Discovering Grill 5 Taco for the sake of Baobei

18 December 2014

After our trip to Nami Island, I had actually planned to meet up with Emma at Grill 5. However, it was her first time there too so we decided to meet at the train station to walk to the restaurant together.

It was my first time meeting Emma too. I first knew Emma from online and she was one of my subscribers to a fanfic that I authored. There are more than 200 subscribers but somehow this one person started talking about dyslexia and as conversation continued, I discovered she has dyslexia! It was from then on, we exchanged contact and have been keeping in touch.

A few months ago, Emma informed me that she will be teaching in Seoul for a few months and coincidentally, I was heading to Seoul in December.
We then agreed to meet up so today was going to be the first time I am meeting her!

As soon as we entered Grill 5, we were welcomed by these beautiful framed photos.

They were easily recognized as Donghae’s photos. As a photo enthusiast, I was surprisingly impressed by the standard because it was so good. Yup, its true that each photo was taken with emotions, and not simply taken because it was a pretty sight. The photos were also taken from an angle that was abstract, sometimes purposely covered in shadows to create a mysterious yet lovely effect.

My favourite was the photo of the heart in the hand with the sky in mixed colours. Gorgeous.

We were also greeted by this Christmas tree.

Looks like fans left messages on the trees but look what we saw!

It’s so hilarious that we can find photos of Donghae in Hyukjae’s cafe and vice versa. Lol.

The place was pretty empty and it was only 7.30 pm. There were no photos of Donghae at all and I think he really wanted to keep it that way so that non kpop lovers can enjoy the food in this restaurant without feeling uncomfortable. We saw Donghwa (Donghae’s brother) behind the counter so we went over to place our order. We were hungry too. Lol.

This was skinny fries!! Can I be skinny after eating this?

It was soooo good. I swear I don’t eat fries back home because its too fattening. Lol.

The bestie and me were ecstatic to find this shrimp wrap in the menu! Yay! We thought that there will only be meat here.This shrimp coconut wrap tasted soooo good I was licking my fingers. Lol.

All the food. It looked like too much but we finished everything. I blame the cold weather.

The best thing about ELF is that we will always have a common topic to talk about! Since Emma was also in teaching, it was very easy to relate to her. Furthermore, for the bestie and me, talking to an adult with dyslexia was inspiring. If only all our students grow up to be just successful.

Haru and One Day merchandise. I wished they had displayed the price of the merchandise there. That way, we need not ask the counter how much the goods cost. Well, we did and Donghwa so kindly came out from behind the counter to answer our queries about the price.

Another tip. If you already ask the price, I think he would expect you to buy it. In this case, the bestie, Emma and I were all staring at each other because I think, honestly, all of us thought the price was too steep but because we were so embarrassed that Donghwa was staring at us, Emma decided to purchase the mug. I think it was 22 000 won?

LOL. I was so embarrassed in this hilarious situation hahahahaha. I really had no intention to buy because the Haru and One Day goods were known for its steep prices. Oh well Emma, at least he is your bias. Lol.

I really had such a great time. We decided to leave at around 10 pm because it was getting late.

I am so glad we met! Since it was our last 2 days in Seoul, we decided to meet again during the weekend. Excited!

So now, apart from my bestie, Emma is the only other person who knows my real identity. She has to keep this a secret for life lol.

How to get there:

Just go to Apgujeong Rodeo Station and get out of Exit 4 and walk straight. Keep walking straight till you see Burger King, turn LEFT and just walk straight. You will be able to see Grill 5 Taco on the left side of the street. Do not confuse yourself because there is another station ‘Apgujeong’ Station. Make sure you alight at the right station.

Thank you Emma for the great time!!