Algae Cupcakes in Suwon Gyeonggi-do Korea

Photo Credit: Flickr Nikoretro Cupcakes

My sister Sabrina accepted a new teaching contract so she from a rural area to her new school in the city. She'll be teaching 5th graders, 6th graders and one kindergarten class. This is a change from last year because she taught several classes of kindergarten and a few camps for the older students. She will do well and she's already made friends with her new co-teachers.

I asked her about new foods she's tried in South Korea and these are her top three picks for the week:

Photo Credit: Flickr Aeseiff Croissant

1. Croissants at Hello Cat Cafe
This was a fun experience for my sister because back in the United States she cared for several pets: a dog and a bunny. This cafe has cat trees for the shop's Tabby and Persian cats to climb. Sabrina was unable to discern if these cats were up for adoption or just friendly hosts to boost the ambiance of the cafe. Watch the this video for similar cat cafes in Korea.

She reported that the dining area had hand sanitizer for patrons to use after petting the friendly cafe cats. One cat pleaded for a bite of my sister's croissant but settled for being her company.My sister observed that rules for animal rights are very different from America.

Photo Credit: Flickr Alikai Tabby Cat

She doesn't want to adopt a pet in South Korea because most of them are not healthy according to American standards.

Photo Credit: Flickr  Cumi & Ciki Stacked Macaroons

2. Earl Grey Tea Macarons
Sabrina enjoyed the French-style sandwich cookie for $2.50 each. She liked the bite of the macaron, which she describes as between cake and cookie texture. She recommends the citrusy-tea flavor of the Earl Grey Tea macaron. She also tried a wasabi macaron but the wasabi bite was in the aftertaste.

3. Algae Cupcakes
My sister explored a cupcake shop with her new co-teachers. Together they shared an algae cupcake and a red velvet one. She like the algae cupcake and its green hue. Since we grew up eating seaweed snacks an algae cupcake wasn't that strange.