Seoul has always held a special place for me, and I have been visiting since I was a baby, each time tagging along with a family member, experiencing the city through the lens of my guides. My dad loves walking through the gardens and historical sites of Seoul, observing how different the city of his youth had become after he immigrated to the U.S. in the eighties, occasionally sharing surprisingly vulnerable stories. My mom, a true gourmand, sought to savor and recapture the flavors of her past, taking us on aggressive food crawls, saying yes to every single bite and sharing it with us. We could not keep up with my mom’s appetite, and I watched in awe as she haggled with the vendors at the market for sport. I’ve toured the city with my cousins and friends, learning which spots were trendy and which were timeless. We’d visit my family, travel to the countryside of Jeolla-do—the region my family is from—and explore a different part of the country.
After a long flight, Romaine and I landed in Seoul in the early evening. Our friends from our Paris days, Hangyeol and Kyejung, picked us up from the airport. After a lovely reunion, they drove us to their Airbnb where they graciously hosted us. We dropped off our luggage, toured their gorgeous pastry shop 데시데 pâtisserie décidé, and then went straight to dinner. Our first meal was bossam: succulent, tender, boiled pork served with ssam, geotjeori (fresh unfermented kimchi), and chewy spicy buckwheat noodles that you mix with a gloved hand. This was a delightful first meal back in Korea, and one I find myself thinking about regularly.
I’ve hesitated to write about my travels because I feel that I don’t have a right to share as a visitor. I don’t know what it’s like to live there, and I don’t want to be a part of any tourism hysteria blowing up a place and ruining it for locals. Yet I receive a lot of questions from friends, acquaintances, and people I have yet to meet on the internet asking for my recommendations, and I end up sharing them one-off via text which is simply not an efficient use of my time.
And so, conflicted, I present my sliver of Seoul: a few activities, where we stayed, some helpful tips, and mostly where we ate. I live to eat, especially when traveling, and I love finding delicious bites and meals that I can dream about in the future. These are places I’ve enjoyed and would happily recommend to my friends.
My request is that you be a polite tourist, a self-aware and considerate traveler. Be nice to everyone who is laboring to provide you a service. And do not embarrass me, especially if I’m sending you somewhere.
Where we stayed
On this trip, we stayed at my friend Hangyeol’s Airbnb (he has two units). It is a wonderful location and spot to stay, right next to Gyeongbokgung Palace. Hangyeol, or Sam’s, spot is located in the Jongno district of Seoul, which is the historic center of the city. It was a great neighborhood to anchor in and return to.
Bakeries and Cafes
pâtisserie décidé Haute pastry by chef Kyejung Lee and co-owned by Hangyeol Yurn
A fabulous pastry shop run by chef Kyejung Lee and her husband/partner Hangyeol Yurn. I met the pair when they were studying in Paris; I went to bread school with Hangyeol. I’ve seen them build their business over the years via their socials and was absolutely delighted to visit and finally taste their beautiful pastries.
Kyejung is currently spending her weekends going to the Jeollado region (near the southern coast, where my family is from) to learn about the traditional jangs and ingredients of Korean cuisine. She, like many chefs in Korea, is finding inspiration in rich Korean culinary traditions and using them, along with peak seasonal ingredients, to create sublime pastries that I could easily see fitting in with the finest haute pâtisseries of Paris.
Romaine and I went at noon on a Wednesday, and I was surprised at how busy they were, considering noon felt like a time for lunch and not pastries. The crowd at the shop felt like many local folks meeting up with friends for a sweet bite during their lunch hour, along with tourists like us. All of us were delighted by how beautiful the pastries were, snapping photos before digging in.
While there were so many pastries I wanted to try, Romaine and I shared these three:
The Correspondence, an ethereal pastry with rose mousse, orange crémeux, raspberry-orange purée on top of a lemon biscuit
Strawberry Fromage Blanc: fresh strawberry mousse and purée with a fresh strawberry perched on top of a fluffy dacquoise—a perfect bite to welcome strawberry season in Seoul. Kyejung uses the best strawberries and changes the varieties as the season progresses to make sure her pastries have the best fruit.
Blanche Neige: a signature pastry of theirs inspired by baekseolgi rice cakes that we use to celebrate a baby’s 100-day party. When you look at the pastry, it’s stunning: a white cube with a fluffy exterior that looks like a sprinkle of fresh snow has fallen gently on top. You cut into it and see layers of vanilla biscuit, vanilla caramel mousse, and an impossibly light, clean, milky taste.
pâtisserie décidé: 41 Sagan-dong, Jongno District, Seoul, South Korea
A beautiful cafe with gorgeous laminated pastries and some of the best coffee we had on our trip.
Bunker Company Apgujeong: 23 Eonju-ro 167-gil, Gangnam District, Seoul, South Korea
Acitrine Cafe
I love Ethiopian coffee, and we had their “Beaujolais Nouveau” coffee, which was a mix of beans from Ethiopia and Colombia that tried to mimic the taste of the vibrant, fruity, almost bubblegum taste of carbonically macerated wine. The espresso had light notes of banana and strawberry, and replaced Bunker Company as Romaine’s favorite coffee of the trip.
The cafe itself has vinyl records, lots of books, and is an open and welcoming space for visitors to take a little pause before strolling around the neighborhood.
Acitrine: South Korea, Seoul, Mapo-gu, 241 31 1층
Camel Coffee Seo-chon branch Cafe
This location used to be the old town post office, and it’s been renovated into a funky, cool coffee shop. Romaine and I had our first coffee of the day there, arriving when they opened at 10 a.m., and luckily we were able to sit and enjoy a lovely coffee while watching folks walking around in hanbok with photographers. I’ve read this location is impossibly busy during peak hours, which makes sense since it’s right next to Gyeongbokgung Palace.
Camel Coffee 31 Hyoja-ro, Jongno District, Seoul, South Korea (multiple locations)
Yeonhung Roasters 연흔 로스터스 Cafe
A beautiful women-owned coffee shop and roastery
연흔 로스터스 YEONHEUN ROASTERS: South Korea, Seoul, Jongno District, Jahamun-ro 7-gil, 29 1층
Foreplan 포어플랜 Cafe
An architecture-themed cafe with a lot of space (and power outlets) for working and meeting. While the design of the coffee shop outshone the drinks and desserts we ordered, I still think this spot is worth a visit.
Foreplan: 30-11 Wangsimni-ro 14-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Jayeondo Sogeumppang (Salt Bread) in Seongsu 자연도소금빵 성수점 Bakery
It’s a viral salt bread bakery with multiple locations. We visited the Seongsudong branch around 9:30 in the morning before the crowds. The salt bread really was fabulous: a tender fluffy yeasted roll that is stuffed with butter with a crisp bottom and a salty top. It’s not overrated and I would happily eat a few more of these little beauties anytime.
Jayeondo Sogeumppang (Salt Bread) in Seongsu: 56-1 Yeonmujang-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, South Korea (multiple locations)
Restaurants and Bars
Cheonha Bossam 천하보쌈 Casual traditional Korean restaurant specializing in Bossam
This was our first meal right off the plane in Seoul. After our friends Hangyeol and Kyejung picked us up from the airport, they brought us here to have bossam (thinly sliced pork boiled to perfection) and chewy buckwheat noodles in a sweet spicy sauce that you have to mix by hand (they give you a plastic glove). I loved the geotjeori kimchi, fresh unfermented kimchi. We drank maekgolli, a milky slightly sweet Korean rice wine, to wash it down. This is one of the meals I’ll remember longingly and will go back to when I visit again. This is one of the traditional Korean restaurants that has a limited menu because they specialize in a few dishes. They usually crank out the food and move through a bunch of customers quickly. Expect a line and a wait as this place is popular.
Cheonha Bossam: 8 Changdeokgung 1-gil, Jongno District, Seoul, South Korea
Myeongdong Kyoja 명동교자 Casual traditional Korean restaurant specializing in mandu (dumplings) and noodles.
This is a spot my mom loves and we would go and eat their dumplings with their super garlicky fresh geotjeori kimchi.
Myeongdong Kyoja: 29 Myeongdong 10-gil, Jung District, Seoul, South Korea
Tosokchon Samgyetang 토속촌 삼계탕 Casual traditional Korean restaurant specializing in Samgyetang (Chicken ginseng soup)
I first had Tosokchon Samgyetang in the summer of 2011. I queued in a line for at least 35 minutes in stifling summer heat to eat samgyetang with my mom, my cousin, and his friend. We revisited the restaurant that has since gotten a facelift on this recent trip, jetlagged and exhausted, Romaine and I ordered the samgyetang and it came in a clay pot boiling vigorously. The rice tucked inside the carcass of the small chicken was filled with so many seeds and grains and was immensely comforting to eat.
Tosokchon Samgyetang: 5 Jahamun-ro 5-gil, Jongno District, Seoul, South Korea
룻 Root Somewhere in between casual and fine dining
Root is a playful fine dining experience that focuses on reimagined interpretations of traditional Korean ingredients or culinary themes. Similar to how Kyejung and a lot of other young Korean chefs seem to draw inspiration from. They have a large selection of sool, Korean spirits, from local artisans to pair with each dish. The restaurant is in a renovated hanok, traditional Korean house.
룻 Root: 54-1 Yulgok-ro 1-gil, Jongno District, Seoul, South Korea
진미 (Jin Mi) Casual Korean Chinese restaurant
One of the foods I deeply crave is a bowl of black bean noodles, or Korean style jjajangmyun. We went to 진미 (Jin Mi) with our friends Hangyeol and Kyejung. This is their local spot, and we ordered some tangsuyuk (deep fried sweet and sour pork), I got the seafood gan jjajang, and we shared some beers.
진미: 36 Yeonhuimat-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Markets
I love love love visiting local markets. You can learn a lot about a local cuisine by visiting. I always try to scope out where the old ladies and aunties go. I used to get embarrassed by how my mother demanded the best cut of fish or specific piece of produce, but now I realize she was training me. In my mid-life, I find that I have totally become an auntie, looking for a beautiful ingredient to bring home and haggling when necessary.
Namdaemun Market
Traditional Korean Market
We went to Namdaemun market with my mom after visiting Namsan Park back in 2017. We tried to keep up with my mom on an epic/aggressive food crawl that ended at Myeongdong Kyoja.
Namdaemun Market:21 Namdaemunsijang 4-gil, Jung District, Seoul, South Korea
Dongdaemun Market
Traditional Korean market
My dad would shop here for fabrics, and other fashion goods for my aunt, his sister, who ran a fashion line in the 80s up to the early 2000s in Seoul. He brought me and my sister here for a tour of the shops.
Dongdaemun Market Toy Alley:390-3 Changsin-dong, Jongno District, Seoul, South Korea
A non-recommendation
I was on the phone with my mom asking her about markets, and she told me, do NOT recommend Gwangjang market because it is known to be a tourist trap where vendors have been accused of overcharging tourists. I laughed because Romaine and I definitely went for a quick bite on this trip. And I, jet-lagged and overwhelmed by the crowds, was fleeced, and overpaid for strawberries.
Activities and Shopping
Gyeongui Line Forest Park 경의선숲길공원 Park
Seoul Forest Park 서울숲공원 Park
Horim Museum Sinsa Branch 호림박물관 신사분관
Art museum (Romaine’s recommendation)
National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul 국립현대미술관 서울
A beautiful stationary store that gets overwhelmingly busy.
Beaker Flagship Store 비이커 성수플래그십스토어
Men and Women’s multibrand store (Romaine’s recommendation)
Low classic 로우클래식
Women’s Clothing
Cafe and Shop
Perfume store with multiple locations
Helpful Information
Subway/public transport: It’s a tap in and out system meaning you need a TMoney card and you pay by distance of travel. You need a TMoney card which they sell at convenience stores and subway ticket machines. You need cash to refill these.
Make sure to download Naver maps. Google maps does not work well in South Korea currently, although it seems as though they are planning to change that for the future.