Hongdae eats Round 1! Unfortunately, not a whole lotta good news on this one, but I think it's just as important to get the whole picture cause it's not always rainbows and butterflies at every restaurant you visit. 

1. The Boonguhbbang Who Visited France 프랑스에 다녀온 붕어빵

I swear the name is cuter in Korean. 

This pastry shop has been popping up everywhere and there's a good chance you've all already sampled the croissant-boonguhbbang hybrid. There are three different fillings you can choose from for croissant type: the original red bean, sweet potato, and apple mango, and three other ones for pie bread type (I honestly don't know what this is): Korean rice cake, Lotus jam (which is like Cookie Butter), and plain (the creative juices at corporate were running low that day). To be honest, they were meh. The couple of times I went, my fish-shaped croissants were served cold, almost like they've been sitting out for a while, and considering how much they cost (3,500 won), they didn't blow me away. The apple mango jam just reminded me of Jollibee's peach mango pie! I guess it's worth it when I'm feeling homesick.

2. Delicious Kyoto 맛있는 교토

If you're looking for katsu the size of your face, head here. They have lunch specials everyday, and, although the menu is limited, the cost will have you scarfing down your meal with a peace of mind. M, in his lack of enthusiasm for Japanese food in Korea, was unimpressed, but I think thought it was pretty good! But then again, I'm never really picky about my katsu. As long as the sauce is tart, the pork chop crispy, and the rice nice and steamy, I'm sold!

3. New York Apartment 뉴욕 아파트먼트

We went here ages ago for David's birthday, so I'm a little late, and New York Apartment could have definitely upped its game since I was here, and for everyone's sake, I suuure hope so. I went with a group of maybe 10 people. We each ordered different burgers, so I give the restaurant props for their diverse menu, but I gotta say I think the chicken appetizer we had to start was the best thing on the table. I don't know... The Hawaiian burger I ordered (at least I think that's what it was called) was disappointing -- the buns were soggy from the overabundance of sauce, the sauce was too empowering, the patty wasn't memorable, and it was just a hot mess. For burgers in Hongdae, I always recommend Burger B's.