Work was at its busiest, but Children’s Day fell in the middle of it, so I went to the new outlet mall that just opened in Paju, partly to get myself moving. Everyone else apparently drives there, but being broke, I went by a bus that winds all over the place. The line for the No. 2200 bus at Hapjeong Station was seriously long. I waited about an hour just to get on, and maybe because it was Children’s Day, downtown Paju was completely jammed, so all in all it took about 4-5 hours to get there. It’s really far. You’d never think of it as being on the outskirts of Seoul. Next time I’ll have to leave at the crack of dawn or something.
The parking lot on arrival..
It was so much like the outlet malls I used to go to all the time in Japan – it’s the same chain – that it felt very familiar. It’s big, but I’ve already mastered outlet shopping, so 2-3 hours was plenty to get around. Beginners, though, might need the whole day..
The fountain
Maybe because it was Children’s Day, there were lots of kids around. But overall it wasn’t that crowded. Downtown Paju was actually busier. There weren’t any brands that were especially cheap, but it’s big, so if you walk around and look carefully there’s plenty worth buying. This time I picked up a few shirts for summer. I’m into duty-free shopping these days, so I don’t feel like going to outlets often, but I think once or twice a year would be fine. If I go again, it’ll probably be around autumn once summer’s over. And then I’ll have to drive or something.
On the way back I stopped by Eulmildae in Gangnam.
Naengmyeon
Everyone has something to say about the taste of Eulmildae’s naengmyeon. The noodles aren’t bad, but they’re not especially good either.. and the ice in the broth could look a bit sloppy, depending on how you see it.. But having a naengmyeon place this good near home makes me very happy. I think I’ll be dropping by often once summer comes.
Side dishes
Yuksu (hot meat broth)
This broth had a fishy smell and I didn’t care for it. They have plenty of dishes besides naengmyeon, so it’d be good to come with a group. Now I’m really looking forward to this summer.