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HOUSE OF SHINSEGAE Choengdam : Premium Grocery Shopping & a Han River Stop

Bysoykim

After discovering HOUSE OF SHINSEGAE at Gangnam(강남) near Express Bus Terminal Station through my post, A Weekend at Gangnam Express Bus Terminal: HOUSE OF SHINSEGAE, Food & Cafes, I naturally came across HOUSE OF SHINSEGAE Cheongdam(청담) as well. If it had been another restaurant-focused space like the Gangnam location, I probably would have just moved on. But when I heard that the Cheongdam location had a premium grocery store, I couldn’t resist going. If you enjoy browsing supermarkets and markets, whether while traveling or in your everyday life, I think this is a place worth checking out at least once.

With HOUSE OF SHINSEGAE Cheongdam set as my main destination, there were a couple of places I decided to stop by along the way while heading toward Apgujeong(압구정) and Cheongdam. First was Hoffmann Bakery in Garosu-gil(가로수길), followed by Woojoo-ok(우주옥), a Pyongyang naengmyeon (평양냉면) restaurant within walking distance of HOUSE OF SHINSEGAE Cheongdam.

+You could also skip these stops and go straight to HOUSE OF SHINSEGAE Cheongdam. I’d recommend them more as optional stops.

+For reference, I drove on this day, but this entire route is also easy enough to get around by public transportation.

Hoffmann Bakery

I already knew that this Barcelona-based bakery had become quite popular among Korean travelers in recent years. I hadn’t heard of it when I visited Barcelona, So I found out that the Hofmann Group began in Barcelona in 1983, with Patisserie Hofmann opening in 2008. What caught my attention was that Seoul became the brand’s first overseas location. That made me even more curious to try it. Of course, I’m sure it tastes best in Barcelona itself, but since I couldn’t exactly fly there just for pastries, I figured I might as well give the Seoul location a try.

I picked up one of their famous mascarpone croissants and a pistachio roll. I’d recommend having both with a strong espresso or an Americano. The mascarpone croissant tasted pretty much exactly as I expected, but that also meant it was a combination that was hard not to like. The pistachio roll, though, was more unusual. Half of the filling was pistachio cream and the other half was citrus compote. It was sweet, but I found the combination surprisingly appealing.

Woojoo-ok

Since I had somehow ended up eating dessert first, I wanted something light and clean to follow it up with. I could have eaten at HOUSE OF SHINSEGAE Cheongdam, but after thinking about it, I decided to head to Woojoo-ok, a Pyongyang naengmyeon(평양냉면) restaurant located just around the back streets. I ordered mul-naengmyeon(Pyongyang naengmyeon), or cold buckwheat noodles in broth.

Visually, what stood out compared to other Pyongyang naengmyeon I’d had before was the thinly sliced pinkish meat topping. The overall presentation also felt particularly clean and neat. Pyongyang naengmyeon is known for being quite divisive even among Koreans. From the several places I’ve tried, I found Woojoo-ok to be especially light and mild compared to others. If you’re trying Pyongyang naengmyeon for the first time, I don’t think this would be a bad place to start.

House of Shinsegae Cheongdam

After filling up, I finally made it to my main destination, HOUSE OF SHINSEGAE Cheongdam. There’s a cafe and a few shops on the first floor, so I took a quick look around before heading straight downstairs to the grocery store. In a way, you could think of it as an expanded version of a department store food hall, but with more of a premium and wellness-focused feel, somewhat reminiscent of Erewhon in the U.S. I found it to be a pretty interesting space.

There were small descriptions introducing some of the unfamiliar grocery brands, and there were so many things I had never seen before that I ended up browsing through them one by one. Of course, I couldn’t just look around without buying anything, so I ended up putting wine, pasta sauce, and a few other things into my cart. There’s also a smoothie cafe and a food court, so keep that in mind if you’re planning a visit.

+ One more thing: my next destination that day was Jamwon Hangang Park(잠원한강공원). But it wasn’t until I got to the Han River that I realized I hadn’t bought a single snack to eat there. So if anyone happens to follow a similar route, please don’t make the same mistake!

Jamwon Hangang Park

It was a hot and humid summer day, but I still wanted to go to the Han River. So I headed to the nearby Jamwon Hangang Park. Since I had a car, the heat was manageable. If you’re getting around on foot during the Korean summer, though… I’d recommend a cafe with a Han River view instead. (See also: A Relaxing Yeouido Hangang Park Route: OUR Bakery, The Hyundai Seoul & IFC Mall)

Compared to nearby Banpo Hangang Park(반포한강공원), Jamwon Hangang Park is generally quieter and more relaxed. It’s also known as a good spot for car camping and car picnics because you can park facing the Han River and enjoy the view from your car. If you’re looking for things to do, lots of cafes, or the Banpo Bridge Moonlight Rainbow Fountain, I’d recommend going to Banpo Hangang Park. But if you simply want to sit by the Han River, relax, and spend some time doing absolutely nothing, I’d recommend Jamwon.

Safe travels, Soy Kim

You might also like:
Things to Do in Hannam-dong : Hyundai Card Music Library, Cafes & a Han River Walk

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