A Cute Restaurant, Cafe Saeogae-gil 39 , and Hwadam Forest

After being in Seoul for more than a month, my friends and I decided that it might be a good idea to go on a day trip outside of Seoul. My friend, Destiny, had suggested going to Cafe   Saeogae-gil 39, a traditional style Cafe with a scenic view and Hwadam Forest, a botanical garden filled with beautiful flora and Fauna. Before going to Cafe  Saeogae-gil 39, we had accidentally gotten off at the wrong stop. It was then we came across a small neighborhood in Gyeonggi-do. It was definitely a nice change of pace from the bustling streets of Seoul. The twisty alley ways and grandmas and grandmas walking the streets reminded me of my grandparent’s neighborhood in India. (Interesting enough, I actually ran into five South Asians on this trip, which is more than I have ever seen in Seoul.) It was then that my friends and I came across a traditional Korean restaurant, where we were able to eat 김치순두부찌개 (soft tofu soup) and 된장찌개 (soy bean paste soup). I ordered the 장칼국수 (Korean Spicy noodle soup) to the surprise of staff as well as some of the customers in the restaurant. “Are you sure you want to eat this?” asked the 아줌마 (ajumma), a term for an older married woman, who served us food in Korean. “It’s really spicy.” I assured her that as a person of Indian origin I was used to eating spicy food. 

After the restaurant we took a taxi to the beautiful Cafe 39, which is a cafe that is based in a Korean Traditional style Villa.  If you’re looking for a place with great drinks and a beautiful view, Cafe 39 is the place for you. The Royal Elizabeth Milk Tea and the almond crepe paired with the beautiful traditionally inspired architecture and natural beauty was truly a sight to behold. After spending a few hours in the Cafe, we took a 45 minute taxi ride to Hwadam Forest. Hwadam forest is a scenic botanical garden filled with almost every plant native to Korea that you could imagine. Since we were a little bit further up north in Seoul, we were able to see the Cherry blossoms before the wilted. A scene that I will never forget in my life would be the view of the cherry blossoms trees on Hwadam Forest’s famous heart bridge. This was possibly one of the most stunning scenes of natural beauty I have ever seen. Although I have pictures of the bridge and the other flowers such as the daffodils, the camera was simply not able to capture it’s beauty. (Fun Fact: Many dramas were filmed in Hwadam forest such as Be with You and Little Forest) 

At the end of the trip, we took a taxi to the station and then a train to the bustling area of Gangnam where we had a lovely meal at a Pocha (a Korean Style pub). If you’re looking for a day trip to escape the busy, fast paced life of Seoul, I highly recommend visiting these two places. It’s a site to behold!