Korea has always had an obsession with organic products. Although selling organic products in Korea is often used as a gimic, Café 5 CiJung offers original Makkeoli cocktails and drinks, which are complimented by private art exhibitions, all organized by the owner, Oh(5 in Korean) CiJung.

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Ddeokgalbi ordered at Modern Babsahng

Until now, I perceived Garosu-gil as a place only to find decent foreign food ranging from Indian to French. I thought only options for Korean food were available on samgyupsal (pork belly) shops or soju bars located on side streets or streets branching from the main street. But I ran into Modern Bab-Sahng (모던밥상), which roughly translates to modern meals. English name for the place is titled “Homemade Korean Dishes”.

Conspicuous with a magenta display sign, the place is located right opposite of Tom N Toms or next to Kuai19 (a Chinese dumpling place).

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Finding one of those ‘Stand-out’ restaurants in Garosu Gil must be a challenge to pretty much everyone even if you come across the street often. Sometimes having too many choices could be more bothersome than not having any!

Well, if you are lost as to where to go or what to eat in Garosu-gil, you might want to try the European restaurant, ‘the pretty house’, Casa Bonita, located right across Tom N Toms Coffee in the middle of the main Garosu street.

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Come celebrate with us at Sir Raymond English pub! (Yes, we are celebrating Saint Patty’s day at an English pub haha).

I will be there from 9pm onwards along with a reasonably sized crowd.  Put something green on and let’s celebrate with a pint of Guiness!  Say hello if you see a guy wearing a ridiculously neon green polo shirt.

Sir Raymond pub is located in Garosu-gil, Sinsa.  See directions after the jump for more details

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If you are up-to-date with ‘it’ scene in Seoul, you will know that Garosu-gil over the last few years developed into the have-it-all street. Whether you’re looking for authentic & exotic restaurants, small or large cafes, wine bars, private lounges, the street which connects Apgujeong and Sinsa has it all.

In one of my latest expedition to Garosu-gil, I checked out this restaurant called Spain Club.

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Mix Lounge is arguably one of the best lounges in Seoul when it comes down to both the quality of cocktail and drinks selection.  Located right off a block from the main Garosu Street in Sinsa, Mix boasts 14 varieties of martinis, 7 types of mojitos and 9 brands of vodka (over 16 types of vodka in different variation).  Definitely a cocktail lover’s heaven, Mix remains one of the top hangout spots to all the trendsetters in Seoul.

Read more to view a few colorful example shots of the menu as well as interiors.

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Unfortunately, one of my favorite venues at Garosu-gil, Sinsa, has closed down a few weeks ago.  I will miss their food and drinks served at the basement floor.  I only hope another venue just as nice as Tutti Matti pops up soon in its place.

[Update: April 5, 2010] Unfortunately, I just confirmed last weekend that Serein is now closed indefinitely. We will miss all those mojito selection as well as that overly joyous yellow cat.  We have yet to figure out what that cat exactly is.

Question: How does one test for another’s familiarity of Garosu-gil, Sinsa?

Answer: Serein.

Serein is a cozy bar specializing in mojitos, located off the main street of Garosu-gil, Sinsa.  First floor is a bar and second floor a restaurant.  Retro-styled light bulbs with clearly visible filament emanating warm light extends all the way down to just above your head from the ceiling, with yellow visual warmth bouncing off from the walls tiled with white bricks in differently-patterned spacing.  Hints of artsiness is quite evident, with colorful cushions and chairs, in addition to signs of a yellow cat character that I recognized from other places… (Does anyone know what this character is about??? I think I saw this at Mix Lounge at Garosu-gil as well as in other venues @ Samcheong-dong as well).

More review, photographs of interior and menu after the jump!

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SeoulGrid’s definition of a lounge: a venue that serves alcoholic beverages that has music in the background.  DJ booth is a plus.  The difference between a bar and a lounge is that bars tend to be more crowded or loud with people talking.  Lounge is where there is plenty of space for everyone and where you can go for a nice drink or two.  You wouldn’t typically go to a lounge to get wasted, unless you have cash to burn.

Bars, you’d  take your  college buddies out for drinks of Irish car bombs or Jaggermeister shots for a casual night of fun.  Lounge, you’d take your date; extra dry gin martini for yourself and mojito for your date.  Sure, a glass of Cosmopolitan may cost twice or even thrice how much it would cost in casual bars, but once in a while, it’s an worthwhile investment.

Now what makes a lounge great?  The differentiating factor between an awesome lounge and a lounge is that the former typically is larger in scale, serves better cocktails and of course, plays better music.  Of course once in a while you run into a lounge that feature interior decor and ambiance so unique, modern and stylish that your jaws drop.  There also are ones that are nice private lounges that isn’t open to everyone.

Below is top-pick list of the best lounges in Seoul.  Of course, I am sure there are several others that I do not know of or haven’t had the chance to visit, but if I do, you can count on me to write about it in detail in future!

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Sometimes you just need your own space – which is the reason why I was rather hesitant to write this article to begin with.  I sort of wanted to keep this venue out of everyone’s sight, which I am sure the venue owner will strongly disagree with, but I decided to share my hidden gem with everyone on the site.

The venue in question is titled Social Club, in the middle of Shinsa Garosu-gil.  It is located smack in the middle of the main street, right across from 7/11.  I ended up checking out the place when I noticed a sign that I didn’t notice before.  Fairly conspicuous with its minimalist design, the square sign suggested it must be a new trendy place in Shinsa.

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