Dongdaemun-gu Shopping District, Seoul

Dongdaemun district is known as the largest shopping district in Seoul with a total of 26 shopping malls holding over 80,000 stalls.

We visited the Dongdaemun area on two separate occasions.

The first time we went was on Monday late afternoon. We took the train from Myeongdong and reached there at around 7pm.  Our main purpose was to go for an evening stroll along the Cheonggyechoen River.

While walking to the Cheonggyechoen, we were amazed by the beautiful architecture of Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), the well-organized row of shopping malls along the main road, and even the 3D display screen looks for different here. We fell in love with this area.

Back to our walk that evening, the weather was great, with a beautiful orange sunset, we took plenty of photos at DDP, Cheonggyechoen, and Heongginjimun gate.

We had our dinner at 9+pm at Dotta mall, and most of the shops were ready for closing at that time, we knew that we had to come back here for more shopping.

So the next day, we went there again at 3pm, this time mainly for shopping.  Much of my Korean shopping was done here, and I was overjoyed to have discovered a haven for exceptional, locally crafted leather goods.  I bought two handbags, a purse, a card holder, and a pair of leather shoes, all were Korean Handmade. Besides leather goods, we also bought some clothing items.

We're truly grateful we made our way to Dongdaemun-gu; otherwise, our trip to Korea might have been a bit of a letdown with not much shopping done.

Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP)

Cheonggyechoen

Heongginjimun gate

I wish it was autumn.

My new handmade leather shoes bought from Hyundai Department tore, Dongdaemun.

Our vlog..

Bukchon Hanok Village, Seoul

We visited Bukchon Hanok Village on a Wednesday morning.

As we did not plan to explore any palaces or temples during our stay in Seoul; Bukchon Hanok Village seems to be the best alternative for us to leisurely experience the traditional Korean architectural style.

We took an Uber from Myeongdong at 9:40am and reach the village at around 10:10am.  Upon our arrival, the place was relatively quiet with not many people around.  After look look, see see, and capturing photos, I went shopping at the souvenir shops nearby while hubby and kids had their cold drinks at a convenience shop nearby.

There are a few souvenir shops by the roadside, and there's also option to rent traditional Korean attire available there.  I bought several souvenirs here, earrings, fridge magnets, mail openers, most of which have a 'Made in Korea' label.

After spending about 2 hours enjoying the village's charm and the weather getting hotter, we took another Uber ride to return to our hotel in Myeongdong.

 Entering the village area.

Beautiful architecture.

Our vlog..

Myeongdong Cathedral, Seoul

From Noryangjin Fish Market, we took the train back to Myeongdong.

The weather was exceptionally delightful, with bright sunshine. We decided to take a leisurely walk to Myeongdong Cathedral. It was quite a journey, going uphill most of the way from the train station.

Once we reached the top, the view was absolutely stunning. We took a moment to appreciate the breathtaking sight before proceeding to the cathedral. We spent some peaceful time for prayer in the cathedral.

After more photo-taking, we strolled back to our hotel, finding our way through the bustling street market.  Along the way, we tried 3 types of ice creams, oreo churros, shaved ice, and a super-high ice cream cone.

After enduring two days of rain, seeing Myeongdong packed with people on a sunny day was a refreshing sight.

View from the top.

In the Cathedral.

Our vlog..

Best Japanese Restaurant in Kuching

This is all based on my personal preference.

Best Japanese Restaurant in Kuching:

1. Ginza Japanese Restaurant 銀座和食レストラン, Saradise.

2. Sushi Zanmai, Vivacity 

3. Zu Sakuraitei. Known for its fresh sashimi. But I had a not really good experience with their tempura, it's too oily.

4. 山河 Sanga Japanese Restaurant-Kuching

Tokyo Bento - RM18

5. Oishi Japanese Restaurant 

Best Japanese Ramen in Kuching:

1. Cookai, Saradise. Non halal.
It is better to make a booking beforehand, they serve limited bowls per day.

2. Rising Ramen, CityOne Megamall. Non halal.
If you want a fast and easy ramen, this is the place to be, so far they always have this menu available. no booking is required.

3. Ajisen Ramen, Vivacity Megamall, Kuching. Non halal.
It can be a bit too salty sometimes.

4. Senchiru Izakaya, Saradise, Kuching.

    Non-halal .  Urayaki Buta Noodle.

5. Himawari Ramen Bar. Halal. Always long quote, open from 8:30-3pm.
This small restaurant is famous among Muslim customers. Since the restaurant is small, you can always see the long queue outside. be prepared to wait for more than an hour.  Not the best in my opinion, more like a beef noodle for me, a really good tick broth they make. But hey, don't take my word for it, go and try it out, and do let me know ya.

Best Teppanyaki place in Kuching:

1. 渣· 烧鸟屋Teppanyaki & BBQ Bar | Kuching

Non-halal

Updated on 8 Sept 2023