Seoul Searching | COEX Aquarium.

On our second Sunday in Seoul, the boys and I visited COEX Aquarium, which is just a few subway stations away from where we live. 'Twas a perfect day to go to a family-friendly attraction as that Sunday coincided with Mother's Day and Parents' Day here in Korea.

Welcome to COEX Aquarium!

Beware of Jaws!

Shark teeth on display at the entrance.

Shark art! :)

Let's go on a Water Journey! More of COEX Aquarium after the jump!

Seoul Searching | 53rd Baeksang Arts Awards + COEX C-Festival!

A few days before we flew back to Korea, Ms. Ana Park of Buhay Korea informed me that the 53rd Baeksang Arts Awards will be held on May 3 at the COEX Mall. Most Kdrama and Kpop fans know how important this event is - it's the most prestigious arts awards in South Korea, given to the cast and production staff of TV programs and movies broadcast or shown during the previous year.

I was floored - not only because I will already be in Korea by then, but also because the venue is just a few subway stops away from where we live. I know the route like the palm of my hand!

The nominees of the 53rd Baeksang Arts Awards.

The 53rd Baeksang Arts Awards experience after the jump!

And yes, it was surreal! :)

Seoul Searching | The Great Gangnam Adventure.

Located in the south of Han River is the area known as the 'Beverly Hills of Seoul' - Gangnam.
It's a notoriously ritzy district, with neighborhoods full of luxury houses, high-end real estate, and the homes of many Korean celebrities and other crazy rich Asians (Koreans, to be more specific). This affluent and upscale part of Seoul is also home to some of the biggest entertainment companies, which is one of the main reasons why we frequent this place whenever we're in town.

On our most recent trip to Seoul, I took a chance at finding Namoo Actors, the talent agency of my ultimate favorite Korean actor, Lee Joon Gi. Finding the Namoo Actors building was quite tricky. There were very few directions that I could find on the internet, and the only popular landmark within its vicinity was Dosan Park. Nonetheless, Yue and I tried to search for the place on two separate occasions, and as we went along, we discovered some really interesting things (more like buildings) in Gangnam.

Gangnam-gu Office Station, Exit 4.

On our first attempt to get to the Namoo Actors building, we took the subway to Gangnam-gu Office, which is just two subway stops away from where we live. According to this map that I found on the internet, Namoo Actors is within the vicinity of Yeongdong High School, and you can walk your way towards it via Exit 4.

Namoo Actors vicinity map.

What I thought would be a simple ten-minute walk felt like an eternity, and Yue and I somehow got lost along the way. We ended up in front of the Tree J Company headquarters instead. It's the talent agency owned and established by Hallyu star Jang Geun Suk.

Tree J Company headquarters.

The office isn't open to the public, but the cafe on the first floor of the building is. Jang Geun Suk also owns Cafe Pleno, and if you're lucky, you might chance upon him while enjoying your coffee.

Cafe Pleno.

We walked for a bit more, took a left turn at one of the alleyways, and chanced upon yet another talent agency - though not the one that we were looking for.

Vine Entertainment.

I'm not familiar with Vine Entertainment, but I did look it up on the internet and found out that it currently manages three artists. The company is also on the look-out for fresh talents, and are open for auditions to aspiring singers.

Gallivanting in Gangnam, haha!

Tired from all the seemingly pointless walking, Yue and I decided to find the nearest bus stop and take the bus to Yeongdong High School. We managed to get a ride on the 4412 Bus, but by some stroke of bad luck (again, lol), we missed our stop because the LED display board inside the bus wasn't working and the recorded announcement for each stop did not have an English translation.

Yue was on the verge of crying, thinking that we were lost - well, technically we were. But as the bus slowly approached the entrance of COEX Mall - a place that even Yue was familiar with - I assured him that we weren't lost and we'll go to the mall instead. 

At COEX Mall, we finally got to marvel at the massive collection of books at the Starfield Library. This huge athenaeum spans over 2800 square meters, has a seating capacity of around 200, and has over 50,000 books stacked in its shelves. 

Starfield Library at COEX Mall.

The library is open to the public, and anyone can take a book and read to their heart's content. The books, however, can't be brought home, and majority of them are written in Korean.

"Mommy, how do we get the books at the top shelf?"

After flipping through some books and magazines, Yue and I headed for SMTown, one of the places that we never fail to visit whenever we're at COEX Mall. We took this chance to check out SMTown Museum, a cultural space dedicated to the artists of SM Entertainment and all things K-Pop.

SMTown Museum!

Admission fee is 18000 won per individual (around Php 865 or $18), but you can get a discount if your purchase your tickets online or book them through Trazy.

At the SMTown Museum Ticket Counter.

Through this museum, guests can learn more about the history of KPop and get a closer look at the successful careers of SMTown artists such as TVXQ, Super Junior, Girls' Generation, SHINee, and EXO. You'll get to see their albums on display, as well as their music video costumes and other promotional materials. If you're into K-Pop, or if your favorite group belongs to SM Entertainment, then this museum is definitely worth the visit.

All things Mamacita - costumes, promotional posters, etc.

Super Junior, the complete discography.

Yue enjoyed the experience as much as I did, but there's one other thing that he enjoyed even more at COEX - the virtual test drive at Hyundai Motor Studio.

Test driving at the Hyundai Motorstudio.

Unlike the traditional showroom, the Hyundai Motor Studio at COEX showcases their cars and models by allowing guests to interact with them virtually. With state-of-the-art technology, guests can explore cars of different models, colors, and specifications in a blink, just with the use of their fingertips. Even the showroom walls are lined with video cubes to illustrate the cars' exteriors, interiors, and operations on a 1:1 scale. The best part? You can test drive the car of your choice without even leaving the establishment!

Stay tuned for part two of The Great Gangnam Adventure!

Were we able to find the building that we were looking for? Did we get lost again?

Find out on the next blog post! :)

Seoul Searching | BrickLive Centre in Starfield COEX Mall!

After our memorable star-spotting experience at the Red Carpet Ceremony of the 53rd Baeksang Arts Awards, Yue and I headed to the Central Plaza of COEX Mall for a bit of window shopping. As we made our way to the adjacent Live Plaza where most of the shoe brands are located, we came across a new establishment that made Yue's heart skip a beat.

BrickLive at Starfield, COEX Mall!

It's the BrickLive Centre, an interactive experiential space for Lego fans. Not to be confused with the BTS-inspired cafe in Thailand, BrickLive was initially launched as an exhibition at the Korea International Exhibit Center (KINTEX) in Ilsan. The month-long event was well-received by the Lego-loving fans in South Korea, which led to the opening of a permanent space in Starfield COEX Mall. 

Someone can't contain his excitement!

The BrickLive Centre opened its doors to the public in early March and features five zones - the Play Zone where kids (and even kids-at-heart) can play to their hearts' content;

Ca't rub the smile off his face, haha!

Find Yue! :)

Busy day at the Play Zone!

the Education Zone, which offers art and cooking classes for a fee as part of the BrickLive Curriculum; 

Class in session.

the Gallery, where you can marvel at awesome Lego structures;

Some of the displays can be touched. :)

Photo ops are most welcome.

It's been awhile, Gandalf!

Mario and Luigi and the rest of the crew.

Totoro!

the Merchandise Zone, where you can purchase Lego sets and official BrickLive merchandise; 

Lego Minifigures on display.

One of mt favorite Korean movies of all time.

and the Cafe, which serves cute and colorful Lego-themed desserts and pastries.

Lego Minifigure cookies.

Macarons. 

Cupcakes.

Mini cakes.

Chocolates. 

And more cupcakes!

The Cafe has a nice and cozy ambiance - perfect for parents to sit back and relax while their kids are in class at the adjacent Education Zone, or have a cup of coffee as their kids play with the racetrack and brick pits at the nearby Play Zone. 

Adults chillin' at the BrickLive Cafe.

I sat on one corner with this macaron as Yue joined the other kids at the architecture building table. I let him play for an hour or so, and he had a blast building with bricks of all shapes and sizes. We could have stayed longer, if only I did not have dinner duties (ergo, shopping for ingredients + cooking dinner) that night.

Brickhead? :)

We'll definitely visit this place again on our next Seoul Searching trip. Hopefully, the Minecraft build zone will be open by then. I reckon Yue can spend an entire day at BrickLive Centre and never get tired of it! :)

BrickLive Centre

Live Plaza
Starfield COEX Mall

Seoul, Gangnam-gu, Apgujeong-ro

+82 2-551-1760

Foodie Goodie | Porchetta Restaurant.

Save for the occasional take-outs at the nearby McDonald's or at the pizza and chicken joint two blocks away from home, we hardly eat at restaurants here in Korea for two reasons: 1) my son can't handle the spiciness of traditional Korean food, and 2) we cook at home, and it's cheaper that way. Plus, my husband's cooking is the bomb!

On Mother's Day, however, we decided not to scrimp because what the heck - it's a special day, and it's the first time in six years that I'm celebrating my 'motherhood' with both my son and my husband. And so after our tour of the COEX Aquarium, the boys and I went searching for a nice restaurant that's neither a fast food chain or a pizza joint. We were literally all over the place, as COEX is a pretty huge mall, and the restaurants are not lined up in one floor like they do in Philippine malls.

Porchetta.

We somehow ended up at Porchetta, because Yue saw something very tempting called 'Chicken Finger Fries' on their menu.

The counter, where you place your order and pay for your bill.

Named after that fatty, savory, and boneless pork roasted in the traditional Italian way, Porchetta is a casual dining fusion restaurant famous for their ciabatta sandwiches.

Sandwiches on their menu.

They also serve pasta and steak - which we ordered, soups and salads, dessert, and even alcoholic beverages.

Yep, they serve beer. And wine, too.

We were able to get a table right away, as there were quite a few empty seats when we arrived. Halfway through our meal, I noticed that the restaurant was already quite packed.

Diners at Porchetta.

Here's what we had for dinner at Porchetta.

Chicken Finger Fries.

Chicken Finger Fries.

Chicken Finger Fries, 11200 won. The three of us enjoyed this dish a lot. The fries were crunchy and flavorful, and were neither overcooked nor soaking in oil. Same goes for the chicken - crunchy on the outside, but tender and juicy on the inside. Considering that this dish is good for sharing for up to four people, paying more than a man won isn't so bad.

Bacon Carbonara.

Bacon Carbonara, 15900 won. My son is a huge fan of white sauce pasta, and he loved this carbonara a lot even if the sauce, according to him 'looks more yellow than white'. This dish didn't scrimp on bacon, as it came garnished with generous portions of meat.

Porchetta Pan Steak and Risotto.

Porchetta Pan Steak and Risotto, 18400 won. Husband and I ordered a serving each of this dish, and boy, was I surprised to see not just one, but two thick slabs of porchetta on the hot plate. Aside from the risotto, which lies at the bottom of the plate, this dish also comes with cherry tomatoes, potato wedges, and greens on the side.

Porchetta Pan Steak and Risotto.

I love that the meat was cooked and flavored to perfection, but eating two slabs of it was just way too much for me. I only ate one, and gave the other piece to my husband, whose appetite was heartier than the usual that day. Maybe because we're eating as a family, which only happens when we're in Korea. :)

Mother's Day dinner at Porchetta.

Many thanks to the friendly waitstaff of Porchetta for taking this photo! They understand and speak English, so no need to worry about the language barrier. Oh, and if you ask for it, they'll give you their wifi password, because the free wifi at COEX Mall is a bit weak in this area.  :)

Porchetta

159, Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, COEX Mall I103
+82 2 551 8808