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Here's Why Every Muslim Traveller Must Stay in Eid Guesthouse, Seoul

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Fazillah •  Jan 11, 2016

You’ve probably heard of the famous authentic halal Korean restaurant in Seoul, Eid Halal Korean Food; they’ve recently established a guesthouse that caters to Muslim travellers! Here are 6 reasons to convince you why Eid guesthouse is perfect for your stay in Seoul.

Credit: Giphy

P.S. Make your trip planning even easier! The HHWT Travel Planner app is now up on the Apple App Store and the Google Play store for Android ?

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1. Eid guesthouse is just 2 minutes away from their Halal restaurant

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Credit: Eid Guesthouse

You can have authentic Korean meals before you set out sightseeing for the day and have dinner as you head back. You know their restaurant is a must visit when they’ve managed to expand the Eid business with a guesthouse less than a year after opening.

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Eid Halal Korean Food

Home to the best halal Bulgogi in the whole of Korea, Eid restaurant serves all of their dishes without any MSG. During my stay, I was lucky enough to be able to watch them prepare the Bulgogi marinate. They use natural ingredients like pears to give Bulgogi its natural sweetness.

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Credit: Eid Korean Halal Food

2. The guesthouse is also a stone’s throw from the Seoul Central Mosque

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You get to attend the Jummah prayers on Fridays and experience a different praying environment in the Mosque. It is also one of the attractions in Itaewon. Although it’s mainly filled with foreigners, you get to see a few Korean Muslims from time to time.

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You might even get a glimpse of the famous Korean Muslim, Olabora Song, who teaches Arabic in the mosque :P

3. Strict rules against alcohol (and English signs!)

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Eid guesthouse is probably the only guesthouse that has strict rules against alcohol so you’ll feel a lot safer staying at this guesthouse compared to others. Besides that, their rules are all written out in English so you’ll be at ease. (Especially with the strict recycling culture in Korea)

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4. Quirky shops/cafes in the neighbourhood

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The street adjacent to Eid Guesthouse is lined with a leather shop, thrift store and cafes. The location makes for good Instagram photos. (Especially in the winter when snow falls!)

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Located opposite Eid restaurant and 1 minute away from the guesthouse, Entropy Coffee is my favourite spot for a cool glass of vanilla latte.

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Also, Itaewon is located one stop from Noksapyeong where you’ll see some of the most beautiful street art and cafes.

Seoul Honey Company is a hidden gem I stumbled upon while roaming around Noksapyeong. I highly recommend the lavender lemonade. The very subtle taste of the lavender flowers bring out the sour sweetness in the lemonade.

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Seoul Honey Company in Noksapyeong.

Note: Entropy Coffee and Seoul Honey Company sell alcohol as well. Do visit at your own discretion.

5. Souvenirs galore

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Need souvenirs for family and friends? Eid has a collection of souvenirs from Korean pouches to mirrors which you can purchase in the lounge area.

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Partnering with the first hijab brand in Korea, AZFEZA, Eid Guesthouse also sells hijabs made in Korea.

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6. Learn to cook Korean dishes

Eid guesthouse conducts cooking classes which you can sign up for. The menu for the classes include Ddeokbokki and Pajeon (Korean Pancake). You can also request to learn other dishes but they are subject to availability.

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Make your own ddeokbokki!

The cooking classes are held at Eid restaurant before opening hours. You can watch a snippet of how to make Ddeokbbokki (spicy rice cake) as taught by Chef Hyunwoo.

Some additional information about their rooms - Eid has 2 female dormitory styled rooms and 1 family room for 4. As for now they do not have rooms for only male guests. Guests are also welcomed to use their mini stove top to cook light meals. A breakfast of cereal, bread and milk is provided in the kitchen area.

Address: 67-20, Usadan-ro 4-gil, Yongsan-gu, Itaewon, Seoul, South Korea 140-824

How to get there:

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For more detailed directions, check out their Facebook page.

Click here to book your stay at Eid Guesthouse.

#HHWT Tip: if you have heavy luggage with you, it’s best you take a cab because the guesthouse is located on a hill so it can be quite difficult dragging up a heavy load.

P.S. Make your trip planning even easier! The HHWT Travel Planner app is now up on the Apple App Store and the Google Play store for Android ?

Download_on_the_App_Store