Category: Gangnam
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A Quiet Cafe in COEX: Stem Coffee, a Spacious Hidden Hideout
Anyone who’s been to COEX on a weekend knows the problem: it’s packed, it’s loud, and every cafe has you squeezed elbow-to-elbow. So the first time I found Stem Coffee — a big, genuinely quiet cafe tucked below the cinema — it felt like a secret. If you want a calm spot to sit and…
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Specialty Coffee at COEX: Terarosa’s Hand-Drip and Desserts
Here’s a familiar COEX problem: the cafes down in the Starfield mall level are all small, and on a busy day every seat is taken. That’s exactly how I ended up at Terarosa on the 1st floor — and it turned out to be the best coffee stop in the building. If you want proper…
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Soul Market Bakery: A Spacious Cafe in COEX for Dessert and Coffee
If you’ve spent any time in COEX, you know the problem: it’s one of the biggest underground malls in Asia, and yet finding a proper cafe in COEX — somewhere big enough to actually sit down and breathe — is weirdly hard. Most spots are small and packed. So when I wandered into Soul Market…
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Things to Do at COEX: Library, Aquarium, and a Temple Across the Street
COEX in Gangnam is often called just “a big mall,” but that undersells it. Between a soaring free library that’s become one of Seoul’s top photo spots, an aquarium, a K-pop landmark, and a centuries-old Buddhist temple right across the street, there are genuinely good things to do at COEX — and almost all of…
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Naengmyeon Near the Express Bus Terminal: Michelin-Listed Cold Noodles at Ojangdong
On a hot Seoul day, nothing hits like a bowl of ice-cold naengmyeon — and if you’re near the Express Bus Terminal, there’s a Michelin-listed spot for it right inside the station. For fast, excellent naengmyeon near the Express Bus Terminal, Ojangdong Hamheung Naengmyeon is my pick: cold noodles done properly, and on your table…
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COEX Restaurants: Where a Local Actually Eats in Seoul’s Biggest Mall
Almost everyone comes to COEX for the same two things: the Starfield Library and the aquarium. Then it’s mid-afternoon, you’re hungry, and you’re standing in an underground complex so vast that people genuinely get lost in it. The good news is that the COEX restaurants worth your time are excellent — the catch is finding…
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Pho at COEX: A Break from Korean Food at Le Saigon (B1)
Somewhere around day four of stews, barbecue and kimchi, most visitors want something lighter — and a clean bowl of Vietnamese noodle soup is exactly the reset. For pho at COEX, Le Saigon on B1 of the mall is the easy answer: clear beefy broth, generous toppings, and a menu wide enough to cover whatever…
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Bulgogi at COEX: Sweet-Savory Korean Beef at Sariwon (B1)
If there’s one Korean dish that wins over almost everyone, it’s bulgogi — thin beef in a sweet-savory soy marinade, and about as approachable as Korean food gets. For bulgogi at COEX, Sariwon on B1 of Starfield COEX Mall is a dependable, comfortable choice, and it’s a nationwide chain that knows exactly what it’s doing.…
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Korean Food at COEX: Hearty Sotbap at Sotnaeum (B1)
Everyone comes to COEX for the Starfield Library and the aquarium — but when you want an actual, sit-down Korean meal in the middle of all that, the options aren’t obvious. For proper Korean food at COEX, Sotnaeum is my pick: individual pots of freshly cooked sotbap (Korean pot rice), hearty enough to reset you…
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Gobong Samgyetang COEX: Michelin-Listed Ginseng Chicken Soup Inside the Mall
Samgyetang — a whole young chicken stuffed with glutinous rice, ginseng, and jujube, simmered into soup — is Korea’s definitive restorative meal. It’s what Koreans eat when they’re run down, recovering, or facing the hottest days of summer (fighting heat with heat is a whole philosophy here, called boknal eating). And if you’re anywhere near…
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Plantude COEX: The All-Vegan Korean Restaurant Every Plant-Based Traveler Should Know
Let’s be honest: Korea is a tough country to travel vegan. Broth hides in everything, fish sauce sneaks into “vegetable” dishes, and asking about ingredients can be a linguistic adventure. Which is why Plantude COEX — a 100% vegan restaurant inside Starfield COEX Mall — deserves a spot on every plant-based traveler’s map. I’ve been…
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Yuramen Gangnam: Rich Ramen & $1 Happy Hour Beer in Seoul
Hear me out: yes, you came to Korea for Korean food. But somewhere around day three of stews and barbecue, you might want a bowl of something different — and Seoul’s Japanese ramen scene is genuinely good. For proper tonkotsu ramen in Gangnam, Yuramen is where I’d send you: rich, clean pork-bone broth, serious mazesoba,…
