Visiting Trick Eye Museum in Hongdae, Seoul

When visiting the Trick Eye Museum, bring a camera and a friend. I asked have strangers take photos for me since I went in solitude. It would be way more fun to come with someone. The museum was packed with families and tourists. There were a handful of couples as well. And boy was it busy for a Tuesday afternoon! Admission fee: 15,000 won (approximately $15 USD).

You stroll through the museum and take photos in front of three-dimensionalized paintings, including Van Gogh's "Cafe Terrace at Night."

A framed version of the previous painting. Trick Eye Museum must really love Van Gogh.

Hug a bamboo tree with your panda buddy.

Stick your head on Superman's body and feel awesome.

Or sneak a peek at a ding dong.

One day I will ride a real camel in the real Egypt. For now this desert scene will suffice to take my mind off from Korea's cold winter.

I don't know about you, but if I had wings I'd ditch the bike.

The Trick Eye Museum is comparable to visiting a wax museum: just for fun, but nothing revealing about the country you are visiting. It serves as an icebreaker for people on dates and is ideal for children who need a little break from historical museums.

The end! Haha. Get it? That was punny...

Trick Eye Museum
Address in English: 357-1, Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul Seogyo Plaza B2
Address in Korean: 서울특별시 마포구 홍익로3길 20 (서교동)

---

---

Meet Caricature Artist Marcus Sakoda

In KWOW episode 133, I visit my friend Marcus Sakoda who draws for the various Fun Caricature locations around Seoul. We have a meetup at the entrance of Trick Eye Museum and he gives us a tour of his workplace. He's the one in the middle wearing the red hat.

You'll see Marcus' work showcased around the shop. Recognize the famous Korean actor in the caricature below? There's also a handsome version of Kim Soo-hyun, which appears in KWOW episode 133.

Here's the caricature Marcus made of Professor Oh. He drew it from scratch on the computer under two hours! Watch his speedpainting video below to see his process.

Interested in getting your own caricature done? The Fun Caricature shops are located at the following locations: Ssamziegil in Insadong, Lotte World, Trick Eye Museum and a shop in Hongdae. Go to the right location and the right day, you just might get to meet Marcus!

Follow Marcus Sakoda!
Subscribe to his YouTube Channel
Like him on Facebook
Check out more of his work

---

---

Broccoli Latte at Homestead Coffee and more

My friends and I came across a Homestead Coffee in Daehangno after watching a play. Homestead Coffee is a chain restaurant and cafe with locations scattered throughout Korea. Some people love their coffee. My friend thought their Americano was average. I don't drink coffee, but I do eat food. Thus I will give an honest review of our brunch, dessert and broccoli latte. Yes, you heard right. Broccoli!

The interior is your average clean Korean cafe interior. Cozy yet nothing too unique. Brick walls with framed images. Chairs and light fixtures made of straw. Strings of purple lights hung on windows and trees. Decorations to create that likeable cafe vibe.

The Homestead Coffee menu contains interesting items. Two words popped out into our eyes: Broccoli Latte. Curious of its taste we challenged ourselves and ordered a cup. We predicted the drink would be a hit or miss.

The three of us took a sip each. The Broccoli Latte tasted more like a soup than a drink. We agreed it is not something we'd order again, but is something to experience once. It may be an acquired taste. The Broccoli Latte is comparable to juiced Unicorn Grass. The flavor is magical in a strange and memorable way.

Their Mushroom Omelette was oh-so-juicy and will wake your taste buds up! My friend said it tasted like a sunrise. To me it tasted like an alarm clock. Sunrise and alarm clock are siblings. We highly recommend this omelette, especially if you didn't get enough sleep from the night before. Your eyes will pop out from the deliciousness.

The Cajun Salad was not as eye-poppingly yummy. The chicken was dry and it didn't contain much nutritious vegetables. It's rare to come by a legitimate salad in Korea. As of winter 2014, the locals here are passionately in love with refined carbs (i.e. rice cakes, white bread, thick waffles, etc).

The Dojima Roll is soft and creamy as it looks. It is slightly sweet. For a stronger dose of sugar, dip your piece of the roll onto the caramel drizzled on the plate.

Would I go back to Homestead Coffee? Quite possibly at another location. Though for the rest of my stay in Korea, I'll be searching for the mom and pop shops.

Homestead Coffee
Phone number: +82 2-744-3359
Website: http://www.homestead.co.kr/
Address (in Korean): 종로구 동숭동 1-93 (대학로점), Seoul
Direction: Exit 2 at Hyehwa Station. Walk east on Daehak-ro 10 gil until street ends. Make right turn on Daehak-ro 12-gil. Homestead Coffee will be on your right.

---

---