Friday, January 8, 2010

Meal Top - Seoul, Korea (Hyundai Department Store in Apgujeong)

This place has the best patbingsoo (shaved ice with sweetened red bean paste) in Seoul, I'm sure of it. It's so simple but oh so good. You will find it on the top floor of Hyundai Department Store in Apgujeong. The cafe is called Meal Top and even in the dead of winter, it is packed with people. Here's what the cafe looks like.
They have milk, coffee, fruit bingsoo and also patjook, which is red bean porridge. I've tried the coffee and milk bingsoo here before and the milk one is my favorite. It's kind of pricey for a rather small size of bingsoo, but there's a reason why this place is always packed and people are willing to fork over the dough.
My cousin told me that she read somewhere that the guy who's in charge of shaving the ice has been working here for over 10 years. Whenever we come here we pick each other's brains about how the shaved ice could be so good. First of all, the ice is shaved really fine, it just melts in your mouth. But even if the ice was shaved fine and they poured milk into it, wouldn't it melt real fast? But this one doesn't! So our best guess is that maybe freeze the milk and then shave it? No? I have no idea, but curious minds want to know! Anyways, it's icy, milky goodness in a bowl. They also give you two pieces of injeolmi, chewy rice cake that has a slight coffee taste to it.
No fruity pebbles required in this bingsoo. It's just that good.

3 comments:

  1. it's so simple. but you know i wouldn't like this pat bing soo... toooo much pat!!

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  2. btw, not sure if this restaurant is still there.. but there's a really cheap & delicious shabu shabu house in dae hak no. i think it's the blue line exit 4. it's below a kfc or burger king restaurant. there's also one in ewha as well. there are flying PIGS on the decor. it's like $5 per person .. and at the end they make bi-bim-bap with the leftover soup ... so delicious! and cheap!! I ate there all the time. I think I have the membership card somewhere in my wallet in LA :)

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  3. Hi Sue. Looking at all your pics makes me sooo hungry! I hope u are enjoying Korea!!

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