When two of our closest friends transferred to Seoul for work, my family and I decided to head to the Korean capital for a deep dive into K-Culture. Thanks to our 13-year-old daughter’s fascination with Black Pink and Demon Hunters, we considered ourselves pretty well-versed in K-Pop, but after a week in this dynamic city, we returned with a newfound appreciation for a culture steeped in history whilst assiduously looking to the future.
TO STAY
We stayed with friends in the Yongsan District, a residential neighborhood of Seoul atop a leafy hill scattered with local coffee shops, restaurants and stores mixed with Korean and International fashion brands (Wooyoungmi and Marine Serre both opened flagships in the week we were there). Further along the road, the Grand Hyatt has beautiful views and grounds (I’d definitely stay there next time). For a unique immersive experience in Korean traditions, I would also recommend a night or two in a Bukchon Hanok, which is a traditional Korean home in a preserved neighborhood. I’ve also heard great things about Nostalgia and Rakkojae.
TO EAT
Right up there with K-Pop, K-Food is definitely having a global moment, and so much of this trip was really about the food. We quickly realized our favorites from back home were only scratching the surface of the delicacies Seoul has to offer.
Gold Pig has become the place for Korean BBQ, with tables even more difficult to come by thanks to a recent visit by David Beckham. Unlike home, in Seoul there’s no do-it-yourself grilling and the chefs are half the fun at Gold Pig. We loved it all, from the kimchi starters to the grilled pork belly. Definitely worth the wait.
We also had some incredible shabu shabu, both in Dosan Park at Modern Shabu and Go Cheong Dam in the AmorePacific Head Quarters. Shabu shabu provided a much needed break from the onslaught of grilled meats via generous veggie options. With a boiling pot of broth in the middle of the table, we slow-cooked a fresh array of vegetables and in-season mushrooms and then used the broth to cook fresh noodles.
After a morning at the Leeum Museum (see below), we stumbled into Parc for lunch. While the crowd was full of local hipsters, the food is all about tradition and they proudly served traditional recipes passed down from generations. The set lunch menu – which happened to be traditional Bibimbap – was a favorite.
For those like me who never miss an opportunity to feast on local culinary delights, a stroll through Gwangjang Night Market is a must. They had every kind of Korean street fare that one could think of and so we went wild. My daughter’s favorite was a noodle dish; I loved the fried chicken and my husband even tried the live octopus (which they recommend swallowing quickly so the suckers don’t attach to your throat, but we later found out that’s an old wives tale). For dessert we tried the tangerine and grape Tanghulu, fresh fruit dipped in honey and then frozen on a stick, along with sweet crepes.
Not forgetting the coffee, matcha and salt bread: I’m a coffee drinker and like them short and black, which is the Korean way, so I was never disappointed. And while I rarely drink matcha at home, I made some exceptions in Seoul and my daughter and I enjoyed having a cold one in the afternoon as we browsed the retail offerings. The local favorite salt bread looked deceivingly like a croissant, but was savory. Our favorite was straight up salt, but we did try a French onion soup one that tasted surprisingly true to its name.
Onion – A trendy coffee shop with a couple of locations including Seongsu and Cheonghyecheon branches
Bukchon Lounge – Tea in a traditional Korean Hanok.
Jayondo Salt Bread – Seongsu – take one (or two) to go.
Tour à Tour – Gangham near Dosan Park – the home of the French Onions Soup Salt Bread.
TO SEE AND DO
Art
Leeum Museum of Art, co-designed by none other than Mario Botta, Jean Nouvel and Rem Koolhaas and housing an incredible collection of both historic national treasures and incredible modern and contemporary sculptural pieces.
Dongdaemun Design Plaza, or DDP, designed by the late great Zaha Hadid, houses traveling exhibitions (we saw a Jean-Michel Basquiat retrospective), and their design store is a must-see for design aficionados hunting for unique pieces. The galleries are open until quite late, so go in the early evening to take in the breathtaking illuminations.
The Amorepacific Museum of Art, located on the ground floor of their spectacular HQ, where we caught a show by fellow Angeleno and collage master Mark Bradford.
Culture
We decided to visit the main royal palaces of Gyeongbokgung and Channgedeokgung over two days. This allowed us ample time to catch the Royal changing of the guards and to explore the surroundings, including the Bukchon Hanok Village and the Changdeokgung Secret Garden.
While we never felt the stress of the big city, we definitely welcomed the soothing walk through nature and the gorgeous landscapes. For those who love a little role play, you can rent a Hanbok (traditional attire) and step back in time as you stroll the Palaces and Hanoks (those who do are allowed free entry).
One of our favorite museums was The National Folk Museum, which takes the visitor on an immersive journey through the many nuances of “The Korean Way of Life,” from prehistoric times to the present. The exhibit answered many of my questions about Korean culture and I particularly liked the way it was set up like a narrative, guiding me through how various societal traditions evolved within South Korea ranging from views on marriage and schooling to religion, women’s rights and spanning through to technology and K-Pop.
Speaking of K-Pop, I took my daughter to her first K-Pop festival with headliners including Boy Next Door, Kiss of Life and KickFlip. It was an indelible evening of fireworks, choreography and devoted fans who were dressed to the nines.
Shopping by Neighborhood
Seongsu – A bustling, trendy neighborhood ideal for discovering key Korean brands, all with highly competitive, unique in-store experiences. Our favorites included: Tamburins Seongsu for luxury perfume and candles, Amore Seongsu for upscale Korean beauty with lab areas with rotating made to order on offer (sign up in advance), and the ultimate Olive Young N Seongsu (think Sephora on steroids) with interactive experiences spread over five floors. One rookie mistake was to go in the afternoon, which meant there were already lines out front. For this reason we passed on the popular Ader Error Seongsu and went directly over to the surreal Haus Nowhere, the Gentle Monster brainchild that truly exists nowhere else and the glasses are only one part of the story. The entire ground floor was dedicated to a supersized dachshund and futuristic robot sculptures with several perfumes merchandised on the side. The Koreans have truly mastered the art of selling an experience, and it 100% worked on us.
Gangham – Famous for its style thanks to the singer Psy, Apgujeong Rodeo Street lies at the heart of Gangham lined with luxury stores boasting the most extraordinary architecture and spaces. Even if you’re not shopping for European brands, the buildings alone merit the walk. My favorite was Boon The Shop, which is actually just off the main road, complete with the most beautifully styled mix of Korean and international designers that I’ve seen since the glory days of Colette in Paris. Also be sure to walk around Dosan Park, where fashion meets art at the Hermès Maison Dosan with their gallery in the basement level, the Perrotin Gallery, and White Cube. Beauty buffs shouldn’t miss the Sulwhasoo Flagship if not for the skin care products then for the architecture and design. The biggest takeaway is that every store is offering something different, be it a product or an experience, regardless of whether or not you’re in the market for one.
Hannam/Yongsan – Amorepacific is THE leader in Korean beauty brands and not everyone realizes that the Amorepacific Headquarters is not only open to the public, but houses a gallery, a library, several restaurants including Gocheongdam (see above) and the Amore store, featuring their personalized Hera foundation. My daughter and I got our skin tone analyzed by their computer and said our needs (skin type and desired coverage) and their response was truly spot on. Other favorites in Hannam included clothes shopping at Amomento Hannam and Mardi Mercredi for fun Korean fashion andHince for beauty.
Beauty
No trip to Korea would be complete without a little tweak (or at the very least a spa treatment).
I tried to do a little research on the array of services ahead of time and so that made bookings easier. I opted for both EunSkin and VSLINE via their Instagram accounts, and when I arrived they proposed specially-tailored packages and could treat everything on the spot. I’m currently two weeks out and notice my skin appears visibly lifted and tighter.
Here are the spots I visited:
EunSkin Clinic – I tried the MLT laser glow-up with a microinjection mix of stem-cell-based PRP and salmon sperm. Despite what you might have seen on social media, they numb you by default, so it’s not too painful.
VSLINE Clinic – I went in for a little mix of Ulthera (ultrasonic waves) and Thermage (radiofrequency energy) for a non-invasive lift and tighten.
FLoRNail – Unassuming, but they have all the hot trends on offer. My daughter and I had fun with their nail art and cat-eye gel, respectively. We walked in but were extraordinarily lucky, so definitely try to pre-book. Both of our manicures lasted an impressive 4 weeks.
OrMer – I didn’t manage to work in a spa day on this trip, but I did pass by this ultra-sleek looking spot and will definitely make this a priority next time.
BEFORE YOU GO
Download Kakao Map! Google Maps can be helpful for researching addresses, but in order to map out walk times and subway routes, you must use Kakao Map or Naver. I found Kakao a lot easier to navigate, and they have a separate app for rides through Kakao T. I also downloaded Klook for local cultural bookings. That’s where I found the K-Pop festival tickets, as they have a certain number of pre-reserved allocations for foreigners. You can also get baseball tickets through them, which is on my shortlist for next time!
Pro-tip: Know ahead of time that you will never see it all. We were in Seoul for a full week and it’s not that we feel we still have so much to see, but rather there is always so much more to experience. The food, the neighborhoods, the stores, the museums and the K-culture are all so incredibly dynamic I’m already planning my return, and even by then I know that place will be a changed landscape.
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