Hongdae: DAKKOYAM + Tattoo

SEOUL | DAY 02

-hongdae-

Today, I had a tattoo appointment in Hongdae. Before getting inked, Tae and I went to a grilled chicken place called Dakkoyam (닭꼬얌) in Hongdae. The food here took a bit long to come out, but they give a lot, and the food was great.

We ordered the Chicken Wrap Set (닭쌈) (18,000₩) which was enough to fill two girls who eat a lot up. The dish comes with four types of colorful pickled vegetables and two different kinds of sauce that go really well with the grilled chicken. If you’re looking for a fusion Korean place in Hongdae, this place is a must-try!

To enjoy the dish, simply put a little bit of everything on the perilla leaf (깻잎) and eat the whole thing at once! and repeat!

Dakkoyam (닭꼬얌)

Address: 서울 마포구 와우산로18길 29 Terra빌딩 (Naver Map)

Hours: 11:30am ~ 12:00am

Korean Review Blog: Click

-TATTOO-

Before coming to Korea, I contacted the tattooist to set up the appointment, and he told me that he could speak English, so I was about to just go there by myself. However, my friend was kind enough to go with me because without her, I wouldn’t be able to find the place.

The store was hidden in the basement of a building, and we had to call the guy to make sure that we were at the right location. When we got there, we had to knock the door and one of the workers came out to get the door for us. It felt like we were dealing drugs or something (not that I have done it before).

There was only one group of customers inside. I think one of them was a Korean American. It's so funny how we come all the way here to Korea to get tattooed.

I’d been thinking about what to get for almost a year because it’s going to stay on my skin forever, and I wanted something meaningful. I went inside with one design but after trying different arrangements, I got a different design.

The guy was really patient. He printed out different fonts and designs and let me try them (like a temporary tattoo) until I found the one I liked. It took me about an hour to choose.

What got me mad (not really) was that he told me it wasn’t going to hurt, but dude... it hurt so much!!

Nevertheless. I liked what I got. I got the phrase "은혜로다" on the inner side of my left wrist. It means "By grace" referring to the grace of God by which a sinner like me is saved. Like many people, I was taught to strive and prove myself right and valuable enough to live. This is like a reminder to me that it is all done, and the work is all finished on the cross where my Savior has died for me.

Why in Korean though? You might wonder. I got it in Korean because I first heard the gospel from a Korean-American Christian community, I love Korean culture, my heart breaks for Korean people, and it is something that will make non-Koreans ask what it means.

-BOOK AND COFFEE-

We took the bus to one bookstore in Yeon-hee Dong I found on Instagram. It was a lot smaller than I thought, but there was a lot of interesting and artsy books. The bookstore is inside a white building called "은/는 (Eun/Nuen)" which might have been a house before.

Inside Your Mind bookstore, there was a cat walking around ready to be a model. Honestly, I think it probably knows the drill because almost all the pictures of this place I’d seen on Instagram had the cat in there. Sorry kitty, you didn't make it to my pictures -- casting: failed!

We stopped by a coffee shop next door called “B-hind”. It was pretty nice and quiet. It would be a perfect place to come and get some work done if you live or stay in the neighborhood. For someone like me who didn't even live in the area, I walked out with a cup of coffee not knowing why I went to the coffee shop, the bookstore or even the neighborhood.

Your-Mind (유어 마인드)

Address: 서울특별시 서대문구 연희로11라길 10-6 2 (Naver Map)

Hours: 1pm ~ 8pm (Closed on Tuesday)

Official website: Click

B-hind (비하인드)

Address: 서울시 서대문구 연희동 132-32 (101호) (Naver Map)

Official instagram: Click

Hours: 11am ~ 12am

Korean Review Blog: Click