This post was written in 2014. Shop details and prices may have changed since then.
My summer barbecue was scheduled to start in the afternoon, so I dropped by the Shinsegae main store for a bit in the morning. I had heard a rumor that Garrett Popcorn, the one people line up for in Japan, had arrived. Popcorn can only be so good, but I am a bit sensitive to trendy things like this.
Garrett Popcorn
It looks a lot like the shops in Japan, but maybe because it has not been promoted yet, there was no line. I am curious to see how popular it will get in Korea.
A look around while I was there
All kinds of ingredients gathered in one place. It feels like SSG and Gourmet 494 are having a battle these days. Hyundai Department Store looks set to join in soon too.
Dry-aged meat
As someone who remembers the old food court, I felt it had become a whole lot more sophisticated. My photos are sloppy, but every section had been carefully renovated. It is a little odd that the change in our food culture starts from department stores run by big conglomerates, but either way, it is definitely a change for the better.
Seafood
You can tell they put a lot of thought into the displays.
The restaurants
It is a step up from the old food court. The days of going to a department store and struggling to find something to eat seem to be nearly over.