Read Part 2 HERE !
Apparently, a recently introduced tourist curfew would come into effect for Bukchon Hanok Village and the surrounding districts beyond the hours of 10 AM to 5 PM.
I had urged my browsing partner to hurry, only to later learn that our area of interest lay with the retail side of the village. Residing just outside the curfew zone, this strip was distinctly more modern than heritage.
Making our way through the village, our gaze fell upon a Baskin Robbins and Madang collaboration set within a hanok, yet another museum (the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul), an O-Sulloc outpost, and even a Blue Bottle location.
Making our way through the village, our gaze fell upon a Baskin Robbins and Madang collaboration set within a hanok, yet another museum (the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul), an O-Sulloc outpost, and even a Blue Bottle location.
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My eyes shone with wonder as we chanced across hoddeok and bunggeoppang stalls. Neither sparked the same reaction from my browsing partner. Regrettably, the former could not be consumed due its peanut-based filling, while the latter succeeded only in enticing one of us (me).
We opted to browse nearby shops instead, where I surrendered my first bill of Korean won for a mini knitted tote intended for my coworker.
We opted to browse nearby shops instead, where I surrendered my first bill of Korean won for a mini knitted tote intended for my coworker.
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Rounding the corner of Bukchon-ro 5-gil at Bukchon-ro, we encountered a staggering number of protests. Police buses had lined the length of the street, seemingly positioned in place for the long term.
A few steps away was the storefront of Wonder Cookies, appearing precisely in the configuration shown online by Hanbit Cho.
A few steps away was the storefront of Wonder Cookies, appearing precisely in the configuration shown online by Hanbit Cho.
The storefront gave the illusion of an old-fashioned music box with its partially Serif font and robin's egg blue accents. Artificial garden elements were also arranged outside surrounding the seating area. Given the external conditions though, it was far too noisy and chilly to sit comfortably for extended periods of time.
Upon pulling open the double doors, we were greeted warmly by the sole member of front line staff. Baking operations had evidently ceased for the day, though one could make out at least two members of staff assisting the pastry chef himself in the back room.
The front of the store housed two areas: a vestibule with baking-related replicas (countertop oven, cookbook, cookies, etc.) on display and a compact seating area with benches and backless chairs. Past this section were the product display shelves, labelled "Pop-Up, "Cookie", and "Order" respectively. It was presumed that "Pop-Up" items were introduced on a rotational basis, while "Cookie" indicated fixed selections.
The front of the store housed two areas: a vestibule with baking-related replicas (countertop oven, cookbook, cookies, etc.) on display and a compact seating area with benches and backless chairs. Past this section were the product display shelves, labelled "Pop-Up, "Cookie", and "Order" respectively. It was presumed that "Pop-Up" items were introduced on a rotational basis, while "Cookie" indicated fixed selections.
By the time of our mid-afternoon visit, many varieties had already sold out. Amongst the remaining assortment were: Levain, White-Macadamia, Apple Pecan, Red Velvet, Fig Marshmallow, Lotus Marshmallow, Matcha Marshmallow, and Earl Grey Peach. I automatically dismissed the varieties containing fruit preserves, for they were likely to accumulate moisture quickly. Flavours of Red Velvet and S'Mores spinoffs were also largely unappealing to me, leaving me to lean towards Levain and White Chocolate Macadamia - the arguably classic cookies profiles.
Frankly, their fist-sized appearances had deterred my appetite slightly, as I would be sampling them solo. Since the cashier could not guarantee against potential cross-contamination with the peanut-containing doughs, my browsing partner erred on the side of caution. The cookies would largely be reserved for my consumption, while a slice of Basque Cheesecake was shared.
Frankly, their fist-sized appearances had deterred my appetite slightly, as I would be sampling them solo. Since the cashier could not guarantee against potential cross-contamination with the peanut-containing doughs, my browsing partner erred on the side of caution. The cookies would largely be reserved for my consumption, while a slice of Basque Cheesecake was shared.
"Ade" is a persistently prominent drink choice in Korea. Composed of carbonated water and fruit compote or jam, the beverage is served over ice and remarkably popular during the sweltering summer months. For those hailing from cold countries - ahem, us - it would serve as a wonderful late afternoon pick-me-up in place of coffee.
Wonder Cookies' signature Citron Grapefruit Ade and Plum Ade set us back 5,500 KRW and 5,900 KRW respectively. Meanwhile, the cookies rang in at 5,900 KRW each and the Basque Cheesecake at 7,400 KRW. Visually pleasing cafés are hardly budget-friendly, though one could confirm that Korea was charging a hefty markup from North American prices on all items except the Basque cheesecake, which is usually priced between five to seven dollars before tax.
Wonder Cookies' signature Citron Grapefruit Ade and Plum Ade set us back 5,500 KRW and 5,900 KRW respectively. Meanwhile, the cookies rang in at 5,900 KRW each and the Basque Cheesecake at 7,400 KRW. Visually pleasing cafés are hardly budget-friendly, though one could confirm that Korea was charging a hefty markup from North American prices on all items except the Basque cheesecake, which is usually priced between five to seven dollars before tax.
Our cashier strived to communicate with us in English, taking care to double check our orders to prevent misunderstandings. When it came to entering the Ades into the POS system, I simplified the task by pointing to the menu and reading the Hangul out loud. While expressing allergies wasn't the easiest task, I was glad that being literate in food terminology facilitated the ordering process.
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