliced Dried Jujube.

Rice Porridge topped off with Sliced Dried Jujube.

Wild "deodeok" root mixed with seasonal vegetables and pine nut dressing (더덕샐러드 = Deodeok Salad).

Wild "deodeok" root mixed with seasonal vegetables and pine nut dressing (더덕샐러드 = Deodeok Salad).

Rice of Cirsium Setidens (곤드레밥 = Gondeurae Bap).

Rice of Cirsium Setidens (곤드레밥 = Gondeurae Bap).

Assorted Wild Veggies and Fruit Chips. Comes with either shikhye or sujeonggwa.

Assorted Wild Veggies and Fruit Chips. Comes with either shikhye or sujeonggwa.

Perilla Seeds Soup with tofu and wild greens topping (들깨탕 = Deul Kkae Tang).

Perilla Seeds Soup with tofu and wild greens topping (들깨탕 = Deul Kkae Tang).

Important things to know:

  • Reservations are highly recommended as there is limited space.
  • Baru serves lunch until 3pm and open again for dinner at 6pm.
  • Everyone sharing a table must order the same course.
Located on the 5th floor of Temple Stay Information Center, across the street from the Jogyesa Temple.

Located on the 5th floor of Temple Stay Information Center, across the street from the Jogyesa Temple.

Baru Gongyang
Phone
: 02-2031-2081
Address (in English): 5층 71 Gyeonji-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-170 110-170
Address (In Korean): 서울시 종로구 견지동 71번지 템플스테



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Colorful Korean Feast at Yeonji Restaurant

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Colorful Korean Feast at Yeonji Restaurant

Entrance to Yeonji Korean Restaurant.

Entrance to Yeonji Korean Restaurant.

In a neighborhood detached from the busier part of the Yongin city sits unassuming restaurants. Exteriors appear bare and camouflage into surrounding snowy mountains. Yeonji Korean Restaurant is one of these eateries. 

Yeonji offers set courses. The lunch course is ₩15,000 per person and is more than enough food. You get porridge, jellyfish, salad, pancake, japchae, fish, banchan and more (see below for all photos). For an extra ₩3,000 order Course A to add on bossam (steamed pork) and fried octopus. The pricier courses offer additional dishes, however I recommend you grow another stomach first!

Only a small handful of many banchan.

Only a small handful of many banchan.

The courses are served one to two dishes at a time as opposed to your whole meal placed on the table at once. Because of this serving system, you end up finishing the beginning dishes clean and become full in the first half of your dining experience. When the waitresses didn't come for awhile, my food buddy and I thought we finally reached the end of our meal. Then came the rainbow of sidedishes, stew, stone bowl of rice and other goodies.

Looks like kelp noodles, but it's actually a Cold Jellyfish Salad (해파리냉채). Spicy due to the hint of wasabi.

Looks like kelp noodles, but it's actually a Cold Jellyfish Salad (해파리냉채). Spicy due to the hint of wasabi.

I've noticed many Korean restaurants have a tendency of serving iceberg salads. It's quite sad as this lettuce contains little nutrition. However better to eat iceberg lettuce than a triple fried hot dog. At least the iceberg salad at Yeonji is embe…

I've noticed many Korean restaurants have a tendency of serving iceberg salads. It's quite sad as this lettuce contains little nutrition. However better to eat iceberg lettuce than a triple fried hot dog. At least the iceberg salad at Yeonji is embellished with a pinch of sprouts.

Perilla leaves are an acquired taste. However the Perilla Seed Salad (들깨샐러드) can be enjoyed by many customers. Only a hint of perilla leaves. Not overpowering at all.

Perilla leaves are an acquired taste. However the Perilla Seed Salad (들깨샐러드) can be enjoyed by many customers. Only a hint of perilla leaves. Not overpowering at all.

The mild to medium spicy Seasoned Raw Fish (회무침).

The mild to medium spicy Seasoned Raw Fish (회무침).

Many rice cakes I encounter have a tough and chewy texture. Yeonji's Rice Cake Japchae (떡잡채) has a delightful softness.

Many rice cakes I encounter have a tough and chewy texture. Yeonji's Rice Cake Japchae (떡잡채) has a delightful softness.

The Fried Octopus (낙지볶음) with perilla leaf salad. If the octopus is too spicy, district your taste buds with the herby perilla.

The Fried Octopus (낙지볶음) with perilla leaf salad. If the octopus is too spicy, district your taste buds with the herby perilla.

The crispy yet bland Mung Bean Pancake (녹두전).

The crispy yet bland Mung Bean Pancake (녹두전).

The oh-so-juicy Beef Patties. One of my top favorites from Yeonji Restaurant.

The oh-so-juicy Beef Patties. One of my top favorites from Yeonji Restaurant.

Banchan, banchan, banchan... Never enough banchan. Anchovy and kimchi on the top, eggplant and spinach on the bottom.

Banchan, banchan, banchan... Never enough banchan. Anchovy and kimchi on the top, eggplant and spinach on the bottom.

They don't serve too many slices of Bossam (보쌈), but what they give you is enough considering all the other dishes to consume! The garlic chips are a fun concept, though I'd prefer crunching on them while watching a movie rather than pair it with my…

They don't serve too many slices of Bossam (보쌈), but what they give you is enough considering all the other dishes to consume! The garlic chips are a fun concept, though I'd prefer crunching on them while watching a movie rather than pair it with my bossam.

There was also the Seasonal Soup (계절탕), which was made of rice cakes and mushrooms. At the end of the colorful feast, our waitress brought us maesil tea. It's typical to drink a dessert drink at the end of a hansik meal.

Interior shot of Yeonji.

Interior shot of Yeonji.

Walking by Yeonji on the main road.

Walking by Yeonji on the main road.

Yeonji
Address
: 경기도 용인시 수지구 신봉동 608-7
Phone: 031-896-5678



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