Seongsu, Seoul
One of Seoul’s most trendy neighborhoods, nicknamed the “Brooklyn of Seoul”.
Seongsu is a trendy part of Seoul that attracts the young and hip
Formerly an industrial area, it’s now becoming a hub for cafes and fashion
It’s called the “Brooklyn of Seoul”
With roughly 9.5 million people, almost 1/5 of the country’s population, Seoul is the primary destination in South Korea.
Like any large city, there are multiple areas that have a strong appeal to them, and one of Seoul’s is Seongsu due to its “newtro” (new + retro) vibe.
If doing a little bit of shopping and exploring the amazing local cafe culture sounds like it’s your thing, you’ll want to visit this area. I’ve been fortunate to visit Seoul a few times now, and Seongsu has become one of my favorite places in the city.
How to get there
The main station is Seongsu Station, and it’s accessible on Seoul Subway Line 2. The line also hits other popular stations such as Gangnam, Euljiro 3(sam)-ga, Euljiro 4(sa)-ga, Dongdaemun History & Culture Park and others.
Seongsu
One of the things that’s immediately noticeable when arriving at Seongsu is that it doesn’t feel like a place that was meant to become a popular destination.
The main station is on the smaller side, there aren’t many tall, modern buildings, and the streets themselves are far from being the most well-maintained in the city.
Seongsu is traditionally an industrial area known for making shoes and other goods. On the surface, this is how most of the area looks even now, but open the doors to a few of these buildings and you may be surprised.
On the other side of many of these industrial facades are restaurants and cafes. I’ve been to a couple of great ones (introduced near the bottom of this page), and they’re absolutely worth visiting. The interiors have been gutted and machinery and workers have been replaced with artistic interiors, delicious smells and people socializing.
Shopping is also a popular thing to do here as there are a few shopping complexes and boutiques.
I visited Seongsu in 2019 and then again in 2023, and its rise in popularity could be felt.
Here are a few places I’ve visted:
Seongsu Yeonbang
Once a chemical plant, the building was renovated and repurposed to become a shopping and dining complex. Most of the stores surround a courtyard which acts as the main entrance.
One of the notable stores is Thingool Market, a lifestyle shop on the first floor that carries everything from fashion accessories to home interior items and dishes. It’s a good one-stop shop if you’re looking to bring back something for yourself or a friend from your trip to Seoul.
LCDC
What is now a modern commercial complex was once an auto repair shop and shoe manufacturing company. It’s pretty difficult to see any traces of them, and what was probably a place full of blue collar workers seemed to be a gathering place for the hip and modern.
A cafe with outdoor seating in the courtyard is on the first floor with some trendy fashion and lifestyle shops upstairs. There’s also a open hangout area at the top, which is also directly accessible from a stairway that goes down to the street corner. This provided a decent spot to do some people watching down below.
Boutiques
Just going for a stroll around Seongsu will lead you to come across interesting boutiques and people.
Being that it’s a trendy neighborhood, you will find a lot of locals dressed up in the latest fashion and a bunch of shops to browse. Here are a few sights from Seongsu:
Cafe Onion
Possibly the hippest cafe chain in the city with locations that are converted old buildings. Their spot in Seongsu is in a gutted 1970s building that served as a former factory.
Cafe Onion Seongsu manages to balance old and new perfectly, and in doing this, makes for an extremely photogenic hang out. There are multiple seating areas, nooks and a rooftop as well. Their coffees and artisanal, homemade pastries and baked goods are tasty.
Great place to stop by when exploring the area and to take pictures.
Grandpa Factory
Built in an old factory, Grandpa Factory has three floors and outdoor seating so you can enjoy a meal, coffee or alcohol.
This cafe is known for its appearance in popular drama, “Vincenzo”, but its vibe and overall atmosphere does itself justice.
With ample seating inside and outside, including a literal treehouse space, Grandpa Factory not only has good food and drinks but it also showcases how old buildings can be successfully repurposed and utilized.
This was a great place that you’re sure to like.
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Seoul, Korea: The Food Tour
Seoul food recommendations after two trips eating at places recommended by Japanese and Koreans.
A trip to Seoul is all about the amazing food. Strong flavors, lots of spices, it’s hard to ask for more.
On my first two trips to the city, I’ve realized that following Japanese travel guides and blogs about Seoul are a lot better than English ones.
It makes sense - Seoul hasn’t been a major tourist destination for Westerners for all that long, and Japanese tourists had been exploring their neighbor from before them. There’s even a Japanese word-of-mouth site with reviews for everything from restaurants to shopping to clinics. [J]
Most of the food spots that I’ve been to and have loved have been from Japanese sources, a group known to have high expectations. These are some of the restaurants and cafes that I recommend:
RESTAURANTS
dong myeonok house
Legit Korean kalbi. You know it has to be when the only other non-Koreans there were American students… with their Korean host family.
Dong Myeonok House is located up a hill in the seemingly upscale residential area of Seongbuk. There’s no major businesses or subway stations around it, so we took a taxi and went for lunch.
We ordered a small order of kalbi and 6-pieces of colorful mandu. The kalbi was melt-off-the-bone tender, tasty with a little hint of sweet, and I couldn’t get enough of the mandu. Thanks to my friend Daniel for the rec, I definitely recommend this place as well.
Area: Seongbuk
MAP
BHC
Fried chicken and beer are a thing in Korea, and they do it so well. BHC became my go-to restaurant in Korea, and I’ve managed to go there 3 times during my trips and layovers.
There’s so much flavor in each bite, especially their spicy ones. Some locations like Myeongdong’s let people eat on the outside tables and drink, others are indoors-only, and there’s an option to takeout. Either way, delicious and highly recommended.
http://www.bhc.co.kr/ [KR]
Area: (Chain) Myeongdong, City Hall, etc.
MAP
YAETMAT SEOUL BULGOLGI
It’s hard to beat self-serve, all-you-can-eat sides and some tasty bulgolgi cooking in front of you. That’s why Yaetmat Seoul Bulgolgi was so good.
Located a couple blocks from Gwangheungchang metro station (광흥창역) on Line 6, Yaetmat Seoul Bulgolgi is a casual restaurant that only had locals - so you know it’s legit.
You sit on stools around a BBQ table and the staff comes by and makes sure everything is cooked properly. There’s a bar of assorted kim chee, greens, onions, garlic and more that’s free for the taking. A very casual, authentic experience and of course, tasty.
* This place has closed.
JINOKHWA HALMAE WONJO DAKHANMARI
This restaurant only serves one dish: Dakhanmari - Chicken hot pot. They put a pot on your table’s burner with your chicken and vegetables and it starts to cook. It’s your job to mix your dipping sauce and order extras like tteokbokki if you want.
While it’s so simple, it’s so good. There was a large crowd waiting to be seated outside, but with 3 floors of tables, the wait wasn’t that long at all. You could go to the neighboring restaurants serving the same thing, but you can’t lose with this place.
http://www.darkhanmari.co.kr
Area: Jongno 5-ga / Dondaemun
MAP
YEONGCHEON YOUNGHOE
Bibimbap is one of Korea’s famous dishes, and Yeongcheon Younghoe in the upscale Cheongdam area of Gangnam was highly rated and apparently visited by celebrities.
We went for lunch and despite the restaurant being on the larger side, it was full with some waiting. The bimbap had a delicious mix of raw beef and greens - tender and fresh - mixed with rice.
A lot of the bibimbap I’ve seen at food stalls didn’t have beef, so this was a nice chance to have some that did.
https://nuon.tistory.com/209 [KR]
Area: Cheongdam, Gangnam
MAP
SINSEON SEOLLEONGTANG
Really good oxtail soup still boiling in the pot. The seolleongtang oxtail soup st this chain was really good, and there’s unlimited kimchee at the table for your taking.
Service is quick and efficient. We went around noon for lunch and there was a line - it’s quite popular and has been featured in a Korean drama - but the line moved really quickly and was totally worth it.
http://www.kood.co.kr
Area: (Chain) Myeongdong
MAP
DAECHI JEONG-YUG SIGDAN
When a butcher shop runs its own Korean BBQ joint, it’s going to be delicious. This is the case with Daechi.
A 15-20 minute walk from COEX shopping mall, Daechi specializes in top grade Korean beef. The beef that they serve are Hanwoo beef and rated 1++ - the highest in the Beef Marbling Standard in Korea. We ordered beef to barbeque as well as yukke, slices of raw beef mixed with raw egg. So good.
Daechi is a bit hard to find - there’s an entrance near the meat shop and it’s down some stairs (last picture, to the right). If you’re around the COEX area, it’s worth checking out.
Area: Seolleung, Gangnam
MAP
DAKKAL WONJONIB
Dakhanmari is probably one of the simplest Korean dishes yet it’s just so good. It’s basically a chicken in a boiling hot pot where you dip into a spicy sauce.
Compared to the more famous Jinokhwa, Dakkal Wonjonib is a smaller, more local restaurant serving the dish. They’re both fantastic, the biggest differences would be that Jinokhwa gives more dipping sauce while Dakkal Wonjonib’s broth has more chicken and garlic flavor in it.
It’s in the Seoul Station area so relatively convenient, making for a nice local option to get some good Korean chicken hot pot.
UKE ZAMEZIP
Raw beef mixed with raw egg, dipped in sesame oil and salt. So delicious.
We stopped by Uke Zamezip for some fresh yukhoe while on the way to Gwangjang Market for some street food. It was well worth it. The casual vibe - enjoying yukke over conversation and cheers of soju and beer, was a nice segue to sitting at the food stalls in the nearby Market.
CAFES
CAFE ONION
Possibly the hippest cafe chain in the city with locations that are converted old buildings. Their spot in Seongsu, the “Brooklyn of Seoul,” is in a gutted 1970s building that served as a former factory.
Cafe Onion Seongsu manages to balance old and new perfectly, and in doing this, makes for an extremely photogenic hang out. There are multiple seating areas, nooks and a rooftop as well. Their coffees and artisanal, homemade pastries and baked goods are tasty.
Great place to stop by when exploring the area and to take pictures.
TripAdvisor
Area: Seongsu
MAP
CHA TEUL TEAHOUSE
A relaxing cafe set in a traditional Korean hanok house on top a hill in the Bukchon Hanok Village area.
Cha Teul, which means “tea-drinking garden,” is an indoor tea house built around its Korean garden. You take off your shoes before you enter, sit on the floor and enjoy some tea over relaxing views. Making the experience even better, service was very friendly.
We had patibingsu (Korean shaved ice with red beans and mochi rice cakes on top), Ssangwha tea (made of Korean medical herbs brewed for 14-15 hours), and lotus tea.
Perfect place to have a sit down and relax in the afternoon.
TripAdvisor
Area: Bukchon
MAP
GALLERY SAI - BY CREATIVE ART GROUP SAI
A coffee shop in a traditional Korean house. We randomly stumbled upon Gallery SAI coming down from the Bukchon Hanok village and were pleasantly surprised.
It’s in a converted old house that blends in with much of the area. You take your shoes off and find a table, some of which are on the floor or in a room, and have tea or coffee. A little more costly than a typical coffee shop, but well worth it for the experience.
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Seoul, Korea: A Second Trip
Returning to Seoul to explore new places and get to know the city a little better.
Somesevit (Sebitseom) building at Banpo Hangang Park illuminated at night
After my first trip to Seoul in late 2018, I knew I had to come back. Less than a year later in 2019, that happened.
This time around, I ventured to explore areas for the first time to add to my experiences in the city.
If you’re visiting for the first time, you can see what I did on my first trip, or maybe these sights are more your style.
Things to know:
Google Maps isn’t as useful - locations are scarce, often don’t translate from Korean, and don’t contain detailed information
There’s a lot of walking - With limited escalators in train stations and trains being long themselves, there’s more walking to the exits
Many restaurants close early on weekends, like fully closed at 8PM on a Saturday night early
Where we stayed:
We stayed in a convenient location near the City Hall subway station on our first trip, so we decided to make our base at the hotel right next door. The Hotel Gracery is a newer hotel owned by a Japanese company, and is between City Hall and Hoehyeon subway stations, and also near the popular Namdaemun Market.
The room was a bit small, but everything was nicely kept and clean. Service is good, the toilet and shower are separate, there’s coin laundry in the lobby and a convenience store downstairs.
Here’s where we explored on my second time in the city.
Banpo Hangang Park
The Banpo Bridge Rainbow Fountain at Banpo Hangang Park
On the south side of the Han River is Banpo Hangang Park [MAP]. We visited in the evening where they have a festival during the warmer months featuring a bunch of food trucks and artists selling homemade crafts.
The Banpo Bridge Rainbow Fountain show is also put on, where streams of water shoot out from the bridge’s sides, illuminated by about 200 LEDs. At 570 meters long, it’s the world’s longest bridge fountain and it’s free. The shows happen every half an hour between 7:30PM-9PM.
The Somesevit (Sebitseom) buildings are illuminated with people sitting around it, enjoying drinks and each other’s company over some open mic karaoke.
People eating and drinking, listening to opem mic karaoke at a Somesevit (Sebitseom) building
Apgujeong, Gangnam
A side street in Apgujeong in Gangnam, Seoul
One of the popular shopping areas in the Gangnam area, Apgujeong had stores from Prada to Club Monaco, along with a lot of cafes and plastic surgery clinics. To me, it had a similar feel to Tokyo’s Aoyama area or Los Angeles’ Abbott Kinney or Melrose. It’s definitely on the upscale side.
We visited the area after stopping at the nearby Cheongdam area of Gangnam for some delicious bibimbap at Yeongcheon Younghoe.
After some window shopping, we stopped at the local Tom N Toms coffee chain for some refreshment before heading to Seongsu.
Seongsu
The industrial turned trendy area of Seongsu
It may not seem like it, but Seongsu is a pretty trendy area for young Koreans. I learned about it while researching for client work, so I decided to check it out.
The neighborhood used to be the location of a lot of handmade shoe factories and warehouses, and those old industrial buildings are slowly being converted into artistic cafes, coffee shops and restaurants. We went to a great one called Cafe Onion (more info below).
Seongsu, while a hot spot for locals, still seems relatively unknown to tourists. I only wish we had more time and space in our stomachs so we could stay here longer.
Cafe Onion in Seongsu
Itaewon
A buzzing street in Itaewon
This is somewhat of an international area of Seoul, and a lot of the restaurants and bars are geared to expats and tourists. There was even a restaurant claiming to serve “authentic Chinese-American cuisine.”
While teens and those in their early twenties may enjoy areas like Myeongdong or Samseong more, Itaewon seemed great for adults looking to grab a bite and a few drinks and have a good time.
We visited this area for dinner. Up until this point, most of the places we ate at were based off of Japanese information, so we decided to try The Maple House, a highly rated Korean BBQ spot that appeared in several English guides. It was alright but not great. I realized English information on Seoul may be lacking, so I wrote some food recommendations based on places I’ve eaten at.
In any case, if you’re looking for a night out with friends at an international-type of spot, this area is lively and might be decent to check out.
Starfield Library at the COEX Mall in Gangnam
While these were some of the main spots that we visited on this trip, there were many others as well.
I wrote about some of them in my blog about my first trip to Seoul, like Myeongdong, Bukchon Hanok, Namdaemun and COEX.
Others like Samseong, a Harajuku-esque area where aspiring K-pop dancers perform on the streets, didn’t work out for us because we went to late or there was bad weather.
Namdaemun Market
Other areas like Seongbuk and Gwangheungchan were simply stops for the food.
Let’s face it, even on my second visit to the city, a trip to Seoul is all about the food.
Cafe Onion
Possibly the hippest cafe chain in the city with locations that are converted old buildings. Their spot in Seongsu, the “Brooklyn of Seoul,” is in a gutted 1970s building that served as a former factory.
Cafe Onion Seongsu manages to balance old and new perfectly, and in doing this, makes for an extremely photogenic hang out. There are multiple seating areas, nooks and a rooftop as well. Their coffees and artisanal, homemade pastries and baked goods are tasty.
Great place to stop by when exploring the area and to take pictures.
dong myeonok house
Legit Korean kalbi. You know it has to be when the only other non-Koreans there were American students… with their Korean host family.
Dong Myeonok House is located up a hill in the seemingly upscale residential area of Seongbuk. There’s no major businesses or subway stations around it, so we took a taxi and went for lunch.
We ordered a small order of kalbi and 6-pieces of colorful mandu. The kalbi was melt-off-the-bone tender, tasty with a little hint of sweet, and I couldn’t get enough of the mandu. Thanks to my friend Daniel for the rec, I definitely recommend this place as well.
Cha Teul Teahouse
A relaxing cafe set in a traditional Korean hanok house on top a hill in the Bukchon Hanok Village area.
Cha Teul, which means “tea-drinking garden,” is an indoor tea house built around its Korean garden. You take off your shoes before you enter, sit on the floor and enjoy some tea over relaxing views. Making the experience even better, service was very friendly.
We had patibingsu (Korean shaved ice with red beans and mochi rice cakes on top), Ssangwha tea (made of Korean medical herbs brewed for 14-15 hours), and lotus tea.
Perfect place to have a sit down and relax in the afternoon.
Yaetmat Seoul Bulgogi
It’s hard to beat self-serve, all-you-can-eat sides and some tasty bulgolgi cooking in front of you. That’s why Yaetmat Seoul Bulgolgi was so good.
Located a couple blocks from Gwangheungchang metro station (광흥창역) on Line 6, Yaetmat Seoul Bulgolgi is a casual restaurant that only had locals - so you know it’s legit.
You sit on stools around a BBQ table and the staff comes by and makes sure everything is cooked properly. There’s a bar of assorted kim chee, greens, onions, garlic and more that’s free for the taking. A very casual, authentic experience and of course, tasty.
* This restaurant has closed.
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Busan, Korea
Exploring Korea’s second largest city for a couple days.
Busan is the 2nd largest city in Korea with 3.5 million people
Located on Korea’s southeastern shore, it’s best known for its seaport and beaches
Traveling to Busan was a long time coming for me. I had lived in Fukuoka, Japan, just a short boat ride away but for some reason never made the trip.
I finally visited during my second trip to Korea in 2019.
Things to know
Google Maps isn’t as useful - locations are scarce, often don’t translate from Korean, and don’t contain detailed information
There’s a lot of walking - Escalators in train stations are limited, blocks are big and main streets are wide
How to get there
A lot of people, like us, will be flying in and out of Seoul and making Busan a mini-trip. Busan is only about a 3-hour train ride on the Korail KTX. You can reserve tickets online here, but just know that the site is not mobile-friendly and overall isn’t that good.
If you print out your tickets, you can bypass the ticket office and just go to board your train. It’s all reserved seating and our tickets were never actually checked or used.
Busan is also a short boat ride from Fukuoka, Japan. The JR Beetle is a hydrofoil that sails between Hakata and Busan in about 3 hours. You can purchase tickets here or on their Japanese site. They also have a higher end JR Queen Beetle set to start sailing in July 2020.
Where we stayed
Room at the Brown Dot Hotel Seomyeong
Only spending two days and one night in Busan, we prioritized location and cost. We decided on the Brown Dot Hotel Seomyeong, probably a converted former love hotel or motel, conveniently located near Seomyeong and only a couple minutes from the station.
The hotel was fine for a short stay. The one issue was the toilet and shower area as the toilet is immediately next to the shower in a way that the toilet can get wet. This isn’t a hotel-specific issue, it seems that’s it’s a pretty common setup in Korea. They provided a range of amenities as well as access to take as many bottles of water as you needed.
From here, we went out and explored the city.
Seomyeong
Busan’s central area for shopping and eating out, and it was a short walk away from our hotel.
The Lotte Department Store is at the center, and there’s a bunch of terraced seating on the food court floor that featured tables and charging ports - great at providing a place to rest.
Food vendors open shop at night on the streets to the east of the department store. While we didn’t eat any of the street food, this is where we walked around to get some delicious meals (bottom).
Gamcheon Culture Village
Stairway in the Gamcheon Culture Village
One of the most photogenic spots in Busan. Sometimes nicknamed things like the “Santorini of Korea,” the hillside homes are covered with colorful pastels.
The area was built in the 1920s as housing for poor port laborers. After paining the neighborhood, Gamcheon transformed into an area of art and is one of the most popular tourist destinations.
We caught the #2 bus, one of a few that go up to the village, from near Jagalchi metro station (around here) up the hillside to the main stop (around here).
There’s a main street that goes through the village with cafes and touristy photo spots, but I recommend walking through the narrow alleys and stairways - it’s a lot more interesting and it puts you right at real residents’ front doors (obviously don’t be loud or disruptive).
Jagalchi Fish Market
Looking to eat some fresh fish in this port city, we went to check out Jagalchi Fish Market, the biggest in Korea. It’s located to the southeast of Jagalchi metro station - but anyone can just follow their nose!
There are numerous, old fish stands outside on the streets, and in the main building, aisles of sellers with tanks of all sorts of live seafood for sale. You can see and buy everything - eels, octopus, shellfish and everything in between.
We found a vendor and bought 2 fish for ₩400,000 (about $33 USD). They’re killed and cleaned right there, definitely not for the faint.
We were then led up to the second floor eating area where our fish were prepared into Korean-style sashimi and a hot pot. The cooking/seating fee plus a beer was an additional ₩19,000 (about $16 USD).
Gukje Market
Also known as Nampodong International Market, Gukje Market is right to the north of Jagalchi Fish Market and Jagalchi metro station.
The market started when refugees fled the Korean War and tried to make a living. It’s one of Korea’s largest markets, featuring alleys of souvenir shops and daily items, as well as street food stalls where you can pull up on a plastic stool for a bite.
While we didn’t do any shopping, it made for a very photogenic and immersive experience as we walked up to our next destination.
Bosu Dong Book Street
A bookstore owner immersed in books at Bosu Dong Book Street
Books, books and more books. Bosu Dong Book Street started after Japanese occupation and during the Korean war. Books left behind by the Japanese were sold, and during the war, people sold their possessions for money. It continued to evolve until it’s become what it is today.
The area isn’t that big, but it is packed with small shops completely packed with books with the shop owner somehow fitting inside. For some shops, any more books may trap their owner. There’s even a shop that is only for photoshoots with books (there was a line, too), but we managed to take enough pics in the actual shops.
Finishing up our Busan trip here, we went back to Busan Station to head to our next stop: Seoul.
Gaemijip
The flavor packed into this pot was nothing short of incredible. This was my favorite meal in Busan, and one of my favorites I’ve had in Korea.
Gaemijip is a 24-hour chain which makes it really convenient. We went to the Seomyeong location for dinner, and it was pretty full - almost all Koreans, so we knew it had to be good.
The main course is a sort of seafood stew. We opted to get the octopus and shrimp option and added udon noodles. We heard that the food here tends to be really spicy, so we went with a mild level one and it was definitely enough. Absolutely delicious and reasonably priced.
Ssangdoongi Dwaeji Gukbap
A pork soup spot that is regarded as one of the best in town. Ssangdoongi Dwaeji Gukbap is a few blocks from Daeyeon metro station and is a really local place.
We went for lunch, and got a nice, full bowl of pork soup with an array of all-you-can-eat kim chee and Korean pickles. The soup isn’t spicy at all, but there’s red pepper that you can add to taste and they give you garlic as well.
As expected at a reasonable, local spot, there’s not much English and service is nothing celebrate, but it’s good enough and they come to refill your dishes when you’re out. Nice lunch find for sure, or late night snack as they’re open until midnight.
Gijang Sonkalguksu
Homemade noodle soup in the heart of the Seomyeong area. This is a really basic, local shop that most likely won’t catch your eye.
The broth is thin and noodles similar to udon, just a little flatter. Women chefs prepare the soup outside, and that in itself is interesting to watch - the years of perfecting the craft going into every cut of noodle and every pour of broth.
Gijang Sonkalguksu opens at 9AM and closes at 9PM. We started our day off here - light yet filling. The only thing to watch out for is the garlic, but that just makes it even more tasty.
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Seoul, Korea
A first taste of Seoul’s hot spots, historical sights and delicious foods.
Maybe the most familiar-feeling new country I’ve ever visited.
Seoul had been near the top of my “places to go” list for nearly a decade and I finally went for the first time in October 2018.
While it made me feel like I’ve been there before, there still were a few surprises that would’ve been nice to know before.
Things to keep in mind
Google Maps isn’t as useful - locations are scarce, often don’t translate from Korean, and don’t contain detailed information
There’s a lot of walking - With limited escalators in train stations and trains being long themselves, there’s more walking to the exits
Many restaurants close early on weekends, like fully closed at 8PM on a Saturday night early
NOTE: Seoul has amazing food. If you’re looking for food recommendations, skip to the bottom or check out my list:
![Seoul at sundown - [BUY PRINT]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f8b23b0626755198127ae3/1677509505672-9IU2LUULVQNNNKVAETOO/seoul-korea-lotte-world-seoul-05B.jpg)
Seoul at sundown
It was my first time in Korea, so I was surprised that I felt almost as if I had been there before.
Having lived in Japan and the US, being in Seoul felt somewhere in between the two. It’s very much its own country of course, but I never felt lost or like everything was so foreign to me.
Like much of America, the city has wide streets and their cars drive on the right side of the road. It has clean trains, modern lights and buildings along with really local, street-style eateries like Japan. Getting around in English is fine most of the time, and the convenience stores could rival their Japanese counterparts. Even spicy, fried chicken wings with beer is a thing. Not so different at all!
Sungnyemun Gate
We had about 2.5 days and 3 nights, which gave me a nice sample taste of the city. These are the places we visited during that time:
Day 1
Myeongdong
The Myeongdong area is geared slightly towards the younger crowd and has a lot of shopping with shops for skincare, trendy fashion brands and even lookalike knockoffs. The abundance of lights and street food vendors make it a lively place until around 11PM.
We actually went to Myeongdong three times during our stay; once for a delicious oxtail soup lunch at Sinseon Seolleongtang (information at the bottom) and the other two times at night. A lot of the street foods looked good, but being so full from all the other good food, I was only able to try a frozen s’more - a torched marshmallow with ice cream inside. Thumbs up.
From Myeongdong, we caught the light blue line and transferred to the orange line at Chungmuro station and went to Gyeongokgung station for the Gyeonggokgung Palace.
Gyeongokgung Palace
One of the major historical sights in Seoul is the Gyeongokgun Palace, originally built in 1395. It’s now one of the most popular tourist stops and many wear traditional (or the more glittery fake traditional) Korean dresses and walk the area.
The palace was a bit crowded when we went at around 4PM in the afternoon, despite it closing only a little while later at around 5:30PM. The grounds are big, and it would probably have taken at least a couple hours if we really wanted to see everything. We only went around the central are before moving on.
From the palace, we walked over to Bukchon Hanok Village.
Bukchon Hanok Village
Probably one of my favorite places in Seoul. It’s a historical neighborhood on a hillside near Gyeongokgun Palace that dates back to about 600 years ago.
You can catch a glimpse of the city’s skyline, including Seoul Tower, from some of the alleys. The walking alleys are lined with tiled walls, and the dark rooftops add contrast to the scenery. It was quite crowded when we went, and everyone had to keep quiet as people still lived there. Historical, yes, but I loved how photogenic it was.
At the bottom of the hill are a bunch of boutiques and places to eat.
From Anguk station, we caught the orange line and transferred to the dark blue line at Jongno 3-ga station, before getting off at Jongno 5-ga for dinner at Jinokwha Halmae Wonjo Darkhanmari (see below). It’s only one station away from the next place we went to, the DDP.
Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP)
I could probably stay here all day. The Dongdaemun Design Plaza, or DDP, was designed by Zaha Hadid and it just about transports you to the future. Looking like a landed spaceship in the middle of shopping area Dongdaemun, the entire building almost has no corners and some of its surface tiles light up at night.
The DDP has shops, exhibitions and acts as a park area to hang out. It also has an illuminated LED rose garden that’s quite beautiful at night. The building area is not only gorgeous but is also useful and clearly very well thought out - one of the most impressive sights I saw on my trip. I’d likely find myself here often if I lived in Seoul.
Near Seoul station and Hoehyeon station is Namdaemun market, an open street market area with Korean snacks, clothes, food stalls and more.
We grabbed a yachae hottoek - a vegetable and noodle-filled, pancake snack deep fried in soybean oil - at the famous food cart Namdaemun Yachae Hottoek [MAP] before stopping for some bibimbap in an ally full of bibimbap stalls.
From Hoehyeon station, we caught the light blue line to Chungmuro, then transferred there to the orange line which took us across the river to Apgujeong station.
Sinsadong / Apgujeong / Cheongdam
A neighborhood in the wealthier Gangnam district, this area has a lot of shopping boutiques.
The vibe is a bit different from the northern side of the river as it has more mid to high end fashion shops and upscale cafes. There were apartments by Korea’s major corporations, each with parking lots mostly full of European cars. It was no surprise when we saw a Starbucks Reserve shop here in place of the more common Hollys Coffee that’s around the city.
From this area, we decided to take a taxi to the COEX mall. Taxis are pretty frequent - the orange ones are said to be the most reliable.
COEX
COEX is a combined convention center / exhibition hall / shopping mall. It’s huge, and its underground shopping mall is apparently the world’s largest.
One of the things it’s most known for is its Starfield Library (pictured above), a picturesque atrium area with bookshelves reaching a couple stories high. There’s also a large art installation of PSY’s “Gangnam Style hands” on the street level on its eastern side, right around here [MAP].
https://www.starfield.co.kr [KR]
Catching a taxi again, we flagged one down on the street and caught it to the Lotte World Tower.
Lotte World Tower
I’m always looking for a nice view of whatever city I’m in, and Lotte World Tower has one of the best in Seoul.
Lotte is one of the most well known Korean companies as they make everything from chewing gum to burgers. Lotte World is a huge entertainment complex with a theme park and shopping mall, and the Lotte World Tower, the tallest building in Seoul, is right there as well.
The view from the tower is amazing - you can see Seoul in any direction from about 120 floors up until about 10PM. They also have a sky deck, and their elevator is a smooth, one-minute ride that features a 360-degree virtual experience while in it. Impressive.
From Jamsil station next to the Lotte World Tower, we caught the green line back to the hotel before heading out to dinner at Gwangjang Market.
Gwangjang Market
A food stall at Gwangjang market in Seoul that serves san-nakji or “live” octopus.
Another one of the major street food markets in Seoul, Gwangjang Market is known for foods such as yukke (raw beef with raw egg) and san-nakji (“live” octopus). They’re both really good. A lot of people, locals and tourists alike, come here for some street food and soju.
The stall we sat at was run by one of the veterans, a lady operating in a tiny space 3ft by 3ft at best that fit the sink, refrigerator, cutting area, trash - everything. She didn’t speak any English, but her stall was very popular and she was attentive to everyone while being really hospitable. She even decided to feed me my first bites of everything, leaving me no time to question my decision to order what I did.
Seoul was a great trip. There’s so much to see and service was generally pretty good. Growing up in the US, Korean restaurants aren’t known to have the friendliest service, so I was pleasantly surprised at how warm and friendly it was in Seoul.
With English being often understood, a decent amount of western products being sold in stores, and Seoul being a big city but not overcrowded like Tokyo or Hong Kong, I think Seoul makes for a great trip, especially for western tourists who haven’t been to Asia before. And the food… the food is amazing.
I’ll be back!
Sinseon Seolleongtang
Really good oxtail soup still boiling in the pot. The seolleongtang oxtail soup st this chain was really good, and there’s unlimited kimchee at the table for your taking. Service is quick and efficient. We went around noon for lunch and there was a line - it’s quite popular and has been featured in a Korean drama - but the line moved really quickly and was totally worth it.
Jamaejip
Near the Gwangjang Market area is an ally with restaurants featuring yukke - raw beef with raw egg. You mix it together and dip it in a sesame oil sauce. It might take some time to get used to for people who’ve never had it, but it’s definitely worth it. Jamaejip had two locations next to each other and both were full when we went on a weeknight. The wait wasn’t too bad and it was a good time joining the locals for some yukke and soju.
Jinokwha Halmae Wonjo Darkhanmari
This restaurant only serves one dish: Chicken hot pot. They put a pot on your table’s burner and your chicken and vegetable Star to cook. It’s your job to mix your dipping sauce and order extras like tteokbokki if you want. While it’s so simple, it’s so good. There was a large crowd waiting to be seated outside, but with 3 floors of tables, the wait wasn’t that long at all. You could go to the neighboring restaurants serving the same thing, but you can’t lose with this place.
BHC
Fried chicken and beer is a thing in Korea. I didn’t expect I’d be having something like this as a part of my Korean food experience, but I did, and wow, it was really good. There’s so much flavor in each bite, especially their spicy ones. People eat on the outside tables and drink, but we took out. Either way, delicious and recommended.
Gallery SAI - By Creative Art Group SAI
A coffee shop in a traditional Korean house. We randomly stumbled upon Gallery SAI coming down from the Bukchon Hanok village and were pleasantly surprised. It’s in a converted old house that blends in with much of the area. You take your shoes off and find a table, some of which are on the floor or in a room, and have tea or coffee. A little more costly than a typical coffee shop, but well worth it for the experience.
Keep in touch
One of Seoul’s most trendy neighborhoods, nicknamed the “Brooklyn of Seoul”.