Walking Down Garosu-Gil

Garosu-gil is famous for their artistic and unique fashion, and some brands that you find at Apgujung Rodeo like MCM. Other notable brands available there are Joyrich and Boy London.




We arrived at the street a little early (10am so wow much early) so we decided to rest at Coffeesmith first for some food. Guess what. I SPOTTED SECRET'S SUNHWA. I saw a lady with her cap real low so I scanned her face. We weren't sure until after our meal when we went downstairs and saw her again. She freaked out a little when I tried to look at her, so that confirmed it was her. Garosu-gil is a place where celebrities shop too. If you watched the third episode of EXO's Showtime, you'd know that the place is pricey and only people like Kris and Suho can afford this place. We walked into a vintage shop and saw that Jia, Zhoumi, and Japanese stars like Atsuko Maeda patronize that shop.

The buildings and stores are interesting, with the cafe counters being on the second floor and independent designers selling their works.

One popular store is Jaju, which is like the Korean MUJI. The building has 4 storeys selling everything from furniture and recreational supplies to clothes.

even the toilet looks like a showroom

Also if you need an English-speaking salesgirl for Face Shop shopping, I recommend the branch at Garosu-gil. The lady guessed I was Japanese (as usual and then second guess is Korean) but when she found out I'm from Singapore, she gave a best effort to speak English. She could explain the functions and perks of the different products with details I didn't expect. Honestly for an English-speaking country like Singapore, the sales people are mostly Chinese-speaking and I cannot understand them at all.

If you are looking for food in Garosu-gil, I know of 3 places:

1. Able

This cafe serves food made with ingredients freshly prepared. The cafe is decorated like a farmer's market and sells other products like handmade jams and scented candles.

The menu is mostly Western cuisine with a few Korean fusion choices. They have a breakfast/brunch menu, main course menu, and a dinner menu.
Read the menu carefully: there isn't a detailed English description available for the dishes so you have to go on the names. Also, some of the dishes listed in the wrong categories. Like my soup that was listed under Risotto. Or maybe I didn't read the menu properly.
I ordered the white seafood soup, white being non-spicy and red being spicy. The dish cost around W13,000-16,000 (I can't remember) but the kitchen was generous. The noodle is the usual spaghetti noodle and the seafood included mussels, prawns, octopus, and clams. There was also vegetables to give a balanced meal.

Directions:
At the Forever 21 and Coffee Bean junction, turn into the Forever 21 alley. At the next corner, turn right again and walk a little until you see Able on the right.

2. School Food

I know of this place because of EXO's Showtime. They're eating all sorts of interesting food from this place that I just had to try it. This franchise serves fusion cuisine, combining the West with Asian dishes.

Nurungji Honey Rice Cakes (누룽지꿀떡맛탕)

My friend recommended this sweet dish. It has sweet potato, scorched rice pieces, peanuts, and rice cakes drizzled with honey. It's sweet and filling.

Special Mari 2

The Special Mari has 3 kinds of rice rolls. One is prepared with squid ink, another is filled with roe, and the third is filled with octopus. The rolls were delicious without an overpowering taste from any of the seafood ingredients. (Note: there is more than shown in the picture. I forgot to take a picture earlier.)
I also tried the Sweet Potato Cheese Sticks which cost W2,500 PER STICK so I only ordered one. Unfortunately, I did not manage to take a picture. It lived up to its name being cheesy and sweet, so it's best for an after-meal snack.
The Special Mari and the rice cakes were filling enough for 3 of us. The stick was an extra snack that I ordered by myself. The meal was quite affordable for a fusion meal at Garosu-gil, coming up to around W8,000 per person.
Directions:
The restaurant is located on the main road of Garosu-gil. Look out for a takeout box with the restaurant name. The restaurant is on a higher level so you'll need to climb up to a patio.

3. Deux Cremes

This cafe is known for its wide variety of tarts. I read about it in a blog so I decided to see if it lived up to its recommendation. The cafe had a wide variety to tarts with interesting flavors.

Because it was strawberry season in Korea, there were a different kinds of strawberry tarts. That being said, look out for its seasonal tarts because they won't be available all year round. I ordered a Strawberry Mousse tart for W7,500. The tart was made with puff pastry, topped with strawberry mousse, whipped cream (probably from a can) and strawberries.

Honestly, the taste was so-so. And the whipped cream made a melting mess. I couldn't understand the rave from the other blogger. Perhaps I made a bad choice. I think the Rare Cream Cheese Tart would have a strong taste with the cream cheese replacing the whipped cream. But if you are looking for a sweet tea time, this place has the variety for any kind of taste bud.
Directions:
This cafe is on the main road too, but you have to open your eyes bigger. Unfortunately I can't remember precisely where it is located, but I know it's near a Sony pop-up store.

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