Hyun-woo

Man, I’ve been living in Gangnam for a few months now and the language barrier is seriously testing my patience. Like, I tried ordering jajangmyeon at this spot near Yeoksam Station and the ajumma just stared at me blankly when I asked for extra pickled radish. I ended up with a pile of onions instead. And don’t get me started on trying to haggle at the Garosu-gil boutiques—I sounded like a broken robot. But here’s the thing: I’m actually curious if there are any hidden spots in Gangnam where the staff speak decent English or at least tolerate my broken Korean with a smile. I’ve heard about some underground cafe in the back alleys of Sinsa-dong that’s run by a Korean-American? Or maybe a fried chicken joint near Gangnam Station that’s used to foreigners? Hit me up with your survival tips—I’m this close to just pointing at menus and hoping for the best.