Window Shopping in Myeongdong

My new Korean BFF, Deborah Lee, invited me to go to Myeongdong (shopping mecca in Seoul) for some window shopping. I blurted out yes since: 1. I haven't been to Myeongdong, Seoul in years 2. Window-shopping... two of my most favorite words combined together So, Deborah and I hopped to a bus to Seoul (we left her car by the bus-terminal since parking is a nightmare in Seoul and the bus and subway system is excellent so why bother bringing the car?). After an hour and a half on the bus and about 35 minutes on the subway, we finally arrived in Myeongdong.

So many stores!

We arrive just before lunch and it seems like the crowds were just starting to get there.

Almost in every corner was a cosmetic shop with a girl barking on a megaphone to check out sales inside. Most of the time, they would hand out a freebie item like a face-mask or a small lotion and toner set to get you to go inside their stores.

This is the Myeongdong Cultural Theater. Looks like there was a ballet and a concert scheduled for that week. We were getting hungry by this time so we decided to go to a Korean restaurant that had bright pictures of beef dishes. My friend ordered a huge pot of Korean Beef Bulgogi. Look at this feast.

Deborah also ordered something I haven't had in years - Yukhoe (Korean Beef Tartare). I was in heaven. I had busted the egg yolk on the tender beef slices before I realized I haven't taken a picture.

Aaaah, look at that tasty morsel...

It took us about an hour to finish that huge meal. But since we both didn't have breakfast, it was worth it. Now off to more windowshopping.

We probably visited about a dozen stores by this time. We decided to duck inside a huge Lotte Department store to look for a coat and vest for Deborah's hubby. This greeted us in the entrance of the store.

A row of coffee shops made me and my friend stop and pause for a couple of cappuccinos. We had to rest our aching heels before we could head up to the men's section at the 5th floor.

After an hour of browsing, Deborah finally found the perfect outfit for her hubby. We then bought some boxes of Krispy Kreme donuts (it was Deborah's first time to taste them and she was ecstatic) and some snacks for our men back home. When we were riding the subway back, I saw this on the subway. Ah, Korean fashion!