My Favorite Indian Restaurants in South Korea!

Ah, Indian food. Would you believe me if I told you I'd never had it until I came to South Korea? True story.

The textures, the spices, the atmosphere, the Bollywood music videos.

And now I'm in love.

(Doesn't everyone fall in love after watching Bollywood music videos? Just me? Ok then.)

This post is for a collection of Indian restaurants in South Korea that we've found and loved!

I've always considered myself a pretty harsh food critic. The meal. The ambiance. The service. I'm certainly not a pro, but it takes a precise balance of these to impress me. Check out the ones on this list and you won't be disappointed!

Let's get started.

Seoul

Jyoti Indian Restaurant - Chungmuro Myeongdong

Address: 12-4 Seoae-ro, Gwanghui-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul

Price Range: $$

A great place for Indian food! The service is satisfactory and the ambience is nice. Food was delicious and came out quickly. There are also spices and trinkets for sale near the register. When we first walked up to the building, we didn't see the Indian restaurant so we walked into a Korean BBQ restaurant and asked the waitstaff. Turns out the Indian restaurant was just upstairs (hello, feeling oblivious?!), so look for the large signage – it's honestly hard to miss... We went on a Saturday evening and there were only a total of two other parties there during our visit. Don't be swayed by the lack of a crowd! I promise, the food is great. You won't regret it. We ordered a samosa appetizer, dal tadka, saag paneer, basmati rice, garlic naan, plain naan and a mango lassi. Everything tasted amazing and we were stuffed by the time we left! Yum!

Jyoti Indian Restaurant - Jonggak

Address: Jyoti Restaurant Jonggak Seoul, 6, Jong-ro 12-gil,, Jongno-gu, Seoul (Near the south end of the "Avenue of Youth")

Price Range: $$

We went to this restaurant the day after we visited the Jyoti restaurant in Myeongdong. It was my birthday weekend and gosh darnit, I wanted Indian food! So we ate Indian food twice. And it was delicious. Jyoti in Jonggak is much more of a challenge to find. The address on Google gets you in the right vicinity, but not directly to the exact location. We actually had to stop and ask for directions to find this one too, and even then, we almost gave up. After finally locating the big black sign with yellow letters "Jyoti"(see photos below, Google maps street view is outdated), we headed down into the restaurant to eat. Aside from the waiter, there were two other patrons in the restaurant around 3pm on a Sunday. During this time, the restaurant was understaffed and our order did take a bit longer to come out. Aside from that, the food was delicious and we left satisfied. We also received a mango lassi on the house, which was nice. Plus, they play Bollywood music videos!

(approximate location)

Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi-do

Taj Palace

Address:17-1 Shopping-ro, Bijeon 2(i)-dong, Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi-do

Price Range: $$

We are regulars here. I'm not ashamed to say it! Taj Palace was recently renamed from Spice Village. The food hasn't changed – it's still delicious! We love the chicken chili (ask for less spicy!), lemon rice (my FAVORITE!), basmati rice, aloo gobi, garlic and plain naan. So many wonderful flavors and textures! The service is satisfactory, however you won't receive pleasantries here like you may be used to. Not that I'm complaining. The waitstaff does a good job. Plus, Bollywood music videos play nonstop and can be fun to watch! 

Know of another Indian restaurant in South Korea that we should check out?! Don't leave a fellow foodie hangin'! Comment below and we'll add it to our list!

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

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

The Wal'z & Joypia Dog Cafe in Gangnam | Seoul, South Korea

It seems like there is a cafe on every corner here in South Korea. They are quite literally popping up everywhere! Serving not only your favorite latte, but fresh smoothies, and my absolute favorite beverage, bubble tea! in addition to foods to munch on such as bagels, muffins, and cheesecake slices. With such a saturated market, it's no surprise that some cafes have resorted to a different approach in order to draw customers to their shops. 

In this case, puppies are the incentive to stop into this corner cafe in the renowned Gangnum district of Seoul. Like us, customers will actually seek out this shop in order to spend a couple of minutes of their day with these adorably fluffy friends.

The Wal'z Dog Cafe in Seoul has a nice atmosphere and is especially great if you're a tiny dog lover. They have at least five to ten pups in the main area running around and playing with the customers.  The dogs are well groomed and relatively friendly. Visitors will also bring their own dogs to play, so it has a dog park-like atmosphere.

The tables fill quickly. When you enter, you go through a door and then a gate designed to keep the dogs from darting outside. The 'waiter' will find you a seat. From there, you're expected to go up to the counter and place your beverage order.

We did find this cafe a little disappointing, as we were expecting larger dogs, which are much less popular in South Korea. Many Koreans live in high rises with smaller floor plans than in the states, which are less suitable for larger breeds. It's also difficult to spend any amount of time with one pup, as they are very incentivized by treats, which are available to purchase. If anyone in the room has food, all of the dogs will crowd that one person, which can be a bit of a downer when you're petting a pup and it walks off. No love here for attention here, only treats. Ha!

The dogs treats that are available for purchase. No other food is allowed or served in the cafe.

The drinks here were great. I ordered a fresh banana smoothy, which was very good. Ethan had a strawberry yogurt smoothy. It did take them awhile to serve the drinks after we ordered, but we watched the dogs play while we waited. The drink prices range from 5000-11000 won, and about 5000 cheaper than that if you order take out. Essentially, you're paying to be in the cafe with the dogs. 

The cafe does have an extensive doggy boutique. You'll find tons of dog outfits, fur clips and accessories, collars, leashes, bags to carry your pouch around, and more. Side note: I didn't see much for larger dogs, which seems to be a trend in South Korea in both humans and dogs. No large sizes here!

Overall, the entire experience definitely had a commercial feel, which put a damper on our visit. If this cafe had larger dogs, it would certainly be more appealing, especially to tourists visiting from western countries. I'd recommend stopping in only if you're in the area. I honestly wouldn't bother seeking out this dog cafe unless you're a small dog fan. 

I noticed that the cafe is located right next to what appears to be a veterinarian and/or groomer called Medi Pawz. I believe the cafe actually has space available for lodging, in case you need someone to watch your pup. I noticed a back room with more small dogs, but don't quote me on that.

The Details

• What: The Wal'z & Joypia Dog Cafe in Gangnam

• When: 8:00AM - 11:50PM

• Where: 서울특별시 Gangnam-gu, Yeoksam 1(il)-dong, 역삼로 134

• Cost: 5000-11000 won per drink, you must purchase a beverage to occupy a seat and hang out with the pups!