Travel | Seoul 28 Oct - 2 Nov 2014 | Lounge Dawon 라운지 다원 @ SamcheongGak 삼청각

Located at 3, Daesagwan-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 서울특별시 성북구 대사관로 3 (성북동). Took a free-shuttle from Gallery Hyundai stop. There's a cafe nearby, so one could chill while waiting for the bus. Bus stops for just a minute or so, and bus ride to Samcheonggak takes about 10 minutes.

waiting for shuttle bus in cold temperature *brrr*

Samcheonggak is located at the mountaineous area of Mt. Bukak. Very quiet, very nice environment.

entrance to tranquility

Unfortunately, we did not manage to secure a reservation at its restaurant even though we arrived around 11+am and the place was fairly empty. Next best option, was to dine at Dawon Lounge but with limited menu. But the mountain view, more than made up for the slight disappointment.

simply beautiful

abit too hot for al-fresco dining, but look at the gorgeous scenary!

menu

Just 2-3 options for Korean menu and another 2-3 options for Italian dishes. I took the beef bulgogi set while friend had vegetarian bibimbap.

complimentary barley tea

As the sun was shining really strong that day (and also we were at higher grounds!), we figured it wasn't worth the UV rays and decided to move to its indoor area.

Dawon Lounge

They seemed understaffed as there were just two whom we could see, and they do everything from taking orders, serving and cashier. Hence, service was slow.

beef bulgogi set @16000₩(~USD16/SGD20)

tasty kimchi

 The beef bulgogi was very tender, sweetish and healthy tasting. Kimchi was ripened just the way I liked it. Yum.

rice mixed with millet

Rice was soft and fragrant. Not too sticky and goes well with the kimchi.

Was pretty full after the meal, hence we went exploring Samcheonggak's compound.

in life, we'll encounter many crossroads so which way you'll go?

sometimes, there'll be many steps and we may not see what's ahead

and sometimes, the view alone will be worthed it

There were some halls around that area that seemed to be dining places as well. Quite cool, if I may say so.

for more private dining

It was pretty dangerous to walk from Samcheonggak to Samcheongdong so do take the shuttle bus or hail a cab or something. Samcheongdong by car is about 10 minutes away.

Links to previous posts on Seoul travel:
Gwanghwamun & Namdaemun Market | Tosokchon | Seoul Arrival

Esmirada @ Orchard | The Entertainer App

Located near Orchard Hotel, it was quite a distance from Orchard MRT. Head towards Shaw at Lido, and along Delphi. Christmas season, so it was time for gatherings!

Place was dark and cosy. Thursday nights were fairly relaxed.

candelight dinner?

Happy Hour (HH) sees 1-for-1 drinks, so got myself a Sangria. Margarita and mojitos qualify for HH promo as well. Their version of Sangria is less sweet.

Sangria @$17++ (1-for-1 during HH)

Since there were just the three of us, we ordered 2 mains and 2 tapas to share.

Chorizo Sausage @$14++

Grilled Squid @$14++

Am not a fan of chorizo, so no comments. Salty sausages with wine, was alright. Squid was slightly tough but had an enjoyable flavour, with a touch of salt.

Next up, Paella Valenciana. Portion was ok to be shared comfortably amongst 2 pax.

Paella Valenciana @$35++

There were prawns, mussels, chicken bits and pork. Rice grains were moist. Those at the bottom would be slightly scorched, so do mix it up earlier. Flavours were pleasant and not too sourish. Appetizing and lines the tummy.

Lamb chop skewer was a sight to behold. Very medieval looking kind of dish, with the chops hanging off the skewer. Served with 3 dipping sauces (tomato, yoghurt and tartar/sour cream?) and one baked potato.

Lamb chop skewer @$38++

Lamb chops were just seasoned simply with salt, and its meat was so tender. Nice. I think I like Josper grilled food~

The baked potato was nicely done and good for those whom are still peckish.

hanging tender

Redeem one main course when requesting for the bill.

redeem the free main course

Thanks to The Entertainer App, we saved $35.

Seafood Valenciana was free~

Thanks Gina and Flo for the lights, otherwise, the photos would be too dark! Have a Merry Christmas!

Total spend was $45+ per pax, inclusive of the 2 drinks.

Bornga @ Star Vista

Last visited in December 2012. Not that my memory is good, but the previous visit was documented in this post. Haha!

Ordered the same thing as previous; Woosamgyup (beef brisket - marinated) and Samgyupsal (pork belly - unmarinated).

ready to grill

One noticeable difference is the hood to suck away the smoke from the grill. This time round, opted for the staff to grill the meat for us.

vegetable platter for BBQ

radish kimchi

chives

sweet and sour kelp soup

Le's bring out the meat and start grilling~

samgyupsal pork belly @$22++

woo samgyup beef brisket @$28++

put 'em on, grill 'em~

woohoo~

Here's a short video:

 

How about BBQ and beer? Yums.

cold Hite and warm tea

wrap it up with fresh greens

Thanks to the service staff whom helped us grill the meats, it was a rather relaxed lunch.

woo samgyup - tender slices

samgyupsal - chewy

Samgyupsal in Seoul was much much better. Not sure why but the meats here are tougher. Woosamgyup was enjoyable but gone too soon.

End with a bowl of omija.

오미자

Expect to spend about $35 per pax.