Billy Angel Cake Company | Seoul, South Korea

I watched this video on the internet a year or so ago about a 20 layer rainbow crepe cake made of all different fruity flavors. The cake shop was located in Seoul, South Korea. The video made the cake look awesome and delicious and exotic. At the time I thought "Wow, that's really cool. I'd love to try that." but never did I imagine I'd actually try that cake!

In fact, rainbow cakes are quite popular here in South Korea. You'll find different versions in dessert and coffee shops in almost every mall, but I'd yet to try one!

Simply put, I'd never tried a rainbow cake before the Billy Angel Cake Company because it wasn't the rainbow cake that I'd seen in the video. I had to have that one. In fact, I'd thought the Billy Angel Cake Company had gone out of business after a quick Google search had only revealed a location that hadn't been updated in a year or two (I've yet to actually visit said location...) I was sad and disappointed. I'll admit, there were several times where I almost gave in to those other rainbow cakes.

So imagine my surprise when, on our way to the Yeouido Cherry Blossom Festival, we found a Billy Angel Cake Company, the cake shop in the video I'd watched all those years ago. Say what!?

I took a sharp turn into the cake shop, with Ethan tagging along behind. He must have thought I had an immediate craving for cake, not realizing that it was the Billy Angel Cake Company I'd talked about in the past. Of course, I had to stop and get a piece. It would be the perfect addition to our time in the park seeing the cherry blossoms.

After spotting the cake and making our purchase, "to go please", I pulled out my DSLR for a couple of quick shots.

The girls working there must have thought I was crazy, photographing their store and the menu, (notice them ducking behind the counter in the shot below). I just had to share my find with you guys, just in case you were like me, and didn't know this rainbow crepe cake still existed because, ahem, Google let you down.

In addition to several types of cake, you can also grab a beverage, which makes this a great place to stop on your way to Yeouido Park.

So there you have it. Billy Angel Cake Company does exist. And for all you foreigners who use Google exclusively to get around (like me!), I've marked the location in the map below. There is apparently another location in Seoul, however I cannot vouch for it's existence because I have not physically been there.

So how was the infamous rainbow layer crepe cake from Billy Angel Cake Company?

I'd give this cake a 3.5 out of 5 stars. The crepe layers were quite moist and the mousse creme was moderately sweet. It was actually pretty cool to taste the different layers separately – they were all quite fruity. Yum!

Now I think I can finally branch out and try other rainbow cakes after checking this one off my bucket list. Sweet!

The Details

• What: Billy Angel Cake Company

• Where: 23 Yeoui-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul

Changdeokgung Palace | Seoul, South Korea

Welcome to Changdeokgung Palace in Seoul, South Korea!

Changdeokgung is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, how cool is that?

This palace is the second palace built in Seoul, after the Gyeongbukgung Palace was built in 1405. It's also the most well preserved of the five royal villas.

Ethan and I visited Changdeokgung on a Sunday afternoon. It was not very busy at all, which is always nice.

The palace also features what is known as the "secret garden", also called Huwon. It's said that the garden has remained untouched by human hands with only the rare exception when interference is absolutely necessary. If you have the time, you can tour the garden for an extra fee. Details on that below.

We chose not to tour the garden since we visited the palace in late winter and there wasn't much foliage. I hope to return this spring or early summer to see Huwon for myself!

"Changdeokgung Palace was constructed in 1405, the fifth year of the 3rd King Taejon's reign. Secondary to Gyeongbokgung, the main palace, its completion gave balance to the capital city as Gyeongbokgung Palace was to the west and Changdeokgung Palace to the east. All of the palace buildings were destroyed by fire during the Japanese invasion in 1592. Changdeokgung was restored in 1610 and served as the main palace for 270 years including the dynasty's last king, Sunjong. Since the palace was to the eat of Gyeongbokgung, it was referred to as the "East Palace" together with Changgyonggung Palace. In contrast to Gyeongbokgung, where major buildings are arranged in accordance with the main axis of the meridian, Changdeokgung is laid out in harmony with the area's topography; the palace architecture has a dissymmetric beauty that is unique to Korea. The layout of Changdeokgung is making perfect harmony with natural background by locating buildings alongside of mountain. It influenced the layout of other major palaces. The buildings of Changdeokgung Palace including Daejojeon, the queen's residence, were destroyed in 1917 by fire. To replace them, buildings at Gyeongbokgung Palace were dismantled and moved here. In the process, many structures were modified or damaged.

Full restoration work began in 1991 and is still under way. Despite all of the damage done to the palace in years past, Changdeokgung is relatively well preserved and is representative of Korea palace architecture. The garden of Changdeokgung is one of the most enchanting space in Korea. The Changdeokgung Palace complex was inscribed on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List in 1997 for its outstanding architecture and a design that is in harmony with the landscape."

The architecture is pretty amazing. This was one of my favorite styles.

The throne room

Check out those chandeliers; can you imagine having those in your sitting room?

"Changdokkung Palace was registered on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List under the provisions of the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage on December 6, 1997.

A World Heritage is defined as something which has distinctive and invaluable cultural properties and which needs special preservatory care so that its values can be shared by the people of the world.

The palace was constructed as a detached palace in 1405, the 5th year of the king Taejong of the Chosen Dynasty. With its unique palatial layout, its exquisite buildings, and the landscaping of its rear garden, it is known as the epitome of Korea architecture."

We walked around the grounds as our own pace, however there are tours available in Korean, English and Japanese. Check out this site for more information.

 The Details

• What: Changdeokgung Palace

• When: Feb-May, Sep-Oct 09:00-18:00, Jun-Aug 09:00-18:30, Nov-Jan 09:00-17:30

• Where: 99, Yulgok-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul 서울특별시 종로구 율곡로 99 (와룡동)

• Cost: Adults: 3000₩ palace entrance, 5000₩ for the secret garden | Children: 1500₩ palace entrance, 2500₩ for the secret garden

Bau House Dog Cafe | Seoul, South Korea

Small dogs. Big dogs. Fluffy dogs. Funny dogs. Coffee. Fruit Smoothies. Doggy treats...

Sound like fun?

If you're looking for a great place to pet some furry friends, Bau House is the place to go. This was our second stop in our themed cafe pursuit here in Korea. Ethan and I have two spoiled fur-babies at home in the states and we have really missed their cuddles and happy waging tails! Although nothing could ever replace our own beloved pets, Bau House has some friendly canines that will definitely give you a smile. 

If you're a dog lover like us, one thing you'll notice in Korea is the lack of larger breeds. I'm told this aversion to over-sized fur legged friends is due to the fact that many people live in high rise apartment homes. As you can imagine, it's a bit more difficult to not only accommodate a larger dog in a smaller apartment, but they also make larger messes that are not so easy to clean up!

I will say, the larger breeds I have seen around Seoul have been quite shocking! I wish I could show you some photos of some of the dogs we've seen walking the streets here. They are huge, beautiful dogs with a ton of hair! But they are certainly a rare sight and everyone stares when those types of dogs walk by because it's simply not something you see every day (kind of like a blond haired blue eyed baby or small child... ha!).

Fortunately, we were able to see and interact with larger breeds at this little cafe in Mapo, just north of the Han River. It's an easy walk from Hapjeong subway station and not too difficult to find.

Once you find the cafe, you'll be greeted and asked for your name upon entering. They'll put you on the list for a booth. We waited about 15 minutes before we were seated in the larger dog section. They have both large and small dogs, so there's something for everyone (unless you're a cat lover!).

Once you're seated, you'll be given a menu and an intro to the puppies there. We stayed for about 25 minutes, which was enough time to interact with the dogs and sip our drinks.

There were plenty of dogs when we went and they were all fairly active. Like any animal, they are highly incentivized by treats, which are available to purchase.

This big guy was so soft and fluffy! At one point, he laid down and let people simply pet him. I got the feeling it was a common occurrence. You can see the size relation of him compared to the young girl. We noticed that the employees there took the dogs outside in shifts to get a break from the constant activity. All of the dogs seemed healthy and happy, which I was glad to note.

If you have a pup of you're own, this serves as a kind of dog park, which I thought was cool. 

I liked that there was an area to purchase treats and toys, etc. but it wasn't a central part of the cafe. The focus was definitely on the dogs and the employees were good at interacting with the dogs, cleaning up messes, and making sure everything ran smoothly.

We definitely enjoyed Bau House the most of our dog cafe visits. If you have a chance, put this one on your list! It'd be a great way to spend an afternoon or a cool casual date idea.

Here are the details, just in case you're interested in visiting Bau House the next time you're in Seoul!

The Details

• What: Bau House Dog Cafe

• When: Mon-Fri 1:30p-10:30p, Sat-Sun 12:30p-11:00p

• Where: Seoul, Mapo-gu, Seogyo-dong, Yanghwa-ro, 64 제일빌딩

• Cost: Varies, depending on your beverage of choice