First release of 2026
あーにゃん
2 days ago
My first trip to Korea in 2026
This time I went with a childhood friend from January 19 to 21.
I did the rumored SES registration at Incheon Airport and zipped through immigration, it actually took longer to get my luggage lol
I had booked a taxi with Klook, so when I went to the taxi stand I had to wait for the reserved taxi to arrive, and it turned out to be an unlicensed taxi, haha
We got to the hotel with Ma-chan so it’s all good, haha
The hotel was the Toyoko Inn in Gangnam. Since it’s Japanese-run, Japanese was understood. After dropping off our bags and feeling a little peckish, we went to a yogurt shop near Gangnam Station
It was tucked away on the edge of the building, so the location was a little hard to find. The shop didn’t have many seats, so takeout might be better. At the kiosk you can customize your order—choose the type of yogurt you like, pick fruits, cereals, sauces, and more.
The thick, creamy yogurt was delicious!
After grabbing a bite, I flew over to Hakdong for lip art. I have a separate post about the lip art, so I’ll skip the details here
After it ended I returned to Gangnam Station, checked out Daiso and Olive Young, and had dinner at Odaljip's ganjang gejang (soy‑marinated crab)
Added japchae to the Connect service, too! It kind of tasted like yakisoba, haha
Day 2 goes to Seongsu
I bought a room fragrance from Hetras
I only needed to buy one, but it came in a pack of two. Still, it was just over ¥1,200 for the two. I picked up the department store scent.
Next, Rockfish Weatherwear
I was torn between the ballerina-core shoes and these, and ended up buying these. They were on sale, and with tax refund I don't think they even cost 5,000 yen. They've become really handy on rainy days!
New Mix Coffee☕️
The shop is really small, but the staff understand Japanese, and if there’s a flavor you’re curious about they’ll let you sample it right away! They also handle instant tax refund at checkout.
For lunch at Standard Bread, my childhood friend had French toast, and I had the tissue bread and truffle mashed potato soup.
Tissue bullets might not peel off well unless they're freshly baked, sigh
Flew to Myeongdong for a skin treatment, then went to the Health Nutrition Center to eat samgyetang
A Korean influencer living in Japan named Jihun, who works abroad, introduced this restaurant that has won a Blue Ribbon
The staff casually tried to recommend the expensive one with ginseng in it, lol
Of course I ordered that, lol
The rice was packed tightly inside the chicken. The chicken was fall-apart tender and of course delicious!
Finally, shopping at MIMILINE
I think I like these accessories more than NYUNYU. I bought a fur hair clip and a pouch.
Day 3 breakfast at Starbucks
There were menu items you don't find in Japan, I wanted to try them all, haha
Ordered a sandwich, a drink, and a carrot cake
The carrot cake wasn't too sweet and was delicious! Perfect even for the morning!
Arrived at the airport, finished immigration, then had a meal at the food court
I flew back home safely!
Seoul in January was a freezing minus 9°C, it felt more painful than just cold. Bundle up, it was fun!
