ITAEWON is a shopping district for local and global brands, with cool bars at night. It’s a melting pot of diverse cultures and the hip place to go for food and restaurants offering international cuisines.
We spent our last night in Korea here and how I wish we had more time to explore.
Check out the IP Boutique Hotel we stayed at and Flying Pan, one of the best brunch places in Itaewon…
“Itaewon typically refers to the street full of stores, restaurants, and stalls over 1.4 kilometers between Itaewon 1-dong and Hannam 2-dong in the east. Fashion shops specialize in various imported clothes, leather goods, fur goods, handbags, shoes, and antique furniture. Big and tall sizes unavailable in other areas are well-stocked, and experienced tailors offer customized clothes.”
(Visit Korea: The Global Community in Seoul: Global Fashions and Foods)
“Many restaurants serving international dishes are found in this area including cuisine from India, The United States, Canada, Germany, Spain, Italy,England, France and Mexico, foods that are not widely available in Korea. Essentially, it’s known as “Western Town”; reminiscent of many Chinatowns in many Western countries.”
(Wikipedia: Itaewon)
Itaewon is a special tourism zone, which reminds me of Malate with diverse yummy food choices, cute stores, and cool bars. You can spend an entire day just exploring Itaewon.
IP Boutique Hotel
We stayed in an artsy boutique hotel along the main street of Insadong.
Love this Japanese mixed media artwork of Shintaro Ohata entitled “The End of the Beginning.”
The lobby is like a museum reception with cool artwork all around.
There’s a hanging swing to entertain the child in you while you wait.
The elevators are designed as if you’re entering a giant luggage box.
The hallways are a bit darker than usual, which remind me of motel hallways.
The Superior Room (KRW 220,000 ~ P9,000/night) is cute with a welcoming, comfortable vibe.
The bathroom has all-glass partitions and a high-tech toilet.
Love the aromatheraphy shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. Invigorates your body.
The room comes with an office table, free wifi, and mini-bar.
The Egyptian cotton bed is super soft. Once you lie down on it, you’ll fall asleep immediately.
There’s a nice breakfast buffet area, which may or may not be included in your room rate.
Outside the lobby is a wooden anime guardian riding a horse, protecting you from the evil spirits. 🙂
The hotel is also protected by Jang Seil’s “Standard Animal”, a stainless steel bear sculpture with Urethane Paint.
The cool vibe of Itaewon district is perfect for a morning jog.
The Flying Pan Brunch
After trying out all that authentic Korean food, I wanted to check out the modern restos in Korea. Flying Pan is one of the best brunch places in Korea and is located in the Itaewon area.
The resto is a bit hidden and you have to go down the stairs to the basement area.
THE FLYING PAN MENU: All Day Brunch, Pancakes, French Toast, Dessert | Sandwich, Coffee, Salad, Soup | Coffee, Cold Drinks, Tea Wine
Sicilian Blood Orange Juice (KRW 7,000 ~P288).
Ordered a healthy drink of Sicilian bloody red orange juice.
The Flying Pan Breakfast (KRW 17,500 ~P721). Sauteed Mushrooms, Poached Egg, Basil Pesto Toast, Tomato, Hummus.
Love the big serving of healthy breakfast. It’s actually good for two.
The servers are usually very young, and they speak a little bit of English in the Itaewon area.
The mushroom, egg, and pesto combination was really good. Each ingredient is actually tasty by itself. I haven’t seen a flavor combination like this in Manila.
Classic Banana, Walnut & Ricotta Cheese Pancakes (KRW 17,000 ~ P700).
For dessert, I ordered pancakes topped with slices of banana, walnuts, and creamy ricotta cheese. I just tasted some of it and brought the rest home as pasalubong for the boys. 🙂
I like the Itaewon area, with its posh hotels and cool restos. A bit expensive though if you try to convert the price to Peso. This is one place I’ll definitely come back to and my wife will surely enjoy. 🙂
Imperial Palace IP BOUTIQUE HOTEL
737-32 Hannam-Dong Yongsangu, Seoul, KOREA
Telephone: +82 2 3702-8000
Email: info@ipboutiquehotel.com
Website: http://www.ipboutiquehotel.com/
Awesome Korea Experience: Be Inspired Series
- RAKKOJAE Secret Hanok Escape: An Ultimate Immersion to Korean Culture (Seoul)
- JINSADAEK: 14-Course Traditional Korean Food Experience!
- SAMGYEOPSAL: Lovin’ the Korean Grilled Pork Belly BBQ Experience…Yum!
- NAMSANGOL: Traditional Hanok Village + Seoul Millennium Time Capsule
- SEOUL TOWER: First Timer’s Guide to Namsan Seoul Tower Experience
- CHANGDEOKGUNG PALACE & JONGMYO SHRINE: Pilgrimage to Korea’s World Heritage Sites
- MYEONG-DONG & NOO NA HOL DAK: Korean Fried Chicken Dinner
- DONG-LIM KNOT MUSEUM: Learning the Art of Traditional Korean Maedeup (Knots)
- INSA-DONG: Korea’s Traditional Food & Artist Culture Street
- ITAEWON: IP Boutique Hotel & Flying Pan Korean Brunch Experience
Live an Awesome Life,
Founder, www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
P.S. Thank you to Korean Tourism Organization of Manila for the Asian On Air Program Asia Power Bloggers Tour of South Korea! 감사합니다 Kamsahamnida!
P.P.S. Any tips on places to go to in Itaewon?