First class tickets were not that much more ($15 or so) than coach class, and not drastically different in terms of amenities -- just bigger seats and more leg room. But we figured since it was Valentine's Day, why not live a little.
We took the metro to the train station, bought some drinks for our trip, then waited outside on the freezing cold platform for our train to arrive.
Once the train started moving, a coffee cart and snack cart lady passed through the aisles. We ordered two cups of hot coffee and settled in for our 2+ hr train ride to Seoul.
Once in Seoul, we grabbed a cab and headed to our rental loft in Gagnam-gu. Bright, modern, and efficiently designed, our little loft was pretty much the perfect little home away from home, not to mention a welcome change in scenery from the hotel we have been living in for the past two months.
Instead, we decided to 'walk it off' around nearby Apgujeong , a trendy district in Seoul with lots of hoity toity shops and restaurants. Mostly we just window shopped.
Some windows had better displays than others.
It was still early in the evening, the typical nightclub sounds of music and laughing and clinking not yet giving clues to the hot spots in town. We passed by a few bars but everything seemed empty. Slowly, and maybe by some lingering muscle memory, Sly found his way back to a part of town he used to frequent when he lived in Seoul 10 years ago. He found one bar and then instantly remembered another favorite up the street.
We climbed to the top of the hill and walked up and down the street where Sly's old favorite bar used to be. "It used to be right here, " he said. He kept turning in the street, trying hard to remember, until he looked up and noticed his old haunt, amazingly still there, but with an unlit sign and no signs of life.
Across the street a sleek new modern building beckoned us to go inside. I hesitated -- in our haste to rush to dinner we hadn't bothered to change into more appropriate going out clothes. Oh well. We went inside anyway.
Instead we ordered the special Valentine's day "couples set" which included two shooters to start off the night...
T-lound, at least in the early part of the evening, was still quiet enough to have a conversation and buzzy enough to have great vibe. Good music, stunning decor, hand-crafted drinks, and of course excellent service. We eased into the night and Sly ordered another expensive drink before deciding to move on to our next venue.
We went in for old time's sake.
After a couple glasses of wine, I excused myself to find the restroom. The ladies bathroom had some of those fancy toilets popular in Asia -- the kinds with all the buttons. Some I could easily figure out -- the bidet looking ones were obvious --but one I could not -- the button showed an icon of a lady with very nice hair. I was a bit curious so...I pushed the button. At first nothing happened (at this point I was standing over the toilet) but then I heard a mechanical sound and noticed a plastic arm extend from inside the toilet bowl. And then out of nowhere the arm started to spray water, not in a gentle arc back into the toilet bowl, but in a HUGE overly dramatic arc up and over my head, hitting against the bathroom door with the force of a water hose. I stood in a horrified stupor, watching the water splash against the door and form huge pools of water on the floor, seeping out from beneath my door. The difference in expectation and actuality only made me that much more paralyzed. It was like having an out-of-body experience; part of me wanted to laugh, the other part of me wanted to just run and hide. If there was ever an Oh F*ck moment, this was it. Finally I came to my senses and closed the toilet lid, the water still angrily gurgling out and pooling around the toilet. After what felt like an eternity I heard the mechanical sound of the arm retracting back into its hidden hell hole and I tried to assess the damage. Someone entered the bathroom and started brushing her teeth (???) Crap. I waited for her to leave but then another lady entered and started brushing HER teeth too. WHAT WERE THE CHANCES? I frantically grabbed toilet paper, wadded it up into huge balls, and started sopping up the mess, trying my best to be as inconspicuous as possible and hoping the girls brushing their teeth couldn't see my hand poking out from underneath the bathroom stall. Then I straightened my clothes, smoothed down my hair, and walked out of the bathroom stall, one arm soaked with water, washed my hands, went back to my table as if nothing had happened, and finished my glass of wine.
What. A. Frickin'. Dumbass.
Holding my toilet water-soaked arm, Sly and I watched the band play until we finished our bottle of wine.
DETAILS
Jangsarang 장사랑 // 624-47, Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul / 강남구 신사동 624-47, 서울특별시 / Korean traditional food // Approx $27 per person for set course menu that included a ton of entrees and sides. We were so stuffed, and couldn't even finish all our food, which is pretty much a first for us. The food is considered traditional Korean food - lots of earthy flavors with a bit of spice and sweetness to punch things up. The meal was simple, but the flavors were robust. We know a lot of people that are 'scared' to try Korean food on account of it being "weird" or "too spicy" but I think this spread would be ok for even the most cautious palates. DIRECTIONS: We googled the name of this restaurant and got the Korean address -- which we then showed to a cab driver who took us to the restaurant. The restaurant itself is in the basement/lower level of the building.
DRINK
T-Lound // 83-13, Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu // 강남구 청담동 83-13 // wine, lounge, cigar bar, restaurant // $22 drink / $150+ for bottle service // This is a beautiful space designed by an award-winning designer. We were immediately drawn to it from a design stand-point but the drinks, while expensive, were equally great. I was a bit worried this place would feel pretentious or stuffy, but it never did. Come here for dinner, or, if you want to drink, come with a group of friends to ease the blow of the bottle service. TIP: happy hour is from 7-9 every day and includes 2 free shooters.
Once in a Blue Moon // 824, Seolleung-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul // 서울특별시 강남구 선릉로 824 (청담동) // Jazz + Wine Bar, food also served // This place is pretty much the only one of its kind in Seoul (according to Sly) and as such you can find a lot of expats here. There are mixed drinks available (approx $20 each) and an extensive wine list. Nothing on the wine list is under $70 a bottle except for a small carafe of wine which goes for $40. It makes for a pricey night out, but at least the entertainment is really good.
STAY
NK's Loft // under $100/night // We found this place last minute (day before) on AirBNB, which btw is amazing in Seoul -- affordable with lots of great options. We chose this place mostly because of the location -- it's between two subway stations and close to some of the trendier parts of town. It's a quirky little place stocked with pretty much everything you need -- hairdryer, towels, dishes, etc.. Technically 4 people can sleep in the loft, but I'm not sure how comfortable that would be -- maybe 2 adults and 2 children with not much luggage? For two people though, it was perfect.