S&Penguins cafe is a cafe operated and owned by Kim So Hye, who debuted from a project girl group I.O.I. The cafe also serves as a space for, “Penguin People,” which are what fans of Kim So Hye are called. Photos/Professional shoots of Kim So Hye are displayed in different sizes. Also, there is a penguin that has been made into character dolls, and clothes that are being sold. Varieties of coffee beverages are sold (roughly 3,000 won to 5,000 won), which is quite inexpensive.  

Here is a trivia question to which all Hallyu fans would know the answer. What is the name of the K-pop group that former U.S. President Barack Obama mentioned during his speech on July 3rd, 2017? Yes, it is the dashing and stylish SHINee. Since their debut in 2008, the members have toured all over North America, South America and Europe. SHINee’s last international tour ended in June, 2017, after their concerts in Los Angeles, Dallas and Taipei were completely sold out. Magnolia Design Café located in Itaewon by Yongsan-gu Office is known to be one of Key’s favorite cafés in Seoul. He has shared pictures of himself enjoying drinks at the coffee shop via his personal social media account. Magnolia Design Café is housed in a refurbished family-home offering a cozy atmosphere in the midst of the bustling Itaewon area. The exact spot where Key took photographs can be found at the quaint backyard. The most popular menu items during warmer seasons include the blueberry smoothie and iced latte.  

MilkCow in Boots is famed for their cube-shaped bread. The bread is tasty, healthy, and fun to look at! The bread has been fermented at low temperatures which means a healthy bread that does not sacrifice flavor. There are 8 varieties of bread in total; some of the flavors are cream cheese, blueberry, whole grain, olive, and chocolate. Korean cream bread is a real speciality that visitors should try and there is also a delicious castella bread, which has a sweet red bean fondant or cream cheese filling. MilkCow in Boots also sells flavored milk; the milk is flavored naturally with different flavors of tea.  

Yeontabal has a neat atmosphere and specializes in tripe and large intestines, which you can enjoy chargrilled. The tripe tastes especially good with yangchibap, which is rice stir-fried with radish kimchi. Unlike most tripe restaurants, private rooms are available here for get-togethers. On the weekend, when they have fewer customers, they offer discounts so you can have an enjoyable meal and also take advantage of the lower prices.  

Korea's most beloved Korean BBQ chain, diners can enjoy quality BBQ and great service at HANAM PIG. The pork used at HANAM PIG is sourced from eco-friendly farms and the restaurant's charcoal is imported from Indonesia's best natural charcoal suppliers. As a result, the pork's natural flavor comes through. Patrons can also choose from a drinks menu featuring wine, whiskey, and cocktails to enjoy with their meals.  

Located in the hub of Korean culture, Insa-dong, Doodaemunjip has been serving Korean fusion cuisine for the past 10 years. The restaurant takes form of a traditional hanok decorated with a modern touch, blending Asian and western-style design to create an exquisite atmosphere favored by both Koreans and international visitors. Doodaemunjip is the only building in Insa-dong that has an indoor garden and a terrace full of fresh living plants, presenting peaceful atmosphere rarely found in the urban city. Signature menus include maekjeokgui ssambap (pork with Korean herbs served with vegetable wraps and rice) and Doodaemun haemul onbap (seafood rice) along with other specialty menus such as soy-marinated bossam (vegetable wraps with rice), soy-marinated crab, haemul pajeon (seafood and green onion pancake), etc. In particular, maekjeokgui (pork with Korean herbs) is seasoned with soybean paste made with traditional Korean recipe, bringing out deep flavors when consumed with vegetable wrapped rice. Traditional Korean alcoholic beverages such as bamboo liquor and bokbunjaju (Korean black raspberry wine) are also available.

Located by several entertainment agencies, Naive Coffee is frequented by many K-pop stars including GOT7’s BamBam and Jackson, Miss A’s Fei, as well as Hyerim, Yubin and Sunmi. Authentic specialty coffees are blended and brewed in-house, daily. Naive Coffee’s signature blends, Oger and Bosanoba, boast a fanatic following, and the caffè latte is extremely smooth and complex with an elegant ratio of coffee and milk. Cold brew coffee packaged in unique beverage cans, is also available for purchase.  

Loved by fans from all over Asia, Super Junior has been an A-list K-pop star for almost a decade now. A lesser known fact about the group is that the charming and witty member Kim Hee-chul has refined interest in food. One of the restaurants in Seoul that he has recommended is Solbin Superdog located in the Apgujeong Rodeo Street. On the menu are tacos, hot dogs and rice bowls. The foodie K-pop singer’s favorite menu item is the spicy dog, which is extremely hot yet highly addictive. The signature dish is the galbi (grilled beef ribs) rice, which comes with nachos, sour cream, jalapeño peppers and vegetables.  

Gangwonjeong has been around for about 20 years, and is famous for its samgyetang (chicken ginseng soup). The flavor of the broth and tenderness of the chicken are exceptional. Chicken is stuffed with sweet rice, dates, chestnuts, ginko nuts, ginseng, and whole garlic cloves of garlic and garnished with shredded spring onions, sunflower seeds, and black sesame seeds. Kimchi makes the best accompaniment.    

Dongbingo makes great-tasting traditional patbingsu using only milk, red beans and rice cake. Many find the rather chunky and sweet red bean sauce to be very addictive.