Korea DAY 10: (Pt. 1) Sillim Market + Gangnam Shopping

On the last full day in Seoul, I recalled the existence of my 4-piece Tigre set from the Innisfree Green Café. They had withstood the journey back from Jeju without chilling, but I wasn't about to risk the specimens for a 16+ hour flight back. It became pivotal to consume them prior to our return home.

The packaging was sleek and perfectly giftable. Printed instructions resided within the box in both English and Korea as well. As we readied ourselves for the morning ahead, the box was removed from the fridge and placed atop a warm kettle to thaw.

​Amongst the four flavours, Coffee was the most visually appealing and Cheese the most innovative. It was with regret that I concluded Coffee to be average at best, without even the faintest hint of roasted bitterness present.

Chocolate boasted a smooth ganache; it was tasty, but, by no means, extraordinary. Matcha was similarly flavourful with a smooth ganache, but forgettable. As anticipated, Cheese ranked highest in terms of interest level, boasting a silky ganache and leaning savoury overall with a generous topping of shredded cheddar. None constituted pastries that I'd be eager to repurchase though.

On this day, my browsing partner and I parted ways to pursue individual schedules. This likely wouldn't have been the case had in regular circumstances, however I had plans to meet a fellow Canadian (turned Seoulite) after many years of virtual correspondence. My gratitude was boundless, for, without her, I'd not be able to obtain the various GOT7 albums and domestic merchandise that I owned today.

​The day's itinerary was fluid and entirely up to her discretion, for I trusted her geographic knowledge of the city. After graciously agreeing to meet in the hotel lobby, she led the way to Sillim via the Line 2 subway. We traversed from Sindorim to Sillim station, for she noted Guro and Line 1 to be unpleasant for her (for reasons uncertain).

We crossed over a peaceful park area and waterway. Sunglasses were immediately retrieved by yours truly. On the other hand, my tour guide retained her regular spectacles. I posed the inquiry that had been on my mind: "Do Koreans not wear sunglasses?". The sunlight was blinding after all.
"They do, but only when they are on vacation or trying to cool."
The response baffled me, for cloudless skies during the early afternoon hours could easily contribute to vision damage. My concurrent hope was that locals hadn't found me snobbish for wearing sunglasses during my time(s) of need.

I was guided towards the entrance of the Shinwon Market, a marketplace far grander than Ichon Market.

There was a vast variety of produce and cooked food, ranging from Jeju tangerines to assorted jeon to incredulously fragrant jokbal to extremely economic boxes of domestic fruit. The availability of Shine Muscat for 3,500 KRW was unbelievable, though I must admit that the bags' contents weren't as vibrant and plump as those spotted at Ichon Market.

Shimmering packages of jokbal indeed had me salivating, but my friend insisted that lunch should be obtained elsewhere, as markets served as "takeout spots only". Locals did not eat in the park like they did in Canada - Oops.

​Our mission of the morning was to procure her recommendation of 1000 hoddeok from her favourite vendor.

​It was critical that I consumed the item in her presence, for its chopped peanut filling would not have agreed with my browsing partner.

Each round was made fresh to order, pan-fried in oil until crisp on both sides with a gooey, sweet interior.

For the first time ever, I was presented with scalding hot hoddeok in a paper cup. Admittedly, the format was not as user-friendly as expected. After the first few bites were gnawed away, the bottom half of the disc sank to the bottom of the cup. Moreover, setting the cup down would result in loss of one's grip on the disc.

Nevertheless, it was tasty. Braving sticky fingers, I indulged in the sweet treat while my friend engaged with an excited puppy on our way back to Sillim station.

During the market visit, I was also led to a pharmacy to obtain motion sickness medication to prepare for my flight back. Then, we headed over to Gangnam.

Our time together would be brief, for between my friend's scheduled movie showing and my beauty appointment, we could barely muster a few hours of exploration and conversation. Needless to say, there was no capacity for leisurely café chatter either.

​We browsed a number of boutiques, including a two-level Muji store. Sakura-themed items had landed on the first floor, along with a bakery stand of sorts. On the second floor was a customization station and further options for stationery and knickknacks.

My friend was the one who had entered with a purchasing goal in mind, yet it was me who departed with impromptu picks of Sakura wine, a postcard case, a small purple pen, and cable storage containers.

Piquing my curiosity next was the LINE Friends store. By the time I had realized the existence of the Myeongdong outpost, the retail shop had shuttered for the day. Consequently, I was absolutely ecstatic to have chanced across another location - and during its "Brand Week" sale no less!

Similar to Muji, the shop spanned two floors - connected by a winding stairwell in place of escalators. Along with the original LINE Friends characters, spinoffs of Minini, BT21, and even Pickles the Frog were found on its shelves.

Most of the items had been marked down with considerable discounts. The prices were almost too good to believe! The copious amounts I had relinquished at Times Square were at least twice - or even thrice - the posted values!

​Climbing towards the second floor, we found even steeper promotions, plus a LINE Friends-themed photobooth.

For just 5,000 KRW, we received two 4-cut photo strips. It was at the conclusion of the activity that my friend commanded attention towards the QR code on the printout. Apparently, one could download digital copies of the photo strip and the associate video by scanning the QR code within 72 hour of taking the photo. This was complete news to me, for my browsing partner and I had not been made aware of the feature during our earlier shoot!

​Being cognizant of time, my friend expressed her need to depart for her scheduled movie appointment shortly afterwards. We hugged farewell, acknowledging the virtual friendship that finally blossomed with an in-person meetup. I would continue to stroll the LINE Friends for the time being, then gradually seek out sustenance.

​Sourced from a 7-Eleven on a side street, a Jjajang Cheese Egg Triangular Kimbap was obtained for 1,800 KRW. The pairing of jjajang sauce and short grain rice was an interesting one, as was the inclusion of a whole egg and a hardly discernible quantity of cheese.

I returned to Muji a short while later, this time with a desire to sample their seasonal Iced Chestnut Latte. The nearby kiosk enabled a swift ordering process, as the menu could easily be translated to English or even Chinese with the tap of a button.

Unfortunately, requesting the omission of ice caused a half-filled beverage to emerge. Initially confused, I pointed to the drink with furrowed brows. The barista responded plainly, "No ice."

Heaving a sigh, I took the 6,000 KRW blasphemy of a tacky, milky, and depressing concoction over to their seating area. Within a matter of seconds, a member of staff approached me, noting that takeout drinks could not be consumed in store. these interactions had all taken place in English.
"I'll leave then." I grudgingly replied, gathering my now-weighty belongings.
Nearby, a bespectacled girl informed me in native English, "They have a strict eco cup policy here." I turned towards her, as she continued to explain. "You can't even sit down for a few minutes to rest your feet. If you do, then they'll pour your drink into a ceramic cup and toss the cup. It defeats the purpose either way, but that's how they are. They'd rather waste the cup."
While the declaration was beyond my comprehension, I was too exhausted to engage in rebuttal or debate. "Good to know."

And so I stood up, drink in hand, resolving to finish it near the doorway to refrain from carrying a single-use cup on a street devoid of public trashcans. Oh, the struggle it was.

Read Part 2 HERE !