The Charisma of Ik-seon Dong

SEOUL | DAY 06

-TEA TIME-

I had heard my good things and seen a lot of pictures of Ik-seon Dong (익천동) on Instagram. The many small alleys of Ik-seon Dong turn this place into a maze suitable for a treasure hunt which drew me here. Just kidding, I came here for the food, and the neighborhood tour was just a bonus.

Before exploring the neighborhood, I stopped by a Hanok tea house called Tteuran (뜰안) to recharge and plan the rest of my day aka figure out which train/bus to take. This place was the reason I came.

Don’t let the word ‘tea house’ scare you because the atmosphere is very casual here. Tteuran (뜰안) literally means ‘in a garden’. I could see how they got the name; not only that there is a small outdoor garden area, but the entire place felt rustic and cozy as if the place is located somewhere in the rural area.

I could sense the relaxing atmosphere of the place by observing the customers and what they were doing. One customer came with a small book in her hand, one group came to discuss international business matters super casually, and another group came in just to chill and chat with each other.

There are floor seating space and some chairs for you to choose according to your preference. Me? I gotta sit on the floor! I grew up eating, playing and watching TV on the floor so it just feels against my nature not to sit on the floor.

The small garden outside was pretty dead in the winter, but I’m sure it would be pretty in the Spring (according to Instagram photos).

After I took a seat, a middle age lady came to greet and bring me the menu with a bright and warm smile. I’m writing this almost half a year after it happened, but her smile is still vivid in my memory.

My orders finally came out. I got the Five Flavor Tea (오미자차) and the Rice Cake Set (떡셋) — each cost 6,000₩. When I took the first sip of the tea, I was completely blown away by how good it was. Even though it was a little too sweet, the sweetness and the fruity flavor of the tea were evident and complimenting each other really well (Note: I tried to find the tea at a Korean grocery store in the US, and it was really really expensive). The tea also came with a rice cracker that I didn’t really like that much, but that was totally fine because the tea here had already won my heart over.

The rice cake was what I expected them to be — chewy and yummy. The green ones are plain rice cake that should be eaten with honey, and the white ones with beans are more flaky and a little sweeter.

Tteuran (뜰안)

Address: 서울특별시 종로구 수표로 28 길 17-35 (Naver Map)

Hours: 11am~10pm (closed on Monday)

Official Instagram: Click

Korean Review Blog: Click

-THE HOOD-

It was time for me to leave and explore Ik-seon Dong. While walking, I had to keep the map open, otherwise, I might have spent hours here — that would be nice if I had a couple hours to spare!

Believe me, when I was walking around, some Korean people were getting lost too! However, this is a maze that I would enjoy getting lost in though. It has an aroma that other neighborhoods like Sam-cheong Dong (삼청동) don’t have. Even when there are tourists and foreigners strolling around side by side with the native Koreans, it doesn't feel foreign and touristy like other places. Ik-seon Dong still preserves its Korean-ness in both the traditional and modern sense — as if the past comes to meet the present here.

-SEOUL COFFEE-

I stopped by a pretty chic coffee shop called Seoul Coffee. That was totally not planned. I didn’t even know the name of the coffee shop until I saw a picture of a familiar looking place on Instragram several months later (you could possibly guess how much time I spend on Instragram by now, right?)

I really liked the interior design of this place, and I would have tried the Instagramable looking butter bread if I weren't full from finishing the rice cake set at Tteuran by myself. The coffee here was okay, but it definitely kept my hands warm in such a cold day.

SEOUL COFFEE (서울커피 익선점)

Address: 서울특별시 종로구 수표로28길 33-3 (Naver Map)

Hours: 11am ~ 10pm

Official Website: Click

Korean Review Blog: Click

-DUMPLINGS-

Headed toward the nearest metro station, I walked past a dumpling shop called Chang-hwa-dang (창화당) which seemed famous because of its long line. Don’t let my picture fool you, the line was longer than captured. It was really cold that day, but that didn’t stop people from lining up for some warm dumplings either! #respect

Chang-hwa-dang (창화당)

Address: 서울특별시 종로구 수표로28길 23 (Naver Map)

Hours:

• Weekday: 11:30 - 21:30 (Break time: 14:30~16:00)

• Weekend: 11:30 - 21:30 (No break time)

Official Website: Click

Korean Review Blog: Click

Although I pretty much fast walked through the neighborhood, I fell in love with it completely. I will definitely come back to this place again and give it my entire day.