Day 4: Boutique Hanok Guesthouse - Rakkojae 락고재

We wanted a glimpse into traditional Korean living. What better way than to check into Rakkojae, a boutique hanok guesthouse. We seemed to have travelled back in time. :)

This would be our "home" for two days. :)

There isn't much reception area to speak of. But it was lovely nonetheless.

Everyone, except Beanie was thrilled. :D He much prefers modern hotels...Dad can be real boring at times. Anyway it was a marvellous experience.

Take a peep into our bedroom

Our bathroom with modern fixtures

and the dining room where we savoured home cooked meals. :)

Our stay at Rakkojae was inclusive of breakfast & dinner. :)

1st dinner at Rakkojae:

Bulgogi & assorted pancakes

Ganjang-Gejang (crab marinated in soy bean sauce) and kelp soup

assortment of sides

1st breakfast at RKJ:

Porridge and grilled fish

Sides

Coffee

We were satisfied. :)

2nd dinner at RKJ:

BBQ Sirloin and hot soup with soy bean paste

Assortment of side dishes

2nd breakfast at RKJ:

Nutty bread with preserve and butter

Sunny side-up, bacon, coffee, orange juice & milk

Rakkojae provides natural mud sauna for its guests too. We tried it on our first night there. :)  

We would recommend Rakkojae to anyone who wants to experience the beauty of traditional Korean culture. :)

Details of Rakkojae 락고재:
Seoul-siJongno-gu Gye-dong 98
주소 : 서울시종로구계동 98
W: http://www.rkj.co.kr/

To get to Rakkojae:
Anguk Station (Line 3), Exit 2

Day 3: Awesome Dinner at Byeokje Galbi 벽제갈비

Woohoo! We had dinner at Byeokje Galbi!  Byeokje Galbi is a highly rated restaurant by The Wall Street Journal and we had to check it out ourselves! ;) The verdict? Love, love, love...

Lin & Tina took charge of ordering. ;)

As in all Korean restaurants, we were served an array of side dishes. :)

And here're our prized dishes, Hanusaenggalbi (premium Korean beef short ribs) and Yangnyeom-galbi (barbecued beef ribs with seasoned soy sauce).

The beef are from cows raised on a Pocheon farm under the direct management of the restaurant and is richly tender and utterly delicious.

The beef were cooked over charcoal.

Our friendly server assisted us in cooking these gorgeous beef. :)

We looked forward to our first bite...

Just a little salt is required to enhance the flavour of the beef. Fingers & toes up! :D

For Yangnyeom-galbi (barbecued beef ribs with seasoned soy sauce), we just ate them on its own. No salt is required.

To top off the dinner, we had Pyeongyang-naengmyeon (Pyeongyang style buckwheat noodles). It's a bowl of refreshing chilled noodles. :D

Finally, ume tea and melon to end the fabulous dinner. Bliss... :)

We would definitely come back to Byeokje Galbi the next time we visit Seoul. :)

Now, we just had to walk off the dinner at Dongdaemun.

Details of Byeokje Galbi 벽제갈비:
Bangi-dong Bongpiyang Branch
T: +82 2 415 5527
W: http://blog.naver.com/bjgalbi

To get to Byeokje Galbi:
Take Seoul Subway Line 5 to Bangi Station, Exit 4
Once you exit from Exit 4, just walk straight till you see the entrance to an open air carpark.

The restaurant is near the entrance of the carpark.

Day 3: An Afternoon at Ewha Women's University

We spent an afternoon at Ewha Women's University. Yellow ginko trees lined the streets, making the surroundings a pretty sight. :)

There are many quaint & lovely shops all around EWU. I got Lucy here. ;) Cafes & restaurants are plenty too.

And if you're in the mood for street food, you may hop from one vendor to the next. :)

The autumn hues enhanced the beauty of EWU. :)

Don't you heart the autumn leaves? :)

Yellow, red & green...

EWU is such a gorgeous university. :)

We managed to catch the sunset at EWU.  :) The glow from the sun added brilliance to the yellow ginko trees.

We love our autumn in Seoul. *.*

and we couldn't stop clicking away... :D

As a result, we were left with only 15mins to shop. Did we manage to get anything? Of course! The shopping queen bought 3 dresses & a pair of earrings; Lin bought a pair of earrings; I bought a jacket & a pair of earrings. We bought everything in 15mins flat. How's that? :D

Time to adjourn for dinner. :)

To get to Ewha Women's University:
Take the subway to Ewha Women's University (Line 2)
Exit 2 or 3