Alibaba @ Sangnamdong

Tandoori Chicken

If you have been living in a cave or box for the past few months then you might not have heard of Alibaba. This restaurant holds a very special place in my heart. I'm sure many of you probably checked it out during the 50% discount. I went for 10 straight days. It was like brushing my teeth. 6 O'clock? Time for Alibaba. Not only is this by far the best Indian restaurant in Changwon (perhaps even Gyeongnam,) it also has one of the best locations and atmospheres of any place I know. The 50% discount was great. The already reasonable prices were slashed as an opening promotion. It was like an early Christmas present, but just as good as one you wait all year for!

Alibaba is located on the same corner as Coldstone in Sangnamdong. It is very easy to find. The sign is red with white lettering and clearly spells out Alibaba. Alibaba is a two floor establishment. The ground floor has seating for four people at each table while the second floor has tables that can be combined. The most people I have gone with is around 15. The decor in Alibaba is what really makes it far ahead of the others. It has an authentic Middle-Eastern feel and the atmosphere does not disappoint. If you are seated on the ground floor, the ceilings are high, very high. This is a nice change of pace from a majority of places where low ceilings are accompanied by floor sitting. For the record, I enjoy both. 온돌(Ondol...Korean floor heaters) make me super happy.




The tables all have glass tops and on the top floor the menu is beneath the glass. There are decorative lights that are hanging beautifully from the ceiling, providing ambiance to the entire room. This is really a great date place. The top floor is secluded enough to have private conversations. It is also a great place for a big or small group.



Now that we have discussed the decor....let me go onto the reason why this place is so far ahead of everywhere else. The food. Simply put, I have been in a heavenly comatose state of 인도요리(Indoyoli-Indian Cuisine) perfection. I can say with full confidence I have never had better Indian food. The Chicken is tender, the Naan is perfect, the Lassi is delicious, the Samosas are impeccable. If you want Indian food done right, check this place out! (한번해봐!)

Chicken Roganjosh (Curry)

The prices are reasonable. The menu has less to offer than Taj Mahal (same owner by the way,) but it makes up for it in being so great at making what is on the menu. Their idea at Aliba
ba is to cater more to the Korean crowd, but that just makes everything about it even better. The staff is very friendly! (You get to know them when you go there for 10 straight days.) The main waiter speaks English very well and the owner himself speaks fluently in English as well as Korean.

An average meal here of curry and naan will cost you around 15-18,000원 which is really excellent if you understand how expensive other restaurants can be. There are also set menu options that provide two currys, two naans, and two lassis for under 35,000원.

Butter Naan

This is one of the only places where if you asked me what was wrong with it, I would say, "Well, it could have been open sooner!"

Pros

- Excellent food.

-Excellent staff.

-Excellent decor.

-Excellent everything.

Cons

-I really can't think of any. It gets cold sometimes, but that isn't their fault. Korean winters are harsh!


Directions:
-Alibaba is located right across from Coldstone in Sangnamdong. It is easy to find if you know how to get to Coldstone. Coldstone is right next to the SK gas station, which is right next to the 야구장 (go ahead and try to beat my punching machine score!) It is very close to the city center so it is not very difficult to find. 경상남도 창원시 상남동 5-5 This is the address for the SK gas station.

Stonehenge @ Palyongdong

Stonehenge is a quiet cafe that sits at the top floor of New Core Outlet in Palyongdong. It is located right next to the movie theater at the top (CGV) and is a great place to hang out if you have some spare time to kill before or after your movie. Although, it is worth the visit just to sit and look at the amazing view on a cool summer night.

Stonehenge is sandwiched in between two rows of windows. On one side there is the entrance and on every window is some unique artwork that reminds me of Disney animation. There were some frogs and flowers all along the windows where the entrance was. On the other side of the cafe there was a row of windows but these were blank and just meant to be used for viewing.

Here are the frogs and flowers I was telling you about, awesome right?

The food in the cafe was decent. Their drinks were even better. They had a variety of different coffee and tea drinks to choose from. They could be iced or hot and prices were extremely reasonable. I ordered the Chocolate Monkey Shake(3800원) and my friend got an Iced Green Tea Latte.(3500원) Both of these were really refreshing. I enjoyed the Chocolate Monkey Shake because it is a mixture of chocolate, whipped cream, milk, and bananas. If you like bananas make sure you check this out.

They also have cake, cookies, and fresh fruit available. The only downside is that the cake is extremely small and the fruit selection is limited. The entire menu at Stonehenge is not really that big but what it does have it makes well.

The counter at Stonehenge is laid out perfectly with cookies on display and a giant menu that can be read easily. I also really liked the owner. This dude is awesome. I have met him a few times before and he is always happy to see anyone. The service is excellent as well.

One of the nicest things about this cafe is that it has plants and trees inside of it. There are plants in bowls laid out on a counter by some of the seats. It really adds to the decor and home-like feel of Stonehenge. The tree that grows in the middle is pretty awesome too. Although my friend asked me if it was real....and we were on the 8th floor.

There are a number of seating areas in Stonehenge. I have never seen that many people inside of the cafe but I have only ever been there late at night or around dinner time. The seating in the back has a wall couch and a few tables with some chairs. It is somewhat comfortable but the cushions on the wall couch move a little too much for me to be comfortable sitting on them.

The best seating area when going with friends is in the middle around the tree. The chairs are extremely comfortable here and the music that plays really enhances the atmosphere of the cafe. I would suggest coming alone and sitting along the windows to get a good view but if you are traveling with some friends, the best places to sit are right in the middle of the cafe.

Good

-The prices here are cheap compared to other cafes.

-The food and drinks are prepared fast due to the proximity to CGV.

-The view is incredible, seriously, go there just to look out of the window.

-They have a very quiet atmosphere.

Bad

-The menu is very limited. If you don't like coffee, milk, or tea it will be hard for you to order anything here.

-The portions of food are somewhat small.

-If you don't like heights... don't come here.

Prices

-Coffee Iced/Hot 2500-5600원

-Cake 3000원

-Cookies 500원

-Shakes 3800-5800원

Location

Stonehenge is located on the 8th floor of New Core Outlet in Palyongdong. Enter the building from the side closest to the bus terminal and take the elevator to the 8th floor. After you get out of the elevator turn right and head down the hallway towards the escalator. Stonehenge will be on your right.

Cafe Jellyfish @ Yonghodong

Cafe Jellyfish in Yonghodong is a decently sized coffee house situated on the second floor of Jungwoosangga. The selection at Cafe Jellyfish is quite extensive. It includes many popular coffee drinks as well as ice cream, brownies, cake, juice, seasonal flavored juice, tea, and alcohol. It has a very unique design and some wonderful ambiance. The atmosphere as well as the lighting and music all encourage relaxation.

This cafe is mostly smoke free. There is a designated smoking area but the entire open area of the establishment is smoke free. When you enter Cafe Jellyfish, on the right will be an open area with a long couch along the wall with tables and chairs strung down around it. On the left will be a set of couches and a table between them, as well some tables and chairs set up. This area is adjacent to the window.

On your immediate left when you enter the doors to the cafe there will be some workers and the main counter. This is where you order. The workers are courteous and willing to help you order whatever you want. They do not speak English but if you know minimal Korean, which you should, it can be very simple to order. Luckily though, if you are struggling to understand Korean or learn some basic phrases, the menu is also in English.

One of the best parts of the cafe was the artwork on the walls as well as the unique way in which the lights were hung. The lights in the picture above are strung on what look like computer cables wrapped many times around a long metal pole. They are positioned at different heights to add to the atmosphere.

The view from the window where our seats were was decent. It wasn't spectacular or amazing but it gave us a nice venue for people watching. Don't lie. Everybody does it. It also provided us with some natural light that added to the already peaceful atmosphere.

Even the smoking room was properly planned to accommodate those who wished to slowly kill themselves. (I prefer quickly, and by food consumption.) We ended up sitting here because as wonderful as the atmosphere in the cafe was, there were not enough couches for the number of customers they had. There are only four couches in the main area and the smoking room alone has four. So we decided to go with the comfort of the couches over the quality of the air. It was a wonderful decision. These were some of the most comfortable couches I have had the pleasure of sitting on in Korea. They are long enough to accommodate lanky vegetarian legs and wide enough to provide comfort for the entire Gluteus region. The couches sank in as we sat down, but not far enough to wear you were sitting on a spring. The pillows and armrests were extremely soft, yet they had the firm quality you need.

The food that they serve here is super tasty. The ice cream they have available is Haagen Dazs (I can't do Umlouts). It looked amazing and they served it in a glass holder.

I enjoyed their Mocha Frappe. Enjoyed is an understatement. This wonderful concoction of joy and hope sank into my stomach after a prolonged battle with my mouth of whether or not to swallow or wallow in my food coma. My stomach eventually won the battle. Trust me, don't go to war with my 배, you will lose. The food service was outstanding as well as the drinks and I assume the food would be just as good. After you order the waiters bring your order to wherever you are sitting, so you can order and chit-chat with your friends while sitting in some of the most comfortable couches in Changwon.

Good
- The service was excellent.

- The menu was in English and Korean.

- The cafe has a wonderful ambiance.

-The menu had a lot of options.

-The prices were reasonable.

-The couches.

Bad
- There weren't enough couches in the non-smoking area.

-I don't know why there is alcohol in this cafe. That could ruin the mood if you were coming here for a date or something.


Prices
The prices ranged from low to medium.

Ice cream- 2000원

Ice cream waffle- 11,000원

Iced Coffee- 3200-7500원

Hot Coffee- 2800-7000원

Juice(seasonal)- 4800-6500원

Tea- 3500-4500원

Alcohol- 6000-10,000원


Location

Cafe Jellyfish is really easy to find. If you head to Yonghodong, enter the building that is right next to the bus stop. Head up the stairs to the second floor and turn right. Then walk down the hallway and Cafe Jellyfish is across the hall from Han's Deli. If you come from E-mart or the Rotary, cross the street as if you were going to Burger King. The building the cafe is in is right across from Burger King. The building is also known as Jungwoosangga.

Hakoya @ Sangnamdong

Hakoya Entrance

Ramen is readily available at any time in Korea. You can go to the your local super market and buy instant ramen for under 2000원. However, Hakoya is one ramen place that is worth checking out. Located in Sangnamdong right next to Kraze Burger, this is a unique ramen experience in Changwon.

Wall Menu

One of the biggest draws of Hakoya is that their ramen is made Japanese style. The menu is in Korean, but the wall menu has Japanese, English, and Korean. The names of the dishes in Korean are all transliterated from Japanese. So instead of reading the menu and finding things translated into Korean or something similar, the items that you can order will all be Japanese names of food. Additionally, the service at this restaurant was outstanding. There were constantly three to four waitresses readily available. The food came out quickly and not overly hot. Another thing worth mentioning is that Hakoya has beer on draft. You can get a 300cc glass of Hite for 2500원 which is a bit cheaper than a bar.

Table Seating

Hakoya is set up like a small deli. The kitchen is located in the back and tables of four are all spread out in the room. There is a place to sit where you can face out the window and people watch. There are three chairs and a single counter that are attached to a window. This would be the best place to sit if you are going to come to this restaurant alone.

Booths

To the right of the entrance is the seating area that is 1/2 of a booth. If you prefer booths over sitting in the middle at a table, then make sure you head over to this area for whatever suits your dining personality. The booths are arranged against the right wall and can seat around 14 or 16 people.

Kimchi

Surprisingly, one of the best parts of the restaurant was its Kimchi. Kimchi is one of the staples of a meal in Korea. It is everywhere. However, finding the kind of Kimchi that suits your taste buds can be somewhat challenging. There are a huge variety of Kimchi flavors in Korea. Some Kimchi can taste absolutely putrid while some can be completely refreshing. The Kimchi at Hakoya is set in little bowls on the side of your table. You can choose however much you want and put it in the dish they provide. I was wary at first because I am not a huge fan of Kimchi, however after eating their Kimchi I immediately wanted some more. My friend and I were really shocked that the Kimchi could be this good. We ate half of a jar together. If you come to Hakoya, and get the smallest thing on their menu, but you have their Kimchi, you will leave satisfied. This was the best Kimchi I have had in Korea so far.

Asikawa Ramen

For this outing, one of my more carnivorous friends joined me. We both got Asikawa Ramen(7000원) and ordered the spiciest version that we could. Hakoya is unique in a way that you can customize their dishes a little. They give you a choice of one, two, or three red peppers on the menu to indicate the levels of spiciness that you can choose. Having ordered the spiciest ramen that we could we started to eat. This ramen is extremely delicious and as my friend pointed out, one of the main reasons is that they use thicker noodles than most ramens. Instead of the normal noodle, these noodles are more similar to the 짬뽕 noodles that you can get at Chinese restaurants. As we continued through our meal we enjoyed the slices of meat, eggs, bean sprouts, and peppers in our ramen. When we finished our noodles, we decided to drink the soup. It was extremely spicy but very tasty. Towards the end of our meal, we were a little worn out from the spiciness, because it tends to be of the throat variety. So we both asked for a bowl of rice. Rice at Hakoya is completely free. Free is always good.

Good

-The ramen was delicious.

-The broth was even more delicious.

-The lighting and design made for a comfortable dining experience.

-The Kimchi was out of this world. Seriously, go there now and try it.

-Easy to find.

Bad

-The menu was limited. This is strictly a ramen place. There are very few dishes on the menu that do not include ramen noodles in some way.

-It is a bit expensive for Ramen. A kimbap place would only charge around 3000원 for a bowl of ramen, but it all depends on your style of meal. For quantity over quality, stick with the kimbap place. For quality noodles, go to Hakoya.

Prices

-Ramen-5000-12,000원

-Cold Noodles 5000-8000원

-Draft Beer-2500원

-Rice Dishes and Combos-8000-12,000원

Location

This place is super easy to find. Either go straight(towards sangnamdong) after crossing the road into Sangnamdong from Jungangdong and then follow the sidewalk until you see it on your left, or you can go to the fountain in Sangnam and you will see the Kraze Burger sign on the building adjacent to it. This building also has a Hakoya sign in red that is easy to see.

Address

경상남도 창원시 상남동 23-6호 에이스타워 1층 TEL 055-284-5449
GyeongsangNamDo Changwon-Si Sangnamdong 23-6 Ho Ace Tower 1st Floor

Hours

AM 11:00 ~ PM 10:00

Taj Mahal @ Jungangdong

When you think about Indian food in Changwon, there are usually two places that come to mind: Bombay and Maya. A lesser known venue is the Taj Mahal Restauraunt in Jungangdong. This quietly tucked away eatery is a small gem. Personalized orders without any hassle, friendly service, and battle axes. Yes, battle axes.

Battle Axes

These axes are actually on the wall of the private area. Within the restaurant there are basically two main areas. When you walk in you see the main seating area, which is a row of chairs and tables. To the right of this seating area is the Kitchen, and if you walk a little further inside you will see the private seating area, which has couches on both sides instead of chairs.

Main Seating Area

The private area is divided from the rest of the restaurant by two walls. This area is wonderful if you are going to be eating with more than four people. There are two tables and four couches in this section.

Private Seating Area

When we ordered dinner my friend requested that his food be cooked in low oil, and he also made sure that there was no milk, eggs, or butter in his Naan. He is some silly thing called a vegetarian. Normally, this would be a hassle but the woman who was serving us was extremely courteous and reassured him that his food would be personalized in anyway he wanted. I prefer to eat spicy foods, so I ordered some curry and asked for it to be as spicy as possible. To our delights our food was made exactly the way we wanted it to be. Also, the food here is unbelievably good. This restaurant has the best Naan in Changwon that I have had so far. I ordered the Garlic Naan(4000원) and the Butter Naan (4000원). The first time I tried their Butter Naan I was amazed. It was one of the best things I had ever tasted at an Indian restaurant in Korea. Their curry is pretty standard, but it can be customized anyway that you would like. Typical prices for curry were anywhere from 12,000원 to 28,000원. They also have a vegetarian menu, and from the few bites I tried from my friends meal, it was especially tasty.

Naan and Curry

Probably my favorite thing that this restaurant has that I haven't found in other places is that they have Turkish Kebabs (Chicken- 5000원 Lamb-6000원) on their menu. While they are a little pricier than the street version, these kebabs are loaded. Make sure to try one if you are a kebab enthusiast like myself.

The restaurant is actually run by a Pakistani man named "왕 창원" which means "King Changwon." Be sure to talk with him, he usually wears a green turban and a white outfit. If he isn't around though, his sister who will most likely be serving you is a great hostess.

Good

-The food is excellent, especially the Naan.

-The private area is great for bigger parties or a quieter atmosphere.

-Personalized orders with no hassle.

-Battle axes. Seriously. Awesome.

Bad

-It is somewhat difficult to find.

-The music that they play can sometimes be a little bit loud.

-Somewhat expensive.

Prices

Naan-2000원-4000원

Curry-12,000-28,000원

Kebab-5000원(Chicken) 6000원(Lamb)

Various Drinks and Lassi-2000원-6000원

Location:

The location is a little bit tricky. Taj Mahal is located in Jungangdong on the same street as O'briens and For Foreigner but on the IP side of the street. If you enter the building straight across from For Foreigner, it's called Canberra Hotel, take the elevator to the fourth floor turn right and go to the end of the hallway. The doorway is heavily decorated so you can't miss it.

Address
Changwon City ,Jung Ang Dong 97-6, Canberra Hotel 4th Floor ,South Korea Tel: 268-5342

Hours

12:00-11:00