CITY GUIDE REVIEW: BRICKS COFFEE (BUSAN)
Photos and review by Monica Heilman, ETA ’14-’16 City: Busan (부산) Restaurant name: Bricks Coffee Food Served: coffee, tea, juice, sandwiches View Map Prices: Around average, but there is also a great Americano and toasted sandwich set for only 6,000 won. Directions: Take exit 2 from Seomyeon station. Walk straight, turn left at Tom and Tom’s café, at the first street, then take the left fork. Continue further down this street, and take the right fork, just past 69 Slam (an underwear shop) on the right corner is Bricks Coffee. One of my favorite coffee shops in Busan, the atmosphere at Bricks is cozy and light. If you’re getting tired of huge chain coffee shops, this is the place for you. The owner is friendly and she speaks English fluently. Upon entrance, the cafe looks tiny, but head upstairs and there is a variety of seating, complete with comfy chairs and a selection of books. The last time I was there, I noticed two big stacks of National Geographic and a couple of English books tossed into the mix. Huge windows provide plenty of natural light, and the opportunity for interesting people watching, as there are many small shopping streets nearby.
City Guide Review: Honey Bowl
Review by Deborah Wood, ETA 2014-2015 City: Hongdae (홍대) Restaurant Name: Honey Bowl Food Served: Brunch Restaurant Address: 서울특별시 마포구 합정동 410-21 View Map Directions: Hongdae Branch 1) From Hongdae Station. [~20 min] Take a left out of Exit 9. Take a right at the big street after Coffee Bean, and follow it for ~15 minutes. You will cross over one street with streetlights. A second will be in sight when you should take a right just after a CU. Honey Bowl is the 2nd building on the left. 2) From Hapjeong Station. [~10 min] Take exit 6, and continue straight along the left side of the road. After passing Chili & Sesame, take a left at the next road (독막로7길), and then the next right. Honey Bowl will be on your right. 3) From Sangsu Station. [~5 min] Take exit 1, and continue on the right side of the road. When you get to a parking lot in the middle of a perpendicular street, take a right. Cross the lot in order to take the first left. Honey Bowl is the 2nd building on your left. Cost: ~10-15,000 won I visited the Hongdae Branch, but I believe the following is true of all three branches. Although based on the first floor, the restaurant is built for an outdoor eating experience. Most of the glass “walls” appear to be windows that can be collapsed so that the restaurant becomes a kind of indoor terrace during the warmer months. As a result, the restaurant can be busy at peak brunch times in the summer, especially on weekends, but most times of day and year, you can find a table quickly and order whenever you are ready. In winter, the establishment is chilly, but several heaters are set up to keep the small space warm. Brunch options are varied (including Eggs Benedict, French toast, combination plates, and even crepes), but they also offer some miscellaneous other dishes, such as sandwiches, pastas, a pasta sandwich, wings, salads, and even beer. The Honey Bowl Special is an omelette dish, but I never tried it. For dishes that come with syrup, you can choose from several types of syrup, including fruit flavors. Most dishes with syrup tended to run a little sweet for my taste, but not any more so than at other brunch places in Korea. For more savory flavors, I prefer the combination plates. Not all staff members seem very comfortable in English, but since all items on the menu are written in English (and have Konglish names anyway), it’s still very easy to order. I believe that even someone with no knowledge of Korean would still easily order and pay for their food. For the full menu, see their website at http://blog.naver.com/jookkss.
City Guide Review: Gusttimo (Itaewon)
Review by Karen Han, manager of Gusttimo (Itaewon) City: Itaewon, Seoul (이태원, 서울) Restaurant Name: Gusttimo (구스띠모) Food Served: Dessert, Gelato, Coffee Restaraunt Address: 서울특별시 용산구 이태원동 127-11 View Map Directions: It is just outside of the exit 3, Itaewon station and next to the kebab shop. Opposite of the Hamilton Hotel. Cost: Varies, ~4,000 KRW How was the wait time? Did you make a reservation? There is no wait time unless it is the weekend. It will not take that long as it is cafe serving coffee or gelato. Was the restaurant clean? How were bathroom amenities? The Gelato shop just opened in April 2015, so it is really clean and posh atmosphere. At the same time, it is small, but cozy~ How was the service? Did wait staff speak English? Service, they have special education on service and how to work at the Gelato shop/cafe, they have some of the staff good at speaking English and Chinese. Also, great at English. What did you order? Are there any “specialities” that the reader should be sure to try? How long did it take for the food to come out? Gelato-specializing cafe, also coffee is always there. How was the food? Was there a particular dish that stood out, or was disappointing? They have traditional Italian style Gelato and it is healthy and various types of gelato are available.They make the gelato fresh every day. Would you come back again? Why or why not? I would love to come back again, and try different flavors!