Boxes of Chocolates in Brussels

Check these boxes of chocolates in Brussels.  When I visited there last summer, I bought a couple of these boxes for my relatives back in the US, each I believe have different prices.  But the chocolates from Belgium are simple one of the best I have had.

Inside the Tous Les Jours Cafe in Seoul

While wandering in the early morning in Myeongdong, I stumbled upon this cute cafe called ‘Tous Les Jours’ (Google Translate meaning ‘Daily’).  This cafe was launched in 1996 and now it has a couple of branches outside South Korea, in particular they have branches in the United States.

Nature themed cafe

Me & my breakfast

When I visited, I got iced coffee and a bread filled with sweet red bean paste.  It was really delicious!  I also enjoyed the view and the lovely ambiance of the cafe.

Bread and Iced Coffee

More info:

- English Website: Tours Les Jours in English (Korean)

- How to get to Myeongdong: Take the Subway line #4 Myeongdong Station, Exit #5,6,7 or 8

The Gourmandise Patisserie in Serendra

The Gourmandise Patisserie is a shop in Serendra that sells a wide variety of eclairs.  Eclairs are quite like donuts but with oblong shape filled with cream.  The Parisian theme caught my attention and I had to get a photo of the shop.  I haven’t tried any of their products but it is definitely on my list to try when I visit Philippines again.

- Location: Serendra, McKinley Parkway, 1634 Fort Bonifacio Philippines

- Hours: Monday – Friday 11:00 – 22:00. Saturday – Sunday 11:00 – 21:00

The Etude House in Hongdae

Another favorite cosmetic store of mine is Etude House.  This shop sells beauty products and they come in a very cute packaging.  When I visited Hongdae earlier this year, this was the decoration they had for their shop which had a very cute and festive theme.  At that moment they were promoting their new product ‘Princess Etoinette’, a very princess-fairytale like inspiration.

Up-close photo of the decorations

A preview of the shop

Window Display of cosmetic products

Princess Etoinette display

Window/Wall art decoration

More info:

- Global Website: http://www.etudehouse.com/eng/main.jsp#wrap

- How to get to Hongdae:  Subway line #2,4,5 for Hongik University Station Exit#5

The cute hotdog stand at Robinson’s Galleria mall

Today’s photo is from Makati, Philippines – a cute hotdog stand at Robinson’s Galleria Mall.  While walking around the mall, I saw this cute hotdog stand and took a photo.  The hotdog brand is Pure Foods, TenderJuicy which is a very popular hotdog brand in the Philippines.  I have actually eaten it so many times, it is very delicious and much better than any hotdogs I have tried.

- Website: Tender Juicy

Mogu Menu

One of my favorite places to eat in Serendra Fort Bonifacio in the Philippines is Mogu.  Mogu is a Japanese restaurant that means ‘fresh’.  This restaurant has a very simple yet modern interior design that creates a very open atmosphere.

Inside Mogu Restaurant

My family and I went to eat at this restaurant sometime around January of this year.  There wasn’t that much crowd and the place was very clean and neat.  I didn’t get a chance to read any reviews prior to visiting the restaurant, we just ate here on a whim (‘oh, that restaurant looks good lets go’).  While it has a 50-50 reviews, I would say that when I visited, I actually liked their services – the servers were friendly and polite.  The food was good, not top notch but good enough to enjoy.  However, their smoothies were awesome especially the dalandan (citrus) juice drink.  I remembered I had a sore throat that day, but I finished the drink.

House Specials

Ceiling and lightings

Compared to the rest of the Philippines, I would say the prices where a bit on the high side because of the location (about $10 an entry).

Dalandan smoothie!

Miso soup

Gyoza

Sushi/Maki

Harami set

More info:

- Operating hours: Sunday – Thursday 11:00 – 21:00, Friday – Saturday 11:00 – 23:00

- Address: Ground Floor, Serendra Complex, Bonifacio Global City, Tagiug, Philippines

The Holika Holika Store in Hongdae

Holika Holika is a Korean cosmetic company that started in the early 2010.  When I was surfing online, I found out on their banner that Holika Holika is a magic word for getting your wish (which in this case to be beautiful).  This shop in Hongdae has a cute purple theme design with a cute little witch in between the Holika Holika words.

Website: http://www.holikaholika.co.kr/FrontStore/iStartPage.phtml

How to get to Hongdae:  Subway line #2,4,5 for Hongik University Station Exit#5

Yoogane Restaurant in Myeongdong

One of my most favorite restaurants in Seoul is Yoogane.  This restaurant is famous for dak galbi which is a dish generally made by stir frying marinated chicken and other ingredients on a hot plate.  This particular restaurant is located in Myeongdong, and it was one of the first restaurants I have tried in Seoul too.

Colorful wall artwork inside Yoogane Restaurant

Inside the Restaurant

A couple of my Korean friends took me here for dinner because it was a very casual and cool place to eat and just hang out.  The food prices are reasonable and the staffs are friendly too.

Menu

What I like about this restaurant too is that their Menu is written in English and has pictures as well which makes it very easy to understand.

Side dishes (all you can eat for an extra 1000 won about $1 USD)

Ready to cook

We got the spicy chicken and ddeokkbokki with mozzarella

Outside the Restaurant (menu)

It is definitely one of the best places to eat in Myeongdong Seoul, if you’re looking for a cheap, fast and delicious Korean food.

Website: http://www.yoogane.co.kr/

Address 1: 3-1 Myeongdong 2-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Address 2: 66-6 Chungmuro 2-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea

How to get to Myeongdong: Take the Subway line #4 Myeongdong Station, Exit #5,6,7 or 8

Luxembourg at night

Luxembourg is a small country bordered by Belgium, France and Germany that has a population over 500,000.  This country is headed by a grand duke and it is the only remaining grand duchy in the world.  Most Luxembourgers speak French, German, Luxembourgish and English, 4 languages!

While looking for a place to eat in Luxembourg, I stumbled upon this scenic view of the Metro station.  I noticed that there weren’t too many people walking around maybe its because I was there outside the normal business hours which was 8:00 – 18:00 (I was there around19:30).  The city is quite lovely and has lots of beautiful architectural buildings.

Hermes Store in Grand Rue

Luxembourg city has quite selection for small shops or large shopping centers.  For those who are looking for designer or gourmet items, then Grand Rue is the best place to find these.  During my visit in Luxembourg, Grand Rue was one of the places I went because I wanted to buy the Laduree Macarons.

The Luxembourg City shopping area, Grand Rue has lots of high end fashion designer stores as well as other fashion boutiques.  One of the great things about this shopping area is that it is pedestrian only street.