Eat Your Kimchi’s YouTube studio in Seoul! EYK Simon & Martina opening You Are Here coffee shop.
When I was in Seoul, I hung out with YouTube stars Eat Your Kimchi in their studio — and it was fantastic, baby!
I toured EYK’s Nasty headquarters, and chatted with Simon and Martina about their upcoming Korea projects — including a coffee shop for their fans. Read on for the inside scoop, and tons of funny photos.
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For those who don’t know, Simon and Martina Stawski run the extremely popular EatYourKimchi YouTube channel, which specializes in videos about Kpop music, life in Seoul, and zany adventures with their pets and friends.
Much like my own La Carmina blog, Eat Your Kimchi (EYK) began as a hobby, fueled by their passion for Korean culture. Today, they have a loyal following of fans (aka Nasties), and have expanded EYK into an independent studio, clothing line, worldwide appearances and more.
Simon and Martina are just as friendly and fabulous in person, and we spent over an hour laughing together. I immediately felt at home on their purple couch, and we dished about pop culture and fashion as if we were old friends.
I borrowed a stuffed octopus and “poop pencil” to write down notes (I’ll be doing some magazine stories about Eat Your Kimchi, so stay tuned). Fans will recognize the saucy penguin sitting on Martina.
The married couple is from Toronto, Canada, and always loved subcultures. They moved to Korea to teach English, and began making casual YouTube videos (about Korean food, Hello Kitty, K-pop) for their friends back home. Similarly to my own career arc, they built up a loyal following, and eventually quit their day jobs to do Eat Your Kimchi full-time.
Today, they have their own colorful studio located in the youth culture district, Hongdae. I was impressed by how they custom-designed the space, with special lighting setups and kawaii decor all over. It’s like walking into a K-idol dream.
Viewers will recognize these backdrops, as seen in their regular uploads (Kpop Music Mondays, FapFap, livestreams and more).
Martina and Simon gave me a tour of the studio, which includes a sound room full of pillows, and Happy Kitchen. And how about this pink walk-in closet? It’s a wardrobe fantasy, filled with wigs, makeup and shark hats.
(My pastel seahorse top is c/o Show Me You Mumu. This breezy brand is my current favorite; they also make a floral princess maxi skirt, and black ruffle dress.)
Everywhere you turned, there was fan art. The duo genuinely cares about their audience, and draws inspiration from the drawings and dolls they receive.
Here’s where the video-editing magic happens. You shouldn’t be surprised to see that their laptop has an adorable custom keyboard!
I met business manager Soo Zee (love her purple hair!) and other team members, who were hard at work. Everyone works together on the standing desk, a healthier option than sitting around all day.
Simon and Martina spoke enthusiastically about their newest project: You Are Here, an Eat Your Kimchi coffee shop near Hongdae station! The goal’s to create an inviting space where they can hang out with their fans and host special events (since their studio space is for work only).
It can be hard for first-time visitors to figure out where to go in Seoul, and for solo travelers to meet others. Hopefully, the EYK cafe can help to bring people together.
Martina and Simon have just opened the doors to the cafe. Martina is excited to bring her home-cooking to customers, and to have the coffee brewed just right. If this cute studio is any indication, their coffeeshop will be a hit.
I’m excited to see the in-shop videobooth, where fans can record messages to be incorporated into videos. It’s inspiring to see how much EYK interacts with their “Nasties.”
I was sad that their pets weren’t in the studio that day. Everyone loves Spudgy the dog, and Dr Meemersworth — a Scottish Fold cat, just like mine!
Here are our earless babies (Meemers on the left, Basil Farrow on the right). We bonded over the breed’s quirks, like the way Scottish Folds dangle their big paws and love to cuddle.
Simon and Martina have lived in Seoul for many years now, and I asked them about the peculiarities of Korean pop culture. I learned that tattoos are taboo, like in Japan: only doctors are legally allowed to ink others, so tattoo shops stay underground (there aren’t signs advertising them). In June, Seoul had a tattoo convention but it was shut down by officials. How funny that in contrast, plastic surgery (a more invasive “body modification”) thrives here!
Their job looks like it’s all play: making goofy videos in a space filled with toys, and yes, that’s a purikura booth in the back. However, I can see — and personally know — how much hard work goes into each project, and how committed they are to their team and Nasties.
They love what they do, and try to give back to their fans. Simon and Martina spoke about upcoming appearances at anime conventions, a possible road trip with meet-ups, and more.
I wanted some cool travel tips, and who better to ask than Eat Your Kimchi? Martina drew me a map of hotspots in this neighborhood (Hongdae) while Simon watched.
I ended up visiting all the places they recommended, with my photographers. In my next posts, I’ll show you the Hongdae Hello Kitty cafe, Zombie coffee, Robot bar and more. (Stay tuned to my Seoul category to see!)
Naturally, she drew this map with colorful pens, on cute panda paper. As you can see, she marked her favorite cupcake shop and Kpop fashion boutiques.
I think Martina is imitating the big robot that guards her favorite bar. Can you spot the tattoos of her dog and folded-eared cat?
We couldn’t stop taking photos with the stuffed toys.
If you want a long checkered skirt like Martina’s, here is a similar one by JOA and by Stylenanda. Wildfox makes a seahorse top like mine, and Revolve has a similar silver metallic skirt.
So much fan art everywhere. Martina gave me a few Scottish Fold items from EYK’s fashion line, including a purple knit cap with Meemers’ round face on the corner. Everything is made locally.
(Photography by Jacqueline Kwok of noircorner and Ken Yuen.)
Funny how Simon is growing a beard, so he no longer looks like the older fan art.
We could have chatted all day long! Huge hugs for Simon, Martina and their team for inviting me to their Seoul headquarters. I’m psyched to see their new coffee shop — you can see updates on their website and YouTube. They’re on both Twitter and Instagram under @eatyourkimchi.
I’ll upload more from our visit on social media: I have a La Carmina Facebook page and am @lacarmina everywhere, including Instagram and Twitter.
Have you ever watched Eat Your Kimchi’s videos? Are you keen to visit Seoul and their cafe? Below is an iPhone pic that they decorated with the Line app.
Coming up next: My birthday is on August 17, and I’ll be releasing not one, but TWO videos.
If you enjoyed this post and want more, let’s keep in touch! Simply enter your email here or below. You can also check out my travel guides (including Jpop shopping and nightlife tips). Thank you!
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Safari near Cape Town, South Africa! Aquila game reserve lions, elephants.
A dream come true… I went on safari in South Africa!
Cape Town Tourism brought my travel filmmakers and me to Aquila Game Reserve, located two hours from Cape Town. Without having to “rough it” in the bush, we got to see the Big Five animals up close and in a natural environment.
Aquila’s 7500 hectares holds hundreds of African species, including endangered ones. We saw lion kings,
… playful elephants beneath the Cape Karoo mountains,
… and the mighty rhinoceros, which the reserve is fighting to protect from extinction. (The other two of the “Big 5” animals are the Cape buffalo, and the African leopard.)
My travel team and I are adamant about only supporting ethical places, where animals are well treated (no tiger temples or ocean parks, for example). We were glad to see Aquila’s commitment to responsible practices and anti-poaching. Our guide worked in rhino conservation for years, and we could sense his passion from the way he described the animals.
Aquila is a private game reserve and offers “safari drives” in the morning and evening, lasting about three hours long. There are also bicycle, horseback, and overnight options, but we aren’t exactly the hardy outdoor types…
… and preferred to enjoy the quaint lodges and cabins. We arrived just before lunch time, and made our way to the buffet.
These black and white photos on the wall made me miss my Scottish Fold, but got me excited to see the big cats up close.
My first encounter with creatures: a peacock, near the welcome entrance. The blue and gold feathers are luminous.
If I could talk to the animals, like Dr Doolittle, what would they say to me? Probably “Bleh.” (My outfit details are described below.)
Number one rule, which filmmaker Melissa is breaking: don’t touch the wild animals. Lions may look fuzzy, but their predator instincts are sharp.
We settled into a covered safari vehicle, and our guide drove us through the reinforced gates. He reminded us to keep limbs inside at all times, and not make startling noises.
These lions were saved from “canned hunt” operations. When the guide described this torturous practice, I wanted to cry. Canned hunting is when animals are put in a confined area — almost like a large gladiator arena — so that “trophy hunters” can easily find and kill them.
The lion pride resides in a separate fenced section of land. Since they grew up in canned hunting operations, they don’t have the skills to survive in the African wilderness. Aquila lets them live in a naturalistic home, while getting care from the staff.
How can anyone want to shoot these creatures? Our guide told us about something even worse: big game hunting, done from online! People would use their computer screens to track animals, and press a button to shoot them. It’s like the horror movie Hostel come to life.
Fortunately, these lions now have the chance to enjoy life. From our vehicle, we got to see some National Geographic action. The male lion prowls towards the female…
… gets behind her, and nibbles her neck. You can guess what happens next! (I actually took a video of the lion mating; you know you want to see it.)
“Can you feel the love tonight?” It didn’t last long, but the lion king got a kiss after.
Yet another section is home to cheetahs and leopards. So sad: this leopard was fattened up for a canned trophy hunt, to the extent that his stomach hung to the ground. Once again, Aquila gives these rescued animals a secure home, and even has a cheetah breeding program.
Tip: even though you’re in Africa, dress warm. We visited during their winter (July), and there was a strong wind. I am wearing a million layers under my Algonquins top, and silver skirt by Candy Stripper (both from Tokyo). My happy lion backpack is a present from A Bros Products in Hong Kong. The leopard print tights are a random purchase from somewhere in Asia.
It was fun to drive around the immense main reserve, and look for animals. We spotted zebra print among the tall grasses. (Here’s a video of the zebras flipping their ears and tails; it’s quite different to see the safari in motion.)
Indescribable, the joy of seeing animals in this manner.
Our guide parked us close to the creatures, and told us fascinating facts about them. We learned that if the zebra’s mane flops to one side, it isn’t healthy. And why can’t we ride zebras? Because they have a different spine structure from horses, which doesn’t let them support the weight of a rider.
He also told us that our cabins are well away from the animals… because once, a water buffalo charged through the door!
These are springbok, a type of antelope-gazelle. As their name suggests, they’ve got a spring in their step.
Here’s an eland, or antelope with twisted horns. We also spotted the grumpy-looking water buffalo, but weren’t quick enough to get a photo.
We had rather good luck at capturing animals doing “natural activities!” Since the rhinoceros is severely threatened by poachers, out to cut off their horns, Aquila has a “Saving Private Rhino” initiative. They focus on training programs to prevent attacks.
Our guide taught us to identify white rhinos. They look a lot like black ones but are taller, have a bigger head and larger hump on the back, and tend to hang in large groups, eating grass.
We kept warm with blankets from the guide’s stash. Sunglasses and sunscreen are a must, as you’ll be outdoors for several hours.
The elephants were heading to the mountains, but we caught up with them just in time.
These elephants are teenagers, playing together with their trunks!
They’re such peaceful, happy animals. Our guide told us the difference between African and Indian elephants: the African ones are larger and more wrinkled, with full rounded heads, and ears shaped like the continent.
The vehicle stopped, and we all took a few minutes to stretch our legs. (Photos by Melissa Rundle and Eric Bergemann.)
The guide offered us nuts (no thanks, allergies) and champagne (why yes!). Cheers.
We didn’t want our safari game drive to end. There’s something magical about being in an environment like this, simply observing the animals as if you were one of them.
Near the watering hole, multiple species gathered. I spotted zebras, ostriches, rhinos, and the little symbiotic birds (oxpeckers) that perch on their backs.
Only one word to describe this look… kawaii!
How many lions can you count? Funny how their expressions and postures are exactly like my Scottish Fold cat’s.
There’s more about Aquila Game Reserve and their conservation efforts on their site. While this safari is more tourist-oriented than some others, the big benefit is that you can easily make a day trip here from Cape Town.
Thanks to Cape Town Tourism for making this report possible. I hope all of you will get a chance to experience safari. It’s as amazing as everyone says.
Some final shots from my Instagram, of the cozy African-style rooms and a lion in motion.
Have you ever seen lions, giraffes or elephants in person? Is safari on your travel dream list?
LA CARMINA
