There are plenty of Chinese restaurants in Yeonnam-dong, right next to Hongdae, and since they taste good for the price I eat at them pretty often. Ipum, though, is a bit far to walk to from Hongdae, so I never got around to it — but a certain blogger said it was good, so I went to check it out.
The sign
Apparently they renovated not long ago, which is probably why the sign looks so clean. I remember it being tucked down an alley near a bakery called Peter Pan.
Ohyang-jangyuk (five-spice braised pork)
It was so drenched in vinegar that it was barely edible. A big disappointment.
Palbochae, I think..
Hmmm..
Japchae-bap
…
Fried dumplings
The food here is just ordinary. I made the trip all the way out here, and it was a real letdown. Of course, I hear the dishes this place is known for are jjajang and tangsuyuk, and you can’t judge a place properly without ordering those — but everything that had come out so far was so-so, so I lost any desire to order more.
Dessert
We wrapped up round one there and headed to Imi, a dessert cafe in Hongdae, for round two.
Ochipong
It’s a dessert with cheese stuffed inside an orange, and it tastes lovely and refreshing. They say it’s the popular pick, and I can see why.
Patbingsu
They say they use organic red beans; it was not sweet, so the flavour was a little plain. Still, I enjoyed every bite..