Sometimes the best places are not found by searching. Perhaps because I am from Finland I somehow try to find things to related to my own home country. In addition to Kukka, I have another Finnish cafe to introduce: Cafe Aalto by Meal!
The address 서울특별시 용산구 한강로동 170-3
170-3 Hangangro-Dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
As most of the Finnish people know, Alvar Aalto is a famous Finnish designer and architect. For foreigners he is probably not that familiar. Still in Korea, Finnish brands like Aalto, Marimekko and Marja Kurki are more known than I thought! The most known Aalto product is probably The Aalto Vase which was designed by Alvar Aalto and his wife Aino Aalto. I was so surprised to a find a whole cafe dedicated for Aalto so I couldn't hold my horses to pay a visit there!
The Aalto Vase
The cafe has definitely Finnish architecture and design: simple, clean and materials are wooden, colors white and a bit of light blue. There are Artek stools and tables. From the menu I found the Finnish spirit: cinnamon "buns" (which were actually cubes here) The place had bunch of magazines and books about Finnish design and architecture. Also, the place was pretty crowded. Korean people really seem to like Nordic style!
I am really happy to see that Finnish brands and products can be found on the other side of the world. Sometimes I feel home sick and what could help more than a cup of coffee in an authentic Finnish themed cafe? I would definitely recommend this place for other foreigners to get to know a little bit more about Finnish design.
To be honest, before I travelled abroad full time, I just wanted to get somewhere from Finland. I always thought Finland is boring and too simple and I took everything for granted. After time has passed I find myself missing more and more things there: beautiful nature, peace and simple life. I have also noticed that there are not that many Finnish people especially in Korea. Even tho I can speak English and other languages, I will never be able to explain some things maybe the same way as I could in Finnish. Luckily I can always contact my Finnish friends!
The icing on the cake is The Aalto Vase shaped detail on the ceiling. Simply beautiful!
However, I love to travel and experiencing new things is always exciting! I think my urge to see new things will take me to more and more interesting places. Even tho I have been to Korea three times, every time I find something new! What do you know about Finland?
Thanks for reading and until the next post!
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