An American in Apgujeong / April 5, 2015 by Tyler Wood

I have been living in Apgujeong for 3 years now and I realized that many people don't know much about it. I'm not talking about the huddled masses shopping at the over-hyped outdoor shopping mall of Gangnam, but the area of Apgujeong Rodeo and Sinsa's Garusugil. These places are famous for shopping and being posh, but many foreigners only know about Monkey Beach. One of the best burger places in this country was here and shut down because people weren't coming, so that's partly why I decided to write this blog, to show that there is good food and things to do outside Itaewon. This blog is for those interested in the area but not interested in going to the same places over and over again because you are worried about dropping too much cash on a mistake. I got your back.

Pizza Wars: Rodeo / April 4, 2015 by Tyler Wood

There are literally billions of pizza places in Apgujeong (too much hyperbole?) Ok, but there are too many pizza places to eat at them all without going broke and having cheese fatally block my arteries and choke the life out of me, so I have narrowed it down to the best two in the Rodeo area - The Kitchen and Grano. They are within a block of each other and both owned by Italian chefs. Which one is better? Much like any good dish, pizza was born of poverty and has risen to the ranks of gourmet. These two places are of the latter sort, the wonderful pinnacle of what is possible.

Best Bowling Alleys / March 15, 2015 by Tyler Wood

One of the charms of growing up in America was on special occasions your parents would cram the family into the sedan and head to the noisy, smoke-filled cesspool of awesomeness that was the local bowling alley. Maybe yours was slightly different, but I’m sure it smelt of Marlboro smoke and 70’s carpeting. It had an old lady in rags shoving her last 50 cents into the pull tab machine, a VIP second floor with blacked out windows that who-knows-what was happening in, and bright, hot lights aimed squarely at smooth, wood lanes with three-holed balls sliding their way home to knock down those weak, white guards with their red collars and fat bellies with that unmistakable crack and bounce sound that echoed into your ears while you impatiently waited for the drop-out kid to grab you those disgusting, germ infested shoes we all stole a pair of when they were in style in the 90’s. Am I right? Maybe. Not so much? Whatever. Bowling was fun, and still can be on those dreary Seoul winter nights when your bones are telling you to stay inside. There are not too many options in the Apgujeong area, so I went ahead and checked all of them out for you. All two of them.

Best Movie Theater / February 12, 2015 by Tyler Wood

There seems to be a good one-upsmanship in Apgujeong when it comes to movie theaters. CGV renovates the Cinecity tower and now COEX has just renovated the Megabox housed there. This means the theaters are offering better choices and more screens to see that movie you have been wanting to see. With the winters so cold, it’s nice to have indoor activities to enjoy. So where is the best place to catch a flick in Apgujeong? Keep reading and find out my picks.

Best French Toast / April 6, 2014 by Tyler Wood

What’s more American than French Toast? French Fries perhaps? Although this dish dates back to the Romans and was usually made with stale bread, it has been popularized and breakfast-ized by Americans, namely, French immigrants (hence the name). When we wander around Apgujeong looking for bread cooked in milky, eggy batter we don’t see signs proclaiming “eggy bread” or “pain perdu” we see French Toast, implying that it is, yet again, the American expats that have brought this dish to Korea (or at least popularized it). This has been my favorite breakfast food since I can remember, so finding it in Korea was life-altering. When I first came, the only places I knew of were Butterfingers and The Flying Pan, but this list will show you how many more options we have for this delicious treat. Let’s all be “poor knights” and enjoy this dish!

Best Milkshake / April 5, 2014 by Tyler Wood

There is something special about milkshakes. You can’t drink a milkshake in a bad mood - I challenge you to drink one while upset, it’s like riding a jet-ski with a frown - impossible. So, where do we get these wonderful mood-changers around the ‘hood? Hopefully, this post will help you out. I’ve split them into types, in case you have a preference for flavor.